Patent ID: 7313059

Claim:
A playback apparatus for reproducing data recorded on a disk medium by using an optical pickup, said playback apparatus comprising: RF signal generating means for generating an RF signal on the basis of an analog signal outputted by said optical pickup; data signal generating means for generating a data signal by binarizing said RF signal; defect signal generating means for generating a defect signal for indicating a defect on said disk medium on the basis of said RF signal; focus error signal generating means for generating a focus error signal on the basis of said analog signal outputted by said optical pickup; focus servo control means for controlling a focus servo of said optical pickup in response to said focus error signal; tracking error signal generating means for generating a tracking error signal on the basis of said analog signal outputted by said optical pickup; tracking servo control means for controlling a tracking servo of said optical pickup in response to said tracking error signal; monitoring means for monitoring said defect signal and thereby detecting a start and an end of a defect period; defect period processing control means for controlling said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means so that said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means perform defect period processing when a result of the monitoring by said monitoring means indicates said defect period, wherein the defect period processing includes controlling said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means so that at least one of said focus error signal and said tracking error signal of said optical pickup is held at a previous value; and post-defect period processing control means for controlling said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means so that said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means perform post-defect period processing when a result of the monitoring by said monitoring means indicates the end of said defect period, wherein the post-defect period processing includes controlling said focus servo control means and said tracking servo control means so that at least one of said focus servo and said tracking servo of said optical pickup is driven with an increased servo gain, wherein the post-defect period processing is ended and defect processing begins again when passage of a predetermined time after turning post-stage switches to the terminal side, wherein the post-defect period processing is ended and defect processing begins again with the passing of a reference level by the focus error signal and the tracking error signal, and wherein the post-defect period processing is ended and defect processing begins again with a reoccurrence of a defect state.