Patent ID: 7359300

Claim:
A recording condition determining method realized in an information recording apparatus that records information on an information recording medium using an optical beam emitted from a light source, the method comprising: a first step of determining whether an optimal recording power of the light source is greater than a preset threshold value based on at least one of a result of test writing on the information recording medium and a result of receiving reflected light from the information recording medium during recording; a second step of selecting according to a predetermined selection criterion at least one of a plurality of choices including a choice of not changing the optimum recording power, said second step being realized when it is determined in the first step that the optimum recording power exceeds the threshold value; and a third step of establishing a recording condition based on the selected choice, wherein the selection criterion corresponds to a criterion of selecting the choice of not changing the optimum recording power if an estimation of an influence on a service life of the light source does not exceed a predetermined level.