Abstract: A lens device which can be used as an objective lens in an optical pickup apparatus includes an objective lens provided along a light path facing a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, and light controlling means provided along the light path for controlling the light in an intermediate region between near and far axes of an incident light beam, thus providing a simplified and inexpensive device for using discs of differing thickness in a single disc drive, by reducing the spherical aberration effect.

Abstract: An optical pickup device which can obtain a stable reproduction signal by increasing the numerical aperture of an objective lens includes an objective lens facing a disc, a light source for radiating light to the disc via the objective lens, a beam splitter provided between the light source and objective lens for directing the light reflected from the disc in a path different from that of the light travelled from the light source, a photodetector for detecting the light reflected from the disc and travelled via the beam splitter, and a diaphragm provided between the beam splitter and light source and having a predetermined numerical aperture.

Abstract: An optical pickup device which is capable of reproducing and recording information from at least two discs having different thicknesses includes a light source, an objective lens provided along the light path from the light source facing the plane of a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, a beam splitter provided between the objective lens and the light source, a photodetector for detecting the beam split from the light splitter and reflected from the disc, and light controller provided along the light path facing the photodetector lens for controlling the light of the intermediate region between near- and far axis regions of an incident light beam. The optical pickup device is simplified and the manufacturing cost therefor is low. Also, by reducing the spherical aberration effect for the light, discs having different thicknesses can be used in a single disc drive.

Abstract: A lens device which can be used as an objective lens in an optical pickup apparatus includes an objective lens provided along a light path facing a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, and light controlling means provided along the light path for controlling the light in an intermediate region between near and far axes of an incident light beam, thus providing a simplified and inexpensive device for using discs of differing thickness in a single disc drive, by reducing the spherical aberration effect.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for recording and reproducing information, which is manufactured to be extremely small in a hybrid type. The optical pickup apparatus includes a first holographic optical element as a beam expander for diffracting to enlarge a diverging angle of an incident beam emitted from a light source and a second holographic optical element as an object lens for diffracting the incident beam whose diverging angle is enlarged by the first holographic optical element to focus the incident beam on an optical disk. Here, the first holographic optical element has a function of a beam splitter for diffracting a reflected beam to be separated as well as a function of a beam expander. The optical pickup apparatus is manufactured to be extremely small and ultralight due to its short optical path.

Abstract: An optical pickup device which is capable of reproducing and recording information from/onto at least two kinds of discs having different thicknesses includes a light source, an objective lens provided along the light path from the light source facing the plane of a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, a beam splitter provided between the objective lens and the light source, and a photodetector for detecting the beam split from the light splitter and reflected from the disc, wherein the photodetector has a first detection region and a second detection region provided in the peripheral portion of the first detection region. The optical pickup device is simplified and the manufacturing cost therefor is low. Also, by reducing the spherical aberration effect for the light, discs having different thicknesses can be used for a single disc drive.

Abstract: A reproducing/recording optical pickup compatible with discs having different thicknesses includes a transparent plate having a central portion formed with a diffraction grating pattern for diffracting the light travelling from the light source to the objective lens, and a transparent portion through which the light passes, and a photodetector having first and second light receiving portions. The zero-order transmitted light and the passing light are focused using all regions of the aperture of the objective lens with respect to a thin disc. The positive first-order diffracted light diffracted by the diffraction grating pattern of the transparent plate is focused onto a thick disc by partial regions of the objective lens. Then, the reflected lights thereof are detected by the first and second light receiving portions, respectively.

Abstract: A dual-focus objective lens for an optical pickup which is compatible with both 0.6 mm and 1.2 mm disks is compensated in its aberration with respect to a light spot on a recording plane of the loaded disk and is composed of a first lens and a second lens. The loaded positions of the 0.6 mm disk and 1.2 mm disk in view of the second lens are different from each other. An optical pickup having the dual-focus objective lens can reproduce a signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio and has improved light efficiency. Also, an optical pickup enabling recording as well as reproduction is obtained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for high-density reproduction of information recorded on an optical disk by increasing the optical resolution during reproduction. The apparatus focuses an optical beam reflected from the optical disk using a lens, and receives the focused reflected optical beam using a photodetector having an optical area whose width is smaller than the diameter of an optical spot formed thereon. As a result, jitter caused by interfering light, that is, light reflected from the circumference such as a recording portion adjacent to the optical disk, can be solved. Also, high-density reproduction can be performed by increasing the optical resolution during reproduction. The apparatus can be applied to an optical pickup for high-density recording.

