Abstract: The present invention is to realize a proper inner zone layout in an optical disk having at least three layers. A test area is provided in the inner zone (inner circumference side area) in each of recording layers. The test areas of each layer are so disposed as to be prevented from overlapping with each other in the layer direction. Furthermore, the number of management information recording/reproduction areas overlapping with the test area in the layer direction at a position closer to the laser-incident surface than this test area is set equal to or smaller than one in each test area of each recording layer. The management information recording/reproduction areas are each so disposed as to be prevented from overlapping with the test areas in the respective recording layers in the layer direction on the disk substrate side of the test areas.

Abstract: An ECC block is constituted by RS(248,216,33). Of a data length of 216 bytes (symbols), only 16 bytes are allocated to BCA data and the remaining 200 bytes are used for fixed data having a predetermined value. Using the fixed data of 200 bytes and the BCA data of 16 bytes, parities of 32 bytes (symbols) are calculated. Only the BCA data of 16 bytes and the parities of the former 16 bytes of the 32-byte parities, that is, a total of 32 bytes only, are recorded in a burst cutting area of an optical disc. In decoding, error correction processing is carried out by using the fixed data of 200 bytes. The unrecorded parities of 16 bytes are processed as having been erased. Thus, the error correction capability in a burst cutting area of an optical disc can be improved.

Abstract: In step S1, the address generator generates address information composed of a sync signal which is recorded on an optical disc, address data and an error correction code for the address data, pre-encodes and supplies it to a modulator. At the same time, a carrier signal generator generates a carrier signal which is to carry the address information, and supplies it to the modulator. In step S2, the modulator makes MSK modulation of the carrier signal supplied from the carrier signal generator on the basis of the pre-encoded address information supplied from the address generator, and supplies a resultant MSK modulation signal to a wobbling unit. In step S3, the wobbling unit forms, on the optical disc, a spiral groove wobbled adaptively to the MSK modulation signal supplied from the modulator. In this optical disc, a given address can be accessed quickly and accurately.

Abstract: There is provided an optical disc having preformed thereon a spiral wobbled track as a grove and/or land along with data is to be recorded. The track is wobbled for a series of predetermined signal units each composed of an FSK information bit part based on a waveform resulted from FSK modulation of information bit and a singe-frequency part based on a waveform of a single frequency. The FSK modulation uses two different frequencies of which the one is the same as the single frequency and the other is different from the single frequency. These different frequencies are in such a relation that each of them has an even number of wobbles and an odd number of wobbles alternately in a predetermined cycle.

Abstract: Address information that has been error correction encoded is recorded on a second version of a recording medium after being transformed such that such that the address decoding cannot be performed by a playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium. The address decoding for the second version of the recording medium cannot be performed by the incompatible playback device (for example, a playback device that was manufactured to be compatible only with a first version of the recording medium). In other words, in the playback device that is not compatible with the second version of the recording medium, a state is created in which address errors cannot be corrected, so access is impossible (recording and playback are impossible).

Abstract: In a write-once media, by using a selected area such as an area starting from a postscript-recording point in the main data area as an alternate area, by determining whether or not an address specified in a request such as a write request is an address at which data has been recorded on the basis of information on a sequential recording range and by recording pieces of alternate-address management information for replacing defective locations on the media and for renewing data recorded on the media in a table by letting the pieces of information coexist in the table, defective locations on the media can be replaced with other locations and data already recorded on the media can thus be renewed even without providing pre-allocated alternate area on the media. In addition, if the media is provided with an alternate area and the alternate area becomes insufficient for alternate-address processing, a selected region in the main data area can be used as a region supplementary to the insufficient alternate area.

Abstract: Optical discs are adapted to be used with a light beam having a wavelength of 405 nm for recording or reproducing data. Error correcting blocks for recording BMID including copy protection key information are defined on optical discs (1) dedicated to data reproduction. A data string of BMID to be recorded has 64 bytes. An error correcting block is constituted by 304 columns of error correcting code words (LDC). A BMID data string of 64 bytes is inserted to predetermined 64 error correcting code words (LDC) of a block (304 columns of error correcting code words). The total code length of the predetermined 64 error correcting code words (LDC) is 248 bytes, of which a predetermined byte (symbol) is replaced by a predetermined byte (symbol) of the BMID data string.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a reproduced signal evaluation method and a write adjustment method for offering a Blu-ray disc having a large storage capacity with excellent media compatibility. An evaluation index L-SEAT is calculated through signed addition using a Euclidean distance difference calculated from at least one of target signals in which a focused edge is shifted to the right and left, and the quality of the reproduced signal is evaluated based on the evaluation index. Write condition adjustment using the index enables write adjustment not depending on SNR and achieving high adjustment accuracy.

