Abstract: A structured polarizer (linear polarizing filter) with side-by-side in a plane (lateral) regions having different polarization directions, complete extinction and complete transparency, is presented with two superpositioned planes (polarizers) with a polarizer whose surface can be structured. The polarization properties of a plane is structured in such a way and the planes are mutually oriented in such a way that polarizing regions with different polarization directions and/or polarization properties, such as contrast, polarization-direction-dependent absorption properties as a function of the wavelength, and/or non-polarizing regions, such as transparent or opaque and/or regions having a predefined absorption for specified wavelengths are obtained.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating large size, high performance multilayer diffraction gratings having a thick substrate that take advantage of reactive ion etching during the fabrication process are provided herein. In one implementation, a method of making a multilayer diffraction grating comprises the steps of: providing a substrate having a thickness of at least 2.0 cm; applying a dielectric structure having a plurality of layers on the substrate; depositing a photoresist; exposing the photoresist to a grating pattern; developing the photoresist to produce the grating pattern in the photoresist; and reactive ion etching to transfer the grating pattern to the dielectric structure. In preferred form, the substrate material of the grating is selected to have low electrical resistivity and high thermal conductivity.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element 1 comprises a first element 10 and a second element 20, whose materials are different from each other. These elements are bonded to each other, with a diffraction grating 30 created on the boundary surface between the first element 10 and the second element 20, and in the diffractive optical element 1, at least the second element 20 is made from a photo-setting resin, which is set by light rays incident through the first element 10. The diffractive optical element 1 is set in a predetermined range of values including values that make the transmittance T1 of the first element 10 and the transmittance T2 of the second element 20 equal to each other for the light rays.

Abstract: A beam splitter includes a substrate. A thin film layer stack is formed on the substrate to achieve the same group delay dispersion (GDD) for both reflection and transmission from any input port and output port of said beam splitter.

Abstract: An optical lens array featuring low cost and simple manufacture. The lens array has two lens sections separated by spacers, with a stop on the front surface. An optional wraparound frame protects the lens array from external light. The spacers and stop, as well as the optional frame, are made of black polymer to block unwanted scattered or external light. The lens sections, stop, spacers, and frame can all be made by injection-molding. Notches, locating holes, posts, and ears serve to orient and align the parts, and to prevent incorrect assembly.

Abstract: A single lens element used for converting a divergent pencil of rays, radiated from a light source, into a predetermined convergent state, wherein the single lens element is made from a resin and has a positive optical power due to a refraction effect and a positive optical power due to a diffraction effect, the diffraction effect is based on a diffraction structure formed on at least one of an incident side surface and an exit side surface of the single lens element, and the following expressions are satisfied: 0.1<NA<0.3 0.4<T/f<0.75 2.2<fr/f<3 here, f is a focal length of the entire single lens element, fr is a focal length due to the refraction effect of the single lens element, T is a thickness of the single lens element on an optical axis, and NA is a numerical aperture of a single lens element at an incident side.

Abstract: A variable focus liquid-filled lens or microlens array is formed with an elastomer membrane and filled with a polyphenyl ether (PPE) liquid. PPE provides approximately twice the refractive power of water and exhibits better absorption/evaporation properties than water.

Abstract: An optical image capture assembly for use in an electronic camera includes a first image sensor for generating a first sensor output; a first lens for forming a first image of the scene on the first image sensor; a second image sensor for generating a second sensor output; and a zoom lens for forming a second image of the scene on the second image sensor. The camera is contained within an enclosure and, in one variation of the assembly, either the first lens or the zoom lens (or both) forms its image through a folded optical system in which an optical path between the lens and its respective image sensor is folded at an angle in order to conserve space within the enclosure.

