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EP0301792A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

An optical pickup device

Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1988-07-25
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-07-25
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Abstract

Abstract A focusing error detecting apparatus having a first photo-detector (7a) of which the light receiving portion is halved to provide first (7a4) and second (7a5) light receiving portions asymmetrical with respect to the center of a beam spot of a bundle of incident laser beams, the first photo-detector (7a) being located in the optical path ahead of the focusing point of the bundle of the incident laser beams, a second photo-detector (7b) of which the light receiving portion is halved to provide first (7b4) and second (7b5) light receiving portions asymmetrical with respect to the center of a beam spot of a bundle of incident laser beams, the second photo-detector (7b) being located in the optical path behind a focussing point of the bundle of the incident laser beams and a calculating circuit (3) for calculating a difference between a difference of detected outputs from the first and second light receiving portions of the first photo-detector and a difference of detected outputs from the first and second light receiving portions of the second photo-detector, thereby to derive a focusing error signal from the output of the calculating circuit (3).

Inventors

  • 👤 You Yoshitoshi
  • 👤 Hidehiro Kume
  • 👤 Yoshiyuki Matsumoto
  • 👤 Koji Mitsumori
  • 👤 Etsufumi Yamamoto
  • 👤 Hiroshi Oinoue

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 21:49
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B7/00; G11B7/08; G11B7/09; G11B7/12; G11B7/135; G11B7/1356; G11B7/0908; G11B7/0912; G11B7/123; G11B7/13

