Patent ID: 8406109
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical pickup apparatus comprising: a light source capable of emitting two or more types of light having different wavelengths to be applied to an optical recording medium having a plurality of tracks; a light-receiving element having a focus light-receiving region for converting received light into electric signals for controlling a focal point of light emitted from the light source, and a tracking light-receiving region for converting received light into electric signals for exercising control in such a manner that light emitted from the light source is applied to a target track of the optical recording medium; and a diffractive element having a diffraction region divided into a focus diffraction region for diffracting reflected light which is emitted from the light source and then reflected by the optical recording medium, in a direction toward the focus light-receiving region, and a tracking diffraction region for diffracting the reflected light in a direction toward the tracking light-receiving region, the focus diffraction region and the tracking diffraction region being divided into segmented regions by parallel dividing lines defined by a plurality of parallelly-arranged straight lines, the segmented regions included in the focus diffraction region being composed of focus segmented regions corresponding to different types of light that is emitted by the light source, the focus segmented regions corresponding to different light being arranged adjacent to each other in an alternating order in a direction perpendicular to the parallel dividing line, the segmented regions included in the tracking diffraction region being composed of tracking segmented regions corresponding to different types of light that is emitted by the light source, the tracking segmented regions corresponding to different light being arranged adjacent to each other in an alternating order in a direction perpendicular to the parallel dividing line, the focus diffraction region including focus regions corresponding to different types of light that is emitted by the light source, the tracking diffraction region including tracking regions corresponding to different types of light that is emitted by the light source, each of the focus regions being composed of focus segmented regions corresponding to light of a same type as that corresponding to the focus region, for diffracting the reflected light in a direction toward one and the same focus light-receiving region, each of the tracking regions being composed of tracking segmented regions corresponding to light of a same type as that corresponding to the tracking region, for diffracting the reflected light in a direction toward one and the same tracking light-receiving region, each of the focus segmented regions being so arranged as to lie next to the tracking segmented region corresponding to light of a same type as that corresponding to the focus segmented region at a boundary between the focus diffraction region and the tracking diffraction region.