Optical recording medium

Claim 2

An optical recording medium comprising: a substrate bearing at least a recording surface; linear continuous tracking tracks formed on said recording surface with a constant distance therebetween, which is equal to or larger than twice of the width of said tracking tracks; and recording areas capable of information recording by irradiation with a light beam, wherein each of said areas being positioned between two neighboring tracking tracks.

Claim 3

An optical recording medium according to Claim 1, wherein said recording medium is formed in the form of a card, and said tracking tracks are linear and mutually parallel.

Claim 4

A tracking signal detecting method adapted for use in information recording on or reproduction from an optical recording medium provided with tracking tracks arranged at a constant distance therebetween, comprising steps of: projecting at least a main beam onto an area between said tracking tracks and projecting at least two auxiliary beams in such a manner that they partly ride respectively different tracking tracks; causing said main and auxiliary beams to effect scanning motion along said tracking tracks and causing said main beam to record information on or reproduce information from said area; and detecting lights from spots of said auxiliary beams modulated by said tracking tracks and comparing thus obtained detection signals to provide a tracking signal for enabling said main beam to exactly scan said area.

Claim 5

A tracking signal detecting method adapted for use in information recording on or reproduction from an optical recording medium provided with tracking tracks arranged at a constant distance therebetween, comprising steps of: projecting at least a main beam onto an area between said tracking tracks and projecting at least two auxiliary beams in such a manner that they partly ride respectively different tracking tracks; causing said main and auxiliary beams to effect scanning motion along said tracking tracks and causing said main beam to record information on or reproduce information from said area; and detecting lights from spots of said auxiliary beams modulated by said tracking tracks and comparing thus obtained detection signals to provide a tracking signal for enabling said main beam to exactly scan said area.

Claim 6

A tracking signal detecting method according to Claim 3, wherein the scanning areas of said main and auxiliary beams on said medium do not mutually overlap in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.

Claim 7

A tracking signal detecting method according to Claim 3, wherein the width of said auxiliary beams in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction is larger than the width of said tracking track.

Claim 8

A tracking signal detecting method according to Claim 3, wherein each of said auxiliary beams is so projected that a half of the beam spot rides said tracking track.

Claim 9

A tracking signal detecting method according to Claim 3, wherein said auxiliary tracks are respectively projected on the tracking tracks of both sides neighboring the area scanned by said main beam.

Claim 10

A tracking signal detecting method according to Claim 7, wherein said auxiliary beams are respectively projected on the edges, closer to the area scanned by said main beam, of said tracking tracks.

Claim 11

An optical recording medium according to Claim 2, wherein said recording area is limited to an area narrower than said tracking tracks in the longitudinal direction thereof.

Claim 12

An optically readable recording medium comprising continuous tracking tracks with recording areas therebetween.

Claim 13

An optically readable recording medium comprising continuous tracking tracks with recording areas therebetween.