Abstract: A method of data protection is used in a data processing system having a storage device. According to the method, when the data processing system reads a damaged storage block in the storage device, it finds the surrounding storage blocks of the damaged block and determines in sequence whether any of the surrounding blocks is damaged. If none of them is damaged, then the data processing system determines whether those surrounding blocks are not in use. If they are not in use, then the data processing system defines them as being in use. If they are already in use, then the data processing system searches unused storage blocks in the storage device, duplicates the data in the surrounding blocks to the unused blocks, and then define the unused blocks as being in use. Finally, the data processing system establishes a correspondence relation between the surrounding blocks and the unused blocks.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus for recording data onto a recording medium, includes an access controller for outputting, to a medium-specific controller, record data input from an application and directed to the recording medium. The access controller performs a read-modify-write (RMW) operation by verifying whether one of a record start position and a record end position of the record data input by a logical sector unit from the application is different from a delimitation position of a physical sector as an access unit of the recording medium, acquiring the record data by the physical sector unit and storing the record data onto a memory if one of the record start position and the record end position is different from the delimitation position, updating logical sector data as part of stored physical sector data with the input record data, and outputting the updated physical sector data to the medium-specific controller.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, a method, and article of manufacture to provide for managing data storage media to provide secure storage of the data storage media in an automated data storage library. A logical library partition vault is created in the automated data storage library that is not accessible by any host computer. Data storage media in the logical library partition vault may only be accessed by an operator using a secure means. The logical library partition vault may comprise various components of the automated data storage library by assigning storage shelves, service bays, data storage media, data storage drives or other library components to the logical library partition vault.

Abstract: Techniques for managing the storing of a digital asset by a first computer in a computer system that further comprises a second computer. The first computer receives a communication from the second computer including the digital asset, determines whether the digital asset has been stored by the first computer, and when it has not, stores a copy of the digital asset. The digital asset is identified by a first identifier based, at least in part, on its content. In one embodiment, the first identifier is the only identifier that can be used to identify the digital asset in communication between the first and second computers. In another embodiment, the computer system further stores a unit of data comprising the first identifier and metadata relating to the digital asset.

Abstract: A method for data preservation is disclosed. In the method, the number of times the processor accesses a sector of a storage device is counted, which is used to determine the damage level of the sector. The data stored in the sector is moved and stored to a normal sector when the number of accessing times exceeds a certain number. Moreover, the user will be prompted with a message to execute disk defragment when the number of damaged sectors is over a predetermined value. Therefore, the purpose of ensuring the security and the integrity of the data stored in the sector can be achieved.

Abstract: In the optical disc apparatus according to the present invention, the CPU 113 is operated to execute a control program stored in the ROM 112 to calculate a reproduction time at the time point when the power supply was turned off based on parameters after reading out from the DRAM 111 the parameters at the time point when the power supply was turned off. The CPU 113 is then operated to execute the control program stored in the ROM 112 to produce a control signal to have a display unit, not shown, display the reproduction time thus calculated, and calculate a reproduction position at the time point when the power supply was turned off based on parameters indicative of the address number and produce a control signal to have the reproduction of the reproduction information such as, for example, audio data and image data resumed.

Abstract: An optical disk medium includes a track groove thereon. On the optical disk medium, information is recorded along the track groove on a block unit basis. The block unit has a predetermined length. The block unit having the predetermined length includes a number of sub-blocks that are arranged along the groove. A sub-block mark is provided within each of the sub-blocks and used to identify the sub-block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading an index mark pattern. The pattern may be formed on an optical disc medium. The optical disc medium may include a set of data arranged in a data field, and an index mark pattern for identifying a relative location of the data field.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for transferring speculative data in lieu of requested data in a data transfer operation. First data are transferred in response to an execution of a first pending command. Speculative data are transferred instead of second data associated with a second pending command during a next available latency period for the second data, preferably when the speculative data are adjudged as having a utility greater than a utility of the second data. The first and second commands are preferably received in a queue and a command execution algorithm identifies the second command as a next best command to be executed after execution of the first command. The above steps are preferably carried out by a controller of a data storage device.

Abstract: An electronic library for managing data from removable data storage devices is described. The electronic library may have a stand-alone housing with a plurality of receptacles, at least two of the receptacles sized to connect with at least a first type of removable data storage device. An interface positioned on the housing permits concurrent access to removable data storage devices connected with the plurality of receptacles. A data access module in the housing may be configured to emulate a single removable data storage device containing data folders with corresponding to each removable data storage device. A refresh module in the housing may be configured to refresh each memory address of a removable data storage device in communication with one of the plurality of receptacles so that data integrity may be preserved.

