Power determining method in optical disk recording apparatus having a plurality of pickups

Abstract

A method is designed for determining optimum power values of optical beams emitted from a plurality of optical pickups provided in an optical disk recording apparatus. In the method, a first step is performed for performing test recording of data by use of the plurality of the optical pickups, respectively, such that each optical pickup is operated to irradiate an optical beam onto the optical disk for recording data on a test area of the optical disk. A second step is performed for reproducing respective data recorded in the test area by the respective optical pickups, by use of a predetermined one of the plurality of the optical pickups. A third step is performed for judging β values from the respective data reproduced from the test area. A fourth step is performed for determining, from the judged β values, the optimum power values of the optical beams for the respective optical pickups.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.