Optical disc, optical disc reproducing method and apparatus, and recording method

An optical disc player comprising:

• a drive unit to rotate an optical disc loaded in the optical disc player;
• an optical pickup to read data from the loaded optical disc;
• an actuator to move the optical pickup radially of the loaded optical disc;
• and
• a controller to control the operation of at least the actuator while identifying the type of the loaded optical disc based on identification data read by the optical pickup from the loaded optical disc;
• the controller controlling the actuator to move the optical pickup and causing the optical pickup to start reading data from a second recording area of the loaded optical disc when it is determined that the loaded optical disc is a one having at least first and second recording areas, a first lead-in area provided along the inner circumference of the first recording area, a first lead-out area provided along the outer circumference of the first recording area, a second lead-in area provided between the outer circumference of the first lead-out area and second recording area and a second lead-out area provided along the outer circumference of the second recording area.

An optical disc player comprising:

• a drive unit to rotate an optical disc loaded in the optical disc player;
• an optical pickup to read data from the loaded optical disc;
• an actuator to move the optical pickup radially of the loaded optical disc;
• and
• a controller to control the operation of at least the actuator while identifying the type of the loaded optical disc based on identification data read by the optical pickup from the loaded optical disc;
• the controller controlling the actuator to move the optical pickup and causing the optical pickup to start reading data from a second recording area of the loaded optical disc when it is determined based on the medium identification data that the loaded optical disc is a one in which a second lead-in area, second recording area provided along the outer circumference of the second lead-in area and a second lead-out area provided along the outer circumference of the second recording area are formed at a smaller track pitch than in a first lead-out area provided along the inner circumference of the second lead-out area, first recording area provided along the inner circumference of the first lead-out area and a first lead-in area provided along the inner circumference of the first recording area.

An optical disc player comprising:

• a drive unit to rotate an optical disc loaded in the optical disc player;
• an optical pickup to read data from the loaded optical disc;
• an actuator to move the optical pickup radially of the loaded optical disc;
• and
• a controller to control the operation of at least the actuator while identifying the type of the loaded optical disc based on identification data read by the optical pickup from the loaded optical disc;
• the controller controlling the actuator to move the optical pickup and causing the optical pickup to start reading data from a first recording area of the loaded optical disc when it is determined based on the medium identification data that the loaded optical disc is a one in which a second lead-in area, second recording area provided along the outer circumference of the second lead-in area and a second lead-out area provided along the outer circumference of the second recording area are formed at a smaller track pitch than in a first lead-out area provided along the inner circumference of the second lead-out area, first recording area provided along the inner circumference of the first lead-out area and a first lead-in area provided along the inner circumference of the first recording area.

An optical disc recording method comprising steps of:

• forming a first lead-in area and first lead-out area at a first track pitch from the inner circumference of an optical disc toward the outer circumference;
• forming a second lead-in area, second recording area and a second lead-out area at a second track pitch smaller than the first track pitch toward the outer circumference of the first lead-out area;
• and
• recording, to the first lead-in area, at least identification data for the existence of the second recording area.