Abstract: Methods in accordance with the present invention can be applied, in an embodiment, to a media comprising a phase change material to alter a resolved portion of the phase change material to have a resistance different from a resistance of the bulk material. A tip having a substantially larger radius of curvature than the resolved portion can be employed by applying such methods. A substantially anisotropic columnar material can focus a current applied between the tip and the media so that the portion is narrower in width than the radius of curvature. Such highly resolved portions form bits in the media. Other objects, aspects and advantages of the invention can be obtained from reviewing the figures, specification and claims. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention.

Abstract: A high-definition optical disk and a high-definition optical disk drive, which record data on lands and grooves. Wobbles are formed in grooves and lands of an optical disk, and address information is embedded in the wobbles. The wobbles are formed so as to become in phase with each other in the grooves. An address of the land sandwiched between the grooves is detected from the wobble of the groove. When the wobble of the land is not an in-phase wobble but is of opposite phase, a gray code of the wobble is substituted with a binary address such that 0 is achieved when the gray code is converted into the binary address. As a result, even in the case of the wobble of opposite phase, the address information about the land is made coincident with address information about an inner-radius-side adjacent groove, thereby determining address information about the land.

Abstract: A method of estimation parameter adaptability adjustment of an optical storage device. The method determines an estimation parameter according to a current data recording location of the optical storage device to estimate a channel bit rate. The method includes providing a two-dimensional estimation parameter table. The two-dimensional estimation parameter table includes a plurality of estimation parameters corresponding to linear velocities and data recording locations. The method further includes determining a linear velocity estimation value; and determining the estimation parameter according to the linear velocity estimation value, the current data recording location, and the two-dimensional estimation parameter table to estimate the channel bit rate.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes a lead-in area and a data area for storing contents information. The lead-in area includes a first lead-in information area and a second lead-in information area. The first lead-in information area corresponds to a first playback mode. The second lead-in information area corresponds to a second playback mode different from the first playback mode. The first lead-in information area has a first depth and is designed for storing lead-in information related to the contents information stored in the data area. The second lead-in information area includes pre-pits having a second depth greater than the first depth. The pre-pits represent predetermined information, such as information of copyright protection, related to the contents information stored in the data area.

Abstract: A disc device in which recording is possible in a basic recording area in units of a subarea and startable at any position. Even if the recording cannot help stopping due to some external cause during recording on a disc-type recording medium that basically employs real-time sequential recording, the recording is re-openable at the position where the recording stopped when the external cause has disappeared. The disc device includes a reference clock counter that starts to count at the starting point of each basic recording area reference clocks read from the disc, and an address memory that holds an address of the basic recording area under recording. When the recording is stopped due to some external cause, the count of the counter and the address held by the address memory at that time are saved.

Abstract: The invention provides an information recording medium, a storage medium, an information reproduction apparatus and method, and an information recording and reproduction apparatus and method as well as a providing medium by which information recorded on an information recording medium can be utilized only by a predetermined apparatus which corresponds to the information recording medium. A ROM has data for identification of a DVD player/recorder stored therein. A recording and reproduction section records data stored in the ROM onto a DVD and reproduces data for identification of the DVD player/recorder recorded on the DVD. A CPU controls the recording and reproduction section in accordance with the data stored in the ROM and the data reproduced by the recording and reproduction section.

Abstract: An information recording medium 1 is provided with: a user data recording part 3 which records user data; a random-patter-information recording part 4 which records random pattern information from a random physical phenomenon; and an authentication data recording part 5 which records, as authentication data, medium identification information created on the basis of the random pattern information detected from the random-pattern-information recording part 4 and a digital signature for each manufacturer with respect to the medium identification information.

Abstract: A client transmits the title and artist of a particular music piece to a Web server via the Internet. The Web server accesses a music piece playing time information database and searches the playing time corresponding to that music piece. The playing time searched and obtained is transmitted to the client via the Internet. Also, a menu page for a label printing service is sent to the client from the Web server via the Internet. Printing conditions for the label are input at the client using the GUI of the menu page transmitted from the Web server. The input conditions are transmitted to the Web server via the Internet. The Web server prints labels under the input printing conditions. Thus, music data can be efficiently recording on media, and further, accurate and neatly-printed labels can be easily provided to general users.

