Signal decoding apparatus and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for decoding a signal reproduced from an optical disc. The optical disc has a signal format for recording data from an original signal in a data area at the optical disc. The optical disc also has recorded thereon a clock signal having the same phase as the recorded data. During reproduction of the recorded signal from the optical disc, this clock signal is utilized to generate a delayed version of the reproduced data signal. This delayed signal is used to decode the reproduced data signal obtained from the optical disc, thereby enabling a phase shift of the reproduced clock signal to there produced data signal to be eliminated by circuit processing. During the recording on the data area of the optical disc, fixing data for setting phases of data reproducing recording clock and reproducing signal to optimum phases for decoding is recorded. A phase corrector is provided at the optical disc driving apparatus so as to delay the fixing data signal reproduced from the optical disc, whereby a phase shift between the reproduced data signal and the reproduced clock signal can be corrected to an optimum quantity and the data signal at a preformatted area of the optical disc can be reproduced without delay.