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:
Nov. 18, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 27, 2009
Yoshiharu Takane, Iruma, JP;
Shinya Sato, Kodaira, JP;
Nobuhiro Sato, Kodaira, JP;
Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A liquid crystal optical element having a crystal liquid optical element adapted to positively function as a diffraction element and an optical pickup apparatus including the liquid crystal optical element are disclosed. A transparent electrode having a diffraction pattern is arranged on one of a pair of transparent substrates. A liquid crystal panel has a transparent opposed electrode arranged on the other one of the pair of the transparent substrates. A driving unit generates a phase difference distribution in the liquid crystal layer by generating a potential difference between the transparent electrode and the transparent opposed electrode and causes the liquid crystal panel to function as a diffraction element for diffracting the incoming light beam transmitted therethrough. The diffraction pattern or the transparent opposed electrode is divided into a plurality of regions. The driving unit adjusts the potential difference for each of the regions.