Alpine Electronics, Inc.

Hisatoshi Kawamura

Jiro Ueki

An apparatus for playing back an optical recording medium automatically and quickly identifies the kind of optically recorded disc (CD or DVD) loaded in the apparatus. After a disc to be checked has been loaded in the apparatus, the disc is first driven in a DVD servo mode. If a peak value of a focus error signal detected in this mode is larger than a threshold value, the checked disc is recognized as a DVD. If the detected peak value of the focus error signal is smaller than the threshold value, the checked disc is thereafter driven in a CD servo mode. The checked disc is recognized as a CD if a peak value of a focus error signal detected in this mode is larger than a threshold value, which may be different from the above-mentioned threshold value.

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Iwaki, Japan

Hisatoshi Kawamura