Abstract: Four ECC blocks are recorded in a burst cutting area of an optical disc. Each ECC block is constituted by a BCA content code of 1 byte, content data length of 1 byte, and content data of 14 bytes. Of the BCA content data, the leading 6 bits are used for application ID and the remaining 2 bits are used for block number. Disc ID is stored in the content data. Since the four ECC blocks exist, the optical disc can be managed individually by four applications at the maximum. Thus it becomes possible to manage the same optical disc by a plurality of applications.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes a data processing unit configured to perform data processing on data read from a data recordable disc. The data processing unit performs a physical mark verification process for verifying whether or not a physical mark that is identification data unique to each of mother discs used when the disc was manufactured has been recorded on the disc, and a signature verification process for obtaining, from the disc, a token containing an electronic signature generated on the basis of a medium ID that is an identifier unique to each disc by a content providing server that provided the recorded content of the disc and for performing signature verification, and reproduces recorded content of the disc under a condition in which the recording of a physical mark in the physical mark verification process has been confirmed and signature verification in the signature verification process holds true.

Abstract: An information recording and/or reproduction processing apparatus is provided. The information recording and/or reproduction processing apparatus is provided by which additional information such as copy protection information is recorded as encrypted data on an information recording medium and also a cryptographic key is recorded such that the difficulty in analysis thereof is promoted. Where additional information such as copy protection information is encrypted and recorded and also a cryptographic key for the encrypted additional information is recorded together, a seed is generated based on an error correction code set corresponding to the additional information. Then, a scrambling or bit position conversion process in which random numbers generated based on the seed are applied is executed for the cryptographic key data, and resulting cryptographic key data is recorded on an information recording medium.

Abstract: A reproduction signal evaluation unit has: a pattern detection section for extracting, from a binary signal, a specific state transition pattern which has a possibility of causing a bit error; a differential metric computing section for computing a differential metric based on the binary signal of the extracted state transition pattern; an error computing section for computing an error rate predicted based on an integration value that is integrated by an integration section, a count value that is counted by a pattern count section, an integration value that is integrated by another integration section, and a count value that is counted by another pattern count section, and a standard deviation computing section for computing a standard deviation based on the computed error rate.

Abstract: A disk recording medium which can implement a recording method having a high degree of reliability for additional information is disclosed. The disk recording medium has a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data can be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method and from which second data recorded in the form of wobbling of a groove can be reproduced. The second data includes address information and additional information. The additional information of the second data is coded in accordance with a first error correction method, and the coded additional information and the address information are recorded in a state coded in accordance with a second error correction method.

Abstract: An ECC block is constituted by RS(248, 216, 33). Of a data length of 216 bytes (symbols), only 16 bytes are allocated to BCA data and the remaining 200 bytes are used for fixed data having a predetermined value. Using the fixed data of 200 bytes and the BCA data of 16 bytes, parities of 32 bytes (symbols) are calculated. Only the BCA data of 16 bytes and the parities of the former 16 bytes of the 32-byte parities, that is, a total of 32 bytes only, are recorded in a burst cutting area of an optical disc. In decoding, error correction processing is carried out by using the fixed data of 200 bytes. The unrecorded parities of 16 bytes are processed as having been erased. Thus, the error correction capability in a burst cutting area of an optical disc can be improved.

Abstract: A disk recording medium which can implement a recording method having a high degree of reliability for additional information is disclosed. The disk recording medium has a recording and reproduction region into and from which first data can be recorded and reproduced in accordance with a rewritable or write-once-read-many recording method and from which second data recorded in the form of wobbling of a groove can be reproduced. The second data includes address information and additional information. The additional information of the second data is coded in accordance with a first error correction method, and the coded additional information and the address information are recorded in a state coded in accordance with a second error correction method.

Abstract: A recording and reproducing area and a reproduction-only area are formed by wobbling a groove formed in a spiral fashion to form a track to be tracked on a disk. The recording and reproducing area has address information recorded by wobbling of the groove and information recorded and reproduced by phase change marks on the track formed by the groove where the address information is recorded. The reproduction-only area has prerecorded information recorded by wobbling of the groove.

Abstract: An optical disc medium 10 having a wobbled track groove 12 includes three wobble patterns including a flat wobble pattern, a positive pulse wobble pattern, and a negative pulse wobble pattern. In the flat wobble pattern, the amplitude of the wobble from the lengthwise direction of the track groove is zero such that the track groove is flat. In the positive pulse wobble pattern, the amplitude of the wobble from the lengthwise direction of the track groove is positive such that the track groove is wobbled in a first direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. Further, in the negative pulse wobble pattern, the amplitude of the wobble from the lengthwise direction of the track groove is negative such that the track groove is wobbled in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Then, three data values can be recorded using three distinctive wobble patterns.

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 multilayer optical recording medium includes three or more recording layers formed in a thickness direction. Trial writing areas provided in the respective recording layers to adjust the power of recording laser are formed not to overlap at a position in a planar direction in adjacent ones of the recording layers. Further, the trial writing areas are formed to have an overlapping portion at a position in the planar direction in one of the recording layers and at least another one of the recording layers not adjacent to the one of the recording layers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a data recordable optical disc (2), wherein buffer areas for random access (Data Run-in DRi, Data Run-out DRo) for random access are respectively disposed before and after respective blocks (BLK, BLK1, BLK2), whereby when recording of new block is started, the block is recorded in the state where respective buffer areas overlap with each other with respect to new block and existing block so that no gap takes place. Signal patterns for Phase Locked Loop (PLL) at the time of data reproduction, Auto Gain Control (AGC), and automatic adjustment of light source power, synchronization pattern, and/or signal patterns used for generation of reproduction clock, and detection of block reproduction end, etc. are recorded within the buffer area.