Panasonic Assigned Nine Patents

Driving method of variable resistance element
and non-volatile memory device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,390,797) developed by Muraoka, Shunsaku, Mitani, Satoru, Osaka, Japan, Takagi, Takeshi, Kyoto, Japan, and Katayama, Koji, Nara, Japan, for a “driving method of variable resistance element and non-volatile memory device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A method of driving a variable resistance element comprises: before a first write step is performed, applying an initial voltage pulse of a first polarity to change a resistance value of a metal oxide layer from a resistance value corresponding to an initial state of the metal oxide layer to another resistance value, wherein when the resistance value corresponding to the initial state is R0, the resistance value corresponding to a write state is RL, the resistance value corresponding to an erase state is RH, another resistance value is R2, a maximum value of the current flowing when the initial voltage pulse is applied is IbRL, a maximum value of the current flowing when the write voltage pulse is applied is IRL, and a maximum value of the current flowing when the erase voltage pulse is applied is IRH, R0>RH>R2.gtoreq.RL, and |IRL|>|IbRL| are satisfied.“

The patent application was filed on December 11, 2012 (13/983,017).

Resistance change non-volatile storage memory device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,390,791) developed by Yoshimoto, Yuhei, Hyogo, Japan, Katoh, Yoshikazu, Osaka, Japan, and Ogasahara, Satoru, Aichi, Japan, for a “resistance change non-volatile storage memory device and method.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A data recording method includes recording data in memory cells on the basis of whether each memory cell is in an initial state or a variable state. The recording step includes, (A) applying a forming stress to a selected memory cell in the initial state, and, (B) setting a resistance value of the selected memory cell to within a first resistance range by, (b1) applying a first correction signal to the selected memory cell if the resistance value of the selected memory cell is greater than a first reference value, and, (b2) applying a second correction signal to the selected memory cell if the resistance value of the selected memory cell is smaller than a second reference value.“

The patent application was filed on June 1, 2015 (14/726,636).

Disc device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,390,747) developed by Yoshida, Norikatsu, Hyogo, Japan, Nishi, Tatsuro, Higaki, Hitoshi, Osaka, JP, Ariyoshi, Yuji, and Ohnishi, Masanori, Osaka, Japan, for a “disc device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A disc device includes a plurality of magazines, each having a tray that stores a plurality of discs, a plurality of disc drives that performs recording or reproducing of information on or from the plurality of discs, a picker that draws out the tray from one of the plurality of magazines and that conveys the tray to a position near the plurality of disc drives, and a disc separating and supplying device that, at the position near the plurality of disc drives, holds the plurality of discs stored in the tray, separates at least one of the plurality of discs stored in the tray from a remainder of the plurality of the discs stored in the tray, and supplies the at least one of the plurality of discs stored in the tray to at least one of the plurality of disc drives.“

The patent application was filed on September 8, 2015 (14/847,460).

Tape recording medium, information recording/reproducing device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,390,743) developed by Natsui, Akinaga, Osaka, Japan, and Morita, Takeshi, Okayama, Japan, for a “tape recording medium, information recording/reproducing device, and method of manufacturing tape recording medium.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Provided is an optically recordable or reproducible tape recording medium including tracking pattern groups and non-tracking pattern areas. The tracking pattern groups are repeatedly provided along a longitudinal direction of the tape, and each of the groups includes a plurality of tracking patterns. The non-tracking pattern areas are respectively provided between the tracking patterns. In addition, the non-tracking pattern areas have different lengths along the longitudinal direction of the tape.“

The patent application was filed on March 4, 2015 (14/639,075).

Variable resistance nonvolatile memory element
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,378,817) developed by Kawai, Ken, Shimakawa, Kazuhiko, and Katoh, Yoshikazu, Osaka, Japan, for a “variable resistance nonvolatile memory element writing method and variable resistance nonvolatile memory device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A variable resistance nonvolatile memory element writing method of, by applying a voltage pulse to a memory cell including a variable resistance element, reversibly changing the variable resistance element between a first resistance state and a second resistance state according to a polarity of the applied voltage pulse is provided. The variable resistance nonvolatile memory element writing method includes applying a first preliminary voltage pulse and subsequently applying the first voltage pulse to the variable resistance element to change the variable resistance element from the second resistance state to the first resistance state, the first preliminary voltage pulse being smaller in voltage absolute value than the second threshold voltage and different in polarity from the first voltage pulse.“

The patent application was filed on March 22, 2012 (13/581,925).

