Patent ID: 8045424

Claim:
A reading method for an optical disk drive, which reads data on a track of an optical disk, the method comprising the steps of: (1) receiving a command to read required data; (2) setting the required data on a target track of the optical disk; (3) calculating a moving distance from a current position to the target track; (4) determining whether the moving distance is longer than a predetermined value, and selecting a movement of track jumping and then entering step (5) if the moving distance is longer than the predetermined value, or otherwise selecting a movement of track skipping and then entering the step (5); and (5) moving an optical head to the target track according to the selected movement to read the required data and to respond to the command, wherein the predetermined value in step (4) is estimated by estimating a time for the movement of the track jumping based on a position verifying operation, a track unlocking operation, an open loop switching operation, a track jumping operation, a closed-loop switching operation, a track locking operation and a target track arrival verifying operation, estimating the number of tracks that may be passed by the movement of track skipping in the estimated time under a known rotating speed of the optical disk, and converting the number of tracks into a radial distance according to a track pitch so as to estimate the predetermined value.