OPTICAL DISK DRIVE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control laser power depending on the disk temperature and protect the laser by monitoring the laser temperature at the same time in a simple configuration of an optical disk drive. SOLUTION: This optical disk drive has a disk temperature sensor 8, a laser temperature sensor 9, a digital signal processor 7 to control the laser beam power, and a switch 10 to selectively supply the output of either one of the temperature sensors to a digital signal processor 7. Checking the sensor outputs, the digital signal processor 7 decides whether the disk temperature is lower or higher than the reference temperature and turns the switch 10 to the disk temperature sensor 8 when it is lower, or to the laser temperature sensor 9 when it is higher. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO