Sony Corporation

Sony Mobile Communications Japan, Inc.

Fumisada Maeda

Akira Suzuki

Hiroshi Yoshida

Toshio Watanabe

Isao Ichimura

Kiyoshi Ohsato

Kenji Yamamoto

Yoshiaki Kato

Atsushi Fukumoto

Kiyoshi Osato

Kayoko Tanaka

Shinichi Nagashima

Kenji Tanaka

Goro Fujita

Tsutomu Takahashi

Mamoru Suzuki

Masahiko Ito

Michio Oka

Nobuyuki Nagai

Katsuhiro Seo

Naoya Eguchi

Yoshiki Okamoto

Mitsunori Ueda

Yoshinori Matsumoto

Yoshihiro Takemoto

Sachiko Sakaigawa

Tadashi Tanabe

There is provided a laser emitting apparatus including a semiconductor laser, a grating positioned relative to the semiconductor laser to form a resonator structure therebetween, and an optical system positioned between the semiconductor laser and the grating. The optical system is configured and arranged so that confocal points are formed on both a light emitting surface of the semiconductor laser and a reflection surface of the grating.

Laser emitting apparatus and master oscillator power amplifier system

In one example embodiment, a liquid lens includes a pair of transparent members and a transparent liquid composed of a silicone oil not having compatibility with the fluorinated elastomeric membrane. In one example embodiment, at least one of the transparent members is a deformable deformation membrane formed of a fluorinated elastomeric membrane. In one example embodiment, the transparent liquid fills an enclosed space sandwiched between the pair of transparent members.

Liquid lens and image pickup apparatus

A user interface device and a PDA include: a transparent panel unit possessing plural layers, each provided with plural transparent deformation sections deformable to a specified shape by injection or discharge of fluid; a fluid channel unit possessing, in common or separately, two transparent fluid channels to inject and to discharge fluid to and from the deformation sections; a fluid pump unit to discharge or suck fluid to and from the fluid channel unit; a display panel unit provided with the transparent panel unit over an upper surface of the display panel unit and possessing a screen surface to display an image; and a controller to control injection and discharge of the fluid to and from the deformation sections of the transparent panel unit, corresponding to an image to be displayed on the screen of the display panel unit. Information can be conveyed tactilely and visually to a user.

Tactile and visual user interface device and personal digital assistant

A conversion lens which includes a pair of transparent members is provided. At least one of the transparent members is formed of a deformable film; a connecting member for connecting the pair of transparent members so as to form a sealed space sandwiched between the pair of transparent members; a liquid filled in the sealed space; and a curvature changing mechanism for changing the curvature of the deformable film by moving the liquid filled in the sealed space. A conversion lens system and an imaging device, provided with the conversion lens are also provided.

Conversion lens, conversion lens system, and imaging device

A variable focal length lens includes: a lens portion including a pair of light transmissive members, at least one of which is deformable, and a light transmissive liquid medium sealed between the pair of light transmissive members; and a liquid medium container including a chamber that communicates with the lens portion and is filled with the liquid medium, the liquid medium container causing the shape of the surface of the deformable light transmissive member or members to be changed by changing the volume of the chamber to adjust the amount of liquid medium with which the lens portion is filled.

Variable focal length lens, camera module, and electronic apparatus

An electro-wetting apparatus includes a liquid having conductivity or polarity and a first electrode and a second electrode that apply voltage to the liquid. The electro-wetting apparatus also includes a dielectric layer provided between the liquid and the first electrode. The electro-wetting apparatus further includes a voltage-applying unit that applies a voltage signal between the first electrode and the second electrode, where the voltage signal is periodically changed between a first voltage of zero (0) volt or more and a second voltage of larger than the first voltage.

Electro-wetting apparatus and method of driving electro-wetting apparatus

Disclosed is an electrowetting device. The electrowetting device includes a conductive or polar liquid material, and an electrode applying voltage to the liquid material through a dielectric layer. In the electrowetting device, the dielectric layer is formed as an anodized portion made of a metal oxide formed by anodizing the electrode, and a voltage applying unit applying voltage between the electrode and the liquid material and a polar capacitor are placed between the electrode and the liquid material.