Abstract: A zoom lens is proposed, which includes a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having positive refractive power, and a fifth lens group having negative refractive power, which are arranged in order from an object side, performing zooming by moving the second lens group and the fourth lens group, wherein the first lens group includes a front lens group having negative refractive power, an optical member refracting a light path, and a rear lens group having positive refractive power, which are arranged in order from the object side, wherein the fourth lens group includes one single lens, and if an image forming power of the fifth lens group at an object distance of infinity is ?5, a conditional formula (1) 1.0<?5<1.8 is satisfied.

Abstract: A zoom lens with a wide angle of view and a high zooming ratio and a camera employing the zoom lens. The zoom lens includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein the first through fifth lens groups are sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image side. The first through fifth lens groups are moved during zooming between wide angle position to telephoto position in a manner that increases the distances between the first and second lens groups, between the third and fourth lens groups, and between the fourth and fifth lens groups and decreases a distance between the second and third lens groups.

Abstract: An optical element is disclosed which has a reflection suppressing function and a color balance correcting function in a minute periodic structure. The optical element has a base member and a minute periodic structure which is provided on a surface of the base member and has a period smaller than a wavelength of incident light on the optical element. The minute periodic structure has a characteristic that the reflectance of light a first wavelength on a short wavelength side in a wavelength range of the incident light is lower than the reflectance of light at a second wavelength on a long wavelength side in the wavelength range of the incident light.

Abstract: An anti-reflection coating is formed on an optical surface of an optical member for reducing the amount of light rays reflected from the optical surface. For light rays in a wavelength range from 400 nm to 700 nm, the anti-reflection coating has a reflectance of 0.5% or less if the light rays are incident on the optical surface at angles within a range from 0 to 25 degrees, and it has a reflectance of 3.5% or less if the light rays are incident at angles within a range from above 25 degrees to 60 degrees.

Abstract: The object is to provide an optical system with a wavelength selecting device. According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical system with a wavelength selecting device includes, in order from an object along an optical axis, an objective optical system composed of optical elements having refractive power and an aperture stop, a no-power optical group composed of optical elements having no refractive power, and an imaging device. The no-power optical group includes the wavelength selecting device for making short wavelength light be selectively substantially non-transparent. The wavelength selecting device preferably satisfies the predetermined conditional expressions.

Abstract: A first optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from that of the first optical material, and the base has a concavity, and the second optical material is filled in this concavity. A second optical device according to the present invention comprises a base made of a first optical material and a second optical material having a refractive index different from the first optical material, and the base comprises first and second faces facing each other, a first concavity is formed in the first face and a second concavity is formed in the second face, and the second optical material is filled in the first and second concavities.

Abstract: Provided is a light guide display with a protective layer. The light guide display includes a plurality of aligned magnifying layers providing a viewing surface. Each magnifying layer includes a plurality of light guides, each light guide having an input end, a midsection, and an output end. The plurality of input ends are aligned. The plurality of output ends are aligned. A protective layer is coupled to the aligned output ends. An appropriate method of making a light guide screen with a protective layer is also provided.

Abstract: A fixation method for fixing an optical member to a holding member using irradiation of a laser beam. The method includes the steps of inserting the optical member into the holding member, providing a fixing member, mounting the fixing member to the holding member having the optical member positioned therebetween, and irradiating laser beams on the holding member through the fixing member.

Abstract: A data discriminating unit includes a data discriminator and a sync signal discriminator. A data sync signal is detected for the bit string discriminated from the output of the sync signal discriminator, and the data is demodulated for the bit string discriminated from the output of the data discriminator, thereby optimizing the signal to a form suitable for discrimination and detection of the data sync signal and demodulation for data reproduction. As a result, the detection performance of the data sync signal can be improved while maintaining the data discrimination performance. A Viterbi decoder is used for discrimination by the data discriminator and the sync signal discriminator for the optimization thereby to optimize the number of states, the number of paths for state transition and the path memory length. A signal having no continuous inversions of the recording data is used as the data sync signal.

