KR100765779B1 - Recording/reproducing method - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical recording medium, a recording / reproducing method, and a recording / reproducing apparatus, which enable to quickly determine an optimum recording / reproducing condition.

The recording method according to the present invention includes the step of recording a predetermined reference signal in a recordable area of the optical recording medium under an optimum recording condition determined for an optimal reproduction operation for the optical recording medium. According to the present invention as described above, even if a separate OPC is not performed in the recording / reproducing apparatus, an optimal recording / reproducing condition can be quickly set using the reference signal.

Description

Recording / Playback method {Recording / reproducing method}

1 is a diagram showing a double layer information storage medium consisting of two recording layers recorded in an OTP method according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a double layer information storage medium composed of two recording layers recorded in a PTP method according to the prior art; FIG.

3 is a disc structure diagram showing a data structure of a lead-in area of an information storage medium according to the prior art;

4 is a reference diagram for explaining a method of determining an optimal recording / reproducing condition of an information storage medium according to the present invention;

5 is a diagram showing an example of a single recording layer information storage medium according to the present invention;

6 is a diagram showing an example of a dual recording layer information storage medium according to the present invention;

7 is a schematic block diagram of a configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention;

8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the recording / reproducing method according to the present invention.

The present invention relates to an optical recording medium, a recording / reproducing method for recording / reproducing data on an optical recording medium, and a recording / reproducing apparatus.

In general, an optical disk is widely used as an information recording medium of an optical pickup device for recording / reproducing information in a non-contact manner, and is classified into a compact disk (CD) and a digital versatile disk (DVD) according to the information recording capacity. do. In addition, optical discs capable of recording, erasing, and reproducing include 650MB CD-R, CD-RW, 4.7GB DVD + RW, and the like, and only 650MB CD, 4.7GB DVD-ROM, and the like. Furthermore, HD DVDs or BDs with recording capacity of 15GB or more have been developed, and even larger discs, such as Super Rens discs using super-resolution playback technology or discs using the near field and hologram principle, are also available. Development is in progress.

The optical recording / reproducing apparatus for recording / reproducing the CD-based optical disc and the DVD-based optical disc records information on the optical disc by irradiating a relatively large energy light beam that can change the physical properties of the information recording layer. In addition, information is reproduced from the optical disk by using a light beam of small energy that does not change the physical properties of the information recording layer. That is, during recording, information is recorded by driving the laser diode at a relatively high recording power to form pits on the optical disk. The formation of pits by a fixed length on a disk is called a write strategy.

When recording information on a recordable optical disc such as a CD-R / RW, the optical disc recording / reproducing apparatus performs an Optimal Power Control (OPC) process for determining an appropriate recording power for the disc. To this end, a recordable optical disc includes a PCA (Power Calibration Area), which is an area for determining recording power, in the lead-in area of the disc.

Now, the general structure of the optical record information storage medium according to the prior art will be briefly introduced.

1 shows a dual layer information storage medium consisting of two recording layers, which are recorded in an OTP manner according to the prior art.

The information storage medium consists of two recording layers L0 and L1. L0 consists of a lead-in area 10, a data area 11, and an intermediate area 12, and L1 consists of an intermediate area 13, a data area 14, and a lead-out area 15. . The information storage medium shown in FIG. 1 records by the OTP (Opposite Track Path) method, records L0 from the inner circumference to the outer circumference, and L1 indicates the method of recording from the outer circumference to the inner circumference.

Fig. 2 shows a dual layer information storage medium consisting of two recording layers recorded in the PTP method according to the prior art.

The information storage medium consists of two recording layers L0 and L1. L0 consists of a lead-in area 10, a data area 11, and an intermediate area 12, and L1 consists of an intermediate area 13, a data area 14, and a lead-out area 15. . The information storage medium shown in FIG. 2 records in a PTP (Parallel Track Path) method, and indicates a method in which both L0 and L1 record in the same direction.

3 is a disk structure diagram showing a data structure of a lead-in area of an information storage medium according to the prior art.

Referring to FIG. 3, an information storage medium includes a lead-in area 20 located at an inner circumference, a lead-out area 40 located at an outer circumference, and a data area 30 in which user data is recorded between the lead-in area and a lead-out area. ).

