Apparatus for reading identification indication provided on an optical disc and method therefor

摘要

An apparatus for reading an identification indication such as a bar code provided on an optical disk is provided. The bar code is provided in at least a part of an annular-shaped bar code area formed between a program area and a clamping area of the optical disc, and the bar code represents predetermined information and has a reading end representation at the rear portion of the bar code in the rotational direction of the optical disc. The apparatus comprises a detector for optically acquiring the information of the bar code and a discriminating section for discriminating based on the output from the detector as to whether the bar code is accurately read. The discriminating section includes a first determining section for determining based on the output from the detector as to whether the data acquired by the detector contains data of the reading end representation or an equivalent thereof; and a second determining section for determining based on the result of the determination of the first determining section as to whether or not the data acquired by the detector reaches a predetermined amount of data of the bar code. The discriminating section discriminates that the bar code is accurately read in the case where the first determining section determines that the data acquired by the detector contains data of the reading end representation or an equivalent thereof, and the second determining section determines that the data acquired by the detector reaches the predetermined amount of data of the bar code.