Patent ID: 7142488
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. An optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an optical pickup adapted to emit a laser beam to record or reproduce information on or from an optical disk, and to output a reproducing signal in accordance with a reflected light received from the optical disk; a first error rate measuring part adapted to measure a first error rate in a state where a balance position of a tracking error signal contained in the reproducing signal is adjusted in the center; a second error rate measuring part adapted to measure a second error rate in a state where the balance position of the tracking error signal is shifted off in a plus direction from the center, when the first error rate is outside a permissible range; a third error rate measuring part adapted to measure a third error rate in a state where the balance position of the tracking error signal is shifted off in a minus direction from the center, when the first error rate is outside the permissible range; an error rate detecting part adapted to detect an error rate that is smaller by comparing the second error rate and the third error rate; a shift amount varying part adapted to vary a shift amount of the balance position of the tracking error signal in the plus direction and in the minus direction; and a controller adapted to control tracking over the optical disk, wherein when the error rate detected by the error rate detecting part indicates an improved error rate over the first error rate, the controller controls the tracking on the basis of a tracking error signal having a balance position shifted so as to correspond to the improved error rate.