The lead-in area 20 includes a pre-recorded area 21 in which information is pre-recorded in such a manner that the information cannot be changed, and a recordable area 31 in which the recorded information can be modified. )

The pre-recorded area 21 is a control data area 22 which is used for reproduction only and contains information related to the disc. The disc type and version information 23, the disc size 24, the disc structure 25, The recording speed 26, the recording parameters 27, and the like are recorded.

The recordable area 31 includes a buffer 32, a defect management area 33, a test area 34, and a drive / disk status information area 35. The buffer 32 is an area provided to provide a clearance between the pre-recorded area 21 and the recordable area 31.

The defect management area (DMA) 33 is an area in which defect management information is recorded to manage defects generated in the data area.

The test area 34 is an area where test recording is performed to find the optimum recording power. The test area is called the Power Calibration Area (PCA).

The drive / disk status information area 35 is an area in which status information of a drive or a disk is recorded.

As described above, the PCA is an area provided to find an optimal recording condition, that is, an optimal power level. The recording / reproducing apparatus changes the recording / reproducing conditions in order to determine the optimal recording / reproducing condition, and measures characteristics. It takes time because it has to be done. In other words, the optimum recording condition depends a lot on the characteristics of the recording medium and the recording / reproducing apparatus. Similarly, optimal servo conditions such as focus position, tracking position, gain, etc., which determine various servo operations during recording / reproduction, and optimum reproduction signal processing conditions such as equalization characteristics and binarization slice levels are also determined by the characteristics of the medium and the recording / reproducing apparatus. It depends a lot.

Therefore, each time the recording / reproducing apparatus is activated for recording on the optical recording medium mounted therein, test recording is performed while changing the recording / reproducing conditions such as the reproducing processing signal conditions such as pulse conditions and servo conditions. At this time, the quality of the reproduced signal is compared with a predetermined criterion to determine the optimal recording / reproducing condition, and information recording is performed based on the optimum recording / reproducing condition. In this case, there is a problem that the waiting time is long because the operation of determining the optimum recording / reproducing condition is always required before the recording / reproducing operation to the disc. In addition, when there are a plurality of storage layers, since the optimal recording conditions of each layer must be found in the test area provided in each layer, the time is multiplied by the number of storage layers. Therefore, the disadvantage of having to wait a considerable time for the user to record the actual user data.

In addition, when only playback is performed without recording, for example, even when a write-once disc is finalized or prevented from being recorded, the frequency and gain of the EQ (Equalization) for optimum playback. You need to adjust the focus or adjust the optimal focusing. Therefore, even in such a case, an optimum regeneration condition must be found.

The present invention relates to an optical recording medium, a recording / reproducing method, and a recording / reproducing apparatus for solving the above problems so as to quickly determine an optimal recording / reproducing condition in order to minimize the waiting time before recording user data. .

One feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is, in the optical recording medium, a lead-in area, a data area, and a lead-out area are provided, the optimum recording / reproduction operation for the optical recording medium; And a reference signal area in which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under the optimum recording condition determined for the purpose.

The reference signal recorded in the reference signal region is preferably recorded so as to satisfy a predetermined modulation amplitude condition.

The reference signal recorded in the reference signal region is preferably recorded to satisfy a predetermined jitter condition.

The reference signal area is preferably provided in at least one recordable area of the lead-in area or the lead-out area.

The optical recording medium includes at least one recording layer, and each recording layer includes a reference signal area in which the reference signal is recorded under an optimal recording condition determined for an optimal recording / reproducing operation in the recording layer. desirable.

Preferably, the reference signal is recorded in a recording / reproducing apparatus in which the optical recording medium is first loaded.

Another aspect of the invention is a recording method comprising the steps of: recording a predetermined reference signal in a recordable area of the optical recording medium with an optimal recording condition determined for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. will be.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, in the recording / reproducing method, the reference signal area of the optical recording medium in which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under an optimal recording condition determined for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium is used. Reading a reference signal, determining an optimal recording / reproducing condition for an optimal recording / reproducing operation using the read reference signal, and using the determined optimal recording / reproducing condition on the optical recording medium. Recording the data or reproducing the data from the optical recording medium.

