2152results about "Accidental erasing/double-recording prevention" patented technology

The method and system for limiting the number of installations of a computer software program located on a read only disk from the read only disk to a computer. The read only disk is linked to a removable read/write memory by data on the removable read/write memory corresponding to data on the read only disk. Prior to installation of the computer software program from the read only disk to the computer, software residing on the removable read/write memory determines whether the installation is authorized. Such determination is made by comparing identification information corresponding to computers on to which the computer software program has previously been installed to installation limitations dictated by a software license agreement.

A disk drive is disclosed which demagnetizes the head after a write operation. Write circuitry applies a write signal to the head in order to write data to a selected data sector during a write operation, wherein the write signal comprises a predetermined write current amplitude. Control circuitry demagnetizes the head at the end of the write operation by maintaining the write current amplitude while increasing a frequency of an AC write signal applied to the head over a predetermined demagnetization interval, wherein increasing the frequency of the AC write signal decreases an amplitude of the AC write signal when observed at the head.

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk having a plurality of servo tracks, wherein each servo track comprises a plurality of servo sectors and each servo sector comprises a track address. A read signal from the head representing a first track address in one of the servo sectors is processed in order to generate a detected track address which is compared to a first target track address to obtain a first track address error. A correction metric is generated representing a likelihood that the first track address error was caused by a detection error, and if the correction metric exceeds a threshold, the detected track address is corrected in response to the first track address error, and the write operation is continued. If the correction metric does not exceed the threshold, the write operation is aborted.

A method and system for controlling video input media is described. The method includes receiving video media via a video media input device. The video media input device is communicatively coupled with and operable in conjunction with the electronic device. The method further includes monitoring a data path within the electronic device associated with the video media. The monitoring is performed by a compliance mechanism communicatively coupled with and operable in conjunction with the electronic device. The method further includes preventing the video media from reaching a usage mechanism via the data path, the usage mechanism communicatively coupled with the electronic device. The usage mechanism is able to create an environment in which the video media can be used in an unauthorized manner. The preventing performed by the compliance mechanism is done when usage of the video media with the usage mechanism violates a usage restriction applicable to the video media.

A hybrid disk drive, i.e., a disk drive with two types of permanent storage media (conventional disk media and nonvolatile memory, such as flash memory), uses its nonvolatile memory in operational modes other than the power-save or “standby” mode wherein the disks are spun down. In a first additional mode, called a “performance” mode, one or more blocks of write data are destaged from volatile memory (the disk drive's write cache) and written to the disk and simultaneously one or more data blocks of write data are destaged from the volatile memory and written to the nonvolatile memory. In a second additional mode, called a “harsh-environment” mode, the disk drive includes one or more environmental sensors, such as temperature and humidity sensors, and the nonvolatile memory temporarily replaces the disks as the permanent storage media. In a third additional mode, called a “write-inhibit” mode, the disk drive includes one or more write-inhibit detectors, such as a shock sensor for detecting disturbances and vibrations to the disk drive. In write-inhibit mode, if the write-inhibit signal is on then the write data is written from the volatile memory to the nonvolatile memory instead of to the disks.

An information editing apparatus for editing recording information already recorded on a write-once recording medium such as DVD-R is provided. In this apparatus, a remaining capacity in the DVD-R is detected. Then, it is determined whether the recording information can be edited or not on the basis of the detected remaining capacity and an amount of information to be recorded in the unrecorded area by editing the recording information. Further, a result of the determination is notified.

A disk drive comprising a first sensor mounted on a nominally stationary portion of the disk drive and adapted to detect acceleration disturbances of the disk drive. The disk drive further comprising: a dual-function subsystem having a first circuit adapted to provide a write-inhibit signal and a second circuit adapted to provide a feed-forward basis signal, the dual-function subsystem adapted to receive a first sensor signal from the first sensor and to provide (a) the write-inhibit signal based on the received first sensor signal and a first threshold value, and (b) the feed-forward basis signal based on the received first sensor signal.

A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head actuated radially over the disk, and control circuitry including a shock detector. The control circuitry is operable to detect a resonant frequency amplitude (RFA) of the shock detector, adjust the shock detector in response to the RFA, and take protective action in response to the shock detector.

