Dye record medium, record disc producing apparatus, and information recording/reproducing apparatus

An information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information onto a dye record disc and reproducing information recorded on the dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising:

• a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area a recordable area;
• a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information. recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:
• an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits;
• a reproducing light emitting device for emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits;
• a receiving device for receiving a reflective light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light;
• a reproducing device for reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal;
• and
• a recording light emitting device for emitting a recording light modulated on the basis of the recording information onto the recording/reproducing track, in order to record the record information onto the recording/reproducing track by changing reflectance of the recording/reproducing track.

An information reproducing method of reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising:

• a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area a recordable area;
• a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information;
• and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information reproducing method comprising the process of:
• emitting an initial light beam to all of the pits before reproduction, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits;
• emitting a reproducing light to each of the pits;
• receiving a reflective light of the reproducing light reflected by the reproducing track, and generating a receiving signal corresponding to the received reflective light;
• and
• reproducing the reproducing information on the basis of the receiving signal.

An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a read-only disc having a read-only area or reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising:

• a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into the read-only area and a recordable area;
• a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information;
• and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information reproducing apparatus comprising:
• a determining device for determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc;
• an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus for recording information onto a dye record disc, and for reproducing information recorded on the dye record disc or on a read-only disc having a read-only area, the dye record disc comprising:

• a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into a read-only area and a recordable area;
• a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits, each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information;
• and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:
• a determining device for determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc;
• an initial light emitting device for emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.

An information recording/reproducing method of reproducing information on a read-only disc having a read-only area or reproducing information recorded on a dye record disc, the dye record disc comprising:

• a disc shape substrate having a track-forming-surface divided into the read-only area a recordable area;
• a reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the read-only area, and constructed by an arrangement of a plurality of pits;
• each of the pits comprising a dye material, and having a shape corresponding to the reproducing information;
• and a recording/reproducing track formed on the track-forming-surface in the recordable area, and extending continuously, the recording/reproducing track comprising the same dye material as each of the pits, the information recording/reproducing method comprising the processes of:
• determining whether a disc mounted on the information reproducing apparatus is the dye record disc;
• emitting an initial light beam to the read-only area if the mounted disc is the dye record disc, in order to change reflectance of all of the pits.