The reading step reads a reference signal from a reference signal area in the recording layer for each recording layer of the optical recording medium having at least one recording layer, and the determining step comprises using the read reference signal for each recording layer. An optimal recording / reproducing condition for an optimal recording / reproducing operation is determined for each layer, and the recording / reproducing step records data in each recording layer or records each recording layer using the optimal recording / reproducing condition determined for each recording layer. It is desirable to reproduce the data from the layer.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, in a recording / reproducing method, a reference signal region of the optical recording medium on which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under an optimal recording condition determined for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium is determined. And when a reference signal is not recorded in the reference signal area, recording a predetermined reference signal in the reference signal area under an optimal recording condition for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. If a reference signal is recorded in the reference signal region, the optimal recording / reproducing condition for the optimal recording / reproducing operation is determined by using the reference signal read out from the reference signal region, and the determined optimal recording / reproducing condition Recording data on or reproducing data from the optical recording medium using a recording medium; It will be included.

A still further aspect of the present invention provides a recording apparatus comprising: a recording unit for recording data on an optical recording medium, and optically recording a predetermined reference signal with an optimal recording condition determined for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. And a control unit for controlling the recording unit to record in a recordable area of the medium.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: a recording / reading unit for recording data to or reading data from an optical recording medium, and an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. Control the recording / reading unit to read the reference signal from the reference signal region of the optical recording medium on which the predetermined reference signal is recorded under the optimum recording condition determined for the purpose, and perform an optimal recording / reproducing operation by using the read reference signal. And a control unit for determining an optimal recording / reproducing condition for controlling the recording / reading unit to record data to or reproduce data from the optical recording medium using the determined optimal recording / reproducing condition. .

The control unit controls the recording / reading unit to read a reference signal from the reference signal region in the recording layer for each recording layer of the optical recording medium having at least one recording layer, and uses the read reference signal to Determine an optimal recording / reproducing condition for an optimal recording / reproducing operation for each recording layer, and record data in or reproducing data from each recording layer using the optimum recording / reproducing conditions determined for each recording layer. It is preferable to control the recording / reading section.

Still another aspect of the present invention provides a recording / reproducing apparatus, comprising: a recording / reading unit for recording data to or reading data from an optical recording medium, and an optimal recording / reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. Determining a reference signal area of the optical recording medium on which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under an optimal recording condition determined for the purpose, and when the reference signal is not recorded in the reference signal area, optimal recording / The recording / reading unit is controlled to record a predetermined reference signal in the reference signal area as an optimal recording condition for a reproduction operation, and when a reference signal is recorded in the reference signal area, the reference read out from the reference signal area. Determine the optimal recording / reproducing conditions for the optimal recording / reproducing operation by using the signal, and Record data on the optical recording medium by using a raw condition or to a control unit for controlling the recording / reading unit to reproduce data from the optical recording medium.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object will be described in detail.

4 is a reference diagram for explaining a method of determining an optimal recording / reproducing condition of an information storage medium according to the present invention.

The optical disc 50 according to the present invention includes a test area 58 and a reference signal area 56 in the lead-in area. The test area 58 is an area for testing so as to obtain an optimal recording / reproducing condition for optimally recording or reproducing data on the optical disc loaded with the disc drive, and the reference signal area 56 is an optimal recording obtained as described above. It is an area for recording predetermined reference data under conditions.

When the optical disc used for the first time is loaded into the initial loading disc drive 41, the disc drive records data in the test area 58 of the loaded optical disc 50 to test recording conditions, and to set the optimum recording / playback conditions. Decide The reference data is recorded in the reference signal area 56 provided in the optical disc 50 under the determined optimal recording condition.

When the optical disc 50 containing the reference signal recorded in the reference signal area 56 at the optimal recording condition is loaded in the other disk drive 42, the other disk drive 42 is stored in the reference signal area 56. The recorded reference signal is reproduced to determine the optimum recording / reproducing condition, and data is recorded on the optical disc 50 or the data recorded from the optical disc 50 is reproduced with the determined optimal recording / reproducing condition.

In this way, if only the disc drive where the optical disc is loaded for the first time performs an OPC process or the like to find an optimal recording / playback condition and records the reference signal in the reference signal area of the optical disc under the optimal recording / playback condition, the second and subsequent In order to determine the optimal recording / playback conditions, the disc drive of the disc drive does not need to record and play back the data in the test area and test it again. In the second and subsequent disc drives, it is possible to save time to determine the optimal recording / playback conditions.

5 shows an example of a single recording layer information storage medium according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, an information storage medium 50 according to the present invention includes a lead-in area 51, a data area 52, and a lead-out area 53.

The recordable area 54 of the lead-in area 51 includes a buffer 55, a reference signal area 56, a defect management area 57, a test area 58, and a drive / disk status information area ( 59).

