Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Minami
Kazuhiro Minami 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).
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Patent number: 9001635Abstract: An optical element having compatibility among two or more wavelengths and having an excellent converging performance for light with each wavelength, and an optical head apparatus using the optical element are provided. An optical element according to the present disclosure has a first region including an optical axis and a second region formed around the outer circumference of the first region. The first region and the second region respectively have a first diffraction structure and a second diffraction structure each cyclically formed on an aspheric surface and having a step-like cross section. In the first region, the number of steps included between top portions of the first diffraction structure is different from the number of steps included between the optical axis and a top portion that is closest to the optical axis in the first diffraction structure.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2014Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventor: Kazuhiro Minami
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Patent number: 8953428Abstract: Assuming that third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of BD (60) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is CMDbd, third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of CD (80) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is CMDcd, third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of a compatible objective lens (8) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is CMLbd, and third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of the compatible objective lens (8) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is CMLcd, a sine condition deviation amount (SCbd) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is expressed by CMDbd+CMLbd, a sine condition deviation amount (SCcd) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is expressed by CMDcd+CMLcd, and the sine condition deviation amount (SCbd) and the sine condition deviation amount (SCcd) satisfy SCbd>0 and SCcd<0.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2012Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fumitomo Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma
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Patent number: 8929189Abstract: An objective lens capable of converging light of a used wavelength with a satisfactory aberration on a recording medium is provided. An objective lens for converging light of a predetermined wavelength ? on a recording medium satisfies the following condition: |CML|+|CMF|<0.03?, where CML is an amount of a generated third-order coma aberration per 1 degree of tilt of the objective lens, and CMF is an amount of a generated third-order coma aberration per 1 degree of tilt of off-axis light.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2013Date of Patent: January 6, 2015Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Minami, Yasuhiro Tanaka
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Publication number: 20140293766Abstract: An optical element having compatibility among two or more wavelengths and having an excellent converging performance for light with each wavelength, and an optical head apparatus using the optical element are provided. An optical element according to the present disclosure has a first region including an optical axis and a second region formed around the outer circumference of the first region. The first region and the second region respectively have a first diffraction structure and a second diffraction structure each cyclically formed on an aspheric surface and having a step-like cross section. In the first region, the number of steps included between top portions of the first diffraction structure is different from the number of steps included between the optical axis and a top portion that is closest to the optical axis in the first diffraction structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Inventor: Kazuhiro MINAMI
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Publication number: 20140254345Abstract: Assuming that third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of BD (60) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is CMDbd, third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of CD (80) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is CMDcd, third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of a compatible objective lens (8) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is CMLbd, and third-order coma aberration per unit angle generated by tilt of the compatible objective lens (8) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is CMLcd, a sine condition deviation amount (SCbd) in recording or reproducing information on or from BD (60) is expressed by CMDbd+CMLbd, a sine condition deviation amount (SCcd) in recording or reproducing information on or from CD (80) is expressed by CMDcd+CMLcd, and the sine condition deviation amount (SCbd) and the sine condition deviation amount (SCcd) satisfy SCbd>0 and SCcd<0.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2012Publication date: September 11, 2014Inventors: Fumitomo Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma
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Publication number: 20140146653Abstract: An objective lens element having improved diffraction efficiency at at least one of used wavelengths is provided. The objective lens element includes one surface including: a first region including an optical axis; and a second region surrounding the first region. A periodic first diffraction structure is formed on the first region, and a periodic second diffraction structure different from the first diffraction structure is formed on the second region. The objective lens element satisfies the following conditions. |A1?B1|<|A2?B2|??(1) |B1|?|B2|??(2) Here, A1 and B1 are diffraction orders at the first region to converge light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively, and A2 and B2 are diffraction orders at the second region to converge the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2014Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro MINAMI, Yoshiaki KOMMA, Fumitomo YAMASAKI, Katsuhiko HAYASHI