In a method for setting variable areas of an opical disc which variably sets spare area rates of a prescribed quantity provided for preparing a liably-occurring recording error due to a defect of the optical disc having the variable spare areas, the total quantity of the spare areas installed to the optical disc may be the same as the prescribed quantity. Also, the size rates of the spare areas are variably set in the radius direction by centering about a center portion of the optical disc. Particularly, the more spare area rates are given to the inner circumferential portion and outer circumferential portion, and the less spare area rates are given to the center portion which is relatively stable portion, thereby minimizing the defect occurring rate to decrease the number of defective discs.

Information indicative of disk-applicable recording speeds is incorporated in lead-out start time information within ATIP information that is recorded in pre-grooves located in a lead-in area of an optical disk. Once the optical disk is inserted in an optical disk recording device, the lead-out start time information is read out, so that recording is performed on the optical disk after a recording speed is automatically set to a highest settable speed value within a range specified by the read-out lead-out start time information. This arrangement can reliably prevent recording at speeds beyond predetermined limit values unique to the optical disk.

A disk unit, such as a magnetic disk unit, has a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a heater, a Peltier element, etc. The disk unit heats and cools in accordance with temperature and humidity. The disk unit has a double-structure of outline comprising a first outline and a second outline surrounding said first outline, so that an internal environment is isolated from an external environment.

An information storage medium has a logical space managed by a first file system, and the logical space has a space for storing a file used to designate a space area of a second file system, which is different from the first file system.

A limited-use Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) includes a storage layer for storing content data and control key data. At least one mark of photosensitive dye is disposed on the disc exterior to the storage layer and over at least a portion of the control key data. In one embodiment, the mark is initially transparent to allow a DVD player to read the control key data. The mark changes from clear to become opaque when it is exposed to DVD reader laser light for a cumulative period of time. This change in the optical property of the mark and the configuration of the control key data prevents further reading of the content data after predetermined reading and playback usage of at least some of the content data is permitted. In another embodiment, the mark is initially opaque to initially prevent the successful reading of the control key data, and permanently changes to transparent when exposed to DVD reader laser light for a cumulative period of time.

A high-density optical recording medium and method of recording data on the optical recording medium. The optical recording medium includes a plurality of data recording/reproducing surfaces having reflectances for light passing through a pit area, a land/groove area, and a land/groove area on which data are recorded, of a data recording/reproducing surface included between a light source for emitting light and a recording/reproducing surface selected from the plurality of data recording/reproducing surfaces, the reflectances satisfy the expressions r1≧r2≧r3 and {(r1−r3)/r3}≦0.2, where r1, r2 and r3 are the reflectances of the pit area, the land/groove area and the land groove area on which data are recorded, respectively.

The invention relates to a device and method for providing data exchange and storage. The device comprises a controller module (62) which includes a firmware for controlling operation of each modules in the data exchange and storage device (60) and performing data processing and information exchange; and an internal memory module (61) for storing data under the control of the controller module (62); a system interface (63) module for connecting with the system interface and performing data exchange with the data processing system (10) under control of the controller module (62); and an external storage interface module (64) for connecting with external storage equipment and performing data exchange with the external storage equipment under control of the controller module (62). The device can accomplish connection with the data processing system of various types of interfaces and external storage equipment of various types of interfaces. The device can also implement functions that the data processing system access to the interior storage module and the external storage equipment. Thus, the device of this invention is called user's personal moveable storage center.

An information recording apparatus is provided, which can control over the power of light beams emitted from a light source and various types of servo control with higher accuracy. A laser beam is emitted from a semiconductor laser to write information onto an optical disc. A detection signal indicative of the power of the laser beam output from a light-receiving device is sampled and held with a sample and hold circuit via an I-V converter at a timing delayed by the time corresponding to the delay time of the I-V converter. A tracking error generation circuit and a focus error generation circuit generate a tracking error signal and a focus error signal, respectively, on the basis of a detection signal having information about tracking error and focus error and output from a light-receiving device. Sample and hold circuits sample and hold the tracking error signal and the focus error signal at a timing delayed by the time corresponding to the delay time of each of the generation circuits, respectively. Power control, tracking servo, and focus servo are performed using each of the signals held by the sample and hold circuits, respectively.