Data recording and reproducing device, data recording and reproducing method, and recording medium

A data recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium having a recording area to record therein data;
• a support device disposed in a predetermined position relationship with the recording medium;
• a first probe, which is supported by the support device, for recording data onto the recording medium or reading data recorded on the recording medium;
• a second probe, which is supported by the support device, for recording data onto the recording medium or reading data recorded on the recording medium;
• and
• a displacement mechanism for relatively displacing the support device with respect to the recording medium,
• a part of the recording area of the recording medium having a position control area which corresponds to a part or all of a specific range where a tip portion of the first probe can be relatively displaced along with the relative displacement of the support device or which corresponds to a broader range including said specific range, first position information being recorded in a part or all of the position control area,
• the recording area of the recording medium being divided into a plurality of areas which are arranged in a matrix, the position control area being at least one of the division areas or a part of at least one of the division areas,
• the position control area being formed in a central portion of the recording area of the recording medium.

A data recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium having a recording area to record therein data;
• a support device disposed in a predetermined position relationship with the recording medium;
• a first probe, which is supported by the support device, for recording data onto the recording medium or reading data recorded on the recording medium;
• a second probe, which is supported by the support device, for recording data onto the recording medium or reading data recorded on the recording medium;
• a displacement mechanism for relatively displacing the support device with respect to the recording medium;
• a position control area which is formed in a part of the recording area of the recording medium, which corresponds to a part or all of a specific range where a tip portion of the first probe can be relatively displaced along with the relative displacement of the support device or which corresponds to a broader range including said specific range, and in a part or all of which first position information is recorded;
• a first detecting device for detecting the first position information recorded in the position control area of the recording medium, through the first probe;
• a first recording/reading device for recording data into the recording area of the recording medium or reading data recorded in the recording area of the recording medium, through the second probe;
• and
• a displacement controlling device for controlling the displacement mechanism in order to set the position relationship between the support device and the recording medium such that the recording of data or the reading of data is performed by the first recording/reading device at a specific position in the recording medium on the basis of the first position information detected by the first detecting device,
• the first recording/reading device recording second position information into the recording area of the recording medium, through the second probe.

A data recording/reproducing method of recording data into a recording area of a recording medium or reproducing data recorded in the recording area of the recording medium, by using a data recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a first probe and a second probe, each of which is supported by a support device, for recording data onto the recording medium or reading data recorded on the recording medium;
• and a displacement mechanism for relatively displacing the support device with respect to the recording medium,
• the data recording/reproducing method comprising:
• a position information recording process of forming a position control area which corresponds to a part or all of a specific range where a tip portion of the first probe can be relatively displaced along with the relative displacement of the support device or which corresponds to a broader range including said specific range, in a part of the recording area of the recording medium, and of recording position information into a part or all of the position control area;
• a detecting process of detecting the position information recorded in the position control area of the recording medium, through the first probe;
• a recording/reading process of recording data into the recording area of the recording medium or reading data recorded in the recording area of the recording medium, through the second probe;
• and
• a displacement controlling process of controlling the displacement mechanism in order to set the position relationship between the support device and the recording medium such that the recording of data or the reading of data is performed in the first recording/reading process at a specific position in the recording medium on the basis of the position information detected in the detecting process,
• the recording area of the recording medium being divided into a plurality of areas which are arranged in a matrix, the position information recording process forming the position control area in at least one of the division areas or in a part of at least one of the division areas, the position information recording process disposing the position control area in a central portion of the recording medium of the recording medium.