Abstract: A hard disk drive based data archive system emulating a tape archive system includes a hot pluggable multi-drive magazine having a housing for holding a plurality of hard disk drives, each drive connected to receive power and data from the magazine in a controlled fashion, and at least one magazine receiving system for physically receiving the magazine and for thereupon providing power, data and control connections to the magazine, such that when the magazine is received within the magazine receiving system, the hard disk drives selectively receive power and data connections via the magazine and receiving system from a host computer. The magazine may be hot-disconnected from an active computing system environment and removed to an archive rack wherein each disk drive is periodically checked to ensure functionality and to provide some limited-bandwidth data retrieval functions via a network connection to the archive rack.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide for implementation of data transfers in an efficient manner. The 48-bit LBA mechanism requires two sets of I/O writes to IDE registers on primary channel or secondary channel. The two sets of I/O writes to the primary or secondary channel registers are performed by setting a status register to a first or second state appropriately depending on the data. Embodiments of the present invention provide a single set of writes to I/O registers when the size of the data transfer is equal to or below a threshold value.

Abstract: An information record medium (1) is provided with: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information (210) which are different in recording method are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information (211) required to reproduce the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area is recorded. The control information recorded on the control information recording area includes identification information indicating that the plurality of audio information are same in content and different in recording method with each other. The control information may include a plurality of first division information for identifying first division units (260) respectively so as to divide each of the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area by the first division units respectively.

Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the maximum access speed of an optical disc in an optical disc apparatus. If the optical disc loaded in the optical disc apparatus is a CD-R having a possibility of creating many errors during the data reading/writing process, the maximum access speed can be changed according to disc maker information or user's request. As a result, the optical disc apparatus can stably record or reproduce data on/from a specific optical disc such as a CD-R, and does not decelerate unnecessarily the maximum access speed of a high-quality optical disc providing superior data reading/writing performance.

Abstract: For mapping sampled digital audio information onto a linear physical mapping space that is partitioned in a string of uniform-sized blocks, in particular for variable-rate coded audio information that is distributed over successive audio units which are each composed from one or more audio packets, each block is supplemented with a block header for indicating an actual content of the block in question with respect to any constituent packet of the audio information.

Abstract: A method of recording read/write compatibility information on an optical disc. Extended part version information, latest part version having recording capability, and latest part version having reproducing capability are stored in either n.xy or n.x. form on 6 bytes of a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of the optical disc. A recording/reproducing apparatus to record extended part version information on a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of a recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus has a base part version and a comparing unit to determine recording/reproducing compatibility with a recording medium having a detailed extended part version stored in a reserved zone of a physical format information zone.

Abstract: A method of recording read/write compatibility information on an optical disc. Extended part version information, latest part version having recording capability, and latest part version having reproducing capability are stored in either n.xy or n.x. form on 6 bytes of a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of the optical disc. A recording/reproducing apparatus to record extended part version information on a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of a recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus has a base part version and a comparing unit to determine recording/reproducing compatibility with a recording medium having a detailed extended part version stored in a reserved zone of a physical format information zone.

Abstract: A method of recording read/write compatibility information on an optical disc. Extended part version information, latest part version having recording capability, and latest part version having reproducing capability are stored in either n.xy or n.x. form on 6 bytes of a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of the optical disc. A recording/reproducing apparatus to record extended part version information on a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of a recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus has a base part version and a comparing unit to determine recording/reproducing compatibility with a recording medium having a detailed extended part version stored in a reserved zone of a physical format information zone.

Abstract: A control device to drive and control the CD player or CD writer to operate without any computer available is disclosed. The control device includes a CD player base and a control panel base connected to the base. The control panel base includes a LCD display and a control panel with a plurality of keys. An interface slot and a plurality of terminal ports are located on the front and back of the control panel base, respectively. The control device further includes a CPU, which is connected to audio-in/out ports, video in/out ports, speaker microphone, LCD display, power port, remote control keyboard, CD/RW Driver, and expanded memory/ROM so that the CD player can operate to play the CD without support by the computer when the interface port of the CD player is inserted to the interface slot.

Abstract: A system for recording data to a disc shaped record medium. The data is recorded according to a universal disc format employing a hierarchical file system, and data within the hierarchical structure is referenced using pointer information. The pointer information includes a file identifier descriptor and a file entry and is recorded such that the pointer information and its corresponding substantive data are stored at successive addresses.

