Disk drive device, and unrecorded area detecting method

Abstract

With an arrangement having functions of detecting an unrecorded area by comparing a reproduction signal level obtained by conducting reproduction of a disk-shaped recording medium with a threshold, the setting of this threshold is performed by performing reproduction regarding an adjustment area serving as an unrecorded area on the disk-shaped recording medium while varying the adjusting threshold. Then, the threshold to be actually used for detection of unrecorded areas is set based on the comparison results between the adjusting threshold and the reproduction RF signal. Thus, a threshold appropriate for each device is automatically set for example, regardless of conditions such as differences in noise levels superimposed on reproduction signals, from one device to another. Thus, an appropriate threshold for blank checks can be set regardless of irregularities in parts from one device to another (i.e., regardless of differences in the noise levels superimposed on the reproduction RF signals from one device to another), thereby improving the reliability of blank checking.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.