Patents by Inventor Chiaki Asakawa

Chiaki Asakawa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8335136
    Abstract: Provided is an optical pickup apparatus using a reduced number of parts. An optical pickup apparatus (26) of the present invention includes: a laser unit (108) for emitting a laser beam complying with the BD standards; a laser unit (106) for emitting a laser beam complying with the DVD standards and a laser beam complying with the CD standards; and a PDIC (10B) for receiving and detecting the laser beams complying with the respective standards. Because the laser beam complying with the DVD standards and the laser beam complying with the BD standards are received by one photo detector provided in the PDIC (10B), the number of parts needed for the optical pickup apparatus (26) can be reduced, and the costs of the apparatus can be decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Hiruma, Chiaki Asakawa
  • Patent number: 8315140
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam; an objective lens configured to apply the laser beam to an optical recording medium; and a beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to reflect the laser beam so as to be directed to the objective lens, the beam splitter interposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the objective lens, an incidence polarization angle of the laser beam relative to the first reflective film being set such that a P-polarization component is greater than an S-polarization component in linear polarization components of the laser beam incident on the first reflective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Kiyotaka Eizumi, Chiaki Asakawa
  • Patent number: 8310911
    Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus, a major part of an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a first semiconductor laser device and an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a second semiconductor laser device 3 are shared. The first laser beam is transmitted through a quarter wavelength plate and a second reflecting mirror and is reflected by a first reflecting mirror. With this structure, the number of parts of optical systems disposed in the optical pickup apparatus is reduced, an attachment operation of the parts becomes easier, and a time required for adjusting an optical axis is reduced. Thus, an operational efficiency is greatly improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiaki Asakawa, Mitsuhiro Hiruma
  • Publication number: 20120069725
    Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus, a major part of an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a first semiconductor laser device and an optical path of a laser beam emitted from a second semiconductor laser device 3 are shared. The first laser beam is transmitted through a quarter wavelength plate and a second reflecting mirror and is reflected by a first reflecting mirror. With this structure, the number of parts of optical systems disposed in the optical pickup apparatus is reduced, an attachment operation of the parts becomes easier, and a time required for adjusting an optical axis is reduced. Thus, an operational efficiency is greatly improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiaki ASAKAWA, Mitsuhiro Hiruma
  • Publication number: 20120063286
    Abstract: A conventional optical pickup apparatus has a problem that due to multiple optical paths provided therein, the number of parts of optical systems becomes larger and a time required for attaching the parts and adjusting an optical axis becomes longer. In optical pickup apparatus 1 of the invention, a major part of optical path 21 of a laser beam emitted from first semiconductor laser device 2 and optical path 20 of a laser beam emitted from second semiconductor laser device 3 are shared. Then, the laser beam reflected from the optical disk 17 (optical feedback) is received by shared PDIC 19 and light-receiving processing is accurately performed on the laser beam as a light detector. With this structure, the number of parts of optical systems disposed in the optical pickup apparatus 1 is reduced, an attachment operation of the parts becomes easier, and a time required for adjusting an optical axis is reduced. Thus, an operational efficiency is greatly improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiaki ASAKAWA, Mitsuhiro Hiruma
  • Publication number: 20120051205
    Abstract: Provided is an optical pickup apparatus using a reduced number of parts. An optical pickup apparatus (26) of the present invention includes: a laser unit (108) for emitting a laser beam complying with the BD standards; a laser unit (106) for emitting a laser beam complying with the DVD standards and a laser beam complying with the CD standards; and a PDIC (10B) for receiving and detecting the laser beams complying with the respective standards. Because the laser beam complying with the DVD standards and the laser beam complying with the BD standards are received by one photo detector provided in the PDIC (10B), the number of parts needed for the optical pickup apparatus (26) can be reduced, and the costs of the apparatus can be decreased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro HIRUMA, Chiaki Asakawa
  • Publication number: 20110170397
    Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a laser light source configured to emit a laser beam; an objective lens configured to apply the laser beam to an optical recording medium; and a beam splitter including a first reflective film configured to reflect the laser beam so as to be directed to the objective lens, the beam splitter interposed in an optical path between the laser light source and the objective lens, an incidence polarization angle of the laser beam relative to the first reflective film being set such that a P-polarization component is greater than an S-polarization component in linear polarization components of the laser beam incident on the first reflective film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sato, Kiyotaka Eizumi, Chiaki Asakawa