Patent ID: 7277363

Claim:
Magneto-optical recording or reproducing device comprising an information erasing means, which erases information previously recorded for reproduction by the reproducing device, and, in the case of recording information, a writing device, formed from a writing magnet and an optical scanning device, for overwriting information or data recorded on a magneto-optical recording medium, wherein the information erasing means is formed by an erasing magnet moving with the optical scanning device and having a magnetic field which is directed opposite to the magnet of the writing device, the information erasing means is connected with the optical scanning device for moving with the optical scanning device to one of erase, and erase and initialize the magneto-optical recording medium only in a limited region moving with the optical scanning device upstream of a track to be written directly before the recording of new information or data and has a field strength sufficient to initialize the magneto-optical recording medium and to erase information previously stored in a recording layer on the magneto-optical recording medium facing the optical scanning device without the assistance of a laser for directly overwriting information or data recorded on a magneto-optical recording medium at high data rate without a magneto-optical writing device for erasing recorded information or data.