Abstract: A variable power optical system (1) comprises a first lens group (11) having a negative optical power, a second lens group (12) having a positive optical power, and a third lens group (13). The first to third lens groups are arranged in order from the object side to the image side. The first lens group (11) is composed of one negative lens (111) and is fixed in variable power. The third lens group (13) includes at least one aspherical surface. When the third lens group is divided into a front group and a rear group with the largest air space in the third group, the front group has a negative optical power, and the rear group has a positive optical power.

Abstract: Provided is an objective optical element which can appropriately correct degradation from spherical aberration upon fluctuation of a light source wavelength while maintaining light use efficiency, just by changing the magnification of the objective optical element, and which can record/reproduce information to/from different optical discs. Also provided is an optical pickup device using the objective optical element. When a light flux having two different wavelengths ?11, ?12 (wherein ?11<?12 and ?12??11=5 nm) within a range of wavelength ?1 is introduced to the objective optical element to measure the wavefront aberration, the following third order and fifth order spherical aberrations in unit of ?rms are obtained: SA3(?11), SA5(?11), SA3(?12), SA5(?12). If ?SA3=|SA3(?12)?SA3(?11)|, ?SA5=|SA5(?12)?SA5(?11)|, the following expression is satisfied 0.18>?SA3>?SA5>0 (1).

Abstract: An acryl resin-containing film which is transparent and highly heat-resistant and has been significantly improved in brittleness is disclosed, satisfying the following equations (1) to (4), exhibiting a tension softening point of 105 to 145° C. and a photoelastic coefficient of ?5.0×10?8 to 8.0×10?8 cm2/N, while causing no ductile fracture. There is also disclosed a liquid crystal display which has achieved an improved yield in works of stamping a polarizing plate or sticking the plate to a panel and reduced color shift occurred depending on viewing angle. |Ro(589)|?10 nm??Equation (1) |Rth(589)|?20 nm??Equation (2) |Ro(480)?Ro(630)|?5 nm??Equation (3) |Rth(480)?Rth(630)|?10 nm??Equation (4) Numerical values of 589, 480 and 630 in parentheses represent the wavelength (nm) of a light used to measure an individual birefringence.

Abstract: An anisotropic dye layer containing a coordination polymer is disclosed. The a polarization control film containing an oriented dichroic dye in which light absorption spectrum of a molecule is reversibly changed by charge passing are disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a small-sized five-element image pickup lens which ensures a sufficient lens speed of about F2 and exhibits various aberrations being excellently corrected. The image pickup lens is composed of, in order from the object side, a first lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the object side; a second lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side; a third lens with a positive or negative refractive power; a fourth lens with a positive refractive power, including a convex surface facing the image side; and a fifth lens with a negative refractive power, including a concave surface facing the image side. The image-side surface of the fifth lens has an aspheric shape, and includes an inflection point at a position excluding an intersection point with the optical axis.

Abstract: Provided is a compact zoom lens with a high resolving power, a large aperture, and a high variable power. The zoom lens includes a positive first lens group, a moving negative second lens group, a stationary positive third lens group, and a moving positive fourth lens group. The first lens group includes a negative eleventh lens, a positive twelfth lens, and a positive thirteenth lens. The second lens group is composed of a negative twenty-first lens, a negative twenty-second lens, a positive twenty-third lens, and a negative twenty-fourth lens. The third lens group includes a positive thirty-first lens, a positive thirty-second lens, and a negative thirty-third lens. The fourth lens group is composed of a positive forty-first lens having one or more aspheric surfaces. The zoom lens satisfies the prescribed conditional expressions.

Abstract: Provided are a wafer scale lens, which is so short in an optical total length with respect to an image height that it can correct an aberration satisfactory, and an optical system including the wafer scale lens and having a thin lens element on the side closest to the image. The optical system includes a first lens having a positive refractive power relative to an object, and a second lens arranged on the side of the image of the first lens and having a recessed shape on the side of the object. At least one lens is arranged on the side of the second lens.

Abstract: Provided is an optical component manufacturing method wherein various types of information, including information relating to each optical component, can be relatively easily printed on each optical component, even in the case where a plurality of optical components are manufactured in a batch. A lens, a lens unit and a camera module manufactured by using such method are also provided. Prior to dividing camera modules into individual camera modules, a pattern to be printed on each camera module, i.e., printing contents determined based on information on a first lens array or the like after formation, is printed on the surface of the first lens array at one time. Thus, information specific to each camera module can be printed even by the relatively simple method.

Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a wafer lens assembly capable of adhering a wafer lens and a spacer surely. The wafer lens assembly includes a first substrate including plural optical members formed of a curable resin on at least one surface, a second substrate joined to the first substrate, and a stop member arranged between the first and second substrates. The first and second substrates are adhered with an adhesive made of a photo-curable resin. The method includes an adhesive applying step of applying the adhesive made of a photo-curable resin on a joining area, a stop-member forming step, and a photo-curing step of irradiating and hardening the adhesive applied in the adhesive applying step with light after the stop-member forming step. The stop member is formed so as not to prevent the light irradiated in the photo-curing step from reaching the adhesive.

