US5162819A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and recording medium employed therefor
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-01-16
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Granted: 1992-11-10
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Expires: 2011-01-16
Abstract
Abstract An information processing apparatus comprises a recording medium having at least an underlying electrode and a photoconductive thin film and having an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge; and a probe electrode. The invention relates to an information processing method, comprising employing the apparatus; applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region to record information.
Inventors
- 👤 Kunihiro Sakai
- 👤 Toshimitsu Kawase
- 👤 Akihiko Yamano
- 👤 Ryo Kuroda
- 👤 Hiroyasu Nose
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 11:29
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B9/00; G11B9/08; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y10/00; G11B11/00; G11B11/08; G11B9/12; G11B9/14; G11B9/1463; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/902; Y10S977/932; Y10S977/943; Y10S977/947
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
An information processing apparatus comprising: (a) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film; (b) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (c) a relative distance controlling mechanism for controlling distance between the recording region and the probe electrode in three dimensions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
An information processing apparatus comprising: (a) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film; (b) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (c) a relative distance controlling mechanism for controlling distance between the recording region and the probe electrode in three dimensions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
85 words
An information processing apparatus comprising: (a) a recording medium having at least a photoconductive thin film layer formed on an underlying electrode and an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film; (b) a light-projecting mechanism for projecting light onto the recording medium; and (c) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (d) a relative distance controlling mechanism for controlling distance between the recording region and the probe electrode in three dimensions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
85 words
An information processing apparatus comprising: (a) a recording medium having at least a photoconductive thin film layer formed on an underlying electrode and an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film; (b) a light-projecting mechanism for projecting light onto the recording medium; and (c) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (d) a relative distance controlling mechanism for controlling distance between the recording region and the probe electrode in three dimensions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge is comprised of mutually isolated fine structures.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
29 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a bias voltage applying mechanism for applying a bias voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said controlling mechanism is a mechanism for detecting and controlling the distance between the recording region and the probe electrode according to the intensity of electric current flowing between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode on application of a bias voltage.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said photoconductive thin film is composed of an organic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said photoconductive thin film composed of the organic material has a thickness of not more than 30 nm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein said photoconductive thin film composed of the organic material is comprised of a monomolecular film or a monomolecular built-up film of an organic compound having at least a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The information processing apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said recording region comprises an insulating or semiconducting and polycrystalline or microcrystalline medium having a grain structure.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
104 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region, whereby high density recording with bit sizes from 10 -5 to 10 -6 μm 2 is facilitated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
104 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; and (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region, whereby high density recording with bit sizes from 10 -5 to 10 -6 μm 2 is facilitated.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
107 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; and (c) reproducing recorded information by detecting an quantity of the electric charge in the recording region by the probe electrode.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
107 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; and (c) reproducing recorded information by detecting an quantity of the electric charge in the recording region by the probe electrode.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
116 words
An information processing method, comprising: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; and (c) erasing the recorded information by projecting light to the recording region to raise temporarily electroconductivity of the photoconductive thin film to discharge the accumulated electric charge through the photoconductive thin film.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
116 words
An information processing method, comprising: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; and (c) erasing the recorded information by projecting light to the recording region to raise temporarily electroconductivity of the photoconductive thin film to discharge the accumulated electric charge through the photoconductive thin film.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
140 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; (c) reproducing recorded information by detecting a quantity of an accumulated electric charge in the recording region by the probe electrode; and (d) erasing the recorded information by projecting light to the recording region to raise temporarily electroconductivity of the photoconductive thin film to discharge the accumulated electric charge through the photoconductive thin film.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
140 words
An information processing method, comprising the steps of: (a) employing (a-1) a recording medium having at least (i) an underlying electrode, (ii) a photoconductive thin film on said underlying electrode and (iii) an insulating or semiconducting recording region capable of accumulating an electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film, and (a-2) a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting said electric charge; (b) recording information by applying a voltage between the underlying electrode and the probe electrode to inject the electric charge into the recording region; (c) reproducing recorded information by detecting a quantity of an accumulated electric charge in the recording region by the probe electrode; and (d) erasing the recorded information by projecting light to the recording region to raise temporarily electroconductivity of the photoconductive thin film to discharge the accumulated electric charge through the photoconductive thin film.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
94 words
A recording medium for information processing including recording, reproduction, and erasure of information by employing a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting information accumulated as an electric charge; the medium comprising at least a photoconductive thin film layer formed on an underlying electrode and an insulating or semiconducting recording layer capable of accumulating said electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film layer, wherein said recording layer is comprised of mutually isolated fine structures, whereby said recording medium is capable of high density recording from 10 -5 to 10 -6 μm 2 per bit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
94 words
A recording medium for information processing including recording, reproduction, and erasure of information by employing a probe electrode capable of imparting and detecting information accumulated as an electric charge; the medium comprising at least a photoconductive thin film layer formed on an underlying electrode and an insulating or semiconducting recording layer capable of accumulating said electric charge overlying said photoconductive thin film layer, wherein said recording layer is comprised of mutually isolated fine structures, whereby said recording medium is capable of high density recording from 10 -5 to 10 -6 μm 2 per bit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The recording medium of claim 14, wherein said photoconductive thin film is composed of an organic material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The recording medium of claim 15, wherein said photoconductive thin film composed of the organic material has a thickness of not more than 30 nm.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The recording medium of claim 14, wherein said photoconductive thin film is comprised of a monomolecular film or a monomolecular built-up film of an organic compound having at least a hydrophilic moiety and a hydrophobic moiety.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The recording medium of claim 14, wherein said recording layer comprises an insulating or semiconducting and polycrystalline or microcrystalline medium having a grain structure.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-11-10 | 1996-05-11 | 1996-11-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-11-10 | 2000-05-11 | 2000-11-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-11-10 | 2004-05-11 | 2004-11-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |