Abstract: An optical pick-up device includes an optical active element (11) which transmits an introduced laser beam (18) with its polarization direction (17) rotated by 90.degree. in playback of a DVD and also transmits an introduced laser beam (18) without rotating its polarization direction (17) in playback of a CD, and a polarizer (14) which transmits the entirety of a laser beam with its polarization direction rotated in playback of a DVD and also blocks the perimeter of a laser beam with its polarization direction not rotated in playback of a CD to reduce the effective numerical aperture of an objective lens (15). A rubbing direction (28) of an rubbing film (24) of the optical active element (11) that is positioned at the incident side of the laser beam, is adapted to be parallel to the polarization direction (17) of the introduced laser beam (18). Thus, the optical pick-up device can play back DVD as well as CD while reducing laser beam loss.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus including a polarization plane rotary unit arranged between a semiconductor laser and an objective lens, and a polarizing film arranged between the polarization plane rotary unit and the objective lens. The polarization plane rotary unit includes liquid crystal, two glass plates sandwiching the liquid crystal, and transparent electrodes patterned to a predetermined configuration on an inner face of these glass planes. The polarization plane rotary unit permits passage of the laser beam without rotating the plane of polarization of the entire laser beam at the time of recording, and permits passage of the laser beam with the plane of polarization of the center portion of the laser beam rotated and the plane of polarization of the remaining outer portion of the laser beam not rotated at the time of reproduction. Only the outer portion of the laser beam is focused on a magneto-optical disk in a reproduction mode, so that a main beam of a small spot is formed by mutual interference.

Abstract: An apparatus for discriminating optical disks has an optical pickup provided with an objective lens having an effective numerical aperture of 0.55 to 0.65, which can compatibly reproduce information from a CD and an SD. The apparatus discriminates presence/absence of waveforms of two focus error signals detected when the effective numerical aperture of the objective lens is set at 0.55 to 0.65 and 0.20 to 0.45 respectively in a process of performing focus servo control, thereby discriminating various types of optical disks from each other. Thus, optical disks having different substrate thicknesses, different track pitches, different minimum pit lengths and different reflectivity can be quickly and simply discriminated from each other.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for treating salt water by a multiplicity of reverse osmosis membrane modules or a structure constituted by combining a multiplicity of reverse osmosis membrane modules and an evaporating device and thereby capable of efficiently treating it while preventing excessively large energy consumption. Salt water is passed through a plurality of reverse osmosis membrane modules so as to be separated into desalted water of a potable water level and high density concentrated water the salinity quality of which is 80,000 to 120,000 ppm.

Abstract: A lock processing system which judges locking requests from a plurality of processors. The lock processing system contains two system control units. Locking or unlocking information is transferred between the two system control units. The lock processing system stores the information transferred between the two system control units and judges whether there is a conflict for locking or unlocking. The lock processing system dispenses with hardware otherwise needed for transferring between system control units.