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Publication number: 20140098656Abstract: An optical element has at least one surface divided into a plurality of regions and includes: a first region configured to converge light with a wavelength ?1 onto a storage surface of a first optical disc and converge light with a wavelength ?2 onto a storage surface of a second optical disc; and a second region formed around the outer circumference of the first region and configured to converge light with the wavelength ?1 onto the storage surface of the first optical disc. The second region has a concave-convex structure concentrically formed on an aspheric surface and having a cross section being a saw teeth shape. The concave-convex structure is formed by a plurality of different saw teeth shapes, and the plurality of different saw teeth shapes respectively give different phase differences corresponding to substantially integer multiples of the wavelength ?1, for light with the wavelength ?1.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2013Publication date: April 10, 2014Applicant: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro MINAMI, Yoshiaki KOMMA, Fumitomo YAMASAKI
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Patent number: 8681592Abstract: An objective lens element having improved diffraction efficiency at least one of used wavelengths is provided. The objective lens element includes one surface including: a first region including an optical axis; and a second region surrounding the first region. A periodic first diffraction structure is formed on the first region, and a periodic second diffraction structure different from the first diffraction structure is formed on the second region. The objective lens element satisfies the following conditions. |A1?B1|<|A2?B2|??(1) |B1|?|B2|??(2) Here, A1 and B1 are diffraction orders at the first region to converge light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively, and A2 and B2 are diffraction orders at the second region to converge the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2012Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma, Fumitomo Yamasaki, Katsuhiko Hayashi
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Patent number: 8564882Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes first and second optical members which are stacked. The first optical member includes a diffraction grating in which a plurality of raised portions each having a vertical surface and a surface inclined to the vertical surface are arranged. The second optical member includes a diffraction grating in which a plurality of recessed portions are arranged, to which the raised portions are fitted. The diffraction grating of the first optical member and the diffraction grating of the second optical member are in close contact with each other. A ridge portion of the raised portion defines a curved surface. A curvature radius R (?m) of the curved surface, a pitch P (mm) of the raised portions, and a refractive index difference ?nd between the first and second optical members satisfy a predetermined relationship.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2011Date of Patent: October 22, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Minami, Kazuhiro Yamada
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Patent number: 8531770Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes a first optical member having a first diffraction grating with a sawtooth cross section; and a second optical member which has a second diffraction grating having a sawtooth cross section and which has a refractive index different from that of the first optical member. In the diffractive optical element, the first and second optical members are stacked so that the first and second diffraction gratings closely contact each other. Arithmetical mean roughness of a diffraction surface of the first diffraction grating is set so as to fall within a predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2011Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Minami, Kazuhiro Yamada
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Patent number: 8508847Abstract: In a diffractive optical element, first and second optical members are stacked, and a diffraction grating is formed at an interface between the first and second optical members. In the diffractive optical element, an absorption coefficient ? (mm?1) of the first optical member and a grating height h (?m) of the diffraction grating satisfy expressions (1) and (2): ??0.04??(1) h?263.18×??0.9454??(2).Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Kazuhiro Yamada, Kazuhiro Minami, Yasuhiro Tanaka
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Patent number: 8456978Abstract: The present invention provides an objective lens, an optical head apparatus, an optical information apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that improve focal position detection accuracy. In order to reproduce information from an optical disk (28), an objective lens (25) collects a diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length, out of two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y), on an information recording surface (28L) via a base (28S) of the optical disk (28), and a distance (DF3) between the focal positions of the two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y) when the diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length is collected on the information recording surface (28S) is longer than double the distance (WD2) between the surface (25A) of the objective lens (25) and the surface (28A) of the base (28S) along the optical axis.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2012Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Yoshiaki Komma, Kazuhiro Minami
