Abstract: A light emitting unit comprises a light emitting element, a light emitting element substrate for mounting the light emitting element, and a light emitting element substrate frame member provided with a window for exposing the light emitting element, wherein the inside of the window is sealed with a first resin and a second resin, the ratio of the second resin relative to the first resin becomes smaller toward the outside of the window from the inside thereof. The first resin is a transparent resin, and the second resin is a colored resin with a high color value or a resin including a light reflective material and/or a light scattering material. Since a sectional border line between the first resin and the second resin is a curved line, the light reflected from the bottom section of the window among the light emitted from the light emitting element can also be efficiently emitted to the outside.

Abstract: A light emitting unit comprises a light emitting element, a light emitting element substrate for mounting the light emitting element, a light emitting element substrate frame member provided with a window for exposing the light emitting element, and an electrode for supplying electricity to the light emitting element, wherein the light emitting element substrate is a metal and the light emitting element is mounted directly on the light emitting element substrate. The light emitting unit is also characterized in that the light emitting element substrate is a metal, a metal oxide film is provided on the light emitting element substrate, and the light emitting element is mounted on the electrode formed on the metal oxide film.

Abstract: After an optical disk drive according to the present invention has been loaded with an optical disk and before the operation of recognizing the type of the given disk is finished, the drive presumes one of multiple types of candidate optical disks, from/on which data is readable and writable using a light beam with the shortest wavelength among the candidate disks, to be the disk being driven by the motor now and gets the beam for the presumed type of disk radiated from a light source (Step (A)). Next, the drive gets the disk spun at a rotational velocity that realizes a linear velocity equal to or higher than a standardized normal velocity when data is read from the presumed type of disk (Step (B)). Thereafter, the drive starts a focus control in a situation where the spot of the beam being formed on the disk is moving on the disk at the linear velocity equal to or higher than the normal velocity (Step (C)).

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus according to the present invention is usable for an optical disc including a bar code area and a control data area adjacent to the bar code area in a radial direction of the optical disc. The optical disc apparatus includes an optical head for directing an optical beam toward the optical disc so as to form an optical spot on the optical disc and output a signal in accordance with the optical beam reflected by the optical disc; a bar code area determination section for determining whether or not the optical spot is positioned on the bar code area of the optical disc based on the signal output by the optical head; and a control section for controlling the optical head so that the optical spot moves toward the control data area, when the optical spot is determined to be positioned on the bar code area.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus according to the present invention is an optical disk apparatus for performing at least one of: recording data to a plurality of types of optical disks including a recordable optical disk and a read-only optical disk which are produced according to the BD specifications; and reproducing data from the optical disks. This apparatus includes: a means (506, 507) for irradiating a management area 502 of an optical disk 501 with a light beam while not performing tracking control, and generating a track position signal (push-pull TE or phase difference TE) from light which is reflected by the management area 502; and a disk determination means for determining, based on the track position signal obtained from the management area 502, whether the optical disk 501 mounted in the optical disk apparatus is a recordable optical disk or a read-only optical disk.

Abstract: To provide a rod-like light guide and a line lighting device including the rod-like light guide, both of which are easy to include in an image reading device, a contact-type image sensor and an image reading device. For instance, a protruding portion having a flat or curved surface is formed by grinding an end face of a rod-like light guide in a longitudinal direction while leaving at least 80% of the surface area of the end face, and a reflective surface is formed by bonding a heat transfer film to the protruding portion. Thus, even if a portion of the protrusion portion melts when performing thermal processing on the heat transfer film, the portion will not jut out beyond a cross-sectional area of the rod-like light guide, and the rod-like light guide can be easily contained in a case.

Abstract: The present invention provides a deficiency detecting apparatus that can accurately detect dusts and deficiencies on an optical disk even when an emitting power of a laser light source changes. The deficiency detecting apparatus is provided with a deficiency detecting section for detecting deficiencies or the like on an optical disk by reflected light, and a power adjusting section for adjusting an emitting power of a laser light source to be an optimum value. The deficiency detecting section can accurately detect the deficiencies on the optical disk even when the laser power changes by comparing a threshold value, which is determined in accordance with the adjustment result of the power adjusting section, with a value in accordance with the reflected light.

Abstract: An information medium apparatus for performing at least one of a recording operation and a reproduction operation for the information medium, includes: a determination section for determining whether or not a cartridge for accommodating the information medium has been previously opened; and a control section for performing a start processing procedure corresponding to the information medium. When it is determined that the cartridge has not been previously opened, the control section performs a first start processing procedure for starting the information medium by using a blue laser. When it is determined that the cartridge has been previously opened, the control section determines whether or not the information medium is an information medium for which a start processing procedure is to be performed by using a laser other than the blue laser.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes a light source, a lens, a focusing section, a spherical aberration corrector, a focus signal generator, a gain calculator and a processor. The focusing section forms a beam spot in a focusing state on the information storage layer of an optical disc by controlling the position of the lens. The spherical aberration corrector changes a spherical aberration with the beam spot in a focusing state according to a drive value of a driving signal supplied to the spherical aberration corrector. The focus signal generator generates a focus signal representing the focusing state of the beam spot. The gain calculator calculates a loop gain of a focus control system in response to the focus signal. The processor determines the drive value for the spherical aberration corrector by the loop gain.

