Abstract: An objective lens is used in an optical pickup apparatus. The objective lens is a single lens and satisfies the following formulas: 0.1<f<1 0.50<NA<0.90 350 nm<&lgr;<850 nm 1/10<|m|<⅓ the objective lens satisfying the following formula: 0.0 &lgr;rms<&dgr;Wtemp+&dgr;Wheight<0.07 &lgr;rms where &dgr;Wtemp represents an aberration of the objective lens when an ambient temperature of the optical pickup apparatus is changed from a room temperature by 30° C. and &dgr;Wheight represents an aberration of the objective lens at an image height Y of 0.02 mm.

Abstract: An optical system includes an objective lens; and a plastic coupling lens to change a divergent angle of a light flux emitted from a light source and is structured such that the light flux emitted from the light source passes through both of the coupling lens and the objective lens when the light flux is converged onto an optical information recording medium and the reflected light flux reflected from the optical information recording medium passes through the objective lens without passing through the coupling lens when the reflected light flux is detected by a photo-detector. A ring-shaped diffractive structure is formed on at least one surface of the coupling lens and the diffractive structure generates an under-spherical aberration when a light flux having a longer wavelength comes in, and the coupling lens has a positive refractive power as a whole.

Abstract: An objective lens for use in an optical pickup apparatus for conducting recording and/or reproducing information for an optical information recording medium, has a lens section shaped in an approximate circle and including a flange section; and a connecting section integrally provided to the lens section.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from or recording onto one of different kinds of optical information recording medium comprises a first light source for emitting first light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;1; a second light source for emitting second light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;2, wherein &lgr;2 is greater than &lgr;1; a converging optical system comprising an objective lens having an optical axis and divided three (first, second and third) portions; and a photo detector. The following conditional formula is satisfied for an amount of the first light flux not less than 30% of the total amount of the first light flux passing the first portion: 0.06≧SC1/f1≧0.

Abstract: An objective lens is used in an optical pickup apparatus.

Abstract: An optical pickup device for conducting reproducing and/or recording of information in at least two kinds of optical information recording media, comprises a first light source to emit light flux having a first wavelength (&lgr;1) in order to conduct reproducing and/or recording of the information in a first optical information recording medium having a first transparent substrate; a second light source to emit light flux having a second wavelength (&lgr;2) longer than the first wavelength in order to conduct reproducing and/or recording of the information of a second optical information recording medium having a second transparent substrate; a converging optical system for converging the light flux having the first wavelength or the light flux having the second wavelength on the first information recording surface of the first optical information recording medium or on the second information recording surface of the second optical information recording medium; and an optical detector for receiving and detect

Abstract: An objective lens of an optical pickup apparatus converges a divergent light flux onto an information recording surface.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging device having a color filter of a checkered pattern arranged in an all-pixel reading solid-state image sensor includes an original signal aperture compensation device for forming an original signal aperture compensation signal from all pixels of a color filter, a luminance signal aperture compensation device for forming a luminance signal aperture compensation signal from a luminance signal obtained by synthesizing the all pixels of the color filter, and a chrominance signal ratio detecting device for detecting an output ratio of chrominance signals. The original signal aperture compensation signal and the luminance signal aperture compensation signal are weighed in response to a detection output from the chrominance signal ratio detecting device. Thereafter, the weighed original signal aperture compensation signal and the weighed luminance signal aperture compensation signal are added to obtain an aperture compensation signal.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source for emitting a light flux; and a converging optical system having a first, second, and third divided surface, which are divided in the order named from the vicinity of an optical axis of the converging optical system, for converging the light flux emitted from the light source, wherein a beam spot passing through the first and third divided surfaces is formed onto a first optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t1, and a beam spot passing through the first and second surfaces is formed onto a second optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t2 that is more than t1. The optical pickup apparatus further includes an image sensor for receiving a light flux reflected from the first and/or second optical information recording medium.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for first and second optical information recording medium, comprises first and second light sources to emit first and second light flux; a single objective lens made and a diaphragm having an aperture. The pitch of a plurality of ring-shaped diffractive zones provided on the objective lens, becomes gradually small from the optical axis to a point h and the pitch increases at the point h. At the time of conducting recording or reproducing information of the second optical information recording medium, the second light flux has a spherical aberration discontinuous portion at the point h where a spherical aberration-stepped amount is 7 &mgr;m to 40 &mgr;m, and a spherical aberration of a light ray of the second light flux having passed through the outermost portion of the aperture of the diaphragm is 7 &mgr;m to 40 &mgr;m.

