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.

Abstract: A lens array 4 is formed as an erect 1:1 imaging lens by superimposing two lens plates 40 and 40 together. Each lens plate 40 consists of a number of micro lenses 41 which are regularly provided at a predetermined pitch and in a two-dimensional manner. This lens plate 40 is for example made by press molding the ultraviolet curing resin in a soft condition using a transparent mold and by irradiating the ultraviolet light on the ultraviolet curing resin from outside for hardening. Since the lens array 4 is provided with micro lenses 41 in rows in a sub-scanning direction, deterioration of an amount of light level resulting from the displacement between a light axis of the lens and an image sensor 6 is not generated.

Abstract: A light guide 11 of a rectangular cross-section has side faces 11a, 11b including short sides in the longitudinal direction of which one side face 11a is provided with a light-scattering pattern 20, formed by screen-printing in white paint, for scattering the light incident to the light guide 11. The other side face 11b facing the side face 11a is exposed from a casing 12 to serve as a light-emitting surface. In the present embodiment, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of light because the whole area of the side face is used as the light-emitting surface. The remaining side faces 11c, 11d of the light guide 11 are side faces including the long sides. Since the side faces 11c, 11d easily produce a surface sink during molding, neither the light-scattering pattern 20 nor the light-emitting surface is provided thereon.

Abstract: In an ultrasonic washer for washing by splaying washing toward an object to be washed or a portion to be washed from a front end of a nozzle, a part of an ultrasonic wave propagation member connected to an ultrasonic transducer is protruded into a cavity of the nozzle into which the washing is filled in order to propagate ultrasonic vibration generated by the ultrasonic transducer to the washing efficiently. Furthermore, the ultrasonic wave propagation member is formed so that a cross-sectional area becomes gradually smaller as approaching to the front end thereof, so that the ultrasonic vibration is converged to the end face of the ultrasonic wave propagation member.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light guide, a line-illuminating device, and an image-scanning device that provide excellent uniformity in the amount of light produced. A light-reflecting portion comprised of spherical concave surfaces becomes a reflecting surface having spherical convex surfaces when it is seen from the inside of the light guide. Even when the incident angle of light from the light source unit is slightly offset, the reflection angle in spherical convex surfaces significantly changes, and light is reflected uniformly toward the upper surface serving as a light-emitting surface. In particular, when the fine spherical concave portions of the light-reflecting portion have a small depth, the incident light from the end surface is reflected toward the upper surface, serving as a light-emitting surface, and both side surfaces without reflecting back to the light-emitting unit side, so that uniform reflection can be achieved.

Abstract: The present invention provides a light guide, a line-illuminating device, and an image-scanning device that provide excellent uniformity in the amount of light produced. A light-reflecting portion comprised of spherical concave surfaces becomes a reflecting surface having spherical convex surfaces when it is seen from the inside of the light guide. Even when the incident angle of light from the light source unit is slightly offset, the reflection angle in spherical convex surfaces significantly changes, and light is reflected uniformly toward the upper surface serving as a light-emitting surface. In particular, when the fine spherical concave portions of the light-reflecting portion have a small depth, the incident light from the end surface is reflected toward the upper surface, serving as a light-emitting surface, and both side surfaces without reflecting back to the light-emitting unit side, so that uniform reflection can be achieved.

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: 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: A light guide, a line-illuminating device, and an image-scanning device are provided which are excellent in uniformity of the light amount. A light-reflecting portion comprised of tubular concave surfaces becomes a reflecting surface having tubular convex surfaces when seen from the inside of the light guide. With such structure, even when the incident angle of light from a light source unit slightly displaces, the reflection angle in the tubular convex surfaces significantly changes. In an irregular surface having a triangular shape, as in a conventional example, the incident angle becomes almost uniform in the area far from the light source unit, and thereby the reflection angle also becomes uniform. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve uniform reflection in the main-scanning direction. However, with the tubular concave surfaces, light is reflected uniformly toward the upper surface as a light-emitting surface.

Abstract: An illumination device includes a casing, a bar-shaped light guide housed in the casing to expose a light-emitting surface thereof, a light-emitting unit secured to an end section of the casing, wherein light from the light-emitting unit is introduced within the light guide through an end face thereof and then totally reflected within the light guide to be emitted through the light-emitting surface, a shielding section which covers an end section of the light guide at the end section of the casing close to the light-emitting unit and is provided on the light-emitting surface side of the light guide, a notch is formed at an end of the light guide on the light-emitting surface side close to the light-emitting unit, and light from the light-emitting unit is reflected on a rear surface of the shielding section through a gap between the notch and the light-emitting unit to be introduced into the light guide.

