Abstract: A write-once type information recording medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one recording layer. In the information recording medium, the at least one recording layer has a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track is divided into blocks each of which being minimum unit in which recording is performed, and the information recording medium includes a management information area where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded. Each of the management information areas of both the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least one recording layer is disposed at a same distance from the center of the information recording medium.

Abstract: An information recording method of recording information is provided in an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers including a first recording layer and a second recording layer located to be closer to a surface than the first recording layer, each of the plurality of recording layers includes a user data area for recording user data, a spare area for alternatively recording data of failed recording into the user data area, and a management information area for recording management information. The first recording layer is used as a recording object layer at start of recording. When any one of the user data area, the spare area, and the management information area of the first recording layer runs short of a free space, then the recording object layer of the user data area, the spare area, and the management information area is switched over to the second recording layer.

Abstract: An information recording method of recording information is provided in an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers including a first recording layer and a second recording layer located to be closer to a surface than the first recording layer, each of the plurality of recording layers includes a user data area for recording user data, a spare area for alternatively recording data of failed recording into the user data area, and a management information area for recording management information. The first recording layer is used as a recording object layer at start of recording. When any one of the user data area, the spare area, and the management information area of the first recording layer runs short of a free space, then the recording object layer of the user data area, the spare area, and the management information area is switched over to the second recording layer.

Abstract: A write-once type information recording medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes at least one recording layer. In the information recording medium, the at least one recording layer has a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track is divided into blocks each of which being minimum unit in which recording is performed, and the information recording medium includes a management information area where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded. Each of the management information areas of both the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least one recording layer is disposed at a same distance from the center of the information recording medium.

Abstract: Measured signal quality information obtained by measuring signal quality information showing signal quality obtained when an information reproduction device reproduces information from an information recording medium includes a device-caused variation which is a variation in the signal quality information that has degraded due to the information reproduction device, and a medium-caused variation which is a variation in the signal quality information that has degraded due to the information recording medium. A signal-quality-information correction device includes a device-caused-variation detection section which detects the device-caused variation included in the measured signal quality information, and a signal-quality-information correction section which corrects the measured signal quality information to signal quality information resulting from removal of the device-caused variation detected by the device-caused-variation detection section from the measured signal quality information.

Abstract: A change necessity determination unit (12) determines necessity of change of a monitoring time interval of each performance item from a performance value of at least one performance item held by a performance value holding unit (11). A time interval computation unit (15) shortens a monitoring time interval of a performance item, for which the monitoring time interval is determined to need to be shortened by the change necessity determination unit (12), and extends a monitoring time interval of at least one performance item other than the performance item for which the monitoring time interval is determined to need to be shortened. A time interval update unit (16) updates the monitoring time interval held by the time interval holding unit (10), to the monitoring time interval of each performance item, which is computed by the time interval computation unit (15).

Abstract: In an information recording medium in which storage capacity per recording layer has increased so much that the size of an SBM varies with those of spare areas, there is mutual dependence between a DDS and an SBM and it is difficult to retrieve disc management information as intended. In an information recording medium according to the present invention, if the largest space is allocated to an user data area, the number of blocks to store a space bitmap is Ni (where Ni?2). But if the smallest space is allocated to the user data area, the number of blocks to use is smaller than Ni.

Abstract: A recording/reproduction device according to the present invention includes a recording/reproduction section for recording or reproducing data on or from an information recording medium; a verification section for checking whether or not the data recorded on the information recording medium can be reproduced normally; a management information recording section for recording, on the information recording medium by use of the recording/reproduction section, only management information which needs to be changed among a plurality of types of management information for managing the data recorded on the information recording medium; and a management information checking section for checking, by use of the verification section, whether or not latest management information including management information which does not need to be changed and is to be reused can be reproduced normally.

Abstract: In an information recording medium in which storage capacity per recording layer has increased so much that the size of an SBM varies with those of spare areas, there is mutual dependence between a DDS and an SBM and it is difficult to retrieve disc management information as intended. In an information recording medium according to the present invention, if the largest space is allocated to an user data area, the number of blocks to store a space bitmap is Ni (where Ni?2). But if the smallest space is allocated to the user data area, the number of blocks to use is smaller than Ni.

Abstract: In an information recording medium in which storage capacity per recording layer has increased so much that the size of an SBM varies with those of spare areas, there is mutual dependence between a DDS and an SBM and it is difficult to retrieve disc management information as intended. In an information recording medium according to the present invention, if the largest space is allocated to an user data area, the number of blocks to store a space bitmap is Ni (where Ni?2). But if the smallest space is allocated to the user data area, the number of blocks to use is smaller than Ni.

Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for controlling an access means for accessing a recording medium containing at least one area so that the access means accesses the at least one area. The apparatus comprises a means for determining whether or not at least one first recorded area storing data is included in the at least one area, and a means for controlling the access means. When it is determined that the at least one first recorded area is included in the at least one area, the control means controls the access means based on a result of accessing the at least one first recorded area.

Abstract: In an information recording medium in which storage capacity per recording layer has increased so much that the size of an SBM varies with those of spare areas, there is mutual dependence between a DDS and an SBM and it is difficult to retrieve disc management information as intended. In an information recording medium according to the present invention, if the largest space is allocated to an user data area, the number of blocks to store a space bitmap is Ni (where Ni?2). But if the smallest space is allocated to the user data area, the number of blocks to use is smaller than Ni.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus is provided with a recording controller for recording data on an information recording medium, a verification controller for verifying whether or not the recorded data can be correctly reproduced, a continuous recording controller for providing a gap region of a specified interval between a verification region and a recording region and successively performing a verify processing and a record processing with rotation waiting in between, an error region discriminator for discriminating an error region in the event of an error in the process of performing the verify processing and the record processing, and an error processor for performing an error processing according to the error region. The error processor performs an error processing different from the one performed when an error occurred in either one of the verification region and the recording region if an error is discriminated to have occurred in the gap region.

Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for controlling an access means for accessing a recording medium containing at least one area so that the access means accesses the at least one area. The apparatus comprises a means for determining whether or not at least one first recorded area storing data is included in the at least one area, and a means for controlling the access means. When it is determined that the at least one first recorded area is included in the at least one area, the control means controls the access means based on a result of accessing the at least one first recorded area.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus is provided with a recording controller for recording data on an information recording medium, a verification controller for verifying whether or not the recorded data can be correctly reproduced, a continuous recording controller for providing a gap region of a specified interval between a verification region and a recording region and successively performing a verify processing and a record processing with rotation waiting in between, an error region discriminator for discriminating an error region in the event of an error in the process of performing the verify processing and the record processing, and an error processor for performing an error processing according to the error region. The error processor performs an error processing different from the one performed when an error occurred in either one of the verification region and the recording region if an error is discriminated to have occurred in the gap region.

Abstract: Provided is an information recording/reproduction apparatus including: a recording request receiving unit for receiving a recording request for recording information on an information recording medium including two or more recording layers; and a recording unit for recording the information by, limiting the number of recording layers including an area with information recorded thereon to a predetermined value N (N?0) or less with respect to other recording layers in which the light passes therethrough until light reaches an unrecorded area of a recording layer as a recording target. According to this configuration, it is possible to guarantee the recording quality of a multilayered information recording medium.

Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for controlling an access means for accessing a recording medium containing at least one area so that the access means accesses the at least one area. The apparatus comprises a means for determining whether or not at least one first recorded area storing data is included in the at least one area, and a means for controlling the access means. When it is determined that the at least one first recorded area is included in the at least one area, the control means controls the access means based on a result of accessing the at least one first recorded area.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for searching for a writable area of a write-once information recording medium, comprising a searching portion and a control portion. The searching portion searches for an unrecorded area using a prescribed address as a reference. The control portion provides a candidate address indicating a candidate for a writable area based on a result of the search, and performs a determination procedure for determining whether or not there is a defective area address indicating an address matching the candidate address in defect management information. When it is determined that there is not the defective area address indicating an address matching the candidate address, the control portion determines an area indicated by the candidate address as the writable area.

Abstract: A control apparatus is provided for controlling an access means for accessing a recording medium containing at least one area so that the access means accesses the at least one area. The apparatus comprises a means for determining whether or not at least one first recorded area storing data is included in the at least one area, and a means for controlling the access means. When it is determined that the at least one first recorded area is included in the at least one area, the control means controls the access means based on a result of accessing the at least one first recorded area.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for searching for a writable area of a write-once information recording medium, comprising a searching portion and a control portion. The searching portion searches for an unrecorded area using a prescribed address as a reference. The control portion provides a candidate address indicating a candidate for a writable area based on a result of the search, and performs a determination procedure for determining whether or not there is a defective area address indicating an address matching the candidate address in defect management information. When it is determined that there is not the defective area address indicating an address matching the candidate address, the control portion determines an area indicated by the candidate address as the writable area.