Electrowetting device and varifocal lens, optical pickup device, optical recording/reproduction device, droplet operation device, optical element, zoom lens, imaging device, light modulating device, and display device using the same

An optical disc recording/reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a data by applying a beam from an optical head unit through a substrate onto/from a recording layer of the optical disc through, wherein the substrate of the optical disc is 0.3 mm or below; the optical head unit comprises: an objective lens for converging an incident beam and emitting the beam toward the optical disc; a forward lens for converging the beam introduced through the objective lens and applying the beam to the optical disc; a lens holder where the objective lens and the forward lens are fixed; and an actuator for driving the objective lens and the forward lens as a unitary block and controlling at least focusing, the objective lens and the forward lens having a total numerical aperture of 0.8 or above.

Optical disc recording/reproduction apparatus and method

A variable focus lens contains a conductive liquid material portion and an insulative liquid material portion in a cylindrical container and includes a first electrode which applies voltage to the conductive liquid material portion through a dielectric layer and a second electrode which directly contacts with the conductive liquid material portion, in which the dielectric layer is an anodized portionmade of a metal oxide formed by anodizing the first electrode.

Variable focus lens and optical device using the same as well as method of manufacturing variable focus lens

An objective lens unit used for an optical pickup device is made up of a plurality of lenses and has a numerical aperture (NA) not less than 0.7. The lenses () and () are secured within a cylindrically-shaped lens holder (). The position of the lens(es) () other than one of the lenses secured within the lens holder is set with the position of the one lens () as reference.

Objective lens, and optical pickup device using the objective lens

An objective lens unit manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an objective lens unit, with a numerical aperture not less than 0.7, made up by a plurality of lenses, includes a positioning mechanism () for positioning one lens () in a cylindrically-shaped lens holder () of a synthetic resin material, using another lens (), already mounted and secured to the lens holder, as a reference, and for securing the one lens to the lens holder, for setting relative positions of the one and the other lenses.

Object lens producing device and producing method

An optical head has achromatic lenses which a blue or blue-violet laser beam from a laser diode strikes, object lenses for condensing the laser beam passing through the achromatic lenses on an optical disc, lens holders and for holding the achromatic lenses and the object lenses so that their optical axes coincide, and actuators and for moving the lens holders in the focus direction and/or tracking direction of the optical disc. The lens holders are fixed to each other and the lenses are moved as one part by the actuators.

Optical head and optical pickup

A focus controller for focusing a light beam and positioning the focused light beam onto a signal recording layer of a signal recording media is disclosed. The controller comprises a light beam focusing means having a numerical aperture of 0.6 or more; a focus controlling means for positioning the light beam focused by the light beam focusing means onto the signal recording layer of the recording media; and an offset adjusting means for adjusting an offset between the focused light beam positioned by the focus controlling means and the signal recording layer of the recording media. The controller positions the light beam focused by an objective lens onto the signal recording layer of a recording media; moves the objective lens within a predetermined optical-axial range, detects an amplitude of a signal read from the recording media at either end of the optical-axial range, and adjusts an offset between the focused light beam positioned by the objective lens and the signal recording layer, depending on a difference between the amplitudes of the detected reproduced signal.

Focus controlling apparatus and method, and optical disc drive

A lens holder which is able to secure plural lenses in an adjustment-free fashion and to achieve relative positioning between the lenses to high precision. To this end, a first reference surface for the optical axis direction and a second reference surface for the optical axis direction of a second mounting portion are formed towards the object point side to serve as a reference surface for determining the separation along the optical axis between the first and second lenses . The first reference surface for the optical axis direction and the second reference surface for the optical axis direction also operate for controlling the tilt of the lenses

Lens holder, method for manufacturing lens holder, metal die for producing lens holder and objective lens device

This invention provides an optical element for correcting a chromatic aberration corresponding to a short wavelength of a light source and further provides an optical pick-up device having the optical element for correcting a chromatic aberration and adapting for a further higher recording density and larger capacity of the optical recording medium, the optical reproducing device and the optical recording and reproducing device. The optical element for correcting a chromatic aberration arranged between a light source such as a semiconductor laser or the like with a wavelength being 440 nm or less and an objective with numerical aperture NA being 0.55 or more, a focal distance being 1.8 mm or more and an Abbe number at the d-line (587.6 nm) being 95.0 or less has a convex lens with at least an Abbe number at the d-line being 55 or more and a concave lens with an Abbe number at the d-line being 35 or less.

OPTICAL ELEMENT FOR CORRECTION OF CHROMATIC ABERRATION, OPTICAL PICK-UP DEVICE HAVING OPTICAL ELEMENT FOR CORRECTION OF CHROMATIC ABERRATION, OPTICAL REPRODUCING DEVICE HAVING OPTICAL PICK-UP DEVICE AND OPTICAL RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Fumisada Maeda