Abstract: A standard reproduction model for ensuring real time reproducing on a disk-shaped information recording medium, includes a pickup (102) that reads the real time data from the information recording medium, a buffer memory (103) that temporarily stores the real time data read by the pickup, and a decoding module (104) that reads the real time data from the buffer memory (103) and processes the read real time data. An access time Tacc of the standard reproduction model is expressed by the following formula, Tacc=A·dN+Trev+B where dN is a difference in rotational speed of the disk-shaped information recording medium, Trev is a rotation waiting time at a target access position, A and B are constants.

Abstract: A light guide, a line-illuminating device, and an image-scanning device are provided which are excellent in uniformity of the light amount. A light-reflecting portion comprised of tubular concave surfaces becomes a reflecting surface having tubular convex surfaces when seen from the inside of the light guide. With such structure, even when the incident angle of light from a light source unit slightly displaces, the reflection angle in the tubular convex surfaces significantly changes. In an irregular surface having a triangular shape, as in a conventional example, the incident angle becomes almost uniform in the area far from the light source unit, and thereby the reflection angle also becomes uniform. Consequently, it is difficult to achieve uniform reflection in the main-scanning direction. However, with the tubular concave surfaces, light is reflected uniformly toward the upper surface as a light-emitting surface.

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: The optical disc apparatus comprises a disc motor (114) operable to rotate an optical disc (1), a traverse (111) operable to move an optical beam spot which is irradiated on an optical beam on the optical disc (1) to the radius direction of the optical disc (1), a linear velocity operation unit (117) operable to detect the linear velocity of the optical beam spot, a disc motor control unit (116) operable to control the disc motor (114) so that the linear velocity detected by the linear velocity operation unit (117) remains roughly invariable in an arbitrary radius location on the optical disc (1) when information recorded on the optical disc (1) is read out, a search control unit (121) and a location profile adjustment unit (118) operable to control a traverse (111) so as to prevent the linear velocity from decreasing to the permissible linear velocity or below when the optical beam spot is moved by the traverse (111).

Abstract: A light guide 11 of a rectangular cross-section has side faces 11a, 11b including short sides in the longitudinal direction of which one side face 11a is provided with a light-scattering pattern 20, formed by screen-printing in white paint, for scattering the light incident to the light guide 11. The other side face 11b facing the side face 11a is exposed from a casing 12 to serve as a light-emitting surface. In the present embodiment, it is possible to secure a sufficient amount of light because the whole area of the side face is used as the light-emitting surface. The remaining side faces 11c, 11d of the light guide 11 are side faces including the long sides. Since the side faces 11c, 11d easily produce a surface sink during molding, neither the light-scattering pattern 20 nor the light-emitting surface is provided thereon.

Abstract: An optical disc drive includes: an optical head with an actuator and a photodetector; a tracking driver outputting a drive signal to the actuator; a first tracking error signal generator for generating a first tracking error signal based on an output signal of the photodetector; first and second lens position control sections for respectively outputting first and second lens position control signals to the tracking driver; and a selector for selectively supplying the first tracking error signal to the first or second lens position control section according to a moving velocity of the optical head during a seek operation. The first lens position control signal is obtained by extracting signal components, of which the frequencies are equal to or lower than a predetermined frequency, from the first tracking error signal. The second lens position control signal is obtained by extracting DC components of the first tracking error signal at on-track points thereof.

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 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 reproduction apparatus includes a sector detection section for detecting a sector; a sector reproduction time measuring section for measuring a reproduction time of the sector, and outputting sector reproduction time data which represents the measured reproduction time of the sector; an unrecorded portion detection section for detecting an unrecorded portion which is a portion of the sector in which no data is recorded; an unrecorded portion time measuring section for measuring a reproduction time of the unrecorded portion, and outputting unrecorded portion time data which represents the measured reproduction time of the unrecorded portion; and a sector determination section for determining whether the sector is an unrecorded sector or not, based on a relationship between the sector reproduction time data and the unrecorded portion time data, the unrecorded sector being a sector which is in an unrecorded state.

Abstract: An apparatus of the present invention is an optical disk apparatus for irradiating with a laser beam an optical disk on which address marks are recorded at intervals based on a pulse width modulation method and for reproducing data from a reproduced signal based on reflected light. The apparatus includes: a pulse signal reproduction section for producing a reproduced pulse signal from the reproduced signal based on a threshold value; a threshold value production section for producing the threshold value based on the reproduced pulse signal; and a gate signal production section for producing an address gate signal at a timing when the address mark is reproduced.