Disc discrimination apparatus and method

1. A disc discrimination apparatus comprising:

a detecting section configured to detect at least one of a ratio between a tracking error and a focus error, and a duty cycle of an off-track signal with respect to an optical disc;

a deciding section configured to decide whether or not the optical disc is playable on the basis of said at least one of the ratio and the duty cycle detected by the detecting section;

a focus servo;

a tracking servo;

means configured to adjust a tracking servo gain while holding the focus servo in its on state and holding the tracking servo in its off state; and

wherein the tracking error used for the ratio and the duty cycle are those occurring while the tracking servo gain is adjusted by said means, and the deciding section decides whether or not the optical disc is playable after said adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed;

a tracking-error-balance adjusting section configured to decide whether or not said adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed in a given term, to suspend said adjusting the tracking servo gain in cases where said adjusting the tracking servo gain has not been completed in the given term, to change a tracking error balance when said adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended, and to restart said adjusting the tracking servo gain after the tracking error balance is changed.

2. A disc discrimination apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ratio is a ratio of the focus error to the tracking error, and the deciding section determines whether or not the ratio is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and decides that the optical disc is playable when it is determined that the ratio is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

3. A disc discrimination apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the ratio is a ratio of the tracking error to the focus error, and the deciding section determines whether or not the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and decides that the optical disc is playable when it is determined that the ratio is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

4. A disc discrimination apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the tracking-error-balance adjusting section changes the tracking error balance to a first preset value when said adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended, restarts said adjusting the tracking servo gain after the tracking error balance is changed to the first preset value, decides whether or not said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed in the given term, suspends said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain in cases where said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain has not been completed in the given term, and changes the tracking error balance to a second preset value when said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended, and restarts said adjusting the tracking servo gain after the tracking error balance is changed to the second preset value, and wherein the first and second preset values are in opposite sides of a reference value respectively.

5. A disc discrimination method comprising the steps of:

detecting at least one of a ratio between a tracking error and a focus error, and a duty cycle of an off-track signal with respect to an optical disc;

deciding whether or not the optical disc is playable on the basis of said detected at least one of the ratio and the duty cycle;

adjusting a tracking servo gain while holding a focus servo in its on state and holding a tracking servo in its off state;

wherein the tracking error used for the ratio and the duty cycle are those occurring while the tracking servo gain is adjusted, and the deciding step comprises deciding whether or not the optical disc is playable after said adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed;

deciding whether or not said adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed in a given term;

suspending said adjusting the tracking servo gain in cases where said adjusting the tracking servo gain has not been completed in the given term;

changing a tracking error balance when said adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended; and

restarting said adjusting the tracking servo gain after the tracking error balance is changed.

6. A disc discrimination method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the ratio is a ratio of the focus error to the tracking error, and the deciding step comprises determining whether or not the ratio is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and deciding that the optical disc is playable when it is determined that the ratio is smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

7. A disc discrimination method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the ratio is a ratio of the tracking error to the focus error, and the deciding step comprises determining whether or not the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold value, and deciding that the optical disc is playable when it is determined that the ratio is greater than the predetermined threshold value.

8. A disc discrimination method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the tracking error balance is changed to a first preset value when said adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended, and said adjusting the tracking servo gain is restarted after the tracking error balance is changed to the first preset value, and further comprising the steps of deciding whether or not said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain has been completed in the given term, suspending said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain in cases where said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain has not been completed in the given term, changing the tracking error balance to a second preset value when said restarted adjusting the tracking servo gain is suspended, and restarting said adjusting the tracking servo gain after the tracking error balance is changed to the second preset value, and wherein the first and second preset values are in opposite sides of a reference value respectively.