Gain controlling apparatus and method, information reproducing apparatus and method, and information recording apparatus and method

An information reproducing apparatus comprising

• (i) a gain controlling apparatus comprising:
• a roughly adjusting device for roughly adjusting a gain of a generation signal, which is generated on the basis of a light detection signal obtained by receiving a reflection light of a light beam from an information recording medium;
• a finely adjusting device for finely adjusting the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain by said roughly adjusting device;
• a memory device for storing a plurality of values for adjusting the gain generated during a previous occasion of gain adjustment in time series;
• and
• a controlling device for controlling said roughly adjusting device to roughly adjust the gain at a current occasion of gain adjustment on the basis of the respective stored values for adjusting the gain and also controlling said finely adjusting device to finely adjust the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting device, wherein
• said controlling device comprises a predicting device for predicting a current adjustment value, which is an adjusted value for the gain roughly adjusted at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting device, and
• said controlling device controls said roughly adjusting device to roughly adjust the gain at the current occasion on the basis of the predicted current adjustment value,
• (ii) an optical pickup device for irradiating the light beam onto said information recording medium and receiving the reflection light to thereby output the light detection signal,
• (iii) a signal generating device for generating the generation signal on the basis of the light detection signal outputted from said optical pickup device, and
• (iv) a reproduction controlling device for controlling a reproduction of the information in accordance with the generation signal, the gain of which is roughly and finely adjusted.

An information recording apparatus comprising

• (i) a gain controlling apparatus comprising:
• a roughly adjusting device for roughly adjusting a gain of a generation signal, which is generated on the basis of a light detection signal obtained by receiving a reflection light of a light beam from an information recording medium;
• a finely adjusting device for finely adjusting the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain by said roughly adjusting device;
• a memory device for storing a plurality of values for adjusting the gain generated during a previous occasion of gain adjustment in time series;
• and
• a controlling device for controlling said roughly adjusting device to roughly adjust the gain at a current occasion of gain adjustment on the basis of the respective stored values for adjusting the gain and also controlling said finely adjusting device to finely adjust the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting device, wherein
• said controlling device comprises a predicting device for predicting a current adjustment value, which is an adjusted value for the gain roughly adjusted at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting device, and
• said controlling device controls said roughly adjusting device to roughly adjust the gain at the current occasion on the basis of the predicted current adjustment value,
• (ii) an optical pickup device for irradiating the light beam onto said information recording medium and receiving the reflection light to thereby output the light detection signal,
• (iii) a signal generating device for generating the generation signal on the basis of the light detection signal outputted by said optical pickup device,
• (iv) a reproducing device for reproducing the information from said information recording medium on the basis of the generation signal, the gain of which is roughly and finely adjusted, and
• (v) a recording device for processing record information, which is to be recorded onto said information recording medium, on the basis of the reproduced information and recording the processed record information onto said information recording medium.

A gain controlling method comprising:

• a roughly adjusting process of roughly adjusting a gain of a generation signal, which is generated on the basis of a light detection signal obtained by receiving a reflection light of a light beam from an information recording medium;
• a finely adjusting process of finely adjusting the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain by said roughly adjusting process;
• a storing process of storing into a memory device a plurality of values for adjusting the gain generated during a previous occasion of gain adjustment in time series;
• and
• a controlling process of controlling said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at a current occasion of gain adjustment on the basis of the respective stored values for adjusting the gain and also controlling said finely adjusting process to finely adjust the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, wherein
• said controlling process comprises a predicting process of predicting a current adjustment value, which is an adjusted value for the gain roughly adjusted at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, and
• said controlling process controls said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at the current occasion on the basis of the predicted current adjustment value.

An information reproducing method comprising

• (i) a gain controlling method comprising:
• a roughly adjusting process of roughly adjusting a gain of a generation signal, which is generated on the basis of a light detection signal obtained by receiving a reflection light of a light beam from an information recording medium;
• a finely adjusting process of finely adjusting the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain by said roughly adjusting process;
• a storing process of storing into a memory device a plurality of values for adjusting the gain generated during a previous occasion of gain adjustment in time series;
• and
• a controlling process of controlling said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at a current occasion of gain adjustment on the basis of the respective stored values for adjusting the gain and also controlling said finely adjusting process to finely adjust the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, wherein
• said controlling process comprises a predicting process of predicting a current adjustment value, which is an adjusted value for the gain roughly adjusted at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, and
• said controlling process controls said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at the current occasion on the basis of the predicted current adjustment value,
• (ii) an optical pickup process of irradiating the light beam onto said information recording medium and receiving the reflection light to thereby output the light detection signal,
• (iii) a signal generating process of generating the generation signal on the basis of the light detection signal outputted by said optical pickup process, and
• (iv) a reproduction controlling process of controlling a reproduction of the information in accordance with the generation signal, the gain of which is roughly and finely adjusted.

An information recording method comprising

• (i) a gain controlling method comprising:
• a roughly adjusting process of roughly adjusting a gain of a generation signal, which is generated on the basis of a light detection signal obtained by receiving a reflection light of a light beam from an information recording medium;
• a finely adjusting process of finely adjusting the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain by said roughly adjusting process;
• a storing process of storing into a memory device a plurality of values for adjusting the gain generated during a previous occasion of gain adjustment in time series;
• and
• a controlling process of controlling said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at a current occasion of gain adjustment on the basis of the respective stored values for adjusting the gain and also controlling said finely adjusting process to finely adjust the gain on the basis of a result of roughly adjusting the gain at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, wherein
• said controlling process comprises a predicting process of predicting a current adjustment value, which is an adjusted value for the gain roughly adjusted at the current occasion by said roughly adjusting process, and
• said controlling process controls said roughly adjusting process to roughly adjust the gain at the current occasion on the basis of the predicted current adjustment value,
• (ii) an optical pickup process of irradiating the light beam onto said information recording medium and receiving the reflection light to thereby output the light detection signal,
• (iii) a signal generating process of generating the generation signal on the basis of the light detection signal outputted by said optical pickup process,
• (iv) a reproducing process of reproducing the information from said information recording medium on the basis of the generation signal, the gain of which is roughly and finely adjusted, and
• (v) a recording process of processing record information, which is to be recorded onto said information recording medium, on the basis of the reproduced information and recording the processed record information onto said information recording medium.