Microarray with actuators inside and outside of light-irradiated region, and optical head device and optical information device incorporating the same

• US 8,031,578 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Obi, Hiroshi, Kajino, Osamu, Kurozuka, Akira, Tomita, Hironori
• Primary Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US12/064,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 369/112.29
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/13925 active, e.g. controlled by electrical or mechanical means

Abstract

An optical head device according to the present invention includes: a light source for outputting laser light; an optical system for allowing the laser light to be radiated onto an optical disk medium; and an aberration correction section for correcting an aberration of the laser light. The aberration correction section includes: a plurality of mirror sections for reflecting the laser light; a plurality of mirror driving sections for displacing the plurality of mirror sections; and a detection section for detecting a physical condition within the optical head device.

Claims

1. A microarray comprising a two-dimensional array of actuators, each actuator having:

a base;

a movable section capable of displacement relative to the base;

an elastic supporting member for supporting the movable section; and

a stationary electrode portion formed on the base so as to oppose the movable section, wherein,

at least one of the actuators in the microarray disposed in a light-irradiated region includes an optical modulation section having a light reflecting surface for reflecting light on the movable section; and

at least one of the actuators on the surface of the microarray disposed outside the light-irradiated region includes a detection section for detecting a physical condition from an amount of displacement between the movable section and the stationary electrode portion.

2. The microarray of claim 1, wherein the physical condition is at least one of temperature, humidity, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and pressure.

3. The microarray of claim 1, wherein, the detection section is an acceleration sensor which is produced through a same process as a production process of the optical modulation section.

4. The microarray of claim 1, wherein, the movable section is displaced by an electrostatic attraction occurring between the movable section and the stationary electrode portion.

5. The microarray of claim 1, wherein at least one of the actuators disposed in a light-irradiated region includes the optical modulation section and the detection section.

6. An optical head device comprising:

a light source for outputting laser light;

an optical system for allowing the laser light to be radiated onto an optical disk medium; and

an aberration correction section for correcting an aberration of the laser light, wherein,

the aberration correction section includes a microarray comprising a two-dimensional array of a plurality of actuators;

at least one of the plurality of actuators reflects the laser light; and

the aberration correction section further includes a detection section for detecting a physical condition within the optical head device,

wherein at least one of the actuators in the microarray disposed in a light-irradiated region includes an optical modulation section having a light reflecting surface for reflecting light; and

the detection section is at least one of the actuators on the surface of the microarray disposed outside the light-irradiated region.

7. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein the detection section is at least one of the plurality of actuators.

8. The optical head device of claim 6, further comprising a driving signal generation section for generating a predetermined driving signal which is in accordance with the detected physical condition.

9. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein the physical condition is at least one of temperature, humidity, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and pressure.

10. The optical head device of claim 7, wherein, by time division, the at least one actuator switches between an operation of driving at least one light reflecting surface for aberration correction and an operation of detecting the physical condition.

11. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein,

the actuator includes a movable electrode portion and a stationary electrode portion which are apart from each other via a gap;

and

the actuator causes a light reflecting surface to be displaced by an electrostatic attraction occurring between the movable electrode portion and the stationary electrode portion.

12. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein,

the actuator includes a piezoelectric element;

and

a light reflecting surface is displaced in accordance with a deformation of the piezoelectric element.

13. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein the detection section is an acceleration sensor which is produced through a same process as a production process of the actuator.

14. The optical head device of claim 13, wherein,

the acceleration sensor includes a movable electrode portion and a stationary electrode portion which are apart from each other via a gap;

and

a distance between the movable electrode portion and the stationary electrode portion changes in accordance with an acceleration experienced by the optical head device.

15. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein the aberration correction section includes:

a base;

a movable section having a light reflecting surface and being capable of displacement relative to the base;

an elastic supporting member for supporting the movable section; and

a stationary electrode portion formed on the base so as to oppose the movable section.

16. The optical head device of claim 6, wherein,

the aberration correction section includes:

a base;

a movable section having a light reflecting surface and being capable of displacement relative to the base;

an elastic supporting member for supporting the movable section; and

a piezoelectric member for displacing the movable section.

17. An optical information apparatus comprising:

the optical head device of claim 6;

a light source driving section for driving the light source;

an objective lens mechanism driving section for driving an objective lens mechanism which controls a position of an objective lens included in the optical system;

a traverse mechanism driving section for driving a traverse mechanism for transporting the optical head device along a radial direction of the optical disk medium;

a rotation mechanism driving section for driving a rotation mechanism which rotates the optical disk medium; and

a driving signal generation section for generating, in accordance with the detected physical condition, a driving signal for driving at least one of the light source driving section, the objective lens mechanism driving section, the traverse mechanism driving section, and the rotation mechanism driving section.

18. The optical information apparatus of claim 17, wherein the detection section is an acceleration sensor which is produced through a same process as a production process of the actuator.

19. An optical information apparatus comprising the optical head device of claim 6, wherein,

the optical information apparatus further comprises at least one of:

a tilt mechanism driving section for driving a tilt mechanism for tilting at least one of an objective lens included in the optical system and the optical disk medium;

an optical element mechanism driving section for driving an optical element mechanism for controlling a position of an optical element disposed in an optical path of the optical system;

a collision prevention mechanism driving section for driving a collision prevention mechanism for preventing the objective lens from colliding against the optical disk medium;

a loading mechanism driving section for driving a loading mechanism for loading the optical disk medium; and

a cooling fan driving section for driving a cooling fan; and

the optical information apparatus further comprises;

a driving signal generation section for generating, in accordance with the detected physical condition, a driving signal for driving at least one of the tilt mechanism driving section, the optical element mechanism driving section, the collision prevention mechanism driving section, the loading mechanism driving section, and the cooling fan driving section.

20. The optical information apparatus of claim 19, wherein the detection section is an acceleration sensor which is produced through a same process as a production process of the actuator.

21. A microarray comprising a two-dimensional array of actuators, each actuator having:

a base;

a movable section capable of displacement relative to the base;

an elastic supporting member for supporting the movable section; and

a piezoelectric member for displacing the movable section, wherein,

at least one of the actuators in the microarray disposed in a light-irradiated region includes an optical modulation section having a light reflecting surface for reflecting light on the movable section; and

at least one of the actuators on the surface of the microarray disposed outside the light-irradiated region includes a detection section for detecting a physical condition from a strain of the piezoelectric member.

22. The microarray of claim 21, wherein at least one of the actuators disposed in a light-irradiated region includes the optical modulation section and the detection section.

23. The microarray of claim 21, wherein the physical condition is at least one of temperature, humidity, acceleration, angular velocity, angular acceleration, and pressure.

24. The microarray of claim 21, wherein,

the detection section is an acceleration sensor which is produced through a same process as a production process of the optical modulation section.

25. The microarray of claim 21, wherein,

the detection section is disposed in at least a portion of the optical modulation section.

26. The microarray of claim 21, wherein,

the detection section is disposed in at least a portion of an outer periphery of the optical modulation section.