Abstract: In order to reduce the number of components in the optical pointing device, and the number of steps for assembling, bonding, etc. the components, a light guide (24) according to the present invention for use in an optical pointing device (30) is configured to include a redirecting element (12) for receiving light from a touch surface (11) and reflecting the light so as to guide the light into a horizontal direction, and an image forming section (14) for receiving the reflected light and reflecting the reflected light to an opposite direction backward to the horizontal direction, so as to form an image of the light, the light guide (24) outputting the image of the light from a light output section.

Abstract: An inclined plane (13) of a prism (12) serving as a light-direction changing element transmits and refracts light emitted from an LED light source (16) so that a contact surface (11) is illuminated with the light thus refracted. The light is diffusely-reflected from an object which is in contact with the contact surface (11). A part of the light thus diffusely-reflected is transmitted through the prism (12). A light path of the part of the light is changed by the inclined plane (13) so that a lens (14) serving as an image-forming element receives the part of the light. The lens 14 forms an image on the basis of the part of the light thus received. An image-capturing element (15) captures the image thus formed as image data. The image data obtained by the image-capturing element (15) is subjected to image processing, so that a change in the contact surface (11) is extracted. On the basis of the change thus extracted, an amount of movement of the object and a direction of the movement can be obtained.

Abstract: An optical pickup converts a laser beam from a semiconductor laser (1) into a parallel ray with a collimator lens (2), and divides it into a main beam (30), a sub-beam (+1st order component) (31), and a sub-beam (?1st order component) (32) with a gradient multiple-division type phase difference grating (3). After passing through a beam splitter (4), an objective lens (5) condenses the light beams on a track (61) of an optical disc (6), and the reflected light that has passed through the objective lens 5 is reflected at the beam splitter (4) and is guided into optical detectors (8A, 8B, and 8C) by a condensing lens (7). Accordingly, in a tracking error signal detecting method using the push-pull signals of the main beam and sub-beams, an offset produced by an objective lens shift or a disc tilt can be cancelled at low cost without lowering the efficiency of using light.

Abstract: An optical pickup converts a laser beam from a semiconductor laser (1) into a parallel ray with a collimator lens (2), and divides it into a main beam (30), a sub-beam (+1st order component) (31), and a sub-beam (?1st order component) (32) with a gradient multiple-division type phase difference grating (3). After passing through a beam splitter (4), an objective lens (5) condenses the light beams on a track (61) of an optical disc (6), and the reflected light that has passed through the objective lens 5 is reflected at the beam splitter (4) and is guided into optical detectors (8A, 8B, and 8C) by a condensing lens (7). Accordingly, in a tracking error signal detecting method using the push-pull signals of the main beam and sub-beams, an offset produced by an objective lens shift or a disc tilt can be cancelled at low cost without lowering the efficiency of using light.

Abstract: A method of adjusting position of a member including an adjustable portion made of material having shape memory effect, comprising the steps of: (a) heat-treating for shape memory the member in a first shape such that the first shape is memorized in the adjustable portion; (b) plastically deforming the adjustable portion to a second shape after cooling the adjustable portion to less than a shape recovery temperature; and (c) locally heating the adjustable portion to more than the shape recovery temperature so as to subject the adjustable portion to local shape recovery.

Abstract: An objective-lens driving device has a supporting mechanism for supporting a magnetic circuit so as to allow it to freely make a pseudo-translational motion in the focusing direction. The supporting mechanism is provided with two hinges that are placed in such directions as to make a right angle with each other. The hinges are fixed onto the same plane of a base member at respective ends thereof that are farther from each other, and they are also fixed to the magnetic circuit at respective ends thereof that are closer to each other. Moreover, each hinge has flexible sections that are formed in at least two locations of each hinge with predetermined intervals from the magnetic circuit so that they are in parallel with each other. These flexible sections are formed in such a manner that they make a right angle with each other on the two hinges. This supporting mechanism, which has the hinges that are placed on the same plane, makes it possible to reduce a space taken in the focusing direction to a great degree.

Abstract: An optical information reproducing device includes a light source for generating a light beam, an optical system for converging the light beam generated by the light source on a magneto-optical recording medium on which recording information is recorded and for converging a return light beam reflected from the magneto-optical recording medium, beam splitting means for splitting the return light beam into split light beams, first detecting means for receiving one of the split light beams to detect the intensity of the one of the split light beams, servo signal generating means for generating a tracking error signal and a focusing error signal based on the output of the first detecting means, an optical waveguide disposed between the beam splitting means and the first detecting means, the optical waveguide crossing an optical axis of the one of the split light beams, an optical coupler disposed on the optical waveguide for separating part of the one of the split light beams from the one of the split beams to fo