Abstract: In a scanning optical system, which is provided with an imaging optical system having first and second anamorphic optical elements to converge a deflected light beam from a deflector onto an object surface, a power of the first anamorphic optical element in the auxiliary scanning direction varies according to the position in the main scanning direction such that a magnification of the imaging optical system in the auxiliary scanning direction holds constant in any angle of scanning. With this construction, when the exit light beam from the first anamorphic optical element is divergent in the auxiliary scanning direction, the degree of the divergence can be controlled in accordance with the position in the main scanning direction to keep the diameter constant when the light beam enters into the second anamorphic optical element. Moreover, the differential bow can be reduced in the multi-beam scanning optical system.

Abstract: A scanning optical element made of light transmitting material has alight transmissive first surface, and a reflective second surface. The first and second surfaces have first and second intersection points with first and second reference planes, respectively. The first and second reference planes are perpendicular to a predetermined single axis, on which the first and second intersection points are located. The first surface is tangent to the first reference plane at the first intersection point. The second surface is expressed by a SAG amount defined by a two-dimensional polynomial having variables which are two-dimensional coordinates, in the main scanning direction and in the auxiliary scanning direction, on the second reference plane. Coefficients for the two-dimensional polynomial defining the second surface are configured such that a coefficient for a term having only a first order component with respect to the coordinates in the auxiliary scanning direction is not zero.

Abstract: A game execution method and game equipment are disclosed. A central processing unit is provided to control the execution of a game program. Information related to a player is employed among a plurality of application programs to control displayed images of a character etc. according to the player's behavior or property. During the execution of the first application program, a player data corresponding to player's input operation is stored into a memory. The player data is then updated according to a player's input operation while the second application program different from the first program is being executed. Also, the player data having been updated by the first program may be updated corresponding to a player's further input operation during the execution of the first program.

Abstract: A scanning optical system includes a polygonal mirror that deflects the even number of beams, which are incident thereon along optical paths arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to a rotation axis thereof. An imaging optical system for converging the beams includes lenses for converging the beam, in an auxiliary scanning direction, respectively. The lenses have the same shapes, and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the plane. The orientation of the lenses on one side of the plane is oriented oppositely, in the auxiliary scanning direction, to the other lenses located on the other side of the plane.

Abstract: A scanning optical system is provided with a light source including a multi-mode laser diode emitting a laser beam, a polygonal mirror that deflects the laser beam emitted by the light source, and an f&thgr; optical element that has positive power both in a main scanning direction and in an auxiliary scanning direction. The f&thgr; optical element converges the laser beam deflected by the polygonal mirror to converge on an object to be scanned. In this scanning optical system, the f&thgr; optical element is configured to include a reflection surface, and the power of the f&thgr; optical element in the main scanning direction is provided mainly by the reflection surface thereof.

Abstract: When an event is generated in a game progressing in a first game device, the first game device sends a call signal to a second game device through network. When the second game device receives the call signal, an event is generated in the game progressing in the second game device. In this way, an event is accidentally generated independently from the progress of the game when the game device receives a telephone call signal, in addition to a spontaneous event which is generated according to the progress of the game. Therefore, the user of the game can experience enjoyment which an ordinary game cannot provide, or a thrill which no one can predict will happen. After transmitting/receiving the call signal, the telephone call is cut-off before the game devices enter communication status, so a communication cost is not charged. Since the cost for communication is free, the user can enjoy a communication game at low cost.

Abstract: Disclosed is a laser optical system including a multiline laser source that emits a laser beam having a plurality of peak wavelengths, an imaging optical system that converges the laser beam emitted from the multiline laser source to form beam spots of respective peak wavelengths on an object surface, and a correcting optical system that makes beam spots have the same diameter for at least two selected peak wavelengths. The correcting optical system adjusts a diameter of a laser beam incident on the imaging optical system such that the diameter of the incident laser beam becomes smaller as the wavelength of laser beam becomes shorter.

