Portable disc player

• US 5,265,083 A
• Filed: 09/19/1991
• Issued: 11/23/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Yoshisuke, Ishii, Toshiyuki, Ihashi, Takao, Nozaki, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dzierzynski, Paul M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/762,904
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 369/75.1, 369/75.2, 369/72.1, 369/77.2, 369/76, 369/99
• US Class Current: 720/605
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/255 CD-I, i.e. CD-interactive
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/10 Indicating arrangements; Warning arrangements G11B15/04, G11B19/04, G11B27/34, G11B27/36 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs

Abstract

A portable disc player has a casing. In the casing, there are enclosed: disc rotation driving means for rotating an optical disc; an optical head which is arranged so as to be movable in the radial direction of the optical disc; a signal processing section for executing a predetermined signal process to a signal which has been read out by the optical head; and control means for controlling the operations of the rotation driving means, the optical head, and the signal processing section on the basis of an input from an X-Y device and trigger buttons. A display unit comprising an outer cover on which an LCD display is arranged is rotatably attached to the casing.

Claims

1. A portable disc player for reproducing an optical disc on which image data in addition to audio data have been recorded and in which a sub header portion is provided subsequent to a head sync portion and a header portion of user'"'"'s data, comprising:

(A) a casing enclosing

(a) disc rotation driving means for rotating a loaded optical disc,

(b) an optical pickup which is provided so as to be movable in a radial direction of the optical disc which is rotated by the disc rotation driving means,

(c) a signal processing section to execute a predetermined signal process to a signal which has been read out by said optical pickup,

(d) control means for controlling operations of the disc rotation driving means, the optical pickup, and the signal processing section on the basis of input signals from an operating section,

(e) a disc loading section located at a position lower than the surface of the casing and which enables the rotation of the optical disc by the disc rotation driving means, and wherein a disc receiving section of the disc rotation driving means is arranged so as to be projected to the disc loading section,

(f) a rotary member which has a disc sandwiching section for sandwiching the optical disc together with the disc rotation driving means in a state in which the disc sandwiching section is closed for the casing and for rotating the optical disc together with the disc rotation driving means; and

(B) a display means which is rotatably hinged to said casing.

2. A player according to claim 1, wherein the rotary member is provided so as to open or close the disc loading section of the casing and is attached to the casing so as to be covered by the display means in a state in which a surface on a side opposite to a surface which faces the casing is closed.

3. A player according to claim 1, wherein the rotary member has checking means which allows for visual checking from the outside of the casing of whether the optical disc has been located to the disc loading section or not when the rotary member is located at such a position as to close the casing.

4. A player according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of switches constructing the operating section and a pointing device are arranged on a surface on an opposite side of a surface which faces the casing on a rotation free end side of the rotary member.

5. An optical disc reproducing apparatus for reproducing an optical disc having a diameter of 12 cm on which image data in addition to audio data have been recorded and a sub header portion is provided subsequent to a head sync portion and a header portion of user'"'"'s data, comprising:

(A) a casing enclosing

(a) disc rotation driving means for rotating a loaded optical disc,

(b) an optical pickup which is provided so as to be movable in a radial direction of the optical disc which is rotated by the disc rotation driving means,

(c) a signal processing section to execute a predetermined signal process to a signal which has been read out by said optical pickup,

(d) control means for controlling operations of the disc rotation driving means, the optical pickup, and the signal processing section on the basis of input signal from an operating section,

(e) a disc loading section, located at a position lower than the surface of the casing, which enables the rotation of the optical disc by the disc rotation driving means,

(f) a disc mounting section for the disc rotation driving means so as to be projected to the bottom surface of the disc loading section, and wherein the disc rotation driving means and the optical pickup are provided for the disc loading section,

(g) a rotary member which has a rotational fulcrum in one end portion of the casing and is arranged between the casing the display means in a closed state for the casing when the rotary member is in a closed state,

(h) a disc sandwiching means for rotatably sandwiching the optical disc mounted onto the disc mounting section of the disc rotation driving means together with the disc rotation driving means when the rotary member is in the closed state for the casing, wherein said disc sandwiching means is provided on a side of a surface of the rotary member which faces the casing; and

(B) a display means which is rotatably hinged to said casing.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of switches constructing a part of the operating section are provided on a surface on a side opposite to a surface which faces the casing when the rotary member is in the closed state for the casing and on a surface on a rotation free end side of the rotary member.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a display section of the display means is arranged on a surface on a side which faces the casing when the display means is in a closed state for the casing.

8. A portable disc player for reproducing the optical disc on which image data in addition to audio data have been recorded, comprising:

(A) a casing enclosing

(a) disc rotation driving means for rotating a loaded optical disc,

(b) an optical pickup which is provided so as to be movable in a radial direction of the optical disc which is rotated by the disc rotation driving means,

(c) a signal processing section to execute a predetermined signal process to a signal which has been read out by the optical pickup,

(d) an operating section for allowing a user to input signals for controlling the operation of the portable disc player,

(e) control means for controlling operations of the disc rotation driving means, the optical pickup, and the signal processing section on the basis of the input signal from the operating section,

(f) a disc loading section located at a position lower than the surface of the casing and which enables the rotation of the optical disc by the disc rotation driving means, and wherein a disc receiving section of the disc rotation driving means is arranged so as to be projected to the disc loading section,

(f) a middle cover hinged to the casing which has a disc sandwiching section for sandwiching the optical disc together with the disc rotation driving means when the disc sandwiching section is moved to a position which closes a portion of the casing and for rotating the optical disc together with the disc rotation driving means; and

(B) a display means which is rotatably hinged to the casing.

9. A player according to claim 8, wherein the middle cover is provided so as to open or close the disc loading section of the casing and is hinged to the casing so as to be covered by the display means when the display means is moved to a position which closes the casing.

10. A player according to claim 8, wherein the middle cover has a window which allows for visual checking from the outside of the casing of whether or not the optical disc has been loaded in the disc loading section when the middle cover is located at the position which closes a portion of the casing.

11. A player according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of switches and a pointing device constructing the operating section are arranged on a surface of the middle cover which faces away from the disc loading section and at an edge of the middle cover which is most distant from a portion of the middle cover which is hinged to the casing.