Abstract: An adaptive equalizer comprising a variable filter which equalizes a digital input signal which is input in a time sequential order, an adaptive controller unit which updates a filter coefficient of the variable filter based on an output signal of the variable filter and the input signal and according to an equalization algorithm, and a coefficient resetting unit which resets a filter coefficient of the variable filter at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: Data is written to a magnetic media, by applying a magnetic write field to the magnetic media with a write pole, in conjunction with a high frequency magnetic field, to the magnetic media to assist writing to the magnetic media. The high frequency magnetic field is generated by applying a specific write current waveform to the magnetic writer, resulting in the generation of a high frequency magnetic write field.

Abstract: The operation of propagation self servowrite can be improved by using spirals written upon the disk. The spirals can be used to reduce the DC drift of the propagation of the self servowrite. The writing of the spirals can be improved by using the back EMF signal for the VCM to control the velocity of the actuator during the writing of the spirals to produce a more consistent spiral shape. Additionally, back EMF crossings of the spindle can be used to space the spirals evenly about the disk.

Abstract: Circuitry, systems, and methods for measuring the fly height of a read/write head in a magnetic data storage system. The circuitry generally includes a capacitance measurement circuit configured to measure the capacitance between the read/write head and the surface of the magnetic recording medium (or a derivative of that capacitance), and a fly height converter configured to produce an output signal corresponding to the fly height. The capacitance measurement circuit generally includes an input receiving a periodic signal with a generally constant voltage slew rate, coupled to the read/write head, and a current measuring circuit coupled to the read/write head. The present invention advantageously provides for electronically measuring the fly height of a read/write head in situ in a magnetic storage system. The sensed fly height may then be used by the system to control fly height actuation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a loading gear supporting apparatus of a video cassette recorder which can assemble a loading gear supporting member which supports a pole base loading gear, a first loading gear, and a second loading gear to a deck more simply. To this end, a locking protrusion and a locking groove are respectively formed at the deck and the loading gear supporting member to elastically engage the locking protrusion to the locking groove.

Abstract: A magnetic disk device having a cover of a simple structure having high rigidity and not easily deformable by pressure from the outside. An envelop surface configuration (46) of at least a portion of a cover (40) positioned opposite a magnetic disk (2, 43) is made generally conical, such that the distance from the magnetic disk decreases along a direction from the vicinity of a rotating shaft of a motor, as the center, toward the outer periphery of the magnetic disk, thereby reducing the amount of deformation of the cover, particularly in the vicinity of the rotating shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A damping structure of a hard disk drive including a damping plate, attached to an upper surface of a cover member, to reduce a noise from an interior of the hard disk drive, and a resilient plate, provided to an edge of the cover member, to alleviate a shock applied to the cover member via resilient deformation of the resilient plate. The resilient plate is bent from the damping plate so as to be spaced apart from the upper surface of the cover member at a desired interval. The resilient plate is provided at a height higher than a protrusion formed along the edge of the cover member. The external shock applied to the cover member can be effectively alleviated, and the resilient plate may minimize a flaw that may be formed on the damping plate in the course of assembling the hard disk drive.

Abstract: The present invention includes a spindle motor with a dampened spindle motor flange, which includes a shallow groove on the disk face. The shallow groove includes a first rim, a trough, and a second rim. In use, the trough fills with a visco-elastic material compressed by a metallic ring. A disk pack assembly uses the spindle motor coupling through the dampened spindle motor flange to at least one clamped disk. The invention includes a disk pack using the spindle motor, visco-elastic material, and metallic ring, as well as hard disk drives built with these disk packs. The invention includes the method of disk pack assembly, as well as making a hard disk drive using disk pack. The manufactured disk pack and the hard disk drive are products of the invention's processes.

Abstract: A magnetic head including a plurality of head element units provided along a width direction with respect to a magnetic tape. Each head element unit is provided with at least one recording element for recording a data signal on the magnetic tape and at least one reproducing element for reproducing a data signal from the magnetic tape. In each head element unit, an AC erase head for performing AC erase on a data track of the magnetic tape is positioned upstream in a tape travel direction with respect to the recording element.

