Optical recording medium, and recording/reading method and recording/reading apparatus for optical recording medium

Abstract

In an optical recording medium of a single-sided incident type having a plurality of recording layers, recording/reading conditions (for example, tracking polarity, recording pulse strategy, recording recommended power, etc.) can be instantaneously switched according to each of the recording layer, and recording or reading of information can be accurately and surely performed under recording/reading conditions adapted to each recording layer. A control unit reads out layer information from one recording layer of the optical recording medium in which the layer information is recorded in each of the plural layers, on which recording or reading of information can be performed by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof (layer information reading step), and controls so that recording or reading is performed under recording/reading conditions adapted to a recording layer specified on the basis of the layer information (recording controlling step).

1 . A recording/reading method for an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers which can be recorded information thereon or can be read information therefrom by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof, comprising: 
 a layer information reading step of reading layer information, which is recorded on each of said plurality of recording layers, from one of said plurality of recording layers by means of a control unit; and    a recording/reading controlling step of controlling so that recording or reading is performed under recording/reading conditions adapted to a recording layer specified on the basis of said layer information by means of said control unit.    
   
   
       2 . The recording/reading method for an optical recording medium according to  claim 1  further comprising: 
 a recording/reading conditions reading step of reading, by means of said control unit, recording/reading conditions for each of said recording layers recorded in said optical recording medium.    
   
   
       3 . A recording/reading apparatus for an optical recording medium having a plurality of recording layers which can be recorded information thereon or can be read information therefrom by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof, comprising: 
 a layer information reading unit for reading layer information, which is recorded on each of said plurality of recording layers, from one of said plurality of recording layers; and    a recording/reading controlling unit for controlling so that recording or reading is performed under recording/reading conditions adapted to a recording layer specified on the basis of said layer information.    
   
   
       4 . The recording/reading apparatus for an optical recording medium according to  claim 3  further comprising: 
 a recording/reading conditions reading unit for reading recording/reading conditions for each of said recording layers recorded in said optical recording medium.    
   
   
       5 . An optical recording medium on which recording or reading is performed in the recording/reading method for an optical recording medium according to  claim 1  comprising: 
 a plurality of recording layers which can be recorded information thereon or can be read information therefrom by irradiating a laser beam from one side thereof;    each of said recording layers on which the layer information is recorded.    
   
   
       6 . The optical recording medium according to  claim 5 , wherein said layer information is recorded on almost the entire surface of each of said recording layers.  
   
   
       7 . The optical recording medium according to  claim 5 , wherein said layer information is recorded as a part of address information.  
   
   
       8 . The optical recording medium according to claims  5 , wherein said layer information is recorded by making values of reserved bits included in address information of said recording layers differ from one another.  
   
   
       9 . The optical recording medium according to claims  5  , wherein said layer information is recorded by reversing a sync pattern included in address information of either one of neighboring two recording layers a mong said plural recording layers.  
   
   
       10 . The optical recording medium according to claims  5 , wherein said layer information is recorded in any one of manners of inverting the Most Significant bit (MSb)of address information of either one of two neighboring recording layers a mong said plural recording layers, inverting all bits of the whole address information of one recording layer, and expressing the whole address information of one recording layer by two's complement.  
   
   
       11 . The optical recording medium according to  claim 9 , wherein said optical recording medium has two recording layers as said plural recording layers.  
   
   
       12 . The optical recording medium according to claims  5 , wherein at least one of said recording/reading conditions for each of said recording layers is recorded.  
   
   
       13 . The optical recording medium according to  claim 12 , wherein said recording/reading conditions include tracking information.  
   
   
       14 . The optical recording medium according to  claim 12 , wherein said recording/reading conditions include a recording pulse strategy and/or a recording recommended power.  
   
   
       15 . The optical recording medium according to claims  12 , wherein said recording/reading conditions are recorded on a layer closest to the side from which a laser beam comes in a mong said recording layers.  
   
   
       16 . The optical recording medium according to claims  5 , wherein each of said recording layers is a dye containing recording layer.