Device for processing optical data

• US 5,159,586 A
• Filed: 05/23/1986
• Issued: 10/27/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanada, Keiji, Ogata, Shiro, Yamashita, Tsukasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glembocki, Christopher R.
• Application Number:
  US06/866,587
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 369/44, 369/45, 369/46, 369/112, 369/120, 369/121, 369/122, 369/13, 350/96.11, 350/96.12, 350/96.13, 350/96.14, 350/96.18, 350/96.19, 250/201, 250/202
• US Class Current: 369/44.11
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10532 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/10576 with provision for moving the transducers for maintaining alignment or spacing relative to the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 13/045 combined recording by magnetic and optic means
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0925 Electromechanical actuators for lens positioning G11B7/0857 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/124 the integrated head arrangements including waveguides

Abstract

A device for processing optical data comprising a transparent substrate for a light to be applied, light source for projecting the diverging light onto one surface of the substrate substantially perpendicularly to the surface, lens provided on the substrate for causing the projected light to emerge obliquely or vertically upward from the other surface of the substrate and focusing the emergent light, photodetector provided on the substrate for receiving the light reflected from above, focusing drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate upward or downward, and tracking drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate laterally.

Claims

1. A device for processing optical data comprising:

a transparent substrate means onto which light is to be applied,

a light source for projecting light onto one surface of the substrate means substantially perpendicularly to said one surface,

lens means provided on the substrate means for causing the light projected from the light source and passing through the transparent substrate means in the direction of thickness thereof to emerge upward from the other surface of the substrate means obliquely with respect to a surface of a memory disc oriented substantially parallel to said one surface of said substrate means onto which light is projected by said light source and for focusing the emergent light,

means provided on the substrate means adapted to receive light reflected from above the memory disc,

a focusing drive means for simultaneously adjusting the positions of the substrate means and light source upward or downward, and

a tracking drive means for simultaneously adjusting the positions of the substrate means and light source laterally.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means causes the projected light to emerge obliquely upward from the other surface of the substrate means.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means causes the projected light to emerge perpendicularly to the other surface of the substrate means and upwardly from the surface.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said substrate means comprises a single substrate.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said substrate means comprises a first substrate provided with the lens means and a second substrate provided with the light receiving means.

6. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said light source is a semiconductor laser fixed to the one surface of the substrate means at the position where the semiconductor laser faces to said lens means.

7. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said light receiving means comprises a semiconductor chip formed with plural photoconductive elements that are affixed to the substrate means.

8. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means is formed integrally with the substrate means.

9. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means causes the projected light to emerge upward as separated into three light beams and focuses the separated light beams two-dimensionally at three different positions.

10. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said light receiving means detects light reflected obliquely from above.

11. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said light receiving means detects light reflected perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate means from above.

12. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said substrate means is provided with two optical systems each comprising a light source, lens means and light receiving means.

13. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising an optical fiber having one end fixed to the substrate means adjacent the lens means and another end disposed adjacent said light source, said optical fiber being oriented such that the light emitted from the light source disposed separately from the substrate means is led to the lens means through the optical fiber and the substrate means, the light emerging from said one end of the optical fiber and traversing the thickness of the substrate means to reach the lens means.

14. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising lens means provided on said substrate means for focusing reflected light wherein said light receiving means detects the focused light.

15. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lens means comprises first lens means for converting the diverging light emitted from said light source into a beam of parallel rays and second lens means for causing the collimated light to emerge from the substrate means and for focusing the emergent light.

16. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a disc memory, said substrate comprising a first optical system for projecting a light beam onto said disc memory and a second optical system for receiving light reflected from said disc memory, said device further comprising an aberration compensation means disposed between said disc memory and said substrate.

17. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said lens means comprises means for causing light projected thereby to impinge obliquely on a disc having optical data recorded thereon, and wherein light reflected obliquely from said disc is received by said light receiving means.

18. A device for processing optical data having a substrate provided with a first optical system for projecting a light onto a disc memory and a second optical system for receiving the light reflected from the disc memory, the device comprising an aberration compensation plate means disposed between the disc memory and the substrate.

19. An optical data processing device for writing data in a photomagnetic disc memory and/or reading data therefrom comprising:

a first optical system for projecting a light spot focused on the photomagnetic disc memory and for receiving the light reflected therefrom, for writing and/or reading data,

a second optical system for detecting errors to cause the projected light spot to follow the track of the photomagnetic disc memory,

a substrate provided with the first and second optical systems, the substrate being transparent for the light applied to the optical systems,

wherein the first optical system comprises;

a light source for projecting the light onto one surface of the substrate substantially perpendicularly to the surface,

lens means provided on the substrate for causing the projected light to emerge obliquely upward from the other surface of the substrate and focusing the emergent light two-dimensionally,

light receiving means provided with at least two photoconductive elements for detecting the light reflected obliquely from above, and

analyzers disposed on the photoconductive elements so that the principal axes thereof make a right angle with each other, and

wherein the second optical system comprises;

a light source for projecting the light onto one surface of the substrate substantially perpendicularly to the surface,

lens means provided on the substrate for causing the projected light to emerge obliquely upward from the other surface of the substrate and focusing the emergent light two-dimensionally, and

means for receiving the light reflected obliquely from above.

