Sony Corporation

Takashi Otobe

Hiroshi Ohki

Chiaki Kojima

Yujiro Ito

Yoshikazu Murakami

Kanji Mihara

Kohji Suzuki

Yasutoshi Komatsu

Yuzuru Yanagisawa

Akira Hirashima

Yasutoshi Kamatsu

Syunsuke Matsui

A portable terminal apparatus including an individual identification acquiring device and a unit for transmitting individual identification information. A central controller allows for comparing a piece of individual identification data, stored in a storage unit to the received individual identification information and, if an individual identification code could be specified, the portable terminal apparatus obtains information from the base apparatus. The distributive information storage unit stores information to be distributed. Information relative to a material displayed on a large-sized image display apparatus is transmitted from the base apparatus to the portable terminal apparatus through a communication line.

Distribution system and distribution method

An optical-signal transmitting apparatus performs predetermined digital modulation on a digital signal to be transmitted. The modulated digital signal is then converted into a light signal which is output. The output light signal is scattered and radiated to external space. The wavelength of the radiated light is preferably between 1.4 and 1.6 microns. Modulation is preferably performed based on a duration of a symbol to obtain not less than a predetermined ratio, e.g., 3, of a carrier wave to an interference wave. The scattered light signal is received and is preferably converged by a hemispherical lens mounted to a light receiving device. The received light signal is converted to an electrical signal and digital demodulation is performed.

Optical-signal transmitting apparatus, optical-signal receiving

A method, circuit, and apparatus for mitigating effects of wavelength-dependent atmospheric transmission characteristics on an atmospheric optical telecommunication system. The system comprises two atmospheric optical telecommunication units communicating with one another using light propagated through the atmosphere. Each of the atmospheric telecommunication units includes an optical transmitter having a laser generating a transmitted light beam for reception by the other, and an optical receiver. The optical receiver generates an electrical signal in response to a received light beam received from the other of the atmospheric optical telecommunication units. In the method, an increase in noise above a normal noise level is detected in the electrical signal, and a flag signal is generated in response. The increase in noise is due to the received light beam having a wavelength at which the atmosphere has a wavelength-dependent transmission characteristic. In response to the flag signal, the wavelength of the transmitted light beam is changed to a wavelength at which the transmission characteristic of the atmosphere is less wavelength-dependent.

Method, circuit, and apparatus for mitigating effects of

An optical atmospheric link system controls the angle an emitted light beam makes to a predetermined direction. A turning force is supplied to a rigid body housing an optical system without direct contact with the rigid body so that changes in the optical axis caused by a disturbance can be compressed, allowing servo-control operation to adjust the optical axis with high speed and with less driving power.

Optical atmospheric link system

A laser beam soldering apparatus is provided for soldering parts, such as, lead wires provided for an IC chip which are arranged closely to each other. The apparatus includes a plurality of laser beam irradiation units employing a semiconductor laser and a mounting dish for mounting the irradiation units. The dish has a plurality through holes for receiving the irradiation units. The irradiation units are mounted in the plate so as to be directed to one focal point to form a desired beam spot shape. A small beam spot having sufficient heat for soldering is thereby obtained.

Laser beam soldering apparatus and soldering method using the same

A dielectric rotary coupler for electromagnetic waves of the microwave frequency region structured of a substantially ring-shaped rotary member and a stationary member, each member being formed of a dielectric waveguide, or line, having a rectangular cross-section. The rotary line and the stationary line are arranged to face each other with a predetermined space therebetween along a coupling length, through which a microwave, for example, a carrier microwave FM-modulated by a signal reproduced by a rotary head of a VTR, is coupled from the rotary line to the stationary line, or vice versa.

Dielectric rotary coupler

A phase detector for detecting a mutual phase difference between two signals, such as first and second microwave signals, comprises first and second signal paths for being supplied with first and second input signals of the same frequency, respectively, and providing with a predetermined additional mutual phase difference between the first and second input signals at their output ends and a field effect transistor having a pair of input electrodes connected to the output ends of the first and second signal paths, respectively, and an output electrode from which an output signal representing a mutual phase difference which the first and second input signals have originally therebetween is derived. The first and second input signals at the input electrodes of the field effect transistor have the original mutual phase difference which is to be detected and the predetermined additional mutual phase difference added by the first and second signal paths therebetween. The field effect transistor is biased to operate with a gate bias voltage nearly equal to a pinch-off voltage thereof. In order to establish such biasing state without reducing the operational gain of the field effect transistor, a biasing resistance connected to the source of the field effect transistor is selected to be low and a current source is provided for supplying an external biasing current to the biasing resistance, thereby to produce the gate bias voltage required.

