Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Ricoh Research Institute of General Electronics Co., Ltd.

Kouichi Ohtaka

Seiichi Katoh

Takeshi Nanjyo

Eiichi Ohta

Masanori Horike

Makoto Tanaka

Masafumi Kumano

Mitsugu Irinoda

Seiichi Kato

Eiji Mochizuki

Yutaka Ebi

Takeshi Takemoto

Ikue Kawashima

Hiromichi Komai

Junichi Azumi

Yukito Sato

Yohichiro Miyaguchi

Kenichiro Hashimoto

Hironobu Mifune

Takeshi Hino

Hiroshi Muira

Shuichi Hikichi

Kouei Suzuki

Method of deflecting light includes the steps of providing a substrate and forming a supporting member on the substrate. Next forming step forms electrodes at predetermined positions on the substrate. Next forming step forms a plate-like-shaped thin film member including light reflecting means. Placing step places the plate-like-shaped thin film member on the supporting member so that an opposite surface thereof faces the electrodes. Forming step forms space regulating members on edges of the substrate for regulating a space formed above the substrate in which the plate-like-shaped thin film member is freely movable. Applying step applies predetermined voltages to the electrodes to change a tilt direction of the plate-like-shaped thin film member in accordance with the voltages applied to deflect the input light in an arbitrary direction. Disclosure also describes light deflecting apparatuses, light deflecting array apparatuses, image forming apparatuses, image projection display apparatuses, and optical data transmission apparatuses.

Light deflecting method and apparatus efficiently using a floating mirror

A light deflecting apparatus deflecting input light in directions for at least one deflection-axis includes a plate-like-shaped member configured to reflect input light, a substrate above which the plate-like-shaped member is placed with no fixed portion relative to the substrate, a supporting member serving as a fulcrum for the plate-like-shaped member to tilt, a plurality of space regulating members configured to regulate a space in which the plate-like-shaped member placed on the supporting member above the substrate is freely movable, and a plurality of electrodes arranged around the supporting member on the substrate and facing a bottom surface of the plate-like-shaped member.

A method for driving a light deflector the method includes turning over a direction of an electric field acting on the plate shape member, in an optional period. In the method, the light deflector deflects a beam incident on a light reflection area by displacing a plate shape member having the light reflection area with an electrostatic force. The light deflector includes a substrate, a plurality of control members, a fulcrum member, the plate shape member, and a plurality of electrodes.

Method for driving light deflector, light deflector, light deflection array, image forming device, and image projection display apparatus

A center beam which is formed out of a thin film constituted to be combined with a light reflection film provided on one surface of the center beam, which has both ends fixed and which is deformed by an electronic force; a substrate electrode which is opposed to the center beam through a gap formed on the other surface of the center beam; an opposed surface which is a surface of the substrate electrode opposed to the center beam modulating the incident light on the light reflection film, the opposed surface restricting deformation of the center beam due to application of a driving voltage to the substrate electrode by abutting on the center beam; and a substrate which has the substrate electrode having the opposed surface, formed in a concave section, and which holds a to-be-held section of the center beam, are provided. As a result, the structure of modulating light by changing the reflection direction of the incident light is simple, response is fast, the wavelength of the incident light to be used is not limited, operation is stable, reliability is high, the number of manufacturing steps is small and cost reduction can be achieved.

Optical modulator, optical modulator manufacturing method, light information processing apparatus including optical modulator, image formation apparatus including optical modulator, and image projection and display apparatus including optical modulator

A miniaturized and highly integrated optical deflection apparatus is realized in which the number of electrodes for driving the optical deflection apparatus is reduced. The optical deflection apparatus implements a sheet member that is electrically floating and plural electrodes that are implemented on a substrate. The sheet member includes a member having a light reflection region and an electret member that is charged at a predetermined electric potential. The sheet member is tilted by applying an electric potential that is substantially equivalent to an electric potential of the electret member to one of the electrodes and applying a ground potential to another one of the electrodes.

Optical deflection apparatus and manufacturing method thereof, optical deflection array, imaging apparatus, and image projection display apparatus

An optical scanning device includes optical modulation means having an one-dimensional optical modulator array wherein a plurality of optical modulators are arranged one-dimensionally; lighting means; and a scanning optical system for deflecting the beams modulated by the optical modulators in the one-dimensional optical modulator array in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical modulators. A plurality of the one-dimensional optical modulator arrays are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the optical modulators. The beams modulated by respective optical modulators of the one-dimensional optical modulator arrays can be irradiated on a pixel in piles.

Optical scanning device

OPTICAL MODULATOR, OPTICAL MODULATOR MANUFACTURING METHOD, LIGHT INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS INCLUDING OPTICAL MODULATOR, IMAGE FORMATION APPARATUS INCLUDING OPTICAL MODULATOR, AND IMAGE PROJECTION AND DISPLAY APPARATUS INCLUDING OPTICAL MODULATOR

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Chiba-ken, Japan

Kouichi Ohtaka