Abstract: This invention provides an acrylic resin containing film, which is transparent and highly heat resistant and has significantly improved brittleness, and a polarizing plate using the acrylic resin containing film. Further yield in punching work and laminating work of the polarizing late is improved and a liquid crystal display device which can maintain good visibility in long term use is also provided by the polarizing plate. The acrylic resin containing film is composed mainly of an acrylic resin and is characterized in that the film contains the acrylic resin and the cellulose ester resin in a weight ratio of 51:49 to 95:5 and further contains a retardation control agent.

Abstract: A shape memory alloy drive device has drive control portion for displacing a shape memory alloy up to a target displacement value by applying a voltage or an electric current to the shape memory alloy by servo control, and also has contact detection portion for detecting a predetermined change in a drive control value, or, for example, a sharp increase in the drive control value, representing the amount of the voltage of the electric current applied by the drive control portion. When detecting a predetermined change, the contact detection portion determines that a movable portion having a lens etc. mounted thereon is in contact with a stationary mechanism. The shape memory alloy drive device further has drive limiting portion which, when the determination described above is made, causes the drive control portion to limit the target displacement value within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A polarizing plate protective film comprising a cellulose ester, and a saccharide ester compound in which all or a part of OH groups in Compound (A) or in Compound (B) are esterified, wherein Compound (A) consists of one of a furanose structure and a pyranose structure, and Compound (B) consists of two to twelve of at least one type of a furanose structure and a pyranose structure which are bonded in Compound (B); wherein the polarizing plate protective film exhibits Ro of 0-10 nm and Rt of ?30 to +20 nm.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an optical element including: a surface including a plurality of grooves arranged concentrically. Each of the grooves includes a bottom surface with a predetermined width, a side surface, and a curved surface with a predetermined curvature radius. The bottom surface extends in a radius direction of the grooves. The curved surface connects the bottom surface and the side surface.

Abstract: Provided is an optical pickup device which suppresses the decrease of light amount and performs conversion to circular polarization light, wherein the optical pickup device includes a beam splitter and a raising mirror on each of which a layered member is formed, and the optical pickup device satisfies conditional expressions relating to intensities of S-polarized light and P-polarized light with respect to the beam splitter of a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser element, reflectances of S-polarized light and P-polarized light on the beam splitter, a reflection phase difference obtained by subtracting a phase of S-polarized light from a phase of P-polarized light after the reflection, reflectances of S-polarized light and P-polarized light on the raising mirror, and a reflection phase difference obtained by subtracting a phase of S-polarized light from a phase of P-polarized light after the reflection.

Abstract: A storing section (70) stores a second initial contact instruction value, which is predefined as an instruction value for positioning a movable portion (5) to a second contact position where the movable portion (5) is contacted with a stopper (8), and an initial standby instruction value, which is predefined as an instruction value for positioning the movable portion (5) to a specified standby position within a moving range of the movable portion (5). A correcting section (42) calculates an actual standby instruction value by correcting the initial standby instruction value, based on a second actual contact instruction value obtained when a contact detection section (41) has detected that the movable portion (5) is positioned to the second contact position, and the second initial contact instruction value. A setting section (43) sets a standby position corresponding to the actual standby instruction value, as an actual standby position of the movable portion (5).

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical element for use in an optical apparatus having a light source which emits a light flux with a wavelength ? (350 nm???450 nm), the optical element containing: a molded portion formed by molding a resin; and one or a plurality of anti-reflection layers formed on the molded portion, wherein at least one of the anti-reflection layers is made of SixOy; and an elemental ratio r (r=y/x) designating an ratio of O to Si in the molecule of SixOy satisfies a requirement represented by Formula (1): 1.40?r?1.80.

Abstract: Provided is an objective optical element which can appropriately correct degradation from spherical aberration upon fluctuation of a light source wavelength while maintaining light use efficiency, just by changing the magnification of the objective optical element, and which can record/reproduce information to/from different optical discs. Also provided is an optical pickup device using the objective optical element. When a light flux having two different wavelengths ?11, ?12 (wherein ?11<?12 and ?12??11=5 nm) within a range of wavelength ?1 is introduced to the objective optical element to measure the wavefront aberration, the following third order and fifth order spherical aberrations in unit of ?rms are obtained: SA3(?11), SA5(?11), SA3(?12), SA5(?12). If ?SA3=|SA3(?12)?SA3(?11)|, ?SA5=|SA5(?12)?SA5(?11)|, the following expression is satisfied: 0.

Abstract: An image pickup lens includes: a first lens with a positive power, including a convex surface facing the object side; an aperture stop; a second lens with a negative power, including a concave surface facing the image side; a third lens with a positive or negative power; a fourth lens with a positive power, including a convex surface facing the image side; and a fifth lens with a negative power, including a concave surface facing the image side. The surface of the fifth lens facing the image side is an aspheric surface and includes an inflection point. The image pickup lens satisfies the predetermined condition relating to a focal length of the first lens.

Abstract: A projection optical system receives light from a display device surface and enlarges and projects a display image thereon onto a screen surface. The projection optical system includes one or more reflective surfaces having an optical power between the display device surface and the screen surface, moves at least one optical device having an optical power to adjust focus and satisfies the following conditional formula: ?0.02<{(?1??2)?2}/{(?1+?2)?1}<0.

Abstract: Taper portions 151 and 161 are provided in the cavity of a stationary side die 110 and the cavity of a movable side die 120 in an injection molding apparatus, respectively, and a floating mechanism 170 is provided so that one taper portions are able to freely follows the other taper portions while die clamping. This configuration makes it possible to correct axial misalignment in each of the cavities.