Patent · US Expired

Focus error detecting apparatus

US5233444A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
5References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 1990
Grant dateAug 3, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 24, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B7/123
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A focus error detecting apparatus in which a light emitting and receiving element including a light emitting portion and light receiving portions all of which are formed in a common semiconductor substrate, a hologram element diffracts a light beam reflected by an object to generate plus and minus first-order diffraction light beams and to introduce an astigmatism into the plus and minus first-order diffraction light beams such that shapes of spots of the diffraction light beams formed on the light receiving portions of the light emitting and receiving element vary into substantially reverse directions to each other, and a focusing condition is detected in accordance with outputs of the light receiving portions. Therefore, in this apparatus, positioning adjustment of the light receiving portions with respect to the light emitting portion is not necessary, and thus a number of the adjusting process can be remarkably decreased and the cost for manufacturing the apparatus can be reduced. Furthermore, the focusing condition can be detected with high accuracy.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.