Abstract: In detecting a focus error for an optical pickup, an inverse image generator for generating inverse images onto a light beam reflected from an optical disk is used in a focus error detecting method and apparatus thereof. The inverse image generator is composed of a semi-transmissive plane for splitting a light beam into first and second light beams, first and second prisms for inverting the phase of the second light beam, and third and fourth prisms for synthesizing the phase-inverted second light beam with the first light beam. Also, the inverse image generator has two quadrant wave plates, a polarization plane and light synthesizing plane for preventing a light loss. Since the errors due to an optical axis variation is eliminated from the focus error signal detected from the synthetic light beam radiated by the inverse generator, the optical pickup can be driven with stability.

Abstract: A lens device which can be used as an objective lens in an optical pickup apparatus includes an objective lens provided along a light path facing a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, and light controlling means provided along the light path for controlling the light in an intermediate region between near and far axes of an incident light beam, thus providing a simplified and inexpensive device for using discs of differing thickness in a single disc drive, by reducing the spherical aberration effect.

Abstract: A focus error detector for detecting a signal representing a degree of a focus error of an objective lens with respect to an optical disk in an optical pickup, in order to eliminate errors due to an optical axis shift or tilt of the reflected light reflected from the optical disk, includes a diffraction device for diffracting and splitting the reflected light reflected. The focus error detector a critical angle reflector having critical angle reflecting planes for reflecting the two diffracted light rays at two critical angles, two bi-segmented photo-detectors for receiving the two diffracted light rays reflected from the critical angle reflector, respectively, and detecting signals depending on the received light amount, and a circuit for differentiating and summing each signal of the two bi-segmented photo-detectors so as to offset the light amount difference due to the tilt or shift of the reflected light and outputting a desired signal.

Abstract: In an optical pickup, a focus error detector for detecting a focus error of an objective lens for an optical disk includes a focusing lens for focusing the reflected light of the optical disk, a diffraction optical device for diffracting the reflected light focused by the focusing lens into two light rays, two bi-segmented photo-detectors for receiving the two split light rays, respectively, and a circuit for outputting a desired focus error signal from the signal detected from the photo-detectors. The circuit outputs a pure focus error signal without errors created by the deviation of the light amount in the photo-detectors due to the tilt or shift of the reflected light, thereby contributing to the stable operation and miniaturization of the optical pickup.

Abstract: An optical pickup for an optical magnetic disc includes a light source, a grating for diffracting the light into a main light beam and auxiliary light beams, a plurality of magnetic dipole tips arranged above the optical magnetic disc so as to interact with the magnetic signal stored in the optical magnetic disc. Also, a plurality of mirror members each attached to the rear of each magnetic dipole tips are for reflecting the light incident on the mirror member, and a photodetector for detecting track errors and the stored information by receiving the light reflected from the mirror members are provided, thereby detecting the error signal and reproducing information by the interaction with the magnetic dipoles of the disc so that the recording density can be increased without increasing the conventional land and groove areas in the disc.

Abstract: A focus error detector for detecting a focus error of an objective lens with respect to an optical disk. The focus error detector includes a beam splitter for splitting light reflected from the optical disk. Two critical angle prisms having critical angle reflecting surfaces are included for respectively reflecting the light rays from the beam splitter at the respective critical angles onto two bisectional photo-detectors. The bisectional photo-detector generates detecting signals responsive to the amount of light received. The detecting signals are differentiated and added in a direction offsetting a shift or tilt of the reflected light. Accordingly, only the focus error signal is detected, irrespective of the tilt and shift of the optical axis of the reflected light. Thus, malfunction of an optical pickup is prevented, thereby providing for the uncorrupted recording and reproduction of data.

Abstract: An optical pickup for all optical disk having multiple recording layers is provided to exactly control a focal position according to the thickness of optical disk, by separately controlling focal positions on each recording layer, wherein a Fresnel lens for diffracting an optical beam generated from an optical source and an objective lens for focusing the diffracted beam are separately located, and focus driving coils are included for separately driving the Fresnel lens and objective lens by using a signal detected by an optical detector. As the interval between the Fresnel lens and objective lens is varied, the interval between focal points formed on each recording layer is also varied. Thus, the focal positions formed on each recording layer can be exactly controlled according to the thickness of optical disk. Therefore, information can be clearly reproduced without interference by simultaneously scanning each recording layer while exactly controlling the focal positions.

Abstract: A lens device which can be used as an objective lens in an optical pickup apparatus includes an objective lens provided along a light path facing a disc and having a predetermined effective diameter, and light controlling means provided along the light path for controlling the light in an intermediate region between near and far axes of an incident light beam, thus providing a simplified and inexpensive device for using discs of differing thickness in a single disc drive, by reducing the spherical aberration effect.