US Patent 7299480 Loading disc optical detection apparatus

A disc drive apparatus includes a tray member, on which a bare disc, or a cartridge accommodating a disc therein is placed, and a disc drive device, into or from which the tray member is loaded or ejected by a drive unit. A medium detection system includes detection holes provided on the tray member to detect a disc or a cartridge. In addition, provided on the disc drive device is a detection unit to optically detect a state including a type of a disc or a cartridge placed on the tray member based on whether the detection holes are shaded in the course of loading of the tray member.