20. An optical data processing device for writing data in a photomagnetic disc memory and/or reading data therefrom comprising:

a first optical system for projecting a light spot focused on the photomagnetic disc memory and for receiving the light reflected therefrom, for writing and/or reading data,

a second optical system for detecting tracking and/or focusing errors to cause the projected light spot to follow the track of the photo magnetic disc memory,

an optical waveguide formed on a substrate,

a light source for the laser beam to be admitted into the waveguide,

lens means provided on the waveguide for causing the beam propagating through the waveguide to emerge obliquely upward and focusing the emergent beam two-dimensionally,

wherein said first optical system comprises;

light receiving means provided with at least two photoconductive elements for detecting the light reflected obliquely from above, and

analyzers disposed on the photoconductive elements so that the principal axes thereof make a right angle with each other, and

said second optical system comprises;

an optical waveguide formed on a substrate,

a light source for the laser beam to be admitted into the waveguide;

lens means provided on the waveguide for causing the beam propagating through the waveguide to emerge obliquely upward and focusing the emergent beam two-dimensionally,

means for receiving the beam reflected obliquely from above.

21. A device for processing optical data comprising:

a transparent substrate means onto which light is to be applied,

a light source for projecting light onto one surface of the substrate means substantially perpendicular to said one surface,

lens means provided on the substrate means for causing the light projected from the light source and passing through the transparent substrate in the direction of thickness thereof to emerge perpendicular to and upward from the other surface of the substrate means and for focusing the emergent light, the emergent light obliquely impinging on a surface of a memory disc, and

means provided on the substrate means adapted to receive light reflected obliquely from above from the memory disc.

22. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said lens means and said light receiving means are provided on the same substrate means which comprises a single substrate.

23. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said substrate means comprises a first substrate provided with the lens means and a second substrate provided with the light receiving means.

24. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said light source is a semiconductor laser fixed to the other surface of the substrate means at the position where the semiconductor laser faces said lens means.

25. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said light receiving means comprises a semiconductor chip formed with plural photoconductive elements that are affixed to the substrate means.

26. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said lens means is formed integral with the substrate means.

27. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said lens means causes the projected light to emerge upward and be separated into three light beams and focuses the separated light beams in two-dimensions at three different positions.

28. A device as defined in claim 21 further comprising:

a focusing drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate means upward or downward, and

a tracking drive mechanism for laterally adjusting the position of the substrate means.

29. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said substrate means is provided with two optical systems each comprising a light source, lens means and light receiving means.

30. A device as defined in claim 21 further comprising an optical fiber, one of which is fixed to the substrate means, wherein the light emitted from the light source disposed separate from the substrate means is led to the lens means through the optical fiber and the substrate means, the light emerging from said one end of the optical fiber and traversing the thickness of the substrate means to reach the lens means.

31. A device as defined in claim 21 further comprising lens means provided on said substrate means for focusing reflected light, wherein said light receiving means detects the focused light.

32. A device as defined in claim 31, wherein said reflected light focusing lens means is disposed on the other surface of said substrate means and said light receiving means is disposed on the one surface of said substrate means.

33. A device as defined in claim 21 wherein said lens means comprises first lens means for converting the diverging light emitted from said light source into a beam of a parallel rays and second lens means for causing the collimated light to emerge from the substrate means and for focusing the emergent light.

34. A device as defined in claim 21, further comprising an aberration compensation means disposed between said memory disc and said substrate means.

35. A device for processing optical data comprising:

a transparent substrate means onto which light is to be applied,

a light source for projecting light onto one surface of the substrate means substantially perpendicularly to said one surface,

light projecting lens means provided on the substrate means for causing the light projected from the light source and passing through the transparent substrate in the direction of thickness thereof to emerge perpendicularly to and upwardly from the other surface of the substrate means and for focusing the emergent light, the emergent light obliquely impinging on a surface of a memory disc, and

means provided on the substrate means adapted to receiving light reflected from the memory disc obliquely and impinging thereon perpendicularly to the other surface of the substrate means.

36. A device as defined in claim 35, wherein said other surface of said substrate means comprises a first slant surface on which said light projecting lens means is provided and a second slant surface on which said light receiving means is provided.

37. A device as defined in claim 35 further comprising light receiving lens means provided on said substrate means for focusing reflected light, wherein said other surface of said substrate means comprises a first slant surface on which said light projection lens means is provided and a second slant surface on which said light receiving lens means is provided, and wherein said light receiving means detects the light focused by said light receiving lens means.

38. A device as defined in claim 35, wherein said substrate means is bent.

39. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said lens means and said light receiving means are provided on the same substrate means which comprises a single substrate.

40. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said substrate means comprises a first substrate provided with the lens means and a second substrate provided with the light receiving means.

41. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said light source is a semiconductor laser fixed to the other surface of the substrate means at the position where the semiconductor laser faces said lens means.

42. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said light receiving means comprises a semiconductor chip formed with plural photoconductive elements that are affixed to the substrate means.

43. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said lens means is formed integrally with the substrate means.

44. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said lens means causes the projected light to emerge upward and be separated into three light beams and focuses the separated light beams in two-dimensions at three different positions.

45. A device as defined in claim 35 further comprising:

a focusing drive mechanism for adjusting the position of the substrate means upward or downward, and

a tracking drive mechanism for laterally adjusting the position of the substrate means.

46. A device as defined in claim 35 further comprising an optical fiber, one end of which is fixed to the substrate means, wherein the light emitted from the light source disposed separate from the substrate means is led to the lens means through the optical fiber and t he substrate means, the light emerging from said one end of the optical fiber and traversing the thickness of the substrate means to reach the lens means.

47. A device as defined in claim 35 further comprising lens means provided on said substrate means for focusing reflected light, wherein said light receiving means detects the focused light.

48. A device as defined in claim 35, wherein said reflected light focusing lens means is disposed on the other surface of said substrate means and said light receiving means is disposed on the one surface of said substrate means.

49. A device as defined in claim 35 wherein said lens means comprises first lens means for converting the diverging light emitted from said light source into a beam of a parallel rays and second lens means for causing the collimated light to emerge from the substrate means and for focusing the emergent light.

50. A device as defined in claim 35, further comprising an aberration compensation means disposed between said memory disc and said substrate means.