Optical disk recording/reproduction device and search method for information recording area of optical disk in the same

An optical disk recording/reproduction device having a spindle motor which rotates an optical disk where recording tracks are formed in a shape of concentric circles or a spiral shape,

• an optical pickup which irradiates a light for performing the recording and/or reproduction of information for the optical disk, receives a reflected light from the optical disk, converts it to an electric signal and outputs the signal,
• a mobile motor which moves the optical pickup on the optical disk,
• a focus controller which focuses on a light irradiated from the optical pickup so as to locate a convergent point of the light on the optical disk,
• a tracking controller which tracks on the focused-on light so as to locate it on the recording tracks,
• an information reading means which reads information recorded on the optical disk based on the electric signal output from the optical disk in the tracked-on state, and
• an initial operation means which focuses on and tracks on the light from the optical pickup at an outer re-zeroing position only at a defined distance from the inner-most side of recording tracks of the optical disk when the optical disk is mounted to the device, and performs the reading of information from the optical disk,
• the device comprises:
• the initial operation means includes;
• an information detection means which detects the presence or absence of information recorded on the optical disk based on an output signal from the optical pickup in the focused-on state,
• a first optical pickup moving means which detects the presence or absence of information at the re-zeroing position by the information detection means and moves the optical pickup to the inward or outward direction of optical disk while performing the reading of information in the tracked-on state if information exists as a result of the detection and while detecting the presence or absence of information if no information exists,
• a first moving time setting means which sets the upper limit of moving time by the first optical pickup moving means to a pre-determined time,
• a first optical pickup stopping means which breaks the movement of optical pickup to stop if the information recording area having information on the optical disk is detected by the information detection means in the movement given by the first optical pickup moving means,
• an information recording area position storing means which stores the position of optical pickup as time information from a start of movement, at a time if the information recording area having information on the optical disk is detected by the information detection means in the movement given by the first optical pickup moving means,
• a second optical pickup moving means which performs the reading of the tracked-on information if the information exists on the optical disk as a result of detection by the information detection means at a position the optical pickup is braked to a stop by the first optical pickup stopping means, and moves the optical pickup to the outward or inward direction reverse to the moving direction given by the first optical pickup moving means if no information exists,
• a second moving time setting means which sets the moving time given by the second optical pickup moving means to a time same as the actual moving time of optical pickup given by the first optical pickup moving time,
• a moving velocity setting means which sets the moving velocity given by the second optical pickup moving means to a normal velocity if the information recording area is not detected in the movement given by the first optical pickup moving means and sets the moving velocity to a velocity lower than the normal velocity if the information recording area is detected,
• a moving velocity switching means which sets the moving velocity given by the second optical pickup moving means to the minimum velocity at a position where the information recording area is detected based on the time information stored by the information recording area position storing means, and
• a second optical pickup stopping means which brakes the movement of optical pickup to stop it if an information recording area having information is detected on the optical disk by the information detection means.

A method for searching information recording area of optical disk in the optical disk recording/reproduction device, which includes:

• a spindle motor which rotates an optical disk where recording tracks are formed in a shape of concentric circles or a spiral shape;
• an optical pickup which irradiates a light for performing the recording and/or reproduction of information for the optical pickup, receives a reflected light from the optical disk, converts it to an electric signal and outputs the signal;
• a mobile motor which moves the optical pickup on the optical disk;
• a focus controller which focuses on a light irradiated from the optical pickup so as to locate the convergent point of the light on the optical disk;
• a tracking controller which tracks on the focused-on light so as to locate it on the recording tracks;
• and
• an information reading means which reads information recorded on the optical disk based on the electric signal output from the optical pickup,
• wherein the device focuses on the light from the optical pickup at an outer re-zeroing position only at a defined distance from the inner-most side of recording tracks of the optical disk to perform reading of the information from the optical disk when the optical disk is mounted to the device, and
• the method comprises:
• moving the optical pickup focused-on at the re-zeroing position to the inward or outward direction of the optical disk as it is focused on and detecting the presence or absence of information on the optical disk in real time;
• breaking the optical pickup to stop and read the information on the optical disk if the existence of information on the desk is detected in the movement to the inward or outward direction;
• returning the optical pickup from a stop position and moving inward or outward to detect the presence or absence of information on the optical disk in real time when the stop position is a position where the optical pickup passes through the information recording area and the reading is impossible;
• and
• taking the optical pickup a lower moving velocity than that in the first inward or outward movement after the return and taking an even lower moving velocity nearby a position where the existence of information is detected in the first inward or outward movement.