Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

Takaharu Ai

Katsuya Watanabe

Isao Obata

Yoshimitsu Nakamura

Shoji Hasegawa

Syunji Kagamibashi

Seizou Tsuji

To prevent the focal point of a light beam from entering an unrecorded area, where no data has been written yet, when data is being read continuously from multiple storage layers. An optical disc drive can read data from an optical disc with at least first and second storage layers. The drive includes: a drive mechanism for rotating the disc; an optical pickup, which irradiates the disc in the drive mechanism with converged light and generates a read signal based on the light reflected from the disc; and a control section for controlling operations of the drive mechanism and the pickup, thereby shifting the focal point of the light. In reading data from the first and second layers continuously, the control section shifts the focal point in a first radial direction while data is read from the first layer and then moves the focal point to a location on the second layer before data starts to be read from the second layer. That location has been shifted from its previous one by a predetermined displacement in a second radial direction that is opposite to the first radial direction.

Optical disc device and control circuit for optical disc device

An information recording, reproducing apparatus comprising a first operation switch, a memory for storing a plurality of operation modes with operation steps for controlling the information recording, reproducing operation with the instructions from the control apparatus, a selecting apparatus for selecting a selecting mode, and a switching apparatus for selecting one operation mode from among the plurality of operation modes, where selection of an operation mode among from the plurality of operation modes is performed after a selection mode has been selected.

Information recording, reproducing apparatus having operation mode

An information recording/reproducing apparatus having a function to verify recorded information. A controller of the apparatus divides information to be recorded into two or more portions so that the first division portion is successively recorded over a first group of a plurality of blocks formed circumferentially on a disc-like recording medium and then reproduced for verification, before the second division portion is successively recorded over a second group of blocks which are consecutive to the first group of blocks and then reproduced for the verification, the recording and reproduction being continuously effected up to the last division portion. When verifying the first division portion through the penultimate division portion, only the final group of one or more blocks of the blocks of the just recorded division portion are not verified immediately but, after the recording for a subsequent division portion, verified together with the blocks of the subsequent division portion other than final group of one or more blocks of the subsequently recorded division portion. All blocks of the last division portion reproduced for verification are verified together with previously recorded and non-verified blocks from other division portions.

Information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Takaharu Ai