Patent ID: 7462855

Claim:
An optical recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing an optical recording medium by irradiating light from a light source to the optical recording medium as near-field light from a near-field light irradiating unit, comprising: a light source configured to emit light; a near-field light irradiating unit configured to irradiate light from said light source to an optical recording medium as near-field light; a first light-receiving unit configured to receive and detect returned light from said optical recording medium; a second light-receiving unit configured to receive and detect returned light from said near-field light irradiating unit, and generate a plurality of detection signals from said detected returned light from said near-field light irradiating unit; a control unit configured to generate a plurality of gap detection signals by combining said plurality of detection signals of said second light-receiving unit, detect a relative skew between said optical recording medium and said near-field light irradiating unit based on the plurality of gap detection signals; and a drive control unit for outputting a drive signal to correct a skew of at least said near-field light irradiating unit to a drive unit in response to a skew detected in said control unit.