Abstract: A line-illuminating device which is resistant to shrinkage problems caused by repetition of heating and cooling includes a white casing made of polycarbonate or the like, a light guide made of an acrylic resin or the like and accommodated in the casing such that the light-emitting surface thereof is exposed, and light-emitting elements (for example, light-emitting diodes) as a light source provided on both ends of the casing so as to abut against the end surfaces of the light guide without a gap. The casing is divided into two portions in the longitudinal direction, and a gap is formed between the two divided portions. With this gap, even if the light guide shrinks due to repetition of heating and cooling, the divided portions can effectively shrink together with the light guide via the gap, and the abutting state between the end surface of the light guide and the light-emitting element can be maintained.

Abstract: An optical disc device of the present invention includes spherical aberration changing means for changing spherical aberration occurring on a converging position of a light beam converged by a lens, an actuator for moving the spherical aberration changing means in a relatively precise manner, and an actuator for moving the spherical aberration changing means in a relatively rough manner. The optical disc device drives a second actuator and a third actuator based on a signal of spherical aberration detecting means and performs control so that spherical aberration is almost 0. The third actuator moves the spherical aberration changing means based on a direct current component included in a signal of the spherical aberration detecting means, and the second actuator moves the spherical aberration changing means based on an alternating current component included in the signal of the spherical aberration detecting means.

Abstract: A method for recognizing at least two types of optical discs, which are associated with multiple different numerical apertures, includes the step of setting the numerical aperture of a focusing mechanism equal to a first one of the multiple different numerical apertures. The focusing mechanism is used to focus a light beam on a data storage layer of a given optical disc. The first numerical aperture is smaller than any of the other numerical apertures. The method further includes the step of recognizing the type of the given optical disc by the first numerical aperture that has been selected in the step of setting the numerical aperture.

Abstract: An optical disc device of the present invention includes spherical aberration changing means for changing spherical aberration occurring on a converging position of a light beam converged by a lens, an actuator for moving the spherical aberration changing means in a relatively precise manner, and an actuator for moving the spherical aberration changing means in a relatively rough manner. The optical disc device drives a second actuator and a third actuator based on a signal of spherical aberration detecting means and performs control so that spherical aberration is almost 0. The third actuator moves the spherical aberration changing means based on a direct current component included in a signal of the spherical aberration detecting means, and the second actuator moves the spherical aberration changing means based on an alternating current component included in the signal of the spherical aberration detecting means.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes a light source, a lens, a focusing section, a spherical aberration corrector, a focus signal generator, a gain calculator and a processor. The focusing section forms a beam spot in a focusing state on the information storage layer of an optical disc by controlling the position of the lens. The spherical aberration corrector changes a spherical aberration with the beam spot in a focusing state according to a drive value of a driving signal supplied to the spherical aberration corrector. The focus signal generator generates a focus signal representing the focusing state of the beam spot. The gain calculator calculates a loop gain of a focus control system in response to the focus signal. The processor determines the drive value for the spherical aberration corrector by the loop gain.

Abstract: A gum massager is made to activate cells in a gingiva efficiently, and thereby, effective to prevent a periodontal disease. The gum massager includes a main body and an attachment. The main body has a linear drive motor and a drive shaft which is driven in linear reciprocation vibration in a frequency in sonic wave range, for example, about 300 Hz to 400 Hz. The attachment has a brush unit disposed at a front portion and a heat unit disposed inside of the brush unit, and attached to a front end of the drive shaft. The attachment is vibrated by the vibration of the drive shaft while a temperature of the brush unit is kept in a region from 40 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius by the heat unit. By applying stimulation due to the vibration in the sonic wave region and the thermal stimulation to the gingiva, the cells of the gingiva are activated.

Abstract: An optical disc drive is used to read and/or write data from/on an optical disc having a data storage layer. The drive corrects electrical offset while reading and/or writing data. The drive updates a correction value based on an electrical offset detected at correcting operation or a value derived using electrical offset values that has been detected and stored, without detecting an electrical offset at correcting operation. Therefore, the optical disc drive can correct the electrical offset less often.

Abstract: In track jumping operation, an acceleration/deceleration pulse generation portion measures the TE signal amplitude during track jumping, and modifies the acceleration/deceleration time of the acceleration/deceleration pulse according to the measured amplitude to drive a tracking actuator. Also, the acceleration/deceleration pulse generation portion measures the movement time from the start of acceleration until a certain location is reached, and modifies the peak value of the deceleration pulse according to the measured time to drive the tracking actuator.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes: a motor for rotating an optical disc thereon; a photoelectric transducer for converting a light beam, reflected from or transmitted through the disc, into an electric signal; a clock sync signal reader for extracting and outputting a read signal, representing a clock synchronization mark, from the electric signal; a clock generator for generating a clock signal having a variable frequency; a phase locking controller for controlling the clock generator to synchronize the clock signal in phase with the output signal of the clock sync signal reader; and a mechanism for displacing a light beam spot toward a target track on the disc. During a seek operation of displacing the light beam spot toward the target track, the clock generator is controlled to obtain a frequency to be expected on the target track and output a clock signal having the expected frequency.

Abstract: An optical disc drive for processing multiple types of optical discs, of which information storage layers have different depths, includes: a light source; a lens for forming a beam spot; a photodetector for outputting a reflected light signal; a spherical aberration generator for generating a minimum spherical aberration when the beam spot is at a reference depth; a focus drive signal generator for moving the beam spot perpendicularly to the information storage layer of a loaded disc by controlling a position of the lens; a light quantity detector for generating a light quantity signal on receiving a reflected light signal every time the beam spot is moved; and a type recognizer for recognizing the type of the loaded disc by estimating the depth of the information storage layer according to a degree of symmetry of the waveform of the light quantity signal.