Patent ID: 7085210
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical disc drive, which performs an OPC operation in which a signal is recorded in a predetermined test area on an optical disc using a plurality of recording power levels, and an optimum recording power level and an optimum strength level of a reflected light from a pit portion are determined according to the characteristic values obtained from a reproduced signal from said predetermined test area, and which performs a running OPC operation in which the recording power level is adjusted so as to make a strength level of the reflected light from the pit portion during recording equal to an aimed strength level of the reflected light, comprising: an OPC control unit that has an average level calculator and an optimum strength level setting unit, wherein said average level calculator, during the OPC operation, divides said predetermined test area into a first area consisting of a plurality of first frames and a second area consisting of a plurality of second frames that are placed at various angular locations alone a circumference of said optical disc, performs recording of the first and second areas using the same plurality of recording power levels such that the first and second frames placed at various angular locations on said optical disc are recorded with the same recording power levels, and calculates an average strength level of the reflected light from the first and second frames for each of the same recording power levels, and said optimum strength level setting unit sets the optimum strength level corresponding to said optimum recording power level based on the calculated average strength levels, and