Similar to the disc structure according to the prior art shown in FIG. 3, except that the information storage medium according to the present invention has a reference signal region 56 in which a reference signal is recorded under an optimum recording condition determined by a recording / reproducing condition test. The difference is provided in the recordable area 54 of the phosphorus area. The reference signal region 56 may be provided in the leadout region.

The reference signals recorded in the reference signal area 56 are signals useful for equalization condition setting, servo condition setting, binarization condition setting, pulse condition setting, and the like.

In addition, it is most preferable that such a reference signal is recorded after the disc is first inserted into the drive, and it is more preferable that a certain condition is satisfied for the recorded signal to be usefully used. An example is as follows.

① After the OPC (Optimum Power Control) operation is completed, record at the optimum recording condition ② Satisfy the modulation amplitude> 0.3 of recorded signal ③ Jitter <7% of the recorded signal

In other words, one of the three conditions listed above should be recorded. Also, the optimal recording condition of ① may be determined to satisfy the signal characteristics of ② or ③.

In particular, while the modulation and jitter conditions are set to 0.3 and 7% under the above conditions, these characteristics must satisfy the standard values specified in the standards corresponding to the respective storage media.

In addition, a random pattern is preferable for the recording pattern of the reference signal recorded in the reference signal area, and when recording for a special purpose such as modulation degree measurement, a special pattern may be recorded instead of the random pattern. For example, in case of RLL (1-7) modulation, only 2T and 8T can be used for recording.

6 shows an example of a dual recording layer information storage medium according to the present invention.

When the information storage medium has a plurality of recording layers, the optimum recording / reproducing conditions are different for each recording layer. Therefore, the dual recording layer information storage medium according to the present invention has a reference signal area in which a reference signal is recorded under an optimum recording condition for each recording layer.

Referring to FIG. 6, the dual recording layer information storage medium has two recording layers L0 and L1, where L0 is made up of a lead-in area 60, a data area 61, and an intermediate area 62, where L1 is It consists of an intermediate region 65, a data region 66, and a lead-out region 67. When the information storage medium consisting of two recording layers is loaded into the recording / reproducing apparatus for the first time, the first recording / reproducing apparatus performs the recording / reproducing test in the test area # 0 (63) provided in the lead-in area 60 of L0. An optimal recording / reproducing condition is determined, and a predetermined reference signal is recorded in the reference signal region # 0 (64) under the determined optimal recording condition. The first recording / reproducing apparatus also performs a recording / reproducing test in the test area # 1 (63) provided in the lead-out area 67 of L1 to determine the optimal recording / reproducing condition, and determines the predetermined recording condition with the determined optimal recording condition. The reference signal is recorded in the reference signal area # 1 (64).

In this way, when an information storage medium in which a reference signal suitable for the recording layer is recorded in the reference signal region for each recording layer in an optimal recording condition is loaded into another recording / reproducing apparatus, the other recording / reproducing apparatus is used for each recording layer. The reference signal is reproduced from the reference signal area provided in the to determine the optimum recording / reproducing condition for each recording layer.

7 is a schematic block diagram of a configuration of a recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 7, the recording / reproducing apparatus includes a spindle motor 70, an optical head 71, a laser driver 72, a servo controller 73, an amplifier 74, and an equalizer 75. ), A binarization circuit 76, a data demodulation unit 77, a data modulation unit 78, a pulse control unit 79, and a control unit 5, and as a part for setting recording / reproducing conditions The servo condition setting unit 1, the equalization condition setting unit 2, the binarization condition setting unit 3, and the pulse condition setting unit 4 are included.

The spindle motor 70 rotates the optical disc 50 mounted in the recording / reproducing apparatus. The control unit 5 controls the entire recording / reproducing apparatus. The data modulator 78 converts data to be recorded into a recording signal. The pulse control unit 79 controls the laser pulse in accordance with the pulse condition. The laser driver 72 drives the laser diode in accordance with a signal from the pulse controller 79. The optical head 71 including the laser diode focuses the laser beam on the optical disk 50 to record information on the optical disk 50 or to generate a reproduction signal from the light reflected from the optical disk 50.

The servo controller 73 controls the focusing and tracking of the optical head 71 according to the servo condition based on the signal output from the amplifier 74. The amplifier 74 amplifies the reproduction signal output from the optical head 71. The equalizer 75 corrects the frequency characteristic of the reproduction signal output from the amplifier 74. The binarization circuit 76 converts the signal modified by the equalizer 75 into a binary signal. The data demodulator 77 demodulates the data output from the binarization circuit 76.