Abstract: A multibeam optical system that employs a multiline laser source emitting a laser beam at predetermined wavelengths, such as, for example, at wavelengths 488.0 nm and 514.5 nm, and a diffractive beam-dividing element having diffractive grating to divide the incident beam into nine diffracted beams. A design wavelength &lgr;M of the diffraction grating, at which the light quantity of the incident beam is equally distributed among the plurality of diffracted beams, is determined so as to satisfy the condition 488.0 nm<&lgr;M<514.5 nm. When the design wavelength &lgr;M is 501.1 nm, the light quantities of the divided beams, which are the sums of the quantities of the peak wavelengths 488. 0 nm and 514.5 nm, become nearly equal to one another among the nine diffraction orders. As a result, the distribution of the light quantities among the diffracted beams are balanced.

Abstract: There is provided a scanning optical system, which is provided with a light source, a cylindrical lens that converges the beam emitted by the light source in an auxiliary scanning direction, a polygonal mirror, and an optical element that has a reflection surface to reflect the beam deflected by the polygonal mirror. The optical element converges the beam deflected by the polygonal mirror on the surface to be scanned to form a beam spot. In this case, the cylindrical lens is arranged such that the beam, which enters into the cylindrical lens and exits from the cylindrical lens without being reflected by inner surfaces of the cylindrical lens, is deflected in the auxiliary scanning direction by the cylindrical lens and is incident on the polygonal mirror.

Abstract: A positional relationship of a plurality of beam spots for a multi-beam imaging apparatus is detected. The imaging apparatus including a light source, a beam splitter that divides a received beam into a plurality of beams, a deflecting system that deflects the beams to scan, and an imaging optical system that forms a plurality of scanning beam spots on a surface. According to the method, a phase filter is provided between the light source and the beam splitter. The filter is configured to divide a cross section of the beam into a plurality of areas, light fluxes passed through adjoining two areas having an optical path difference of half a wavelength. Dark lines are formed, in each beam spot, due to the phase difference of the adjoining two areas. By detecting the dark lines of respective beam spots, a positional relationship between the plurality of beam spots can be determined.

Abstract: A laser imaging apparatus for forming an image on a surface of a substrate is provided with a laser source that emits a laser beam, a table mounting the substrate, the table being movable in a first direction within a predetermined plane, a scanning optical system which receives and deflects the laser beam emitted by the laser source to form a scanning beam spot on the substrate, the scanning beam spot scanning in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and a mechanism that moves the scanning optical system in the second direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning optical system, which is provided with a light source portion, a deflector, which deflects a beam emitted from said light source portion, and a scanning lens for converging the beam deflected by the deflector onto a surface to be scanned. The scanning lens has a positive power as a whole, and includes a plurality of refractive lens elements. Further, a diffractive lens structure is formed on at least one surface of one of the plurality of lens elements of the scanning lens. The diffractive lens structure is defined by an optical path difference function that is asymmetrical with respect to the optical axis of the refractive lens in the main scanning direction, which is counterbalanced with an asymmetrical movement of a deflecting point, compensating a lateral chromatic aberration.

Abstract: A laser imaging device is provided with a laser source that emits a laser beam including a plurality of wavelength components. The wavelength components are divided by a dividing optical system, and at least two wavelength components are extracted and each of which is directed to a beam dividing element. Each wavelength component are divided into a plurality of beams, and independently modulated by the modulating optical systems. The beams having different wavelengths are directed to respective scanning optical system, and deflected thereby to scan in different areas on an objective surface.

Abstract: A multi-beam optical systems forms a plurality of beam spots on an object surface to be exposed. The system includes a light source that emits a light beam having a plurality of peak wavelengths, a diffraction beam-dividing element that divides the light beam into a plurality of light beams exiting at the different diffraction angles, and a compensating optical system whose lateral magnification is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the light beam to compensate deviation of the diffraction angle of the diffracted light beams caused due to wavelength dependence of the diffraction beam-dividing element. The compensating optical system includes a diffractive lens component.