Abstract: In one aspect, an exemplary method of manufacturing a magnetic head assembly is provided. In one example, the method includes forming islands in a magnetic head structure to define a pair of mini-outriggers adjacent a data island, where the data island is separated from each mini-outrigger by a void, and a width of the data island along a direction of tape transport is greater than a width of the mini-outrigger. The method further includes lapping the head structure to remove a portion of the mini-outrigger, thereby creating a wrap angle between the tape and the surface of the data island. In one example, the lapping process reduces the mini-outrigger height relative to the data island in an adaptive manner, where the final contour and height of the mini-outrigger is influenced by the data island surface, e.g., by the width, radius of curvature, and the like.

Abstract: To lower the coefficient of static friction of the circumferential surface of the guide or drum constituting the magnetic tape apparatus. A flat portion is formed between peak portions. The peak portions and flat portion are formed so that the relationship: a?<a is satisfied, where “a” represents a distance between the ridges of the peak portions, i.e., pitch of the peak portions, and “a?” represents a bottom width of the peak portions. When this relationship is satisfied between the peak portions and the flat portion, the total area of the meniscuses formed between the magnetic tape and the peak portions can be reduced, thus making it possible to lower the coefficient of static friction.

Abstract: An air bearing slider including a recessed cavity surface to provide an adaptable bearing surface to compensate for thermal expansion or pole tip protrusion. The recessed cavity surface forms a leading edge cavity step to a raised bearing surface proximate to a trailing edge of the slider. The leading edge cavity step forms a rampless air bearing surface proximate to the trailing edge of the slider which is adaptable to form a ramp to pressurize a protruding surface of a transducer portion of the head.

Abstract: A ramp for hard discs which is obtained by molding a resin composition containing (A) a polyoxymethylene resin, and (B) at least one polymeric lubricant selected from the group consisting of (b-1) a polyolefin resin, and (b-2) a polymer obtained by polymerizing an isocyanate compound and a polyalkylene oxide, and which has an excellent sliding property and no deterioration of sliding property due to solvent washing.

Abstract: A head gimbal assembly (HGA) including a slider, a micro-actuator and a suspension to load the slider and the micro-actuator. The micro-actuator includes a support base and a piezoelectric unit used for both position displacement adjustment and flying height adjustment. The support base includes a base, a moving plate, and a leading beam to connect with the base and the moving plate. The invention also discloses a method of manufacturing such micro-actuator and HGA, and a structure of a disk drive having the micro-actuator and HGA.

Abstract: A head suspension for supporting a head slider over a disk in a dynamic storage device and providing precise movement of the head slider relative to tracks on the disk. The head suspension includes a load beam, a flexure having a slider mounting region, and a dimple interface transmitting a load beam force to the slider mounting region. The head suspension further includes a microactuator mounted to the load beam. Movement of the microactuator is transmitted through the dimple interface by action of frictional forces at the dimple interface so as to cause movement of the slider mounting region transverse to tracks on the disk. A method of precisely moving a head slider supported by a head suspension includes providing and driving a microactuator configured to transmit movement of the microactuator to a slider mounting region through a dimple interface by action of frictional forces at the dimple interface.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for implementing discrete step stabilization of AMR read sensors in tape or disk drives. In one implementation, a plurality of discrete step stabilizers and AMR read sensor elements are arranged with a rotational symmetry coupled with a plane inversion for an odd number of steps, and no inversion for an even number of steps. Preferably, the steps are oriented at 45 degrees, or approximately parallel to the desired bias direction. For relatively narrow track widths (e.g., approximately 5 microns), the edges of the sensor element nearest the permanent magnets are especially important to stabilize. Therefore, in one implementation, an edge of a stabilizer preferably intersects the edge of the sensor element at one half of the stripe height. Also, the rising and falling edges of the stabilizers do not always have the same slope.

