Patent ID: 6879554

Claim:
An apparatus for reproducing information recorded on a disc, comprising: a reading device that reads information recorded on said disc, wherein said reading device transmits a reproduction signal towards said disc such that said reproduction signal reflects off of said disc to produce a reflected reproduction signal and wherein said reading device outputs a read signal based on said reflected reproduction signal; a turning device that turns said disc; and a controller which controls said turning device to turn said disc, and positions said reading device at a first position within a non-program area of said disc and instructs said reading device to focus said reproduction signal on said disc as said disc turns, wherein, said controller determines if said read signal output from said reading device has a valid signal level when said reading device is positioned at said first position, when said disc is turning, wherein, if said read signal does not have the valid signal level when said reading device is positioned at said first position, said controller moves said reading device to a second position within a program area of said disc while said reproduction signal remains focused on said disc, when said disc is turning, and wherein said controller determines if said read signal output from said reading device has a valid signal level when said reading device is positioned at said second position.