Nakamichi Corporation

Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Nippon Thompson Co., Ltd.

Shinwa Co., Ltd.

Yoshihisa Inoue

Yasunori Arai

Satoshi Uchiyama

Taichi Takeuchi

Yoshitaka Adachi

Masakazu Shibamiya

Yusuke Kitakaze

Naoki Takahashi

Masahiro Moriyama

Haruyoshi Endo

Kazuhiko Saoyama

Shinichi Ishizuka

A video game machine includes a monitor which permits three-dimensional viewing, a virtual camera controller which selectively provides on-screen presentation in 2D display mode in which two virtual cameras for capturing images are matched with each other and in 3D display mode in which the two virtual cameras are set to achieve a prescribed distance therebetween, an image display controller which generates a 3D image presented on the monitor from image data acquired by the two virtual cameras, a display mode switching processor which repositions the two virtual cameras from the positional relationship in one display mode to the positional relationship in the other in a stepwise fashion. Switching between the 2D and 3D display modes is smoothened and stimulation of a player's eyes or brain caused by a sudden change between states with or without stereoscopic effect is suppressed.

Video game machine, gaming image display control method and display mode switching control method

A competition game system designed such that tactical data created based on respective results of input operations to manual operation sections of two game apparatuses are transmitted and received between the game apparatuses to allow a competition game having an identical event to be progressed in each of the game apparatuses based on the transmitted and received tactical data. Each of the game apparatuses comprises an action-setting sectionadapted to create player-side tactical data corresponding to a content of an input operation from the manual operation sectionA, a communication control sectionadapted to transmit the player-side tactical data created by the action-setting section, to the opponent's game apparatus, and receive opponent-side tactical data from the opponent's game apparatus, through a communication section, a determination sectionadapted to determine a competition result, based on the player-side and opponent-side tactical data, and an image display control sectionadapted to display a game image onto a display unitaccording to the determined competition result. The competition game system of the present invention makes it possible to efficiently achieve a competition game while exchanging minimum data between a plurality of game apparatuses having the same configuration, without setting a master-servant relationship to the game apparatuses.

Competition game system and game apparatus

A disk drive device equipped with a disk transfer mechanism for loading a disk into and out of a play position that does not increase the complexity of the overall structure and the size of the housing. The device comprises a tray for supporting a disk within the housing, first and second transfer rollers carried by arms, that are resiliently urged against the peripheral edge of the disk, and spaced from each other along a side of the tray to apply a rotational force to a side peripheral edge of the disk, and fixed guide members for supporting the other side peripheral edge of the disk that is inserted from the slot.

Disk drive device

A disk transfer mechanism in a disk player is sloped upward toward the front of the disk player to align a disk transfer plane passing approximately through the center of a disk insertion opening. The slope of the disk transfer plane avoids interference between the disk playback mechanism and electronic components in the vicinity of the front or rear of the disk player. In addition, the slope of the disk transfer plane improves the clearances of a stocker, and thereby enables storage and playback of a maximum number of disks within a predetermined envelope.

Changer-type disk playback device

A disk player has a disk drive mechanism with rollers engaging a perimeter surfaces of a disk. Two rollers engage an upper surface and two roller engage a lower surface. One of the rollers is coupled to a drive source to rotate the disk. Disks are transported upon carriages which are stored in a magazine. The center of each disk is supported upon an idler turntable disposed on a carriage. A selected carriage is moved by a transport mechanism from the magazine to place a disk thereon engagement with the rollers. The upper two rollers bias the center aperture of the disk downward upon the idler turntable as the two lower rollers act as pivots. A stable triangular region of support thus is defined by the two lower rollers and the idler turntable. An optical head is mounted in a fixed position within the chassis and the rollers and turntable are moved to advance the disk over the optical head for scanning. The disk is rotatable by the disk drive mechanism while the center aperture thereof overlaps other disks in the magazine thus allowing a compact configuration to be achieved. The transport mechanism also transports the selected to an eject position for loading and unloading.

Compact changer-type disk player

A disk playback device holds a disk in a playback position. A turntable moves toward the disk to a raised position where its support surface is adjacent a back of the disk. A spindle inserts through a center hole of the disk to align the disk with the turntable. A clamper is held above the disk on a side of the disk opposite the turntable. The clamper is supported close enough to the disk that when the turntable is in the raised position, a magnet in the turntable exerts a substantial force on a piece of ferromagnetic material in the clamper. When the clamper is released it clamps the disk to the turntable. By bringing the clamper and turntable to the disk rather than moving the disk toward one or the other, no space is required for the displacement of the disk in a direction perpendicular to its surface. The clamper is supported by a pair of holders, slidable in a direction parallel to the surface of the disk. Wedge-shaped surfaces on the holders engage a flange on top of the clamper to lift and hold the clamper above the disk. If a disk is misaligned with the spindle when the turntable is brought to the raised position, the disk is pressed against the clamper. The clamper in turn presses against inclined surfaces of the holders causing the holders to spread apart. The spreading is detected to invoke a control routine to correct the misalignment.