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 239 words
In a focusing error detecting apparatus for detecting a focusing error signal by which an objective lens for converging a laser beam emitted from a laser light source (9) on a signal recording surface of an optical disc in accordance with the movement of said optical disc is moved in the direction parallel to an optical axis of said emitted laser beam incident on said optical disc, said focusing error detecting apparatus comprising: a) a first photo-detector (7a) located in the optical path ahead of a focus point of a reflected-back light from said optical disc through said objective lens and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) of different sizes which are asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident on said first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5); b) a second photo-detector (7b) located in the optical path behind the focus point of the reflected-back light from said optical disc through said objective lens and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of different sizes which are asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-­back light incident on said first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b); and c) calculating means (3a-3c) for calculating a difference between detected outputs from said first and second photo-detectors (7a, 7b) to produce a focusing error signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 239 words
In a focusing error detecting apparatus for detecting a focusing error signal by which an objective lens for converging a laser beam emitted from a laser light source (9) on a signal recording surface of an optical disc in accordance with the movement of said optical disc is moved in the direction parallel to an optical axis of said emitted laser beam incident on said optical disc, said focusing error detecting apparatus comprising: a) a first photo-detector (7a) located in the optical path ahead of a focus point of a reflected-back light from said optical disc through said objective lens and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) of different sizes which are asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident on said first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5); b) a second photo-detector (7b) located in the optical path behind the focus point of the reflected-back light from said optical disc through said objective lens and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of different sizes which are asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-­back light incident on said first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b); and c) calculating means (3a-3c) for calculating a difference between detected outputs from said first and second photo-detectors (7a, 7b) to produce a focusing error signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 65 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 1, in which said calculating means (3a-3c) is arranged to calculate a difference between a difference of the detected outputs from said first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) of said first photo-detector (7a) and a difference of the detected outputs from said first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 55 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which said first and second photo-detectors (7a, 7b) have their light receiving portions divided in the direction substantially parallel to the direction in which said emitted laser beam from said laser light source (9) scans said signal recording surface of said optical disc.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 65 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 3, in which said second photo-detector (7b) is divided in such a manner that its first light receiving portion (7b) is equal in area to the first light receiving portion (7a4) said first photo-detector (7a) and that its second light receiving portion (7b5) is equal in area to the second light receiving portion (7a5) said first photo-detector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 58 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 4, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is larger in area than second light receiving portion (7a5) thereof and said first light receiving portion (7b4) of said second photo-detector (7b) is selected larger in area than the second light receiving portion (7b5) thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 102 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 5, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is located at one side with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-­back light thereon in alignment with said first light receiving portion (7b4) of said second photo-detector (7b) and said second light receiving portion (7a5) of said first photo-detector (7a) is located at the other side with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-­back light incident thereon in alignment with said second light receiving portion (7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 101 words
A focusing error detecting apparatus according to claim 5, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is located at one side relative to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said second light receiving portion (7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b) and said second light receiving portion (7a5) of the first photo-detector (7a) is located at the other side relative to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said first light receiving portion (7b4) of the second photo-detector (7b).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 265 words
An optical head device comprising: a) a semiconductor laser chip (9) mounted on a substrate (6); b) converging means for converging a laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser chip on a certain point of an optical path of said emitted laser beam; c) a first photo-detector (7a) located in the optical path ahead of a focusing point of an incident laser beam through said converging means mounted on said substrate (6) and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) which are different in size and asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said incident laser beam; d) a second photo-detector (7b) located in the optical path behind the focusing point of the incident laser beam through said converging means mounted on said substrate and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) which are different in size and asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said incident light; e) an optical element (10) mounted on said first and second photo-detectors located on said substrate and of which the face opposing to said semiconductor laser chip is formed as an inclined face for reflecting said laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser chip (9) and has a semi-transparent layer through which said laser beam incident thereon through said converging means travels; and f) calculating means (3a-3c) for calculating a difference between respective detected outputs from said first and second photo-detectors to produce a focusing error signal, whereby said focusing error signal from said calculating means is fed back to said converging means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 265 words
An optical head device comprising: a) a semiconductor laser chip (9) mounted on a substrate (6); b) converging means for converging a laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser chip on a certain point of an optical path of said emitted laser beam; c) a first photo-detector (7a) located in the optical path ahead of a focusing point of an incident laser beam through said converging means mounted on said substrate (6) and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) which are different in size and asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said incident laser beam; d) a second photo-detector (7b) located in the optical path behind the focusing point of the incident laser beam through said converging means mounted on said substrate and having divided first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) which are different in size and asymmetrical with respect to the centre of the beam spot of said incident light; e) an optical element (10) mounted on said first and second photo-detectors located on said substrate and of which the face opposing to said semiconductor laser chip is formed as an inclined face for reflecting said laser beam emitted from said semiconductor laser chip (9) and has a semi-transparent layer through which said laser beam incident thereon through said converging means travels; and f) calculating means (3a-3c) for calculating a difference between respective detected outputs from said first and second photo-detectors to produce a focusing error signal, whereby said focusing error signal from said calculating means is fed back to said converging means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 61 words
An optical head device according to claim 8, in which said calculating means (3a-3c) is arranged to calculate a difference of differences between the detected outputs from said first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5) of said first photo-detector (7a) and between the detected outputs from said first and second light receiving portions (7b4, 7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 50 words
An optical head device according to claim 8, in which said first and second light receiving portions (7a4, 7a5, 7b4, 7b5) of said first and second photo-detectors (7a, 7b) are divided in the direction parallel to the direction in which said laser beam incident thereon through said converging means travels.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 67 words
An optical head device according to claim 10, in which said second photo-detector (7b) is divided in such a fashion that its first light receiving portion (7b4) is equal in area to the first light receiving portion (7b4) of said first photo-detector (7a) and that its second light receiving portion (7b5) is equal in area to the second light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 56 words
An optical head device according to claim 11, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is larger in area than the second light receiving portion (7a5) thereof and said first light receiving portion (7b4) of said second photo-detector (7b) is larger in area than its second light receiving portion (7b5).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 99 words
An optical head device according to claim 12, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is located at one side relative to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said first light receiving portion (7b4) of said second photo-detector (7b) and said second light receiving portion (7a5) of the first photo-detector (7a) is located at the other side of the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said second light receiving portion (7b5) of the second photo-detector (7b).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 100 words
An optical head device according to claim 12, in which said first light receiving portion (7a4) of said first photo-detector (7a) is located at one side relative to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said second light receiving portion (7b5) of said second photo-detector (7b) and said second light receiving portion (7a5) of the first photo-detector (7a) is located at the other side relative to the centre of the beam spot of said reflected-back light incident thereon in alignment with said first light receiving portion (7b4) of the second photo-detector (7b).

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