Patent ID: 7158457

Claim:
An optical disk device which performs recording on an optical disk by making a recording speed at an outer part of the optical disk higher than a recording speed at an inner part of the optical disk, the optical disk device comprising: determination means for providing an output signal corresponding to a determination that a test recording at a test recording area of a most inner area of the optical disk cannot be performed at a required recording speed; first optimum recording power calculation means responsive to said output signal for performing test recording at a first speed lower than a maximum recording speed which can be produced at the test recording area, the test recording at the first speed being performed by using a recording parameter which is determined based on the required recording speed, and calculating first optimum recording power corresponding to the first speed; second optimum recording power calculation means responsive to said output signal for performing test recording at a second speed lower than the maximum recording speed which can be produced at the test recording area, the test recording at the second speed being performed by using the recording parameter which is determined based on the required recording speed, and calculating second optimum recording power corresponding to the second speed, wherein the second speed is different from the first speed; and estimation means for estimating optimum recording power corresponding to the required recording speed based on the first calculated optimum recording power and the second calculated optimum recording power, wherein recording at the required recording speed is performed at the estimated optimum recording power by the optical disk device.