DISCRIMINATING METHOD OF AN OPTICAL DISK, ESPECIALLY FOR IMPROVING A CAPACITY OF DECIDING A KIND OF THE OPTICAL DISK BY USING A SIGNAL OF AN OPTICAL BEAM RECEIVED IN AN OPTICAL DETECTOR

摘要

PURPOSE: A discriminating method of an optical disk is provided to increase the amount of received light by using entire sum signals of a light receiving plate, and to minimize a change in the amount of reflected light by using a sum signal of a side beam, thereby improving reliability on a deciding capacity. CONSTITUTION: When an optical disk is inserted into an optical information recording/reproducing device(101), an optical pickup is turned on while elements including a light source and an optical detector are driven(103). The optical detector detects sum signals of a light receiving plate(105). The optical detector compares an amplitude of the sum signals with a reference amplitude(107). If the amplitude of the sum signals is bigger than the reference amplitude, the optical detector decides that the optical disk is a reproduction-only disk(109). If the amplitude of the sum signals is smaller, the optical disk is decided as a recordable disk(111).