Abstract: A magnetic reading head comprising: a bottom shield; a top shield; an AMR device with MR and SAL separated by a thin insulating layer; a first insulting gap layer between said bottom shield and said AMR; a second insulating gap layer between said AMR and said top shield; a conductive layer contact at one end region of said MR and SAL. Furthermore, magnetic reading heads with GMR device free of electric-pop noise also are disclosed.

Abstract: A CPP-GMR spin value sensor structure with an improved MR ratio and increased resistance is disclosed. All layers except certain pinned layers, copper spacers, and a Ta capping layer are oxygen doped by adding a partial O2 pressure to the Ar sputtering gas during deposition. Oxygen doped CoFe free and pinned layers are made slightly thicker to offset a small decrease in magnetic moment caused by the oxygen dopant. Incorporating oxygen in the MnPt AFM layer enhances the exchange bias strength. An insertion layer such as a nano-oxide layer is included in one or more of the free, pinned, and spacer layers to increase interfacial scattering. The thickness of all layers except the copper spacer may be increased to enhance bulk scattering. A CPP-GMR single or dual spin valve of the present invention has up to a threefold increase in resistance and a 2 to 3% increase in MR ratio.

Abstract: A current perpendicular to plane (CPP) sensor having an in stack bias layer having a desired negative magnetostriction for efficient biasing of the free layer. The sensor includes a free layer, a pinned layer and a first spacer layer sandwiched between the free layer and the pinned layer. The sensor further includes an in stack bias structure disposed adjacent to the free layer, opposite the first spacer layer. The in stack bias structure includes a layer of CoFe exchange coupled with a layer of antiferomagnetic (AFM) material. A layer of CoX is then exchange coupled to the layer of CoFe. The element X can be selected from the material including B, Si, SiB, Ni, Nb, and Y.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) device. The GFCI device includes a GFCI device housing. A GFCI circuit is enclosed within GFCI device housing. The GFCI circuit is configured to detect a ground fault condition. A second detection circuit is coupled to the GFCI circuit and disposed within the GFCI device housing. The second detection circuit includes a switch element configured to be in an open position during at least one post-manufacture test procedure and configured to be in a closed position during usage. A protection switch is disposed on the exterior of the GFCI device housing and operatively coupled to the switch element. The protection switch is configured to allow a user to throw the switch element into the closed position without accessing the interior of the GFCI device housing.

Abstract: A system for isolating electrical ground faults and secondary failures in an electrical system, the system comprising an AC ground isolation state machine for detecting and isolating an AC ground, a DC ground isolation state machine for detecting and isolating a DC ground, a component failure isolation state machine for detecting and isolating a change in a resistance, and a component failure early detection algorithm for determining a failure before using the state machines.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit and method thereof are presented. In some embodiments, a high voltage tolerant input/output circuit comprises an ESD detection circuit, a first first-type transistor, a first second-type transistor, and a second second-type transistor. The first first-type transistor and the first second-type transistor are coupled to a pad. The ESD detection circuit determines whether ESD occurs at the pad and, if so, couples the gates of the first and second second-type transistors to the second power rail.

Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protective circuit including an ESD protective circuit which has a trigger terminal and forms a discharge path from a first node to a second node when trigger signals are supplied to the trigger terminal, a trigger circuit included in a circuit to be protected which is connected between the first and second nodes, the trigger circuit having a first MOS device, and which functions as a part of the circuit to be protected at the time of normal operation when ESD voltage is not applied, and forms a conductive path between a drain and source of the MOS device when ESD voltage of a predetermined value or more is applied to the first node during a normal operation, and supplying the trigger signals to the trigger terminal of the ESD protective circuit when the first MOS device becomes conductive.

