Pioneer Corporation

Pioneer Electronic Corporation

Tomomitsu Kouno

Hideki Hatano

Satoru Tanaka

Takashi Yamaji

Yoshihisa Itoh

Hajime Matsushita

Atsushi Kurosawa

Masanori Sugihara

Masami Nishida

Sakashi Ootaki

Fumitaka Kotaka

Toshiyuki Kimoto

Akihiko Okamoto

Kouji Shimoda

Yoshihisa Ito

Hajime Matsushia

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having a volume holographic memory. The apparatus is capable of recording an interference pattern in the volume holographic memory in high density and can be made small-sized. The apparatus includes a comprises support portion for detachably supporting the volume holographic memory, which is made of a photorefractive crystalline material; a reference beam supplying portion for making a coherent reference beam of a first wavelength incident on the volume holographic memory; a signal beam generating portion for making a coherent signal beam of the first wavelength, which is modulated in accordance with image data, incident on the volume holographic memory, intersecting therein the signal beam with the reference beam, and generating a three-dimensional light interference pattern of the signal beam and the reference beam; and detecting a portion for detecting diffracted light from a refractive index grid of the light interference pattern in the volume holographic memory, due to irradiation of the reference beam. The signal beam and the reference beam are arranged in a plane having a normal line perpendicular to the symmetrical axis of rotation of the volume holographic memory.

Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus having volume holographic memory

In a hologram recording method for forming a plurality of areas of a refractive index light interference pattern of a coherent signal light beam in accordance with information data within a recording medium having a shape of parallel flat plates, the signal light beam and the recording reference light beam cross each other within the recording medium, and a gate light beam having a second wavelength for revealing recording sensitivity of the recording medium is simultaneously irradiated to the recording medium so as to pass through a portion of the recording reference light beam and demarcate a volume smaller than that of this crossing portion.

Hologram recording medium, hologram recording method and hologram recording and reproducing apparatus

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus. The apparatus comprises: a holographic memory made of a photorefractive crystalline material; a support portion for detachably supporting the memory; a reference beam supplying portion for supplying a coherent reference beam of a first wavelength incident on the memory; a signal beam generating portion for supplying a coherent signal beam of the first wavelength, which is modulated in accordance with image data, incident on the memory, intersecting therein the signal beam with the reference beam, and generating a three-dimensional interference pattern of the beams; a detecting portion for detecting a diffracted light from a refractive index grating of the interference pattern in the memory, due to irradiation of the reference beam; and a medium position adjusting portion for moving a position of the support portion in accordance with a signal corresponding to positioning images from the detection portion. The memory includes a nonvolatile refractive index grating corresponding to a three-dimensional interference pattern of a coherent reference beam and a coherent signal beam, the coherent signal beam being modulated in accordance with positioning images.

A volume holographic memory for recording three-dimensional distribution of interference fringes generated owing to interference between signal light and reference light is provided, wherein the volume holographic memory is formed into a cylindrical shape. Also an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus is provided which incorporates an interference-fringe generating unit for generating interference fringes formed owing to interference between signal light and reference light; a storage unit for storing three-dimensional distribution of the interference fringes generated by the interference-fringe generating unit; a detecting unit for detecting diffracted light obtainable from the storage unit by irradiating the storage unit with reference light; and a reproducing unit for reproducing signal light from diffracted light detected by the detecting unit, wherein the storage unit is constituted by a volume holographic memory having a cylindrical shape.

Volume holographic memory and optical information recording/reproducing apparatus

Disclosed are a holographic memory medium for use in a holographic memory system, which can prevent generation of stray light of a gating beam at the time of recording information, and a recording apparatus which uses this memory medium. This memory medium records an information signal carried by a signal beam as a coherent reference beam and the signal beam enter the memory medium with a gating beam being present. The memory medium has at least a first surface and a second surface parallel to each other and comprises an antireflection coat, formed on the first surface, for preventing reflection of the gating beam. The recording apparatus records an information signal using a holographic memory medium and comprises a light absorbing member of absorbing the gating beam coming through the memory medium.

Holographic memory medium and recording apparatus using the same

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus, which detachably supports a holographic memory formed of a photorefractive crystal, includes a portion for supplying a coherent reference light beam at a first wavelength into the holographic memory; a portion for supplying a coherent signal light beam at the first wavelength, modulated in accordance with image data, into the memory to produce an optical interference pattern with the reference light within the memory; a portion for supplying a gate light beam at a second wavelength into the memory for activating or deactivating an index grating in accordance with the presence or absence of the optical interference pattern to enhance a photo-sensitivity of the memory; a detector for detecting diffraction light from the index grating of the memory by the irradiation of the reference light beam; and a portion for changing and regulating a light intensity of the gate light beam.

Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus using a holographic memory

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus which detachably supports a volume holographic memory formed of a photorefractive crystal. The apparatus includes a portion for supplying a coherent reference light beam at a first wavelength into the volume holographic memory; a portion for supplying a coherent signal light beam at the first wavelength, modulated in accordance with image data, into the memory to produce an optical interference pattern with the reference light within the memory; a portion for supplying a gate light beam at a second wavelength into the memory for activating or deactivating an index grating in accordance with the presence or absence of the optical interference pattern to enhances a photo-sensitivity of the memory; and a detector for detecting diffraction light from the index grating of the memory by the irradiation of the reference light beam. The apparatus includes a scanning portion for moving an intersecting region in which the gate light beam, the signal light beam and the reference light beam intersect with one another within the volume holographic memory along an optical axis of an optical path of the signal light beam within the volume holographic memory.

Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus using a volume holographic memory

A description is provided of an optical information recording and reproducing apparatus employing a holographic memory. The apparatus includes a mask disposed in an optical path of the signal light beam so as to cover a light intensity distribution of the signal light beam incident into the holographic memory at nearly a half portion thereof with respect to the center of the distribution of the zeroth-order diffracted light of the signal light beam. The center of a region of the holographic memory where the signal light beam and the reference light beam intersect with each other, is shifted by a distance substantially equal to twice the distance between peaks of the zeroth-order diffracted light or the first-order diffracted light of the signal light beam.

Holographic memory and optical information recording and reproducing apparatus using the same

A photo-conductive liquid crystal display in which the liquid crystal light valve and the electroluminescence element are disposed integrally with each other. The photo-conductive liquid crystal light valve is arranged such that a pair of transparent electrodes are disposed on the outside of a lamination of a photo-conductive layer and a liquid crystal layer, and an electroluminescence element is disposed on the outside of the transparent electrode which is disposed on the writing side of the device.

Photo-conductive liquid crystal light valve

An automatic disc player including a housing having an elongated slot through which a disc is to be inserted, playback means accommodated within the housing and including a turntable to carry a disc during playback operation, disc carrier means to convey the disc toward a predetermined position with respect to the turntable after the disc is inserted through the slot in the housing, and disc clamp means to move the disc correctly to the predetermined position after the disc is conveyed toward the predetermined position by the disc carrier means, wherein the disc clamp means comprises a support member movable between a release position remoter from the turntable and a disc clamp position closer to the turntable, and a disc clamping member which is rotatably supported on the support member through an elliptical opening formed in the support member and which is cooperative with the turntable for having a disc clamped between the turntable and the disc clamping member when the support member is in the disc clamp position with respect to the turntable, the disc clamping member being formed with a circumferential groove through which the support member engages the disc clamp member along its rim portion defining the elliptical opening therein, the outside diameter of the disc clamping member being smaller than the diameter of the major axis and larger than the diameter of the minor axis of the elliptical opening.

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Tsurugashima, Japan

Tomomitsu Kouno