Patent ID: 6882607

Claim:
An optical head device, comprising: a light source for emitting light; a collection optical system for collecting the light emitted by the light source to an information memory medium including at least one of a track having a mark or a space selectively arranged, and a track having a prescribed groove; a light detector having a plurality of detection areas for receiving the light reflected by the information memory medium and outputting a signal in accordance with a light amount of the light received; a division element for dividing the light reflected by the information memory medium and allowing the light to be received by the light detector; a switch element for receiving a first signal and a second signal, which are respectively obtained in accordance with the reflected light incident on a first prescribed area and a second prescribed area of the division element and outputting either one of the first signal or the second signal, the first and second prescribed areas being obtained by dividing the division element along at least one division line; and an information reproduction signal generator for receiving the signal output by the switch element and generating information recorded on the track, wherein the switch element outputs either one of the first signal and the second signal in accordance with a positional relationship between a light collection point of the light output from the collection light system and the track.