Abstract: This invention aims at preventing a thunderbolt attack detecting circuit from determining that no thunderbolt is approaching because the thunderbolt attack detecting circuit turns to its initial condition due to power interruption caused by an approaching thunderbolt and is changed over into a normal condition in the thunderbolt approaching status maintained. This thunderbolt disaster protecting apparatus includes a thunderbolt attack detecting circuit for determining whether or not any thunderbolt is approaching by detecting a thunderbolt signal and a switching mechanism for changing over to the normal condition in which a protection object device is connected to an electrical path or to thunderbolt resisting condition in which the protection object device is separated from the electric path.

Abstract: A gapped ground safety device is provided to protect workers on de-energized underground distribution cable from ground faults or accidental energization. The device comprises a combination precision gap and an MOV surge arrester.

Abstract: A booster coil is stored in a coil storing room provided in the bottom section of a common case having an opening on one side, and is insulation-molded with a filler. A circuit substrate is inserted into the common case and supported by a supporting edge which is provided circumferentially at the middle of an inner wall of the common case. An ion generating element is held on a lid plate for closing the opening of the common case and mounted on the outer surface of the common case together with this lid plate, and the space between the circuit plate and the ion generating element is insulation-molded with a filler. An ion generator including the ion generating element and the booster coil and circuit substrate for generating a driving voltage is constructed in a compact size so as to enable the ion generator to be readily used in a wide range of applications.

Abstract: Thin-film capacitors are formed on ceramic substrates having high capacitance densities and other desirable electrical and physical properties. The capacitor dielectrics are annealed at high temperatures.

Abstract: An electric double layer capacitor comprising a pair of electrodes and an electrolytic solution in contact with said pair of electrodes, wherein: the electrolytic solution contains a compound having the formula (1) and an organic solvent. Here, R1 is a group selected from among dimethylene, trimethylene, tetramethylene and pentamethylene, and R2 is tetramethylene or pentamethylene.

Abstract: A capacitor is provided which includes a plurality of electrodes and a fluid electrolyte provided to electrically associate the plurality of electrodes. One of the plurality of electrodes includes poly (ethylene 3,4-dioxythiophene) or a titanate.

Abstract: An electrolytic capacitor having a low impedance characteristic, and a high withstand voltage characteristic in the 100V class, provides excellent high temperature life and leakage characteristics. An electrolyte solution containing an aluminum tetrafluoride salt is used. Moreover, a ceramics coating layer or an insulating synthetic resin layer is formed at a contact portion with a sealing component of a rivet or a cathode leading means. Alternatively, a partial cross-linking peroxide butyl rubber with added peroxide as a cross-linking agent to a butyl rubber polymer containing isobutylene, isoprene, and divinylbenzene copolymer is used as the sealing member. The electrolytic capacitor of the present invention has a low impedance characteristic, a high withstand voltage characteristic, and an excellent high temperature life characteristic.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reconfigurable power distribution panel, a power distribution system, a method for reconfiguring a power distribution panel, and a method for manufacturing a reconfigurable power distribution panel. The reconfigurable distribution panel, among other elements, may include a first bus bar having a first plurality of contact points thereon and a plurality of circuit protection locations associated therewith and a second bus bar located proximate the first bus bar and having a second plurality of contact points thereon, the second plurality of contact points having the same plurality of circuit protection locations associated therewith.

Abstract: A mounting system for electronic equipment is described which includes a mounting rack, a connector plate, and a retention device. The connector plate is hingedly mounted to a rear of the mounting rack and the connector plate is configured for the mounting of connectors that mate with the connectors of the electronic equipment. The retention device is configured to hold the connector plate against a rear of the mounting plate.

Abstract: A keyboard-display assembly is mounted includes a tray for holding a keyboard that is moveably mounted within a rack. The display assembly is mounted to the tray and includes a first display support arm and second display support arm that support a display. The display assembly is moveable between a storage position and a viewing position where, in the storage position, the display is in a generally horizontal position with the screen face of the display facing downward and positioned forward of the keyboard within the tray. In the viewing position, the display assembly rotated into a generally vertical position.