Abstract: An information recording apparatus (200) is provided with: a first recording device (354) for recording user data into a user data area (105, 115) provided for an information recording medium (100), with a data area attribute added; and a second recording device (354) for recording a marker (108) following an end edge portion of the recorded user data, with a predetermined flag bit set to a first value and with the data area attribute added, the flag bit indicating at least whether or not the marker is recorded.

Abstract: A recording device has a recording unit for recording information in a medium having a first layer and a second layer; a forming unit for forming a buffer area in each of the first and second layers; and a control unit for controlling the forming unit to form the buffer area in the first layer to have a prescribed size and an edge on an outer circumference side of the buffer area in the second layer at a position, shifted from an area section of the second layer corresponding to the edge on the outer circumference side of the buffer area by a relative positional shift between an address at a prescribed position in the first layer and an address relating to the prescribed position in the second layer, or at a position shifted by a tolerance length indicating a tolerance range of such positional shift.

Abstract: A recording apparatus includes: a recording device for recording record information onto at least one of (i) a recording medium including: a first recording layer and a second recording layer in which the record information is recorded by irradiating laser light thereon, each of the first and second recording layers including a buffer area and a calibration area, and (ii) a recording medium including: the first recording layer and the second recording layer, each of the first and second recording layers including the calibration area; a setting device for setting a reserved area having a predetermined size for extending or generating the buffer area, by each recording unit in the calibration area; a calibrating device for calibrating the power by using the calibration area other than the set reserved area; and a controlling device for controlling the recording device to record the record information into at least the reserved area.

Abstract: A write-once-type recording medium (100) on which record data can be recorded only once, provided with: a data area (108) to record therein the record data; and a shared area (104, 105) to temporarily record therein evacuation data which is record data to be recorded or already recorded at a position of a defect in the data area and defect management information (120) including an evacuation source address of the evacuation data, the evacuation data being recorded with one predetermined point which exists in the shared area as a start point, the defect management information being recorded with another predetermined point which exists at a different point from the one point as a start point, in the shared area.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing device, wherein a power management mechanism for a serial ATA interface connecting between an optical disk drive and a host computer has a steady-state power mode (PHYRDY) and a power-saving mode (Partial state, Slumber state) to keep power consumption lower than the steady-state power mode, while a power management mechanism built into the optical disk drive has a steady-state power mode (active state) and a power-saving mode (inactive mode) to keep power consumption lower than the steady-state power mode. The optical disk drive controls transition of the power consumption modes of the power management mechanism for a serial ATA interface in accordance with current power consumption mode of its internal power management mechanism.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes at least a disc-shaped first recording layer having a first recording track formed for recording record information and a disc-shaped second recording layer having a second recording track formed for recording the record information in the same recording direction as the first recording track of the first recording layer. A second place serving as a reference of a pre-format address for indicating the start position of the data area in the second recording track (position of a circle of address 30000h in the radius direction in the L1 layer) is located at an outer side as compared to a first position serving as the pre-format address for indicating the start position of the data area in the first recording track (position of a circle of address 30000h in the radius direction in the L0 layer) at least by a predetermined first offset amount.

Abstract: An optical disk (100) comprises recording management areas (103, 113) in which record management data for managing data recording is recorded. The record management data includes (i) physical position information (122, 125, 126) indicating the positions of physical buffer areas in which buffer data for buffering recording operation is physically recorded and (ii) logical position information (121) indicating the position of a logical buffer area in which buffer data is logically recorded or to be recorded.

Abstract: An information recording medium (1) includes a recording area (12) in which a content (122) which is encrypted by an encryption key in a first encryption system and first key information (121) for obtaining the encryption key by a second encryption system that is different from the first encryption system are recorded and a control information area (11) in which second key information (112) for obtaining the encryption key by at least first encryption system and a flag (111) for deciding which system is to be used, either the first encryption system or the second encryption system, are recorded. At the time of reproduction, when the encryption key is obtained by the system decided by the flag and the content is reproduced, the content can be properly protected while keeping compatibility with the existing content protection technology.

Abstract: A content distribution system (100) includes a server device (3) and a client device (2) which are contained in a network (17), and an information recording medium (1) capable of being set in the client device and recordable. The client device, when the information recording medium on which prepaid information or content identification information is recorded is set, transmits the recorded information to the server device. The server device distributes the contents corresponding to the content identification information to the client device within the prepaid range indicated by the prepaid information. The client device stores the contents to be distributed in a storage element (9) and further copies them to the information recording medium. With this, content distribution excellent in promptness and safety can be achieved and also an information recording medium on which desired contents are recorded can be safely and surely delivered to the user's hand.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with: a recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas; and an information area for recording therein (i) management information for managing recording conditions of the plurality of partial areas at least for each of the plurality of partial areas and (ii) reliability information for indicating reliability of the management information for each of the plurality of partial areas.

