System for playing back information recorded on a disk recording medium with an improved discrimination and playback start operation

Claim 1

An invention, comprising: a pickup device for reading information recorded on a recording medium having a program area on which a lead-in code and a lead-out code are recorded respectively at the beginning and the end of the program area, and carrying a record program in which an indication code from which the type of said recording medium can be determined is inserted periodically; data extracting means connected to said pickup means for extracting data from said information recorded on said recording medium and producing a data signal; code discrimination means connected to said data extracting means for identifying said lead-in code, lead-out code, and said indication code contained in said data signal; drive means connected to said pickup device for moving an information reading point of said pickup device across said program area of said recording medium; and control means connected to said code discrimination means and operating said drive means in response to the operation of said code discrimination means, said control means having a first operation mode for causing said drive means to rapidly move said information reading point of said pickup device across said program area from a start point in a first direction in response to a start command signal when said lead-in code is identified by said code discrimination means, a second operation mode for causing said drive means to move said information reading point of said pickup device across said program area in a second direction opposite to said first direction when said lead-out code is identified by said code discrimination means when said information reading point is moved in said first direction by said first operation of said control means, and a third operation mode for causing said drive means to locate said information reading point at a program start point of said program area when said indication code is identified by said code discrimination means during said first operation mode or said second operation mode of said control means.