Abstract: A recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising a first recording section for recording test information onto a medium using at least one recording power, a reproduction section for reproducing at least one test signal indicating the test information from the medium, and a second recording section for recording information onto the medium using one of the at least one recording power. The reproduction section comprises a decoding section for performing maximum likelihood decoding of the at least one test signal and generating at least one binary signal indicating a result of the maximum likelihood decoding, a calculation section for calculating a reliability of the result of the maximum likelihood decoding based on the at least one test signal and the at least one binary signal, and an adjustment section for adjusting a recording power for recording the information onto the medium to the one recording power based on the reliability.

Abstract: A reproduction signal evaluation method for evaluating quality of a reproduction signal reproduced from an information recording medium based on a binary signal generated from the reproduction signal using a PRML signal processing system, includes: a pattern extraction step of extracting, from the binary signal, a specific state transition pattern which has the possibility of causing a bit error; a step of computing a differential metric based on the binary signal; an extraction step of extracting the differential metric which is not greater than a predetermined signal processing threshold; a step of determining a mean value of the differential metrics which are not greater than the signal processing threshold and extracted in the extraction step; a standard deviation computing step of determining a standard deviation which corresponds to an error rate predicted from the mean value; and an evaluation step of evaluating a quality of the reproduction signal using the standard deviation.

Abstract: A frequency and phase control apparatus includes an analog/digital conversion section for converting a reproduction signal into a multiple bit digital signal based on a clock signal; a maximum likelihood decoding section for converting the multiple bit digital signal into a binary signal; a pattern detection section for detecting a pattern of the binary signal; and a determination section for determining whether or not the multiple bit digital signal and the clock signal are in synchronization with each other based on the detection result. When the determination result of the determination section indicates that the multiple bit digital signal and the clock signal are in synchronization with each other, the maximum likelihood decoding section generates a binary signal based on a first state transition rule; otherwise, the maximum likelihood decoding section generates a binary signal based on a second state transition rule.

Abstract: An access unit, an access method, an access program and a control unit are provided. A record medium includes a user area for recording user data which can be recorded and regenerated based on an instruction given by a user. A recording-system circuit section included in the access unit records test data based on a predetermined test condition in the user area. A regeneration-system circuit section included in the access unit reads the test data recorded in the user area by the recording-system circuit section, and a system control circuit included in the access unit refers to the test data read by the regeneration-system circuit section and adjusts an access parameter for accessing the record medium.

Abstract: A signal evaluation method according to the present invention is a method for evaluating a read signal, retrieved from an information recording medium, based on a binarized signal generated from the read signal by a PRML method.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes: a signal processor, which receives an input signal and generates a processed signal, representing processing information obtained by subjecting the input signal to predetermined processing, and at least one type of internal signal including internal information obtained during the processing; at least one memory storing the processing information; an interface exchanges signals with an external device; and a controller controlling the signal processor, memory and interface. On receiving a first instruction from the external device through the interface, the controller controls the signal processor and memory such that the processing information is once stored in the memory and then output to the external device via the interface. In response to a second instruction, the controller controls the signal processor and memory such that the internal information is once stored in the memory and then output to the external device via the interface.

Abstract: An information recording medium according to the present invention includes an information recording layer on which information is recordable, and is evaluated using an evaluation index which is found based on a ratio of a center of an amplitude of a reproduction signal corresponding to a second shortest mark and a second shortest space, with respect to a center of an amplitude of a reproduction signal corresponding to a longest mark and a longest space.

Abstract: A waveform shaping portion receives a digital reproduced signal generated from an analog reproduced signal reproduced from an information recording medium and shapes the waveform of the digital reproduced signal. A maximum likelihood decoding portion applies maximum likelihood decoding to the digital reproduced signal in the shaped waveform and generates a binarized signal indicating the result of the maximum likelihood decoding. A phase detection portion extracts, during the maximum likelihood decoding, a phase error using state transition patterns having only a single zero cross point among differential metrics at a plurality of merging points at which a set of paths branched from a given state merges. A synchronization detection portion generates a reproduction clock signal using the phase error that has been detected and brings the digital reproduced signal into synchronization with the reproduction clock signal that has been generated.

Abstract: In an optical disc, a track on which data is recordable is divided into a plurality of blocks, and each block includes L pieces of sub blocks. On each sub block, M-bit first digital information specifying a block address of a block including the each sub block and N-bit second digital information capable of representing a numerical value equal to or larger than L are recorded.

Abstract: An address format for appropriately controlling the recording linear density and the number of information recording layers is provided in order to increase the recording capacity of an information recording medium such as an optical disc or the like in a range in which a necessary S/N ratio can be guaranteed. An optical disc includes an information recording layer having a concentric or spiral track, and has a format for describing a track address, which is pre-recorded on the track or is to be added to data that is to be recorded on the information recording layer. The format includes layer information regarding the information recording layer and address information regarding the track address.

