Information recording/reproducing apparatus and method

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium having a recording surface;
• a plurality of probes for performing at least one process of information recording and reproduction by scanning a plurality of information tracks in parallel, on the recording surface;
• a position detecting device for detecting a position of at least one information track by using said probes, in each of a plurality of divided areas obtained by area-dividing the recording surface in a direction crossing the plurality of information tracks and in such a manner that each divided area includes at least one information track;
• and
• a tracking control device for performing tracking control in the direction crossing the plurality of information tracks of the probes, in performing the at least one process in each of the plurality of divided areas set, on the basis of the detected position of the track, in each of the plurality of divided areas.

An information recording/reproducing method in an information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a recording medium having a recording surface;
• and a plurality of probes for performing at least one process of information recording and reproduction by scanning a plurality of information tracks in parallel, on the recording surface, said information recording/reproducing method comprising:
• a position detecting process of detecting a position of at least one information track by using said probes, in each of a plurality of divided areas obtained by area-dividing the recording surface in a direction crossing the plurality of information tracks and in such a manner that each divided area includes at least one information track;
• a tracking control process of performing tracking control in the direction crossing the plurality of information tracks of the probes, in performing the at least one process, in each of the plurality of divided areas set, on the basis of the detected position of the track, in each of the plurality of divided areas;
• and
• a execution process of performing the at least one process by using the probes while performing the tracking control.