The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 2010
Filed:
Oct. 18, 2007
Toshimasa Kakiuchi, Koriyama, JP;
Koichi Murata, Chiyoda-ku, JP;
Toshimasa Kakiuchi, Koriyama, JP;
Koichi Murata, Chiyoda-ku, JP;
Asahi Glass Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A phase plate and an optical head device are provided, which are capable of suppressing changes of the amount of light incident on a light-receiving unit even if the phase difference caused by transmission through a protective layer of an optical recording medium differs depending on the type of optical recording medium. The phase plate includes a birefringent medium and produces a phase difference in linearly polarized light incident on the phase plate between a polarization component having a polarization direction parallel to the optic axis of the birefringent medium and a polarization component having a polarization direction perpendicular to the optic axis. In the phase plate, the birefringent medium includes a plurality of types of phase areas disposed adjacently; at least two types of adjacent phase areas are different from each other in phase differences, optic axes, or both phase differences and optic axes; and each of the plurality of types of phase areas is disposed so as to have two-fold rotational symmetry with respect to the optical axis of the phase plate.