Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Mineharu Uchiyama

Nobu Matsumoto

Hiroshi Kubota

Yoshihiko Naruoka

Kazushige Mori

Masatoshi Hirono

Takahiro Kokubo

Isao Hoshino

Yutaka Ota

Makoto Nagasato

Hisao Kawasato

Masanori Ozawa

Ken Itoh

Yoshiharu Imaoka

Motoji Fukuta

Keiichiro Mori

Shinichi Ohtsuka

A distance measuring device includes a laser light source, an irradiation optical system comprising a beam spreader which is configured to spread the laser light about a first optical axis, a light reception optical system having a second optical axis different from the first optical axis and positioned to receive reflected light of the laser light from the object for measuring a distance to the object, a sensor with light receiving elements arranged in a first direction, the sensor being positioned to receive light reflected from the object which has passed through the light reception optical system, and a distance measuring unit configured to acquire distance information relating to the object based on the difference in time between emission of the laser light source and the reception of the reflected light at each of the plurality of light receiving elements.

Distance measuring device and distance measuring method

According to one embodiment, an optical device includes emission of an image projecting light source and emission of an optical path length measuring light source are provided by a light projecting device and respective beams are directed to a moveable mirror. In accordance with the movement of moveable mirror, an image projecting light scans a target and an image is displayed. Reflected light is scattered from the target and reaches a photodetector. By calculating the time difference of reference light and reflected light detected by the photodetector, the distance of the optical device and a reflection point of an optical path length measuring light is computed. By combining the computed optical path length data and angle data of the moveable mirror, the reflecting point of the optical path length measuring light is determined.

Optical device

An optical disk apparatus of this invention includes a light source, an objective lens which focuses a laser beam output from the light source onto an optical disk, a hologram which divides an overlap region where, of reflected light components from the optical disk, a 0th-order light component and &#xb1;1st-order light components that are symmetrical with respect to the 0th-order light component overlap by the diameter of the 0th-order light component and also divides a non-overlap region where the 0th-order light component and &#xb1;1st-order light components do not overlap along the diameter and a radius perpendicular to the diameter, and a photodetector which independently detects reflected light components from the regions divided by the hologram.

Optical pickup apparatus, optical disk apparatus, and tracking error signal detection method

When a light source of a first wavelength is used, side beams are allowed to occur, whereas side beams are prevented from occurring when a light source of a second wavelength is used, thereby raising the light use efficiency of the second light source. A semiconductor laser device comprises a first light source for emitting a light beam of a first wavelength and a second light source for emitting a light beam of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. The grading groove of a diffraction grating is so formed that the first-order diffraction efficiency is almost zero for the light beam from the first light source and the first-order diffraction light is emitted for the light beam from the second light source.

Optical head device and disk drive system having first and second light sources for emitting light beams of different wavelengths

An optical head comprising two light sources, a beam splitter, and two photodetectors. The first light source emits a first light beam to be applied to the recording surface of a first-type optical disk. The second light source emits a second light beam to be applied to the recording surface of a second-type optical disk. The first light beam and the second light beam intersect with each other at an angle other than 90.degree.. The beam splitter is provided at the intersection of the first and second light beams. The beam splitter guides both light beams in a common optical path which extends to the recording surface of either optical disk. The beam splitter guides the first light beam reflected from the first-type optical disk toward the first light source, and the second light beam reflected from the second-type optical disk toward the second light source. The first photodetector detests the first beam reflected from the first-type optical disk. The second photodetector detests the second beam reflected from the second-type optical disk.

Optical head, optical component for use therein, method of manufacturing

An objective lens driving apparatus for driving, in a focus direction and a tracking control direction, an objective lens for converging light onto an optical recording medium, includes a lens bobbin for holding the objective lens. The lens bobbin is provided with two types of drive coils for driving the lens bobbin in the focus and tracking control directions. The lens bobbin is attached in a floating state to a magnetic yoke by a pair of suspensions functioning as cantilevers. The magnetic yoke is provided with a magnet for generating a magnetic field. The lens bobbin is situated such that the drive coils are placed within the magnetic field. Each of the suspensions consists essentially of a rectangular metal frame having a plurality of plate spring portions defined in planes perpendicular to the focus and tracking control directions. A number of through holes are formed in the plate spring portions.

Objective lens driving apparatus and optical head driving apparatus

A camera comprises an optical system, an imaging element, an electric circuit for processing a signal output from the imaging element, a length of magnetic tape and a mechanism for driving the tape. The camera is for photographing objects only. The magnetic tape can be rewind and signals can be reproduced from the tape, only after the camera has been connected to a playback device.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki Kanagawa, Japan

Mineharu Uchiyama