Abstract: A particle detecting device including a light source light reflector to reflect a laser light to make it intersect an observed light path of a light detector plural times at different positions, or a scattered light reflector to reflect the observed light path of the light detector to make it intersect the laser light plural times at different positions is installed on a side of a printed surface of a record medium in the inside of an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A paper type determination device of the invention drives plural light emitting points different from one another and having sequentially increasing distances from a reference point to emit light in such a manner that each is identified for irradiating one surface of a sheet of paper subjected to determination. A photodetection device set at a specific detection field of view having the center at the reference point is disposed on the other surface side of the sheet of paper, and it receives light having passed through the sheet of paper from the respective light emitting points at positions on inside and outside of the detection field of view to detect intensity of light for each light emitting point. A diffusing characteristic of the sheet of paper is obtained on the basis of the intensity of light from each light emitting point detected by the photodetection device, and a paper type is determined on the basis of the diffusing characteristic.

Abstract: A record-medium determining apparatus constituted such that a luminescent light source irradiates modulated light to a surface of a record medium, a part of reflected light by the record medium of this irradiated light is detected by a photodetector, the photodetector changes the detected light into an electric signal, and a signal-intensity detecting device detects intensity of a signal modulated from this electric signal is provided further on an upstream side than a fixing unit of a record-medium conveying path.

Abstract: A method of holographic recording and reproduction includes recording to the holographic recording medium a wavelength variation reference pattern which is recorded as a hologram at a wavelength of the recording beam, recording to the holographic recording medium a page data pattern as a hologram at the wavelength of the recording beam, detecting the wavelength variation between the recording beam and the reproducing beam based on the size of an image for wavelength variation reference obtained by reproducing the wavelength variation reference pattern at a wavelength of the reproducing beam, and reproducing the page data pattern using the reproducing beam with a wavelength controlled based on the detected wavelength variation.

Abstract: A method for annealing a semiconductor substrate by light irradiation, includes depositing a translucent film with a predetermined thickness on a semiconductor substrate. The translucent film has a refractive index that is smaller than that of the semiconductor substrate. The thickness is defined by a peak wavelength of the light and the refractive index of the translucent film. The semiconductor substrate is heated in a temperature range of about 300° C. to about 600° C. A surface of the semiconductor substrate is heated with the light which has a pulse width of about 0.1 ms to about 100 ms.

Abstract: In a Fresnel lens which is made of a lens material whose refraction index is n, and focuses light beam from a light source at a specified radiation view angle ?, and has plural N pieces of circular lens surfaces arranged concentrically around a common optical axis, and plural circular rise surfaces arranged adjacent alternately between these lens surfaces, and two lens surfaces adjacent via at least one of the rise surfaces are concave surfaces, and tangent lines and at the intersecting point with the rise surfaces of the shape of a cross section passing through the optical axis of those lens surfaces intersect at the outside with respect to the optical axis, and when the angle formed between these tangent lines is defined as ?, a relational equation ???/(2 n N) stands.

Abstract: Information is recorded/reproduced by focusing a light beam in/from an optical recording medium capable of forming therein marks for information recording in a plurality of three-dimensional directions including an arbitrary directions and at least depth direction. Specifically, the optical beam is sequentially focused at a recorded mark position adjacent an optically recorded mark position, at which a recording/reproducing operation is started, in any directions regardless of the directionality of the plurality of three-dimensional directions, to cause the focused position of the light beam to describe a predetermined locus having a predetermined rule to rapidly and continuously record/reproduce the information.

Abstract: An image scanner including light sources, a light guide including a transparent member in the shape of a bar, a lens array receiving reflected light from a medium on an illumination area illuminated by a light exiting from the light guide and forming a light image of the medium, and a linear sensor converting the light image of the medium into image data. The light guide includes a scattering mark, a reflection surface having a curved surface, and a light exit surface. The shape of the reflection surface is determined so that the light scattered at the scattering mark is focused directly onto a predetermined position outside the transparent member. The shape of the curved surface of the reflection surface is such that the light scattered at the scattering mark should illuminate the predetermined position, where majority of contribution to the illumination is attributed to the reflected light.

Abstract: An image scanner including light sources, a light guide including a transparent member in the shape of a bar, a lens array receiving reflected light from a medium on an illumination area illuminated by a light exiting from the light guide and forming a light image of the medium, and a linear sensor converting the light image of the medium into image data. The light guide includes a scattering mark, a reflection surface having a curved surface, and a light exit surface. The shape of the reflection surface is determined so that the light scattered at the scattering mark is focused directly onto a predetermined position outside the transparent member. The shape of the curved surface of the reflection surface is such that the light scattered at the scattering mark should illuminate the predetermined position, where majority of contribution to the illumination is attributed to the reflected light.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a line illumination apparatus and an image acquisition system, comprising a light guide including a transparent member in the shape of a bar, and a light source provided at the end of the light guide in the longitudinal direction relative to the light guide, wherein the light guide comprises a scattering mark configured to scatter a light transmitted inside the transparent member from the light source substantially vertical to the longitudinal direction relative to the transparent member, a reflection surface having a curved surface configured to reflect a light scattered at the scattering mark inside the transparent member, and a light exit surface configured to enable a light reflected at the reflection surface to exit outside the transparent member therethrough.

Abstract: An optical disk comprising a substrate in which information to be picked up by a light beam radiated thereto through an objective lens are recorded as pit arrays formed at a predetermined track pitch, and a reflective layer formed on the substrate, the track pitch is set within a range of (0.72 to 0.8)&agr;×(&lgr;/NA)/1.14 &mgr;m, when a wavelength of the light beam is &lgr;nm and the objective lens has a numerical aperture of NA, the &agr; is represented by: &agr;=3.617×10−14×(&thgr;A ds/&lgr;)3+1.248×10−9×(&thgr;A ds/&lgr;)2+0.865 when a thickness of the optical disk is ds &mgr;m, and an allowable tilt angle of &thgr;A, and the allowable tilt angle &thgr;A is not more than 7 mrad.

