Patent ID: 7599256

Claim:
A method of reproducing an information signal from a removable recording medium by using a pickup device, comprising the steps of: searching one of (1) a reproduced signal reproduced from the recording medium by the pickup device and (2) control information related to the reproduced signal in a first search range for first information; detecting an optimum condition of a reproducing operation of the pickup device with respect to the recording medium on the basis of the first information; deciding whether or not detecting an optimum condition of the reproducing operation of the pickup device with respect to the recording medium on the basis of the first information has been successful; searching one of (1) the reproduced signal and (2) the control information related to the reproduced signal in a second search range different from the first search range for second information in cases where it is decided that detecting an optimum condition of the reproducing operation of the pickup device with respect to the recording medium on the basis of the first information has not been successful; and detecting an optimum condition of the reproducing operation of the pickup device with respect to the recording medium on the basis of the second information; wherein the second information corresponds to at least one arbitrarily selected from predetermined parameters.