Abstract: An optical recording medium has a data storage section including data tracks and tracking lines formed in the data storage section for reading or writing data. The optical recording medium includes an elongated recording region defined between each two adjacent tracking lines, each of the data recording regions having at least one data track disposed offset from the center of the data recording region. The tracking method for the medium includes establishing a first optical detection region on the medium for detecting the tracking line position relative to the detection region and establishing a second optical detection region on the medium for reading or writing which is positioned in a fixed relationship to the first optical detection region.

Abstract: A data record formatting system for an optical recording medium in which the reading and/or writing is carried out along tracking lines, and a data reading/writing system for the optical recording medium of the type is disclosed. The data record formatting system for the optical recording medium comprises tracking portions used as a reference for the reading and/or writing operation and data recording portions for storing data. The tracking portion and the data recording portions are alternately arranged along the same line in a data recording region of the optical recording medium. The data reading/writing system for the optical recording medium comprises a track-tracing detecting arrangement for setting a light spot or spots on the optical recording medium to trace the tracking portions and a reading/writing arrangement for setting a light spot on the optical recording medium to read and/or write the data.