Abstract: A recording method for an optical medium having a disk-like substrate, a plurality of tracks extending in a circumferential direction on the substrate and associated with a plurality of grooves, and a plurality of zones being provided on the disk-like substrate and extending between a first position and a second position in a radial direction of the substrate. Each zone including at least two tracks, and each track being divided into a plurality of units of circular arc shape extending in the circumferential direction with radially adjacent units of a respective zone being delimited by a pair of radial lines joined to form a central angle at an apex proximate to a center of the substrate. The method includes providing the optical medium, and recording information on the optical medium by irradiating an optical spot thereon.

Abstract: An optical reproducing apparatus for reproducing information on a medium includes a light source, an optical system for irradiating a light beam generated by the light source on the medium, a detector for detecting a reflected light from the medium; and a reproducer for reproducing information on the medium by using a signal from the detector. The medium is a substrate in the form of a substantially circular disk with grooves and lands alternately formed thereon which serve as recording tracks and have address information.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on an optical recording medium including a disk-like substrate, a plurality of tracks extending in a circumferential direction on the substrate and associated with a plurality of grooves, with a plurality of zones provided on the disk-like substrate and extending between a first position and a second position in a radial direction of the substrate. Each zone includes at least two tracks with each track being divided into a plurality of recording units of circular arc shape extending in the circumferential direction. The apparatus includes an irradiation source for irradiating a light spot on the optical recording medium, an optical detector for detecting a reflected light from the medium, and a reproducer for reproducing information by using a signal from the detector.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing information recorded on an optical recording medium, including a disk-like substrate, a spiral or concentric-shaped groove structure along tracks formed on the substrate, each of the tracks being divided into a plurality of recording units. Each of the recording units includes a dropout portion in a circumferential direction of the groove structure with the dropout portion being a non-groove portion. The groove structure is formed with a wobble in a fixed cycle in a radial direction which continues in the circumferential direction along the track. Each length of the recording units is an integer multiple of the cycle of the wobble. The apparatus includes an irradiation source for irradiating a light spot on the medium, an optical detector for detecting a reflected light from the medium, and a reproducer for reproducing information by using a signal from the optical detector.

Abstract: An optical reproducing apparatus for reproducing information on a medium includes a light source, an optical system for irradiating a light beam generated by the light source on the medium, a detector for detecting a reflected light from the medium; and a reproducer means for reproducing information on the medium by using a signal from the detector. The medium is a substrate having grooves and lands alternately formed thereon in a radial direction, which serve as recording tracks and have prepits.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on an optical recording medium including a disk-like substrate, a plurality of tracks extending in a circumferential direction on the disk-like substrate and associated with a plurality of grooves wobbled in a radial direction, and a plurality of zones provided on the disk-like substrate and extending between a first position and a second position in a radial direction of the disk-like substrate. The information reproducing apparatus includes an irradiation source for irradiating a light spot on the optical recording medium, an optical detector for detecting a reflected light from the medium, and a reproducer for reproducing information by using a signal from the optical detector.

Abstract: Because a series of data is recorded continuously, the recording quality of data recorded in course of recording cannot be evaluated. Accordingly, the laser output cannot be controlled properly and there are a deterioration and dispersion of the recording quality. Further, when the recording lasts for a long time, the temperature in the vicinity of laser rises due to the heat from the inside of a disc drive and the recording quality is deteriorated. To solve this, a series of data to be recorded is split and recording is made intermittently in a split data unit. The recording quality is evaluated by reproducing the data recorded nearby before each split data is recorded using a duration and control is performed by reflecting the evaluation result in the laser output so that the recording quality can be maintained satisfactorily over a series of the whole data to be recorded.

Abstract: When the data is reproduced by irradiating a laser beam onto the optical disk, an amount-of-irradiation-beam detection signal is produced according to the amount of the laser beam irradiated onto the optical disk, and the defect on the optical disk is detected on the basis of this amount-of-irradiation-beam detection signal. In addition, when the data is reproduced by irradiating the laser beam onto the optical disk, the amount-of-irradiation-beam detection signal is produced according to the amount of the laser beam irradiated onto the optical disk, an amount-of-reflected-beam detection signal is produced in accordance with the amount of the laser beam reflected from the optical disk, and the defect on the optical disk is detected on the basis of the amount-of-irradiation-beam detection signal and the amount-of-reflected-beam detection signal. Even when the optical disk has a defect, the laser beam is continuously irradiated onto the optical disk.

Abstract: When user data is recorded on a write-once medium, linking variations can be reduced that are produced as management information for managing the user data is updated by additionally recording on and off, thereby assuring the reliability of the reproduction compatibility of the DVD player. Before the final file of the management information is recorded, dummy data of a plurality of successive blocks are recorded at a time by a single operation, and then the final file is additionally recorded after the dummy data. Therefore, the linking precision can be prevented from being degraded in the linking portions of the management information, and thus the management information can be properly read when the DVD player makes compatible reproduction of the medium.