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Patent number: 8432782Abstract: An objective lens, an optical head, an optical disk apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can suppress deterioration of a focal spot caused by a drop in the diffraction efficiency. Inner and outer circumference areas converge a laser beam, out of laser beams having a wavelength ?1 which are diffracted by the inner and outer circumference areas, on a first information recording medium; the inner circumference area and a mid-circumference area converge a laser beam, out of the laser beams having a wavelength ?2 which are diffracted by the inner circumference area and the mid-circumference area, on a second information recording medium; and the diffraction efficiency of the laser beam having the wavelength ?2 is greater than the diffraction efficiency of the laser beam having the wavelength ?1.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2011Date of Patent: April 30, 2013Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Fumitomo Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma, Junichi Asada, Osamu Kajino, Noriaki Terahara, Toshiyasu Tanaka
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Publication number: 20130051204Abstract: The present invention provides an objective lens, an optical head apparatus, an optical information apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that improve focal position detection accuracy. In order to reproduce information from an optical disk (28), an objective lens (25) collects a diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length, out of two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y), on an information recording surface (28L) via a base (28S) of the optical disk (28), and a distance (DF3) between the focal positions of the two diffracted rays (15X, 15Y) when the diffracted ray (15X) having a longer focal length is collected on the information recording surface (28S) is longer than double the distance (WD2) between the surface (25A) of the objective lens (25) and the surface (28A) of the base (28S) along the optical axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Inventors: Yoshiaki Komma, Kazuhiro Minami
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Publication number: 20120207008Abstract: An objective lens element having improved diffraction efficiency at least one of used wavelengths is provided. The objective lens element includes one surface including: a first region including an optical axis; and a second region surrounding the first region. A periodic first diffraction structure is formed on the first region, and a periodic second diffraction structure different from the first diffraction structure is formed on the second region. The objective lens element satisfies the following conditions. |A1?B1|<|A2?B2|??(1) |B1|?|B2|??(2) Here, A1 and B1 are diffraction orders at the first region to converge light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively, and A2 and B2 are diffraction orders at the second region to converge the light of the first wavelength and the light of the second wavelength on a recording surface, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2012Publication date: August 16, 2012Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma, Fumitomo Yamasaki, Katsuhiko Hayashi
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Publication number: 20120182852Abstract: An objective lens, an optical head, an optical disk apparatus and an information processing apparatus which can suppress deterioration of a focal spot caused by a drop in the diffraction efficiency are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2011Publication date: July 19, 2012Inventors: Fumitomo Yamasaki, Kazuhiro Minami, Yoshiaki Komma, Junichi Asada, Osamu Kajino, Noriaki Terahara, Toshiyasu Tanaka
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Publication number: 20110261459Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes first and second optical members which are stacked. The first optical member includes a diffraction grating in which a plurality of raised portions each having a vertical surface and a surface inclined to the vertical surface are arranged. The second optical member includes a diffraction grating in which a plurality of recessed portions are arranged, to which the raised portions are fitted. The diffraction grating of the first optical member and the diffraction grating of the second optical member are in close contact with each other. A ridge portion of the raised portion defines a curved surface. A curvature radius R (?m) of the curved surface, a pitch P (mm) of the raised portions, and a refractive index difference ?nd between the first and second optical members satisfy a predetermined relationship.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2011Publication date: October 27, 2011Inventors: Kazuhiro MINAMI, Kazuhiro YAMADA
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Publication number: 20110235180Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes a first optical member having a first diffraction grating with a sawtooth cross section; and a second optical member which has a second diffraction grating having a sawtooth cross section and which has a refractive index different from that of the first optical member. In the diffractive optical element, the first and second optical members are stacked so that the first and second diffraction gratings closely contact each other. Arithmetical mean roughness of a diffraction surface of the first diffraction grating is set so as to fall within a predetermined range.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Inventors: Kazuhiro MINAMI, Kazuhiro Yamada
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Publication number: 20110235178Abstract: A diffractive optical element includes first and second optical members which are stacked. A diffraction grating is formed at an interface between the first and second optical members. A plurality of pores are formed in the second optical member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Inventors: Kazuhiro MINAMI, Kazuhiro Yamada
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Publication number: 20110157702Abstract: In a diffractive optical element, first and second optical members are stacked, and a diffraction grating is formed at an interface between the first and second optical members. In the diffractive optical element, an absorption coefficient ? (mm?1) of the first optical member and a grating height h (?m) of the diffraction grating satisfy expressions (1) and (2): ??0.04??(1) h?263.18×??0.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Inventors: Kazuhiro YAMADA, Kazuhiro Minami, Yasuhiro Tanaka