Optical pickup and optical recording
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,361,927) developed by Asada, Jun-ichi, Hyogo, Japan, Takahashi, Yuichi, Nara, Japan, Matsumiya, Hiroaki, and Momoo, Kazuo, Osaka, Japan, for a “optical pickup and optical recording and reproducing device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An optical pickup includes a light source 1, a diffraction element 2 for generating a write main beam and a read sub-beam via diffraction, an objective lens 5, a wavelength plate 9, a polarization hologram element 7 having a plurality of diffraction regions with different diffraction characteristics, designed so that each diffraction region separates a light beam reflected from the optical storage medium and transmitted through the wavelength plate into a 0.sup.th order light beam and .+-.1.sup.st order light beams, an actuator 11, and a photodetector 10 configured to detect a light beam reflected from the optical storage medium 6 and diffracted by the polarization hologram element 7. The photodetector 10 generates an RF signal from a detection result concerning a 0.sup.th order light beam derived from the main beam, generates a focus error signal and a tracking error signal from a detection result concerning one of .+-.1.sup.st order light beams derived from the main beam, and generates a signal indicating that data has been recorded normally from a detection result concerning a 0.sup.th order light beam derived from the sub-beam.“

The patent application was filed on June 27, 2013 (14/650,139).

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,343,115) developed by Ueda, Takanori, Kanagawa, Japan, Kouno, Kazuyuki, Osaka, Japan, Murakuki, Yasuo, Nakayama, Masayoshi, Kyoto, Japan, Ishitobi, Yuriko, Osaka, Japan, and Takahashi, Keita, Nara, Japan, for a “nonvolatile semiconductor memory device.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A memory array includes a resistive memory cell array having a first cell transistor and a resistance change element connected in series and a reference cell array having a second cell transistor and a resistance element connected in series. The second cell transistor of the reference cell array is connected to a reference source line, and the resistance element is connected to a reference bit line. A dummy memory cell is connected to the reference bit line in the memory cell array, and both ends of a resistance change element of the dummy memory cell are short-circuited through the reference bit line.“

The patent application was filed on March 12, 2015 (14/656,689).

Variable resistance nonvolatile memory device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,336,881) developed by Shimakawa, Kazuhiko, Azuma, Ryotaro, Kawai, Ken, and Muraoka, Shunsaku, Osaka, Japan, for a “variable resistance nonvolatile memory device including a variable resistance layer that changes reversibly between a low resistance state and a high resistance state according to an applied electrical signal.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A variable resistance nonvolatile memory device includes: a nonvolatile memory element, an NMOS transistor connected to the nonvolatile memory element, a source line connected to the NMOS transistor, a bit line connected to the nonvolatile memory element. When a control circuit causes the nonvolatile memory element to be in the low resistance state, the control circuit controls to flow a first current from a first voltage source to a reference potential point, and applies a first gate voltage to a gate of a NMOS transistor, and when the control circuit causes the nonvolatile memory element to be in the high resistance state, the control circuit controls to flow a second current from a second voltage source to the reference potential point, and applies a second gate voltage to the gate of the NMOS transistor, the second gate voltage being lower than the first gate voltage.“

The patent application was filed on June 4, 2015 (14/730,629).

Optical recording medium production device
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan, has been assigned a patent (9,324,357) developed by Tokunaga, Yuuki, Toyota, Takehiko, and Harada, Tatsuyuki, Okayama, Japan, for a “optical recording medium production device and production method.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A recording medium production device includes a substrate positioning pin vertically movable that performs positioning to a center-hole of a substrate, a substrate holding portion that performs positioning of substrate using the substrate positioning pin to hold the substrate, a cleaner having a gas ejection portion that ejects gas toward the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and a gas suction portion that suctions gas, and a substrate positioning pin fixing portion that can press the substrate positioning pin downward. The fixing portion is configured so as not to contact an inner circumferential side surface of the center-hole of substrate. The substrate positioning pin fixing portion descends inside the center-hole of substrate held by the substrate, and presses and fixes the substrate positioning pin. Then the cleaner performs ejection and suction of gas.“

The patent application was filed on June 1, 2011 (13/824,001).