Abstract: An optical recording apparatus having a light source and an optical system. The medium is a substrate in the form of a substantially circular disk with grooves and lands alternately formed on the substrate in a radial direction. The grooves and lands both serve as recording tracks which are divided into recording units in a circumferential direction. Each recording unit has an address area devoid of the grooves including first and second address information. The first address information is formed on a first boundary between one track and an adjacent track on one side of the one track, and the second address information is formed on a second boundary between the one track and an adjacent track on an other side of the one track with the first address information and the second address information not existing at opposing positions on the boundaries of the one track.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus and method for recording and reproducing information to/from an optical disc, including discrimination of the optical disc, reading control information in an un-recordable area formed in an inner periphery of the optical disc, conducting focus control based on a focus error signal in a recordable area formed outside of the un-recordable area, and determining an optimum offset value of the focus error signal in the recordable area. Further, adjustment in amplitude of a reproduced signal from an inner periphery of the recordable area is conducted, test-writing in the inner periphery of the recordable area is conducted, test-writing in an outer periphery of the recordable area is conducted, and adjustment in amplitude of a reproduced signal from the outer periphery of the recordable area is conducted. The respective operations are conducted sequentially so as to make the optical disc in a reproducible and recordable condition.

Abstract: In a method of adjusting a disk apparatus, if adjustment processing has to be performed prior to processing which the user expects to be performed soon, the adjustment processing can be finished in a short time and thus the processing requested by the user can be performed at once enough to meet the user's expectation. A database concerning the adjustment processing is created at the time when the user of the disk apparatus accepts the much time taken to perform the processing requested by the user. Then, when the user makes a request to perform processing, which the user expects to be performed at once, the adjustment processing which has to be performed prior to the performance of the processing requested by the user is performed based on the database to speed up the adjustment processing, thus making it possible to perform the processing requested by the user at once.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus and method for recording information of a recording block including a plurality of sectors as one verifying unit into an optical information recording medium, a recording area of the optical information recording medium including a plurality of zones, and wherein each zone is different in a sector number per round of a track. A recorder records information of a plurality of recording blocks into the optical information recording medium and a verification conductor conducts a verify control. A number of the recording block included in the verifying unit is determined to be a minimal number in a rotation waiting sector number.

Abstract: An information recording method for a recording medium including a spiral or concentric-shaped groove structure along tracks formed on a disk-like substrate, wherein each of the tracks is divided into a plurality of recording units. Each of the recording units includes a blank portion in a circumferential direction of the groove structure, the blank portion being a non-groove portion, the groove structure being formed with a wobble in a fixed cycle in a radial direction, the fixed cycle of the wobble continuing in the circumferential direction along the track, and each length of the recording units is an integer multiple of the cycle of the wobble. The method includes irradiating a light beam to the recording medium, and recording information to the recording medium.

Abstract: A means for measuring the temperature in the surroundings of a semiconductor laser is provided and, if the temperature is not above a certain level, power correction is performed at high speed by linearly approximating the I-H characteristic according to one item out of reproduction power and multi-pulse recording power, or if the temperature is higher, accurate power correction of the semiconductor laser is accomplished by detecting a plurality of items out of reproduction power and multi-pulse recording power.

Abstract: An information recording method which use an optical recording medium in which grooves and lands are formed on a substrate with information recording areas being formed in association with both a groove and a land and an address area being formed at the information recording area preceding the groove and the land. First and second address pits are disposed in the address area on an extension of a boundary between the groove and the land with the first and second address pits being disposed so as to satisfy predetermined requirements. Information is recorded on the optical recording medium by irradiating an optical spot on the optical recording medium.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus including a system controller that receives a recording control command via an interface. A recording control block that receives a recording method command signal indicative of one of recording with verify and real time recording and recording data from the system controller. An optical head that modulates the power of laser beam using a recording pulse sent from the control block and records the recording data on an information recording medium. The recording data is recorded in the information recording medium according to the recording with verify and the real time recording using different recording power respectively, in which under the recording with verify, the recording power determined by recording compensation learning is used, and under the real time recording, the recording power higher than the recording power obtained by the recording compensation learning is used.

Abstract: In an optical information recording/reproducing apparatus, in which two sets of circuits (including a comparator 104 and a time counting device 105 (i.e., pulse width detector), and a comparator 110 and a time counting device 111 (i.e., pulse width detector)) are provided for detecting that the fluctuation larger than a comparison level continues in the TE signal for a time period, each being set at the respective comparison level and the time duration, differently, thereby the operation of write or erase onto an optical disc 101 is stopped even if only one of them is detected. Also, a position or location information in the PID portion to be reproduced, being outputted from a PID register 107, and a location information which is read out by the PID decoder 106 are compared by a comparator 108, thereby stopping the operation of write or erase onto the optical disc 101 if they are inconsistent with.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information by recording information of a plurality of sectors as one recording unit into an optical information recording medium. A recording area of the optical information recording medium including a plurality of zones, wherein each zone is different in a sector number per round of a track having recording means for recording information of a plurality of sectors over a plurality of zones into the optical information recording medium, and conducting means for conducting a verify control. The recording and a timing of the conduction of the verify control are determined for each zone when the information of a plurality of sectors is to be recorded over the plurality of zones when the zone is changed over during the recording.

Abstract: An optical reproducing method using an optical medium having a disk-like substrate with plural levels associated with grooves, and a plurality of zones. Each track is divided into a plurality of recording and radially adjacent recording units of a respective zone are delimited by a pair of radial lines joined to form a central angle at an apex proximate to a center of the disk-like substrate. The grooves are wobbled in the radial direction of the disk-like substrate with a length of each recording unit being an integer multiple of a cycle of the wobble, and the integer multiple being the same for the different zones. An optical spot is irradiated on the optical medium, a reflected beam from the optical medium is detected, and information on the optical medium is reproduced by using a signal obtained by the reflected beam.