Abstract: A navigation system includes a database of a plurality of roads, a position determining system, an input device, and a route determination system. A CPU samples user inputs and a counter keeps track of the number of occurrences of those user inputs which achieve a particular user desired result. The CPU identifies the user inputs which achieve a particular result and stores such inputs within a user input database maintained in a storage device. The CPU continues to store the user inputs which achieve a desired user result until a predetermined number of “N” occurrences is reached. After reaching the “N” number of occurrences, it has become apparent that this is not an infrequent inefficient input by the user. The CPU will then display a suggestion screen which provides a predetermined suggested input tailored to the prior inefficient user inputs.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus using an IC memory, comprising: an IC memory to/from which writing/reading of an audio signal is performed; and a control circuit for controlling writing/reading of the audio signal to/from this IC memory, and its address, and controlling, on writing and reading the audio signal to and from the IC memory, so that its address becomes ring-shaped, writing, when a recording key is pressed, the audio signal from an address contiguous to an area, within the IC memory, where the writing, which has never been read after the writing, is performed, and reading, when a reproduction key is pressed, the audio signal from the head of an area, within the IC memory, where the writing, which has never been read after the writing, is performed.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing information units recorded on a recording medium in a hierarchical structure having a plurality of levels. In the hierarchical structure, the information units are divided into a plurality of groups, and the groups are respectively assigned to the levels. The apparatus includes: an input device that receives an input instruction to designate one of the information units; a number determination device that determines the number of the information units included in each group; a level determination device that determines, on the basis of a determination of the number determination device, one of the levels to be searched in order to identify the designated information unit; and a reproduction device that identifies the designated information unit by searching the level determined by the level designation device, and reproduces the identified information unit.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing apparatus using an IC memory includes an IC memory to/from which writing/reading of an audio signal is performed; and a control circuit for controlling writing/reading of the audio signal to/from this IC memory, and its address, and for controlling, on writing and reading the audio signal to and from the IC memory, so that its address becomes ring-shaped, writing, of when a recording key is pressed, the audio signal from contiguous address to an area, within the IC memory where the writing, which has never been read is performed, and reading, of when a reproduction key is pressed, the audio signal from the head of an area within the IC memory where the writing, which has never been read, is performed.

Abstract: When the user designates the reproduction of searching audio data, the designated searching audio data and audio volume data are read from a searching data recording portion. The searching audio data is reproduced corresponding to the audio volume data. When the user designates the reproduction of main audio data, the selected audio data is read from a disc and reproduced. In addition, number-of-reproduction-times data, audio volume data, audio quality data, and time period data for the designated main audio data that are updated in the searching data storing portion. The searching audio data corresponding to the designated main audio data is read from the disc corresponding to the audio quality data and the time period data and recorded to the searching data storing portion.

Abstract: A redundant recording disk device includes a first logical sub-disk and a second logical sub-disk. Mirrored redundant data are recorded such that a recording position on the first logical sub-disk and a recording position on the second logical sub-disk are positions on a corresponding radius and have a phase difference of 180 degrees around respective rotation axes of the disks with respect to one data. Therefore, the practical use of the disk device can be continued even when one recording surface is not usable because of a fault, and the access speed of the disk can be increased when there is no fault since the mirrored data which have been written with a predetermined phase-offset into the different recording surfaces may be read out in a parallel manner.

Abstract: An audio system is provide which can easily register title information in a medium capable of recording music data and the like. A recording/reproducing apparatus transmits TOC information for identifying a CD to be reproduced, to a personal computer. Upon reception of this TOC information, the personal computer communicates with a management site for managing disk information of CD's via a network, and receives subject disk information from the management site by using the TOC information. Thereafter, the recording/reproducing apparatus started the record operation transmits record completion information to the personal computer when a record of music data is completed. Upon reception of this record completion information, the personal computer transmits title information (such as a track title) corresponding to the record completion information to the recording/reproducing apparatus. The recording/reproducing apparatus registers the received title information in an MD recorded with the music data.

Abstract: An apparatus of the present invention is an optical disk apparatus for irradiating with a laser beam an optical disk on which address marks are recorded at intervals based on a pulse width modulation method and for reproducing data from a reproduced signal based on reflected light. The apparatus includes: a pulse signal reproduction section for producing a reproduced pulse signal from the reproduced signal based on a threshold value; a threshold value production section for producing the threshold value based on the reproduced pulse signal; and a gate signal production section for producing an address gate signal at a timing when the address mark is reproduced.