Phase detectors for detecting a mutual phase difference between two

Apparatus for reading optically detectable indicia on a record carrier, such as video information which is recorded in the form of pits on a record medium, for example, a video disc. A source of coherent light transmits a beam to the record carrier. A hologram is interposed between the coherent light source and the carrier, the hologram serving to focus the beam on the record carrier. The intensity of the focussed beam is modulated by the recorded indicia, and at least one photodetector is disposed in an optical path traversed by the modulated beam so as to detect the intensity thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the hologram focusses the beam onto the surface of the record medium whereat it is modulated and reflected therefrom to the photodetector. Plural photodetectors may be provided in separate optical paths traversed by the reflected light so as to produce outputs which, upon comparison with each other, represent deviations, or tracking errors, in the location of incidence of the light beam on the record medium. In yet another embodiment, the hologram directs the coherent light to the record medium along two different optical paths so that the reflection of one beam can be used to read out the recorded information and the reflection of the other beam can be used to detect focussing fluctuations. In a still further embodiment, another hologram is used to receive and direct reflected light to the photodetector.

Apparatus for optically reading information from a record carrier

A rotatable record carrier upon which reproducible information is recorded in the form of spaced apart pits in substantially concentric circular tracks on a surface of the carrier. The pits may represent frequency-modulated information signals, and the lengths of the pits are independent of the frequency of the information signals. A method and apparatus for reproducing information from this record carrier is disclosed, wherein a light beam is used to scan the tracks of the record medium, and the size of the scanning light beam is changed as a function of the radius of the track which then is being scanned so as to increase the size of the beam when a track of larger radius is scanned. This control over the size of the scanning beam establishes a constant relationship between the size of the beam and the length of the pits despite changes in the pit length due to the different radii of the tracks.

Method and apparatus for optically reproducing a rotatable record with a

In a record disk having a spiral groove in a surface thereof with the depth of the groove varying along the latter for representing recorded information, such as video signals; the groove has an inverted bell-shaped cross-section which is symmetrical about the median of the groove with each of the opposite side surfaces of the groove, at any location therealong, being defined approximately by the equation

Record disk and method for producing the same with constant width groove

A rotatable record carrier upon which reproducible information is recorded in the form of spaced apart pits in substantially concentric circular tracks on a surface of the carrier. A method of producing this record carrier is disclosed wherein, although the linear velocity of each track is dependent upon the radius of the track, the length of the pits in the respective tracks does not vary as a function of the change in the radius from one track to the next. A light beam is modulated with a rectangular pulse information signal, the duration of each pulse being controlled as a function of the radius of the track which is being scanned by the modulated light beam. For tracks having a smaller radius, the pulse duration is made larger than for tracks having a larger radius. When the record carrier of this invention is used for optically reproducing the recorded information signals, a proper relationship between the size of the scanning beam spot and the length of the recorded pits can be maintained merely by retaining a substantially constant beam spot.

Rotatable record carrier and method and apparatus for producing same

A method of and apparatus for recovering information from a record medium of the type wherein the information is modulated onto a carrier and recorded in one portion of the record medium and the carrier is recorded in another portion of the record medium. The modulated information is reproduced from the record medium while the medium is rotated, and simultaneously, the carrier also is reproduced from the medium. The reproduced modulated information then is demodulated with the reproduced carrier to recover the original signal information. In one embodiment, the recorded information is a composite color television signal and the carrier constitutes the chrominance subcarrier for the color television signal. Also disclosed is a method and apparatus for recording signal information on a rotatable record medium. A reference signal is provided and is recorded in a circular track on the record medium. Signal information also is provided and is modulated onto the reference signal, the modulated signal information then being recorded in a separate portion of the record medium. In one embodiment, the reference signal upon which the signal information is modulated is the previously recorded reference signal that has been played back from the record medium. The signal information may comprise color video signal components and the reference signal may comprise one or more subcarriers for the color video signal components. Preferably, the color video components which are modulated onto the subcarriers are combined with a luminance signal and recorded as a composite color television signal.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takashi Otobe