Abstract: An information reproducing device reproduces information in an information recording medium provided with, in addition to a first recording layer readable by a first laser beam, at least one of a second recording layer readable by a second laser beam, and a third recording layer readable by a third laser beam. The information reproducing device includes an optical pickup element applying a laser beam and receiving its reflection; a first judging element first determining whether the first recording layer exists, based on an output from the optical pickup element; a second judging element secondly determining on either of the recording layers is set by a user as a prioritized reproducing layer to be reproduced first; a reproducing element reproducing recorded information; and a control element controlling the reproducing element to reproduce the recorded information, based on outputs from the first judgment element, second judgment, and optical pickup elements.

Abstract: A write-once-type recording medium (100) on which record data can be recorded only once, provided with: a data area (108) to record therein the record data; and a shared area (104, 105) to temporarily record therein evacuation data which is record data to be recorded or already recorded at a position of a defect in the data area and defect management information (120) including an evacuation source address of the evacuation data, the evacuation data being recorded with one predetermined point which exists in the shared area as a start point, the defect management information being recorded with another predetermined point which exists at a different point from the one point as a start point, in the shared area.

Abstract: A recording device (200) includes a first recording layer (L0 layer) and a second recording layer (L1 layer) where recording information is recorded by irradiation of a laser beam (LB). Each of the first recording layer and the second recording layer includes: recording means (352) for recording the recording information on a recording medium (100) having a buffer area (102, 109, 118, 119) for preventing erroneous operation and a calibration area (103a, 103b, 113, 113b) for calibrating laser beam power or on a recording medium having a calibration area; setting means (354) for setting a reserved area of a predetermined size for extending or generating a buffer area for each recording unit of the calibration area; calibration means (354) for controlling the recording means so that the recording information is recorded in the reserved area.

Abstract: An information reproducing apparatus (100) is for reproducing an information recording medium (10) on which each of first data according to a reproduction standard and second data according to a recording standard is recorded, and is provided with: a reproducing device (112, 130) for reproducing the first data or the second data; and a controlling device (129) for controlling the reproducing device such that the reproducing device starts the reproduction of the second data if the reproducing device reproduces the first data.

Abstract: An information recording/reproducing apparatus (100) is provided with: a recording device (106) for recording content data and sub data onto an information recording medium (109); a first displaying device (107) for displaying a menu screen which displays a list of the content data; and a second displaying device (107) for displaying a list of the sub data on the menu screen together with the list of the content data.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus (200) is provided with: a recording device (353) for recording data onto an information recording medium (100) being provided with a first recording layer (L0) and a second recording layer (L1); a first controlling device (354) for controlling the recording device to record the data into each of the first recording layer and the second recording layer; a forming device (354) for forming a compatibility area (106, 109, 116, 119) for realizing reproduction compatibility of the information recording medium on an information recording apparatus, following the data recorded in each of the first recording layer and the second recording layer; and a second controlling device (354) for controlling the recording device to record the data into the formed compatibility area if the data is recorded after the compatibility area is formed.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus is for recording user data and recording management data onto an information recording medium being provided with: a first recording layer; and a second recording layer, each of the first recording layer and the second recording layer having a user data area to record therein at least the user data and a recording management area to record therein at least the recording management data for managing recording of the user data, the information recording apparatus is provided with: a recording device for dividing the recording management area into a plurality of recording management segments and for recording the recording management data into at least one of the plurality of recording management segments; and a first controlling device for controlling the recording device to dispose each of the plurality of recording management segments in a single recording layer.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a data recording area (105, 115) to which one attribute, which corresponds to recorded data, of a plurality of types of attributes is given in each of segmentized area units; and an address recording area (1031, 1032) to record therein an address (AD0-1, AD1-1) of an edge portion on an outermost side of a recording area, which is a continuous recording area to which a data area attribute of the plurality of types of attributes is given and which is a recording area closest to an edge portion on an innermost side of said data recording area, the data area attribute indicating a status that user data is recorded as the data.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus includes: a recording device capable of recording information into a data area of an information recording medium, by irradiating laser light, in conformity with a predetermined error correction method; an optimum-recording-power detecting device for obtaining an optimum recording power of the laser light, by recording test writing data into a data area portion with a length which is equal to or less than an allowable defect length in the predetermined error correction method, within the data area, by using the recording device; and a controlling device for controlling the recording device to record the information into the data area with the obtained optimum recording power.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with: a recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas; and an information area for recording therein (i) management information for managing recording conditions of the plurality of partial areas at least for each of the plurality of partial areas and (ii) reliability information for indicating reliability of the management information for each of the plurality of partial areas.