Patent ID: 6320840
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
A playback apparatus to distinguish an optical disc from which data is to be reproduced as one of a disc having a first format, a disc having a second format and a hybrid disc, the hybrid disc including information recorded in the first format and information recorded in a second format, the apparatus comprising:an optical unit to irradiate a one of a first format type laser beam and a second format type laser beam on the optical disc; anda processor which:causes the optical unit to irradiate the first format type laser beam on the optical disc;reads the first format type laser beam reflected from the optical disc;checks whether the optical disc has identification information recorded in a predetermined recording area of the optical disc indicating that the optical disc is the hybrid disc if the reflected first format type laser beam is readable;determines the optical disc to be the first type format optical disc if the reflected first format type laser beam is readable and the identification information in the predetermined recording area is not found;causes the optical unit to irradiate a second format type laser beam on the optical disc if the reflected first format type laser beam is not readable; anddetermines the optical disc to be a second type format optical disc if the second type format laser beam reflected from the optical disc is readable.