Phase change optical information recording system with a header area in the form of prepit rows

An optical recording and readout system for recording and reading out information onto and from a phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• first optical means for projecting a plurality of optical beams onto said phase-change optical recording medium;
• second optical means for picking out reflected light from said optical recording medium;
• optical sensor means for sensing said reflected light picked out by said second optical means to output a light sense signal;
• and
• signal generating means for producing an information signal from said light sense signal from said optical sensor means, wherein said phase-change optical recording medium contains a data recordable area containing land tracks and groove tracks on both of which main information is recorded, said land tracks and said groove tracks being alternately disposed on said data recordable area, and a header area in which header information is recorded in rows of prepits, said rows of prepits being arranged in every other track with respect to said tracks included in said data recordable area.

An optical recording and readout system for recording and reading out information onto and from a phase-change optical recording medium, comprising:

• first optical means for projecting at least one optical beam onto said phase-change optical recording medium;
• second optical means for picking out reflected light from said optical recording medium;
• optical sensor means for sensing said reflected light picked out by said second optical means;
• and
• signal generating means for producing an information signal from an output signal from said optical sensor means, wherein said phase-change optical recording medium contains a data recordable area containing land tracks and groove tracks on both of which main information is recorded, said land tracks and said groove tracks being alternately disposed on said data recordable area, and a header area in which header information is recorded in rows of prepits, wherein each row of prepits is arranged in correspondence with one of said land and said groove tracks.

A phase-change optical recording and reproducing system comprising:

• a recording medium comprising:
• a data recordable area containing land tracks and groove tracks on both of which user information is recorded, said land tracks and said groove tracks being alternately disposed on said data recordable area;
• and
• a header area on which header information is recorded in rows of prepits, wherein said rows of prepits are arranged in every other track with respect to said tracks included in said data recordable area;
• wherein at least two optical beams are impinged on said recording medium for recording or reproducing information so that said header information is reproduced by one of said two optical beams.