Tracking controlling apparatus, method and program

1 . A tracking controlling apparatus comprising:

a photodetector that converts light reflected back from an optical disc into an electrical signal;

a MIRR signal generator that generates a MIRR signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector; said MIRR signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said reflected light corresponds to a concave part or a convex part in said optical disc;

a TEC signal generator that generates a TEC signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector; said TEC signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said photodetector is positioned on an inner side or on an outer side in a radial direction of said optical disc with respect to a track closest to said photodetector; and

an off-track detector that detects an off-track state, by detecting change in the level of said TEC signal without change in the level of said MIRR signal, in case the level of said MIRR signal indicates that said reflected light corresponds to said convex part.

2 . The tracking controlling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said MIRR signal indicates that, when said reflected light corresponds to said concave part, said MIRR signal is in an on-track state with respect to said track of said optical disc, and that, when said reflected light corresponds to said convex part, said MIRR signal is in an off-track state with respect to said track; and wherein

said off-track detector outputs an off-track signal if the level of said MIRR signal has changed from an on-track state to an off-track state and thereafter the level of said TEC signal has changed without change in the level of said MIRR signal.

3 . The tracking controlling apparatus according to claim 1 wherein

said off-track detector exercises state transition control over states comprising:

a first state in which the level of said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state;

a second state to which said first state transitions if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in a second level and the level of said MIRR signal indicates an off-track state;

a third state to which said second state transitions if, in said second state, said TEC signal has changed to a first level;

a fourth state to which said first state transitions if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in said first level and the level of said MIRR signal represents an off-track state; and

a fifth state to which said fourth state transitions if, in said fourth state, said TEC signal has changed to said second level;

said off-track detector outputting an off-track signal when state transition is to said third state or to said fifth state.

4 . The tracking controlling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

said off-track signal indicates that, upon state transition to said third state, said photodetector has shifted from the on-track position in said first state in one radial direction of said optical disc; said off-track signal indicating that, upon state transition to said fifth state, said photodetector has shifted from the on-track position in said first state in the other radial direction of said optical disc.

5 . The tracking controlling apparatus according to claim 3 wherein

said off-track detector exercises state transition control so that

if, in said third state, the level of said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state, the state transitions from a state in which said photodetector is at said track in said first state to a state in which said photodetector is moved to a neighboring track along one radial direction of said optical disc;

if, in said third state, said TEC signal has changed to said second level, the state transitions to said second state;

if, in said fifth state, the level of said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state, the state transitions from a state in which said photodetector is at said track in said first state to a state in which said photodetector is moved to a neighboring track along the other radial direction of said optical disc; and

if, in said fifth state, said TEC signal has changed to said first level, the state transitions to said fourth state.

6 . A tracking controlling method comprising:

providing a tracking controlling apparatus including:

a photodetector that converts light reflected back from an optical disc into an electrical signal;

a MIRR signal generator that generates a MIRR signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector; said MIRR signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said reflected light corresponds to a concave part or a convex part in said optical disc; and

a TEC signal generator that generates a TEC signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector; said TEC signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said photodetector is positioned on an inner side or on an outer side in the radial direction of said optical disc with respect to a track currently closest to said photodetector; and

determining an off-track state, where, at a level of said MIRR signal indicating that said reflected light corresponds to said convex part, a level of said TEC signal is changed, without change in the level of said MIRR signal.

7 . The tracking controlling method according to claim 6 wherein said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state with respect to said track of said optical disc when said reflected light corresponds to said concave part; said MIRR signal indicating an off-track state when said reflected light corresponds to said convex part;

wherein state transition control exercises control over steps comprising:

carrying out state transition to a first state in case the level of said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state;

carrying out state transition to a second state if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in a second level, and the level of said MIRR signal indicates an off-track state;

carrying out state transition to a third state if, in said second state, said TEC signal has changed to a first level;

carrying out state transition to a fourth state if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in said first level and the level of said MIRR signal indicates an off-track state; and

carrying out state transition to a fifth state if, in said fourth state, said TEC signal has changed to said second level;

and wherein

state transition to said third state or to said fifth state is determined to be an off-track state.

8 . A program run on a computer, said computer making up a tracking controlling apparatus including a photodetector for converting the light reflected back from an optical disc into an electrical signal, a MIRR signal generator for generating a MIRR signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector, said MIRR signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said reflected light corresponds to a concave part or a convex part in said optical disc, and a TEC signal generator for generating a TEC signal, based on an output signal of said photodetector; said TEC signal representing, by a bi-level signal, whether said photodetector is positioned on an inner side or on an outer side in the radial direction of said optical disc with respect to a track closest to said photodetector;

said program allowing said computer to perform processing comprising:

outputting an off-track signal if, in case the level of said MIRR signal indicates that said reflected light corresponds to said convex part, the level of said TEC signal is changed without change in the level of said MIRR signal.

9 . The program according to claim 8 wherein said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state with respect to said track of said optical disc when said reflected light corresponds to said concave part; said MIRR signal indicating an off-track state when said reflected light corresponds to said convex part; wherein, in said processing of outputting said off-track signal, state transition control processing is carried out over states including:

a first state in which the level of said MIRR signal indicates an on-track state;

a second state to which said first state transitions if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in a second level and the level of said MIRR signal indicates an off-track state;

a third state to which said second state transitions if, in said second state, said TEC signal has changed to a first level;

a fourth state to which said first state transitions if, in said first state, said TEC signal is in said first level and the level of said MIRR signal represents an off-track state; and

a fifth state to which said fourth state transitions if, in said fourth state, said TEC signal has changed to said second level; and wherein

an off-track signal is output when state transition is to said third state or to said fifth state.