Patent ID: 8031570
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical disk drive having the ability to read data from multiple types of optical disks, each of which has a light-incoming side surface and a label side surface and at least one information storage layer arranged between the surfaces, the multiple types of the optical disks including a first type of optical disk and a second type of optical disk, the drive comprising: a driving mechanism, which is loaded with a selected one of the optical disks of the multiple types and which rotates the optical disk; an optical pickup for irradiating the optical disk, which has been loaded into the driving mechanism, with a converged light beam, thereby generating an electrical signal based on light that has been reflected from the optical disk, the optical pickup comprising a first light source for emitting a light beam for the first type of optical disk and a second light source for emitting a light beam for the second type of optical disk; and a control section for controlling operations of the driving mechanism and the optical pickup, wherein the control section controls a focusing operation of the optical pickup such that the focal point of the light beam for the first type of optical disk is located right on the information storage layer of the optical disk in the innermost area of the optical disk, and wherein after a focus servo control has been activated such that the focal point of the light beam for the first type of optical disk is located on the information storage layer of the optical disk, the control section moves the optical pickup in a disk radial direction while the focus servo control is being activated, and makes the driving mechanism stop the rotation of the optical disk if the optical disk which has been loaded into the driving mechanism is not the first type of optical disk properly loaded with the light-incoming side surface opposed to the optical pickup.