The servo condition setting unit 1 sets the servo condition in the servo control unit 73. The equalization condition setting unit 2 sets equalization conditions to the equalizer 75. The binarization condition setting unit 3 sets the binarization slice level in the binarization circuit 76. The pulse condition setting unit 4 sets a pulse condition when information is recorded.

8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of a recording / reproducing method according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, a disk is first loaded into a drive 81.

When the optical disk 50 is mounted to the drive, it is rotated by the spindle motor 70. Subsequently, a laser beam for reproducing information is radiated onto the optical disc 50 by the optical head 71. By accessing the lead-in area in the disc 50, identification information and the like of the disc recorded in the lead-in area are read. The reproduction signal obtained by the optical head 71 from the light beam reflected from the disk 50 to read the identification information or the like is amplified by the amplifier 74 and the equalizer 75 in which a predetermined equalization condition is set. This modifies the frequency characteristics of the signal. The signal is then binarized by the binarization circuit 76 set to a predetermined binarization slice level. The binarized signal as described above is demodulated by the data demodulator 77 and then sent to the controller 5. The servo controller 73 controls the focusing and tracking of the optical head 71 based on the signal output from the amplifier 74 in accordance with the set servo condition. By this operation, the disc identification information recorded in the lead-in area of the optical disc 50 is transmitted to the controller 5.

Next, the reference signal area provided on the disc is read (82). The reference signal area is an area containing a reference signal recorded under an optimal recording condition in accordance with the present invention. The reference signal area is accessed and the reference signal is read by the same operation as the lead-in area is accessed and the identification information is read.

The reference signal area in the disc is accessed, and the focusing or tracking is controlled by the optical head under a preset servo condition of the servo control unit 73. The reproduction signal obtained by the optical head 71 from the laser beam reflected from the disk is amplified by the amplifier 74 and the frequency characteristic is corrected by the equalizer 75 in which equalization conditions are set in advance. The reproduction signal is then binarized by the binarization circuit 76 in which the binarization slice level is preset. The binarized signal as described above is demodulated and supplied to the controller 5.

Next, it is determined whether the reference signal is recorded (83).

That is, the controller 5 determines whether the reference signal is recorded from the supplied binarized signal.

If the reference signal is not recorded, the recording condition is tested in the test area provided on the disc to determine the optimum recording / reproducing condition (84).

First, the pulse condition setting unit 4 sets the pulse condition in the pulse control unit 79 according to a preset condition or a condition specified by the identification information in the disk, and the servo condition setting unit 1 in the servo control unit 73. The servo condition is set, the equalization condition setting unit 2 sets the equalization condition in the equalizer 75, and the binarization condition setting unit 3 sets the binarization slice level in the binarization circuit 76.

Subsequently, the test data for the predetermined write test output from the controller 5 is converted into a recording signal by the modulator 78, and the converted write signal satisfies the pulse condition set by the pulse controller 79. It is converted into a drive signal. The laser driver 72 drives the laser diode of the optical head 71 according to the laser drive signal. The optical head 71 in which focusing and tracking are controlled by the servo control unit 73 focuses the light emitted from the laser diode to form a mark in the test area of the optical disc 50 to record information.

In this manner, the reproduction signal of the data recorded as a test on the disc is amplified by the amplifier 74, and the frequency characteristic is corrected by the equalizer 75. Then, the jitter value (position variation of the reproduction signal relative to the reference clock) of the signal binarized by the binarization circuit 76 is measured by the control unit 5, and this value is compared with a preset standard value. If the jitter value satisfies the standard value, the optimum condition is determined. On the other hand, if the jitter value does not meet the standard value, the pulse condition, servo condition, equalization condition, and binarization slice level are changed continuously, and the test data is recorded as a test and recorded data. The jitter value is measured. This process is repeated until the jitter value satisfies the standard value to determine the optimal recording / reproducing condition.

Next, the reference signal is recorded in the reference signal area under the determined optimal recording condition (85).

The condition setting section is set to the optimum recording condition determined as described above. That is, the pulse condition setting unit 4 sets the pulse condition according to the optimum recording condition to the pulse controller 79, and the servo condition setting unit 1 sets the servo condition according to the optimum recording condition to the servo controller 73. The equalization condition setting unit 2 sets the equalization condition according to the optimal recording condition to the equalizer 75, and the binarization condition setting unit 3 sets the binarization slice level according to the optimal recording condition to the binarization circuit 76. Set it.

