Patent ID: 7149168

Claim:
A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing data to and from an optical disc being loaded, said recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: recording/reproducing means for recording and reproducing data to and from said optical disc by emitting a laser beam to recording tracks on the loaded optical disc; transporting means for transporting said recording/reproducing means to a relevant recording track on said optical disc; error rate detecting means for detecting an error rate of the data reproduced from said optical disc; and laser beam intensity controlling means for controlling in intensity said laser beam emitted to said optical disc in accordance with said error rate resulting from the detection by said error rate detecting means, wherein said laser beam intensity controlling means has a first and a second threshold value, said first threshold value being used to determine whether said error rate detected by said error rate detecting means is at a normal level, said second threshold value being used to determine whether said error rate is at an irreparable level; and wherein, if said error rate is found falling between said first and said second threshold values, said laser beam intensity controlling means raises the intensity of said laser beam to a level higher than the intensity in effect when said error rate is smaller than said first threshold value.