Optical recording apparatus

Claim 2

An optical recording apparatus for recording pulse signals on an optical recording medium, said pulse signals comprising pulses of several bit lengths representing information content, said apparatus comprising: pulse signal time length detecting means for detecting a length of an input pulse and determining whether said input pulse is longer than a predetermined length, and for outputting a control signal, said control signal having at least one of a first level and a second level based on a length of said input pulse, said first level indicating said input pulse is longer than said predetermined length and said second level indicating said input pulse is shorter than or equal to said predetermined length; control signal receiving means for receiving said control signal from said pulse signal time length detecting means, and for determining a level of said control signal; and pulse length altering means, coupled to said control signal receiving means, for selectively extending the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said control signal receiving means has said second level, and for shortening the length of said input pulses when said control signal outputted by said pulse signal time length detecting means and received by said control signal receiving means has said first level.

Claim 3

An optical recording apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recording medium has a plurality of recording positions in a radial direction of said recording medium for recording said input pulses thereon, and wherein a degree of extending and shortening said length of said input pulses is adjusted according to said recording positions of said input pulses on said recording medium in said radial direction of the recording medium.

Claim 4

An optical recording apparatus for recording pulse signals on an optical recording medium, said pulse signals comprising pulses of several bit lengths representing information content, said apparatus comprising: pulse signal time length detecting means for detecting a length of an input pulse and determining whether said input pulse is longer than a predetermined length, and for outputting a control signal having at least one of a first level and a second level based on a length of said input pulse, said first level indicating said input pulse is longer than said predetermined length and said second level indicating said input pulse is shorter than or equal to said predetermined length; means for setting one of a pulse width extending mode and a pulse width shortening mode by outputting a setting signal; control signal receiving means for receiving said control signal from said pulse signal time length detecting means, and for determining a level of said control signal; and pulse length altering means, coupled to said control signal receiving means, for selectively shortening the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said control signal receiving means indicates said second level and said setting signal output by said setting means indicates said pulse width shortening mode, and for extending the length of said input pulses when said control signal outputted by said pulse signal time length detecting means to said control signal receiving means has said first level and said setting signal output by said setting means indicates a pulse width shortening mode.

Claim 5

An optical recording apparatus for recording pulse signals on an optical recording medium, said pulse signals comprising pulses of several bit lengths representing information content, said apparatus comprising: pulse signal time length detecting means for detecting a length of an input pulse and determining whether said input pulse is longer than a predetermined length, and for outputting a control signal having at least one of a first level and a second level based on a length of said input pulse, said first level indicating said input pulse is longer than said predetermined length and said second level indicating said input pulse is shorter than or equal to said predetermined length; means for setting one of a pulse width extending mode and a pulse width shortening mode by outputting a setting signal; control signal receiving means for receiving said control signal from said pulse signal time length detecting means, and for determining a level of said control signal; and pulse length altering means, coupled to said control signal receiving means, for selectively shortening the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said control signal receiving means indicates said second level and said setting signal output by said setting means indicates said pulse width shortening mode, and for extending the length of said input pulses when said control signal outputted by said pulse signal time length detecting means to said control signal receiving means has said first level and said setting signal output by said setting means indicates a pulse width shortening mode.

Claim 6

An optical recording apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said recording medium has a plurality of recording positions in a radial direction of said recording medium for recording said input pulses thereon, and wherein a degree of extending and shortening said length of said input pulse is adjusted according to said recording positions of said input pulses on said recording medium in said radial direction of the recording medium.

Claim 7

An optical recording apparatus for recording pulse signals on an optical recording medium, said pulse signals comprising pulses of several bit lengths representing information content, said apparatus comprising: pulse signal time length detecting means for detecting a length of an input pulse and determining whether said input pulse is longer than a predetermined length, and for outputting a control signal having at least one of a first level and a second level based on the length of said input pulse, said first level indicating said input pulse is longer than said predetermined length and said second level indicating said input pulse is shorter than or equal to said predetermined length; signal selecting means for receiving a setting signal and said control signal from said pulse signal time length detecting means and determining a level of said control signal, and for outputting a selection signal based on the level of said control signal and based on said setting signal for setting one of a pulse width extending mode and a pulse width shortening mode; and pulse length altering means, coupled to said signal selecting means and responsive to said control signal and said selection signal, for selectively extending or shortening the length of said input pulses; wherein, in a pulse width extending mode, said pulse length altering means extends the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said second level, and shortens the length of said input pulses when said control signal outputted by said pulse signal time length detecting means and received by said signal selecting means has said first level; and wherein, in a pulse width shortening mode, said pulse length altering means shortens the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said second level, and extends the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said first level.

Claim 8

An optical recording apparatus for recording pulse signals on an optical recording medium, said pulse signals comprising pulses of several bit lengths representing information content, said apparatus comprising: pulse signal time length detecting means for detecting a length of an input pulse and determining whether said input pulse is longer than a predetermined length, and for outputting a control signal having at least one of a first level and a second level based on the length of said input pulse, said first level indicating said input pulse is longer than said predetermined length and said second level indicating said input pulse is shorter than or equal to said predetermined length; signal selecting means for receiving a setting signal and said control signal from said pulse signal time length detecting means and determining a level of said control signal, and for outputting a selection signal based on the level of said control signal and based on said setting signal for setting one of a pulse width extending mode and a pulse width shortening mode; and pulse length altering means, coupled to said signal selecting means and responsive to said control signal and said selection signal, for selectively extending or shortening the length of said input pulses; wherein, in a pulse width extending mode, said pulse length altering means extends the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said second level, and shortens the length of said input pulses when said control signal outputted by said pulse signal time length detecting means and received by said signal selecting means has said first level; and wherein, in a pulse width shortening mode, said pulse length altering means shortens the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said second level, and extends the length of said input pulses when said control signal received by said signal selecting means has said first level.

Claim 9

An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said selection signal is a bi-valued logic signal and said pulse length altering means comprises: first logic circuit means, receiving said control signal and said selection signal, for outputting said control signal in one of inverted form and uninverted form depending on the logic value of said selection signal, and second logic circuit means responsive to said one of said uninverted and inverted control signal, respectively, for altering the length of said pulses of predetermined or lower length in a direction dependent upon whether said control signal is inverted or uninverted.

Claim 10

An optical recording apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said recording medium has a plurality of recording positions in a radial direction of said recording medium for recording said input pulses thereon, and wherein a degree of extending and shortening said length of said input pulses is adjusted according to said recording positions of said input pulses on said recording medium in said radial direction of the recording medium.

Claim 11

An optical recording apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein a degree of extending and shortening said length of said input pulses is adjusted according to a type of material of said optical recording medium.