Patent ID: 8159913

Claim:
An optical disc recording apparatus for recording a signal on an optical disc, the apparatus comprising: an optical head which records a signal by irradiating a laser beam onto a rotating optical disc to detect reflection of the laser beam; a light power controller which supplies, to the optical head, a test writing signal of a predetermined mark length or space length with varied laser power; a test writing signal detector which detects the number of error mark signals having a mark length or space length that is different from the predetermined mark length or space length of the test writing signal, from a detection signal of the optical head; and a controller which sets an optimal value of recording power based on the laser power value of the time when the number of error mark signals detected by the test writing signal detector is a predetermined amount, wherein: the test writing signal detector further detects an amplitude value of an envelope of the test writing signal from a detection signal of the optical head, and the controller obtains a first threshold of the erasing power based on the number of error mark signals detected by the test writing signal detector in a region where the laser power is low, obtains a second threshold of the erasing power based on an amplitude value detected by the test writing signal detector in a region where the laser power is high, sets an optimal value of the erasing power from an average value of the first and second thresholds, and sets an optimal value of erasing power using the optimal value of the recording power.