The reference data output from the control section 5 is converted into a recording signal by the modulating section 78 and the recording signal is converted into a laser drive signal satisfying the pulse condition set by the pulse control section 79. The recording pattern of the reference data is preferably a random pattern. In the case of recording for a special purpose, for example, a modulation degree measurement or the like, a special pattern may be recorded instead of the random pattern. For example, in case of RLL (1-7) modulation, only 2T and 8T may be recorded.

The laser driver 72 drives the laser diode provided to the optical head 71 according to the laser drive signal to form a mark in the reference signal region of the optical disc 50 to record the reference signal.

Next, the user data is recorded / reproduced in the determined optimum recording condition (86).

Similarly to the method of recording the reference signal in the reference signal area above, the user data is recorded in the data area of the optical disc under the determined optimal recording condition, and the data recorded under the optimum reproduction condition is reproduced.

In step 83, if a reference signal is recorded in the reference signal area, the reference signal is reproduced to determine an optimum recording / reproducing condition (87).

Since the reference signal for finding the optimum recording / reproducing condition has already been recorded, it is sufficient to determine the optimum recording / reproducing condition by reproducing the reference signal recorded in the reference signal area.

Then, the user data is recorded / reproduced in the data area of the disc under the determined optimal recording condition (86).

So far I looked at the center of the preferred embodiment for the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. The scope of the present invention is shown not in the above description but in the claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

Thus, according to the present invention as described above, by recording a reference signal to a specific position of at least one of the lead-in area or the lead-out area of the optical information storage medium, even if the disk recorded in this way enters another disk drive Even if the OPC is not performed, the optimum recording / reproducing condition can be quickly set using the reference signal.

In addition, even when only playback is performed, it is possible to perform EQ gain and frequency adjustment or optimal focusing adjustment using the reference signal recorded on the disc.

Claims (12)

In the recording method, And recording a predetermined reference signal in a recordable area of the optical recording medium under an optimum recording condition determined for an optimal reproducing operation for the optical recording medium. The method of claim 1, And the reference signal is used for EQ gain or frequency adjustment or for optimal focusing adjustment. The method of claim 1, The recording step, And recording the reference signal so as to satisfy a predetermined modulation amplitude condition. The method of claim 1, The recording step is. And recording the reference signal so as to satisfy a predetermined jitter condition. The method of claim 1, The recording step, And recording the reference signal in at least one recordable area of a lead-in area or lead-out area provided in the optical recording medium. The method of claim 1, The recording step, And the reference signal is recorded for each optical recording medium including at least one recording layer under an optimal recording condition determined for optimum reproduction operation in the recording layer. The method of claim 1, And the reference signal is recorded by a recording / reproducing apparatus in which the optical recording medium is first loaded. In the reproduction method, Reading out the reference signal from a reference signal area of the optical recording medium on which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under an optimum recording condition determined for an optimal reproducing operation for the optical recording medium; Determining an optimum reproduction condition for an optimum reproduction operation by using the read reference signal; And reproducing data from the optical recording medium using the determined optimum reproduction condition. The method of claim 8, And the reference signal is used for EQ gain or frequency adjustment or for optimal focusing adjustment. According to claim 8, In the reading step, for each recording layer of the optical recording medium having at least one recording layer, the reference signal is read out from the reference signal region in the recording layer, In the determining step, by using the read reference signal to determine the optimum reproduction condition for the optimum reproduction operation for each recording layer, And the reproducing step includes reproducing data from each recording layer using an optimum reproduction condition determined for each recording layer. In the reproduction method, Determining a reference signal region of the optical recording medium on which a predetermined reference signal is recorded under an optimum recording condition determined for an optimal reproducing operation for the optical recording medium; If a reference signal is not recorded in the reference signal area, recording a predetermined reference signal in the reference signal area under an optimal recording condition for an optimal reproduction operation for the optical recording medium; When a reference signal is recorded in the reference signal region, an optimal reproduction condition for an optimal reproduction operation is determined by using a reference signal read out from the reference signal region, and the optical recording medium is determined using the determined optimum reproduction condition. Reproducing the data from the data reproducing method. The method of claim 11, And the reference signal is used for EQ gain or frequency adjustment or for optimal focusing adjustment.

Images