Patent ID: 7492693

Claim:
An optical recording/reproducing apparatus for recording or reproducing information on/from a recording medium, comprising: a laser light source; an optical output control unit for controlling an output of a laser beam emitted from the laser light source; a photodetector that is capable of receiving the laser beam from the laser light source and outputs an electronic signal in accordance with the received laser beam; a beam splitter for separating the laser beam from the laser light source into a first laser beam to be directed onto the photodetector and a second laser beam to be directed onto the recording medium; a transmission amount variation unit for adjusting a transmission amount of the laser beam from the laser light source; a transmission amount control unit for controlling the transmission amount variation unit; a characteristic detection unit for detecting a characteristic value of the first laser beam when the photodetector receives the first laser beam; and a judgment unit for judging whether or not the transmission amount variation unit is operated in accordance with a control signal output from the transmission amount control unit by using the characteristic value from the characteristic detection unit, wherein the judgment unit performs error processing when the judgment unit judges the transmission amount variation unit is not operated in accordance with the control signal output from the transmission amount control unit.