Abstract: A big pattern for a run-in area which allows data reproduction to be performed stably even when the recording density of an optical disc is increased is provided. An optical disc according to the present invention includes tracks, each of which divided into a plurality of recording blocks. Each of the plurality of blocks includes a run-in area and a data area. In the run-in area, a prescribed run-in bit pattern is recordable; and in the data area, bit patterns having a plurality of bit lengths obtained by modulating data as a recording target in accordance with a prescribed modulation rule are recordable. In this optical disc, at least one of spatial frequencies corresponding to the bit patterns having the plurality of bit lengths is higher than a cutoff frequency. The run-in bit pattern recordable in the run-in area includes the bit patterns having the plurality of bit lengths, from which the bit pattern corresponding to the frequency higher than the OTF cutoff frequency has been excluded.

Abstract: An information storage medium according to the present invention is adapted for multiple different writing speeds and stores in advance writing conditions associated with each of the multiple writing speeds. The writing conditions include: a recording-power-related parameter and a write-waveform-related parameter, which are associated with each particular writing speed to perform a write operation at the particular writing speed; and another recording-power-related parameter for performing a write operation at a different writing speed other than the particular one using the recording-power-related parameter for performing the write operation at the particular writing speed.

Abstract: A recording control apparatus includes a waveform rectification section for receiving a digital signal generated from an analog signal representing information reproduced from an information recording medium, and rectifying a waveform of the digital signal; a maximum likelihood decoding section for performing maximum likelihood decoding of the digital signal having the waveform thereof rectified, and generating a binary signal representing a result of the maximum likelihood decoding; a reliability calculation section for calculating a reliability of the result of the maximum likelihood decoding based on the digital signal having the waveform thereof rectified and the binary signal; and an adjusting section for adjusting a shape of a recording signal for recording the information on the information recording medium based on the calculated reliability.

Abstract: A calculation of a reliability value |Pa?Pb|?Pstd, representing represents a maximum likelihood decoding result on a portion which corresponds to a start or termination edge of a recording mark and has a high probability of error occurrence by a maximum likelihood decoding method, is performed on each combination of a predetermined mark length and a space length immediately before the mark and each combination of the mark length and a space length immediately after the mark. Based on the calculation result, a recording parameter is optimized, and recording reflecting the optimized recording parameter is performed.

Abstract: An information reproduction device according to the present invention is a device for accessing a recording medium having first address information and second address information recorded thereon. The first address information is represented by a shape formed on the recording medium in advance; and the second address information is recorded on the recording medium together with data. The information reproduction device includes a head section for accessing the recording medium to generate a reproduction signal; a first detection section for detecting the first address information from the reproduction signal; a second detection section for detecting the second address information from the reproduction signal; and a control section for, based on a detection result of either the first detection section or the second detection section which detected the address information first, controlling an access after the detection to the recording medium.

Abstract: An information processing device (225) is a device for processing specific information recorded to a recording medium (100), and has a characteristic identification unit (204) and a processing unit (226). The characteristic identification unit (204) identifies the reflection characteristic of the recording medium (100). The processing unit (226) processes the specific information recorded to the recording medium (100) according to the identified reflection characteristic. The reflection characteristic is either a first characteristic such that the reflectance of light reflected by a recorded region of the recording medium (100) (referred to as first reflectance) is greater than the reflectance of light reflected by an unrecorded region of the recording medium (100) (referred to as second reflectance), or a second characteristic such that the first reflectance is less than the second reflectance.

Abstract: A recording control apparatus includes a waveform rectification section for receiving a digital signal generated from an analog signal representing information reproduced from an information recording medium, and rectifying a waveform of the digital signal; a maximum likelihood decoding section for performing maximum likelihood decoding of the digital signal having the waveform thereof rectified, and generating a binary signal representing a result of the maximum likelihood decoding; a reliability calculation section for calculating a reliability of the result of the maximum likelihood decoding based on the digital signal having the waveform thereof rectified and the binary signal; and an adjusting section for adjusting a shape of a recording signal for recording the information on the information recording medium based on the calculated reliability.

Abstract: A position detection device, a position detection method, a position detection control device, a position detection control method, a position detection control program, an access authentication device, an access authentication method, an access authentication control device, an access authentication control method, an access authentication control program, an information storage device, and an optical disk are provided, all of which make it possible to prevent illegal copying of the information recorded in a recording medium. An information recording/playback device detects the position on an optical disk of an RFID tag provided to the optical disk, and writes the detected position on the optical disk of the RFID tag into the RFID tag as the position information.

Abstract: The present invention improves a lead-in time of the PLL with a phase error detector having an enlarged range of phase error detection and gain control based on the PLL synchronous state. The phase error detection range is enlarged by correcting the phase error detection point in a case where the phase error increases. A locked state of the PLL is determined based on a standard deviation of the smoothed phase error values and the gains are switched between a lead-in transient state and a stationary state. As a result, it is possible to shorten and stabilize the lead-in time of the PLL.

Abstract: There are problems that recording degradation happens, and an error occurs in reproduction unless appropriate recording pulse conditions are determined. A recording pulse controlling method according to the present invention is a recording pulse controlling method for adjusting recording pulses for recording information on a writable optical disc, which includes a mark length adjustment step and a mark position adjustment step. The mark length adjustment step is a step for adjusting a recording mark length adjustment parameter, and the recording mark length adjustment parameter is adjusted to have a value for forming a recording mark having a length closest to a predetermined recording mark length.