Optical information recording and reproducing apparatus with switchable spot-functions

Claim 2

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium including a plurality of parallel tracks, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots having operating functions and including a spot having an operating function of recording and/or reproducing information on the optical information recording medium, said plural spots being aligned on a common track; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to the tracks; and means for switching the operating functions of at least two spots among said plural spots, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, so that the operating functions of at least two spots are exchanged, wherein the operating functions exchanged comprise a function of recording or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 3

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical information recording medium is an optical card.

Claim 4

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, among said plural spots, two spots are those whose functions are to be switched, and said two spots are respectively immediately ahead of and behind the spot having the function of recording and/or reproducing.

Claim 5

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function of recording is not switched in accordance with the forward relative movement and the backward relative movement, when there are more than two spots.

Claim 6

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said plural spots has an intensity different from the other spots. PG,36

Claim 7

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium including a plurality of parallel tracks, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information on and a spot having a function of reproducing information from the optical information recording medium, said plural spots being aligned on a common track; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to the tracks; and means for switching with respect to each other the relative positions of at least said spot having the function of recording information and said spot having the function of reproducing information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement affected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 8

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium including a plurality of parallel tracks, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information on and a spot having a function of reproducing information from the optical information recording medium, said plural spots being aligned on a common track; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to the tracks; and means for switching with respect to each other the relative positions of at least said spot having the function of recording information and said spot having the function of reproducing information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement affected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 9

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information on and a spot having a function of reproducing information from the optical information recording medium, said plural spots being aligned in a predetermined direction; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to said predetermined direction; and means for switching the functions of a first spot and a second spot so that, among said first and second spots, during forward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, information is recorded on the optical information recording medium by the first spot and information is reproduced from the optical information recording medium by the second spot, and during backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, information is reproduced the said optical information recording medium by the first spot and information is recorded on the optical information recording medium by the second spot.

Claim 10

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information on and a spot having a function of reproducing information from the optical information recording medium, said plural spots being aligned in a predetermined direction; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to said predetermined direction; and means for switching the functions of a first spot and a second spot so that, among said first and second spots, during forward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, information is recorded on the optical information recording medium by the first spot and information is reproduced from the optical information recording medium by the second spot, and during backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, information is reproduced the said optical information recording medium by the first spot and information is recorded on the optical information recording medium by the second spot.

Claim 11

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording and/or reproducing information on the optical information recording medium, said spots being aligned in a predetermined direction; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium in said predetermined direction; means for recording and/or reproducing information by irradiating a first spot, among said plural spots, on the optical information recording medium; means for detecting, by irradiating second and third spots immediately ahead of and behind said first spot on the optical information recording medium, at least one of an abnormality in the recording medium and the information recorded on the recording medium by at least one spot in the group consisting of said second and third spots; and means for switching a detecting function of said second spot and third spot, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement effected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 12

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording and/or reproducing information on the optical information recording medium, said spots being aligned in a predetermined direction; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium in said predetermined direction; means for recording and/or reproducing information by irradiating a first spot, among said plural spots, on the optical information recording medium; means for detecting, by irradiating second and third spots immediately ahead of and behind said first spot on the optical information recording medium, at least one of an abnormality in the recording medium and the information recorded on the recording medium by at least one spot in the group consisting of said second and third spots; and means for switching a detecting function of said second spot and third spot, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement effected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 13

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium including a plurality of parallel tracks, said apparatus comprising: control means for controlling said apparatus; spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording and/or reproducing information on the optical information recording medium, said spots being aligned on a common track; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to the tracks; first detection means for detecting light reflected from the optical information recording medium by a first spot among said spots; second detection means for detecting the reflected light from the optical information recording medium by a second spot among said spots; and means for switching signals from said first detection means from a first input of said control means used for monitoring a state of the optical information recording medium to a second input of said control means used for reproducing information recorded on the optical information recording medium and signals from said second detection means from the second input of said control means to the first input of said control means, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement affected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 14

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium including a plurality of parallel tracks, said apparatus comprising: control means for controlling said apparatus; spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording and/or reproducing information on the optical information recording medium, said spots being aligned on a common track; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium parallel to the tracks; first detection means for detecting light reflected from the optical information recording medium by a first spot among said spots; second detection means for detecting the reflected light from the optical information recording medium by a second spot among said spots; and means for switching signals from said first detection means from a first input of said control means used for monitoring a state of the optical information recording medium to a second input of said control means used for reproducing information recorded on the optical information recording medium and signals from said second detection means from the second input of said control means to the first input of said control means, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement affected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 15

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots having operating functions, and including a spot having an operating function of recording and/or reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching the operating functions of at least two spots among said plural spots, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, so that the operating functions of at least two spots are exchanged, wherein the operating function exchanged comprise a function of recording or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 16

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots having operating functions, and including a spot having an operating function of recording and/or reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching the operating functions of at least two spots among said plural spots, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, so that the operating functions of at least two spots are exchanged, wherein the operating function exchanged comprise a function of recording or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 17

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information and a spot having a function of reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on one track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching with respect to each other the relative positions of at least said spot having the function of recording information and said spot having the function of reproducing information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement effected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 18

An optical information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots including a spot having a function of recording information and a spot having a function of reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on one track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching with respect to each other the relative positions of at least said spot having the function of recording information and said spot having the function of reproducing information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement effected by said reciprocating means.

Claim 25

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating three spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming three spots having operating functions, the operating functions comprising a function of recording information, a function of reproducing information or a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium, the three spots including a spot having an operating function of recording information, said three spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for exchanging the operating functions of two spots other than the spot having a function of recording information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium, wherein the operating functions exchanged comprise a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 26

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating three spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming three spots having operating functions, the operating functions comprising a function of recording information, a function of reproducing information or a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium, the three spots including a spot having an operating function of recording information, said three spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for exchanging the operating functions of two spots other than the spot having a function of recording information, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium, wherein the operating functions exchanged comprise a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 29

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots having operating functions and including a spot having an operating function of recording and/or reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching the operating function of a spot other than the spot having a function of recording information to another operating function, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, wherein the switched operating function comprises a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium or a function of reproducing information.

Claim 30

An optical information recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing information while relatively reciprocating plural spots and an optical information recording medium, said apparatus comprising: spot-forming means for forming plural spots having operating functions and including a spot having an operating function of recording and/or reproducing information, said plural spots being aligned on a common track on the optical information recording medium; means for relatively reciprocating said spotforming means and the optical information recording medium; and means for switching the operating function of a spot other than the spot having a function of recording information to another operating function, in accordance with forward relative movement and backward relative movement between said spot-forming means and the optical information recording medium, wherein the switched operating function comprises a function of monitoring a state of the recording medium or a function of reproducing information.