Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takayuki Kadoshima

Ko Ishizuka

Hidejiro Kadowaki

Shigeki Kato

Yasushi Kaneda

Sakae Horyu

Kou Ishizuka

Interference measuring apparatus having an optical system for dividing a coherent light beam into two light beams, and causing the divided two light beams to pass along discrete optical paths. The light beams are made into linearly polarized light beams orthogonal to each other and given modulation to the phase of the wave front of at least one of them. The wave fronts of the linearly polarized light beams are superposed one upon the others. A light dividing member divides the light beams superposed one upon the other by the optical system into a plurality of light beams. A polarizing plate takes out each light beam with a 45&#xb0; polarized component, and a plurality of light receiving elements individually receive the light beams taken out by the polarizing plate.

Interference measuring apparatus for detecting a plurality of stable phase difference signals

Interference measuring apparatus for detecting a plurality of different interference phase signals. The apparatus has a light dividing member for dividing linearly polarized light beams superposed one upon another into a plurality of light beams. The apparatus also includes a light transmitting member with a plurality of light passing portions having different light transmitting properties in conformity with the incidence positions of the plurality of light beams divided by the light dividing member. In addition, the apparatus has a polarizing plate to receive the plurality of light beams that passed through the light transmitting member.

Compact interference measuring apparatus for detecting the magnitude and direction of positional deviation

An optical type encoder includes a light-emitting element, a scale, a light receiving element for detecting light from the scale when a light beam from the light-emitting element is projected onto the scale, an incremental signal resulting from displacement of the scale being obtained by detection by the light receiving element, two or more mark portions for producing an origin signal formed on the scale, and an origin detecting system for detecting the mark portions for producing the origin signal. The rising position or the falling position of at least one pulse signal indicative of the origin is determined by the detection signals of the two or more mark portions for producing the origin signal by the origin detecting system.

Encoder

An interference measuring apparatus has an optical system for dividing a coherent light beam into two light beams, causing the divided two light beams to pass along discrete optical paths and making them into linearly polarized light beams orthogonal to each other and given modulation to the phase of the wave front of at least one of them, and again superposing the wave fronts of the linearly polarized light beams one upon the other, a light dividing member for dividing the light beams superposed one upon the other by the optical system into a plurality of light beams, a rock crystal plate formed with a predetermined level difference in conformity with the incidence positions of the plurality of light beams, a polarizing plate for taking out each light beam transmitted through the rock crystal plate with a 45&deg; polarized component, and a plurality of light receiving elements for individually receiving the light beams taken out by the polarizing plate, a plurality of different interference phase signals being provided by the reception of lights of the light receiving elements.

Optical element used in compact interference measuring apparatus detecting plurality of phase difference signals

An apparatus for detecting the relative displacement of a surface to be detected, and an apparatus and method for recording information on a hard disc of a hard disk drive using such a detecting apparatus, the detecting apparatus comprising an interference optical system for condensing a light beam on the surface to be detected, and making the reflected light from the surface to be detected interfere with the condensed light beam to thereby form an interference light beam, light receiving means for receiving the interference light beam and outputting bright and dark signals attributable to the relative displacement of the surface to be detected, and condensed light information supplying means for separating part of the reflected light from the surface to be detected from the optical path until the reflected light arrives at said light receiving means, and utilizing the separated light beam to detect the condensed state of the incident light beam onto the surface to be detected or make the condensed state observable.

Displacement detecting apparatus and information recording apparatus

A light wave measuring instrument has a small optical system. Beams from a laser light source illuminate a grating scale and plus-first-order-diffracted and minus-first-order-diffracted beams from the grating scale are diffracted and reflected so as to travel through their original optical paths. The beams are returned to a non-polarization beam splitter, transmitted through a quarter wavelength plate and converted into one straight polarized beam having a polarization direction varying with the phase difference between the two beams. The straight beam is then separated. The separate beams are separated into P and S polarized beams. The S polarized beams are reflected by a polarization film, while the P polarized beams are reflected by a parallel glass plate. These beams are transmitted through the polarization film again to become coherence signal beams having reverse phases of fringes, which are then emitted in the same direction.

Measuring instrument

An interferometer has a semiconductor laser which oscillates in multiple modes, an optical member for providing a beam from the semiconductor laser with a substantial optical path difference between optical paths partially in one beam, and an interference optical system for causing interference, using the beam having traveled via the optical member.

Interferometer which divides light beams into a plurality of beams with different optical paths

An apparatus for obtaining displacement information relative to a member includes a light source for illuminating a phase type diffraction grating on the member, an amplitude grating arranged at the position where interference fringes are generated immediately after emerging of diffracted light from the phase type diffraction grating illuminated by the light source, and a light-receiving element for receiving light emerging from the amplitude grating. The light-receiving element generates a periodic signal as displacement information upon relative movement of the member.

Growing community of inventors

Utsunomiya, Japan

Takayuki Kadoshima