Optical information recording and reproducing system with overwrite capability and recording medium for use therewith

摘要

The present invention relates to a recording and reproducing method and apparatus for an optical disk of the phase transition type that can be overwritten. According to this invention, the capacity of repeated rewriting of the optical disk is expanded by recording either non-inverted write data or inverted write data at random. The deterioration due to the repeated rewriting at a start point and an end point of the recording is suppressed by recording a synchronizing signal before the write data and/or dummy data after the write data in the way such that thermal stress is less likely to occur. A record end position can be determined precisely by detecting a stop pulse to stop recording.