Disk playback with clamping mechanism and misalignment detector

A device for actuating a shutter of a disc cartridge along with insertion of the disk cartridge into a holder of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus is disclosed. The device includes an engaging pin mounted on a lever member and adapted to be in engagement with one end of the shutter during the travel of the cartridge from a half-loaded position to a full-loaded position. The engaging pin extends downwardly through an oblique-inwardly engaging slot and protrudes into a cartridge accommodating space within the holder. A very small force is needed to smoothly actuate the shutter because a guide pin secured to the cassette or disc cartridge holder will act as an axis of rotation for the lever member 14 by vitrue of a slot provided in the other end of the lever member from the engaging pin. The guide pin is rotatably and linearly displaced with regard to the slot in the lever member. In a second embodiment of the invention, a second pin is placed in the lever member in place of the slot and a platform having a slot in the cartridge inserting direction engages said second pin.

Cartridge shutter actuating device in recording and/or reproducing

A linear motion guide unit having a rack and pinion mechanism for preventing slippage in relative sliding motion is provided. The linear motion guide unit includes a table elongated in shape and having a generally U-shaped cross section and a bed elongated in shape and having a generally U-shaped cross section which is oriented with its inner surface facing the inner surface of the table. The unit also includes a plurality of balls sandwiched between the table and the bed so as to provide a rolling contact therebetween. Also provided is a retainer having a horizontal section and a pair of vertical sections extending from the opposite sides of the horizontal section and formed with a plurality of windows for receiving therein the balls. The horizontal section of the retainer is formed with a slot and a pinion gear is rotatably supported on the retainer as extending partly through the slot and at the center in the widthwise direction of the retainer. A pair of top and bottom racks are mounted on the table and the bed, respectively, such that the pinion gear is in mesh with both of the top and bottom racks.

Linear motion guide unit with a rack and pinion mechanism

A disk cartridge includes a hard jacket having head insert hole. A shutter on the hard jacket is moveable between the open position and the closed position relative to the head insert hole. The front edge of the hard jacket includes a notch defined by at least a bottom wall and a side wall. To make easy the insertion of the disk cartridge into a recording and reproducing apparatus, thereby improving a feeling of operation, the side wall is connected to the front edge by a corner wall whose distance from one side edge of the shutter standing at the open position progressively increases as it approaches the front edge.

Disk cartridge with notch for locking a shutter

A magnetic tape cleaner comprising a tape scraper engaging a recording face of a magnetic tape to scrape magnetic powder out of the recording face thereof and a magnet to attract and adhere thereto the magnetic powder scraped out of the recording face of the magnetic tape.

Magnetic tape cleaner

A recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a cartridge receiving holder, a cartridge shutter opening device for opening a laterally slideable shutter of a disc cartridge along with insertion thereof into the holder, a mount base displaceable between a retracted position away from the holder and an operative position in which a head and spindle motor mounted on the base will be made operative with respect to a disc contained in the full-loaded disc cartridge in the holder. The disc cartridge is retained in the full-loaded position in the holder through engagement between a lock lever rotatably mounted on the holder and a notch formed on the side periphery of the disc cartridge. The lock lever is normally biased by a spring to direct outwardly so that the disc cartridge is free from contract with the lock lever during insertion into the holder. When the disc cartridge has reached the full-loaded position, a sliding plate is sprung back toward a direction opposite to the cartridge inserting direction, upon which the lock lever is actuated and then the mount base is shifted to the operative position.

Recording and/or reproducing apparatus with cartridge lock mechanism

A device for opening a shutter of a disc cartridge along with insertion of the disc cartridge into a holder of a recording and/or reproducing apparatus for performing recording and/or reproducing operation is disclosed. The device includes at least one arm member freely rotatable about a pivot provided at one end thereof and having at the other end a first engaging portion adapted to be in engagement with the shutter substantially during insertion of the disc cartridge. A guide means or a slot extending in an oblique direction between the cartridge inserting direction and a direction in which said shutter is slided to open is provided for guiding therealong a second engaging portion of the arm member during first-step advancement of the disc cartridge into the holder from an unloaded position to a half-loaded position, thereby rotating the arm member to open the shutter due to continued engagement thereof with the first engaging portion. The pivot of the arm member is supported by a sliding member and is sliding therewith in the cartridge inserting direction during second-step advancement of the disc cartridge from the unloaded position to a full-loaded position. A spring is connected between the arm member and the holder or apparatus for biasing the arm member toward a direction opposite to the cartridge inserting direction.

A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for use with a tape cartridge including a single tape reel having a compact drive and winding reel arrangement.

Drive and winding reel arrangement in a magnetic recording and

A magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus for use with a tape cartridge includes a holder arrangement operable between a cartridge loading and unloading position and a cartridge operative position. A leader block guide and drive is also carried by the holder to guide and drive a leader block attached to a leading end of a magnetic tape to a winding reel of the apparatus.

Tape cartridge holder arrangement in a magnetic recording and

An apparatus for loading a tape cartridge for a magnetic instrument comprising a lever to move a holder holding the tape cartridge from a loading/unloading position, to an operative position, springs to urge the holder from the operative position to the loading/unloading position and to urge the tape cartridge so as to remove it from the holder, a lock to lock the holder to the operative position and a protrusion in the holder to engage the tape cartridge within the holder so as to hold the tape cartridge in the holder whereby the tape cartridge is displaced by the inertia of the tape cartridge from the position of engagement of the tape cartridge with the holder to the position of displacement of the holder by the springs where the tape cartridge is removed by the springs.

Growing community of inventors

Hannou, Japan

Yoshihisa Inoue