Patent ID: 7151724
Filing Date: 2006-12-19
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical disk recording apparatus for recording data to an optical disk, comprising: an optical disk recording medium wherein data is recorded in one or more spiral tracks, reading means for emitting a read beam onto said disk that operates exclusively at a first power level sufficient to read data from the optical disk and insufficient to record new data on the optical disk, writing means for emitting a plurality of write beams onto said disk that operate exclusively at a second power level sufficient to read data from the optical disk as well as record new data on the optical disk, and means for directing the read beam and write beams simultaneously onto the surface of the optical disk, wherein each of the beams is directed to a respective location on the optical disk, said locations being disposed collinearly along a radius of the optical disk and having a fixed, uniform spacing therebetween, said spacing corresponding to a spacing between respective tracks on the optical disk, and the read beam is constrained to be directed toward the innermost of said locations with respect to the radius of the optical disk.