Abstract: In a single plate type solid-state image pickup device having a color filter with primary color filters, gray filters are disposed at specific pixels of the arrangement of the primary color filters, whereby variation of the sense of resolution with respect to color can be prevented, and outline emphasis is applied to achieve an excellent image.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from or recording onto one of different kinds of optical information recording medium comprises a first light source for emitting first light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;1; a second light source for emitting second light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;2, wherein &lgr;2 is greater than &lgr;1; a converging optical system comprising an objective lens having an optical axis and divided three (first, second and third) portions; and a photo detector. The following conditional formula is satisfied for an amount of the first light flux not less than 30% of the total amount of the first light flux passing the first portion: 0.06≧SC1/f1≧0.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from or recording onto one of different kinds of optical information recording medium comprises a first light source for emitting first light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;1; a second light source for emitting second light flux whose wavelength is &lgr;2, wherein &lgr;2 is greater than &lgr;1; a converging optical system comprising an objective lens having an optical axis and divided three (first, second and third) portions; and a photo detector. The following conditional formula is satisfied for an amount of the first light flux not less than 30% of the total amount of the first light flux passing the first portion: 0.06≧SC1/f1≧0.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source for emitting a light flux; and a converging optical system having a first, second, and third divided surface, which are divided in the order named from the vicinity of an optical axis of the converging optical system, for converging the light flux emitted from the light source, wherein a beam spot passing through the first and third divided surfaces is formed onto a first optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t1, and a beam spot passing through the first and second surfaces is formed onto a second optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t2 that is more than t1. The optical pickup apparatus further includes an image sensor for receiving a light flux reflected from the first and/or second optical information recording medium.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for reproducing information from an optical information recording medium or for recording information onto an optical information recording medium, is provided with a first light source for emitting first light flux having a first wavelength; a second light source for emitting second light flux having a second wavelength, the first wavelength being different from the second wavelength; a converging optical system having an optical axis and a diffractive portion, and a photo detector; wherein in case that the first light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted ray of the first light flux, and in case that the second light flux passes through the diffractive portion to generate at least one diffracted ray, an amount of n-th ordered diffracted ray of the second light flux is greater than that of any other ordered diffracted

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source for emitting a light flux; and a converging optical system having a first, second, and third divided surface, which are divided in the order named from the vicinity of an optical axis of the converging optical system, for converging the light flux emitted from the light source, wherein a beam spot passing through the first and third divided surfaces is formed onto a first optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t1, and a beam spot passing through the first and second surfaces is formed onto a second optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t2 that is more than t1. The optical pickup apparatus further includes an image sensor for receiving a light flux reflected from the first and/or second optical information recording-medium.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus for performing a reading or recording operation of information on one of different kinds of optical information recording medium, each having a transparent base board in different thickness. The optical pickup apparatus includes: a laser beam generator; a light converging optical system for converging luminous flux from the laser beam generator through the transparent base board onto an information recording surface of the optical information recording medium.

Abstract: A solid state image sensing apparatus comprising: a solid state image sensing device operated selectively either in an all-pixel read-out mode in which signal charges of all pixels represented by the devices are read therefrom individually at the same time, or in a thinned read-out mode in which the signal charges are read only from part of vertical pixel columns formed by the devices; and a frequency varying unit for varying a driving frequency of the solid state image sensing device depending on the operating mode in effect. When used illustratively in a camera, the inventive apparatus reduces power dissipation without affecting the number of pictures output per unit time.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source for emitting a light flux; and a converging optical system having a first, second, and third divided surface, which are divided in the order named from the vicinity of an optical axis of the converging optical system, for converging the light flux emitted from the light source, wherein a beam spot passing through the first and third divided surfaces is formed onto a first optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t1, and a beam spot passing through the first and second surfaces is formed onto a second optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t2 that is more than t1. The optical pickup apparatus further includes an image sensor for receiving a light flux reflected from the first and/or second optical information recording medium.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus includes a light source for emitting a light flux; and a converging optical system having a first, second, and third divided surface, which are divided in the order named from the vicinity of an optical axis of the converging optical system, for converging the light flux emitted from the light source, wherein a beam spot passing through the first and third divided surfaces is formed onto a first optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t1, and a beam spot passing through the first and second surfaces is formed onto a second optical information recording medium having a transparent substrate whose thickness is t2 that is more than t1. The optical pickup apparatus further includes an image sensor for receiving a light flux reflected from the first and/or second optical information recording medium.