Abstract: The present invention provides a step difference detection apparatus including an illumination section for emitting illumination light, an incident section for making the illumination light emitted by the illumination section be incident on a plurality of small illumination regions on an object carried in a predetermined carrier direction from different directions, an image sensing section for inputting an image of the regions on the object illuminated with the illumination light which is made to be incident by the incident section, and a detection section for detecting a step difference on the object on the basis of the image sensed by the image sensing section.

Abstract: A pattern detecting apparatus is provided with an illuminating device which separates a detected surface into a plurality of irradiation areas and irradiates an irradiation light to adjacent irradiation areas from different directions, an imaging device which overlaps and images the irradiation areas with a mask generating a moire, and an image processing device which detects a phase difference of a concentration change of the moire image in the irradiation areas when the moire image is obtained by the imaging device, thereby judging whether or not a pattern exists.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a display device which can realize a magnified image. A display device comprises a display panel having a predetermined effective display region PS, a display screen, and a magnifying optical system including a first inverting optical system constituted by a first lens array in which a plurality of first lenses corresponding to the display panel are arrayed and a second inverting optical system constituted by a second lens array in which a plurality of second lenses corresponding to the first lenses are arrayed. The magnifying optical system constitutes a plurality of channels for forming on the display screen a magnified erect image for a display image on the display panel through the corresponding first and second lenses. The magnifying optical system is constructed so as to form on the display screen an image of an image point on the display panel through at least three of the channels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a step difference detection apparatus including an illumination section for emitting illumination light, an incident section for making the illumination light emitted by the illumination section be incident on a plurality of small illumination regions on an object carried in a predetermined carrier direction from different directions, an image sensing section for inputting an image of the regions on the object illuminated with the illumination light which is made to be incident by the incident section, and a detection section for detecting a step difference on the object on the basis of the image sensed by the image sensing section.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a line illumination apparatus and an image acquisition system, comprising a light guide including a transparent member in the shape of a bar, and a light source provided at the end of the light guide in the longitudinal direction relative to the light guide, wherein the light guide comprises a scattering mark configured to scatter a light transmitted inside the transparent member from the light source substantially vertical to the longitudinal direction relative to the transparent member, a reflection surface having a curved surface configured to reflect a light scattered at the scattering mark inside the transparent member, and a light exit surface configured to enable a light reflected at the reflection surface to exit outside the transparent member therethrough.

Abstract: A projection type image display apparatus for projecting an image onto a screen includes a light source, a beam shape converter, a beam divider, a beam superimposer, a processing unit, and a projection lens. In operation, the light source emits a light beam. The beam shape converter converts a sectional shape of the light beam into a different shape. For example, the beam shape converter can convert a circular cross section into a rectangular cross section. The beam divider then spatially divides the converted light beam into plural light beams. The beam divider can include, for example, a first prism array that divides the converted light beam horizontally and vertically into four beams. The beam superimposer superimposes the plural light beams onto a target surface, such as a liquid crystal panel. The beam superimposer can include, for example, a second prism array and a beam collimator that superimpose the plural light beams on the target surface.

Abstract: An optical head device adapted to be optically coupled to an optical disk includes a light-source laser and an objective lens optically coupled thereto. This lens receives an output light of the light source, and causes it to be projected onto the optical disk to form a focused spot thereon. Photodetectors are optically coupled to the lens in one optical path so that they are responsive to a light component which is reflected from the optical disk toward the photodetectors by way of the objective lens. A beam-shaping prism is located between the lens and a group of the light source and the photodetectors in the optical path. When the laser output light travels toward the lens, the prism reshapes the light into a predetermined isotropic beam profile. When the reflected light from the optical disk propagates reversely along the same optical path to enter the beam-shaping prism, this prism permits such an incident light to pass through itself toward the photodetectors.

Abstract: A backlighting apparatus for radiating light on a flat surface to be illuminated comprises a light source having a linear light emitting portion, a light shield section, provided along an outer periphery of the light source on the side of the to-be-illuminated surface, for shielding light traveling directly from the light source toward the to-be-illuminated surface, and a first optical element provided in a longitudinal direction of the light source such that the first optical element faces the light source, the first optical element having a reflection surface for reflecting light emitted from the light source toward the to-be-illuminated surface. A cross-sectional shape of the reflection surface in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light source is determined such that light reflected by the reflection surface of the first optical element has a substantially uniform illuminance distribution on the to-be-illuminated surface.

Abstract: An optical disk with sectional trapezoidal pits comprising a substrate having information recorded by a plurality of pit trains formed thereon at a specified track pitch, and a reflective layer formed on the substrate, wherein the information is reproduced by being irradiated with light beam via an objective lens, the track pitch is set within the range of (0.72 to 0.8) &agr;×&lgr;/NA/1.14 &mgr;m when a wavelength of the light beam is &mgr; nm and a numerical aperture of the objective lens is NA, each of the pits is a multiplication ratio used to secure allowable disk tilt angles in an upper width within the range of (0.3 to 0.50) &agr;×&lgr;/NA/1.14 &mgr;m, a bottom width within the range of (0.2 to 0.32) &agr;×&lgr;/NA/1.14 &mgr;m and a depth within the range of (1/4.2×&lgr;/n) to (1/5.2 &lgr;/n) (n: refractive index of said substrate and &lgr;: a wavelength) and obtained by 2.623×10−7×(d/&lgr;)2−1.706×10−4 (ds/&lgr;)+0.