Patent ID: 8000184

Claim:
An optical pickup device performing at least one of reading, writing, and erasing of information on an optical recording medium, the optical pickup device comprising: a light source for emitting a light beam having a first wavelength and a light beam having a second wavelength that is different from the first wavelength; an objective lens system for converging, on a track of the optical recording medium, a light beam emitted from the light source; a light branching section including a first region having a central axis of the objective lens system passing therethrough and a pair of second regions which are in contact with boundaries of the first region, for receiving a zeroth-order diffracted beam from the optical recording medium in the first region, and for receiving the zeroth-order diffracted beam and plus and minus first-order diffracted beams from the optical recording medium in the second region, when the light beam having the second wavelength is used, and for splitting the light beam having entered the first region and the second regions into a plurality of light beams; an optical element which is disposed between the objective lens system and the optical branching section, and which covers a portion of the first region, the portion extending along the boundaries between the first region and the second regions; a detection section for generating a first electrical signal based on intensity of the light beams split by the first region, and for generating a second electrical signal based on intensity of the light beams split by the first region and the second regions, when the light beam having the second wavelength is used; and a calculation section for electrically compensating an offset component included in the second electrical signal by using the first electrical signal when the light beam having the second wavelength is used, and for generating a tracking error signal for tracking control, wherein the optical element causes the light beam having the first wavelength to be transmitted therethrough, and causes the light beam having the second wavelength to be partially transmitted therethrough.