Abstract: A multibeam optical system that employs a laser source emitting a laser beam, a diffractive beam-dividing element that diffracts the laser beam emitted from the laser source to be divided into a plurality of diffracted beams exiting at different diffraction angle, and a compensating optical system. compensating optical system, which is afocal and consists of a first group and a second group, arranged at the position where beams divided by a diffractive beam-dividing element are incident thereon. The compensating optical system has a characteristic such that the angular magnification thereof is inversely proportional to the wavelength of the incident beam. The angular difference among the diffracted beam caused by the wavelength dependence of the diffractive beam-dividing element can be reduced when the beams transmit the compensating optical system.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning optical system that includes a semiconductor laser; a polygon mirror that deflects and scans a light beam emitted from the laser; and an imaging optical system that forms a beam spot on a photoconductive drum. The imaging optical system consists of a curved surface mirror having a positive power mainly in the main scanning direction and an anamorphic lens having a positive power mainly in the auxiliary scanning direction. The anamorphic lens having an anamorphic surface whose optical axis is decentered from a reference ray that reaches the center of the scanning range. The sectional shape of the anamorphic surface in an auxiliary scanning direction being a non-circular curved line to correct coma in the auxiliary scanning direction. The anamorphic surface is a rotationally asymmetrical surface that is defined by a two dimensional polynomial expression.

Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-beam optical system that includes a laser source, a diffractive beam dividing element that divides the light beam emitted from the laser source into a plurality of light beams, a propagation optical system through which the divided light beams propagate, a polygon mirror and a scan lens. The propagation optical system includes a curved surface mirror that is arranged such that center axes of the reflected light beams are spatially separated from center axes of the incident light beams at a predetermined separation angle. The diffractive beam-dividing element Is arranged such that the center axis of the incident light beam is inclined with respect to the normal to a diffraction grating surface thereof so as to compensate bending of a beam spot line, along which the beam spots align, depending on the separation angle of the curved surface mirror.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical system is provided with a plurality of light sources that emit a plurality of laser beams having different wavelengths, respectively, a single deflector which deflects the plurality of laser beams simultaneously, an imaging optical system that converges the plurality of laser beams deflected by the single deflector on the surface to be scanned, lateral chromatic aberration of the imaging optical system being compensated, and a beam detector that receives the plurality of laser beams directed to outside the predetermined imaging area, a synchronizing signal being generated upon detection of each of the plurality of light beams by the beam detector. Further, the scanning optical system includes a dispersion element inserted in optical paths of the laser beams directed to the beam detector, the dispersion element being configured such that the laser beams directed to the beam detector are shifted in the scanning direction.

Abstract: A multi-beam scanning optical system is provided with light sources that emit a plurality of laser beams having different wavelengths, respectively, a single deflector which deflects the plurality of laser beams simultaneously, an Imaging optical system that converges the plurality of laser beams deflected by the single deflector on the surface to be scanned, and a beam detector that receives the plurality of laser beams directed to outside of the predetermined imaging area via at least one of lens elements included in the imaging optical system, a synchronizing signal being generated upon detection of each of the plurality of light beams by the beam detector. It should be noted that an optical characteristic of the imaging optical system is configured such that the laser beams directed to the predetermined imaging area are aligned in a scanning direction, while the beams directed to the beam detector are shifted in the scanning direction.

Abstract: A scanning optical system for scanning a light beam on an object surface in a main scanning direction is provided. The scanning optical system includes a light source, a polygonal mirror, and an optical system for focusing the light beam deflected by the polygonal mirror on the object surface. The rotation axis of the polygonal mirror is inclined with respect to an auxiliary scanning direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, to displace the beam spot in the auxiliary scanning direction. The light beam incident on the reflecting surface is also inclined with respect to a main scanning plane, which is parallel to the main scanning direction and includes an optical axis of the optical system, to displace the beam spot in the same auxiliary scanning direction that the beam spot is displaced due to the inclination of the rotation axis.