Patent ID: 7813246

Claim:
An optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: a first table, a second table and a third table, each of the tables configured to receive an optical disc; an optical disc recording unit including a first rotating unit to rotate the first table and a recording optical head to record data on the optical disc by irradiating a laser beam onto the optical disc placed on the first table; an optical disc reproducing unit including a second rotating unit to rotate the second table and a reproducing optical head to reproduce data recorded by the optical disc recording unit by irradiating a laser beam onto the optical disc placed on the second table; an optical disc exchanging unit including an ejecting mechanism to eject the optical disc placed on the third table from the third table; an optical disc moving unit to move the optical disc placed on the first table to the second table and move the optical disc placed on the second table to the third table, the optical disc moving unit including an optical disc moving table having at least three holes where at least three optical discs can be placed with the prescribed distance apart; a moving table moving unit to move the optical disc moving table above the first table, the second table and the third table; a working table moving unit to move the first table, the second table and the third table relatively to the hole in an axial direction of the optical disc to be placed in the hole; and a movement control unit to control movement of the optical disc moving table by the moving table moving unit in such a way that the holes of the optical disc moving table are respectively located above the first table, the second table and the third table sequentially, and control the working table moving unit so as to perform a first operation that projects the first table, the second table and the third table from the holes of the optical disc moving table when the holes are located above the first table, the second table and the third table, and second operation that buries the first table, the second table and the third table projected from the holes by the first operation into the holes; and an operation control unit to control operation of the optical disc recording unit, the optical disc reproducing unit and the optical disc exchanging unit so as to perform recording of data onto the optical disc placed on the first table by the optical disc recording unit, reproduction of data recorded on the optical disc placed on the second table by the optical disc reproducing unit, and ejection of the optical disc placed on the third table by the optical disc exchanging unit in parallel, wherein the tables are arranged in such a way that the first table is adjacent to the second table at a prescribed distance apart, and the second table is adjacent to the third table at the same prescribed distance apart.