Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a user data area (108) for recording therein record data; a plurality of temporary defect management areas (104, 105) for temporarily recording therein defect management information (120) which is a basis of defect management for a defect in the data area; and a flag area (111) for recording therein distinction information for distinguishing a temporary defect management area in which the defect management information that is effective is recorded, from the plurality of temporary defect management areas, the distinction information being recorded as a type of a combination pattern of an area set to be in a recorded condition and an area left to be in an unrecorded condition according to a predetermined rule, in the flag area.

Abstract: A spare area 12 is divided into partial spare areas 12A to 12D, and a defect list 15 is divided into partial defect lists 15A to 15D, with the partial spare areas 12A to 12D corresponding to the partial defect lists 15A to 15D, respectively. When a defect is detected, only the partial defect list updated by the detection is recorded into the defect management area of a recording medium 10.

Abstract: An information recording medium (100) is provided with: a user data area (108) for recording therein record data; a plurality of temporary defect management areas (104, 105) for temporarily recording therein defect management information (120) which is a basis of defect management for a defect in the data area; and a flag area (111) for recording therein distinction information for distinguishing a temporary defect management area in which the defect management information that is effective is recorded, from the plurality of temporary defect management areas, the distinction information being recorded as a type of a combination pattern of an area set to be in a recorded condition and an area left to be in an unrecorded condition according to a predetermined rule, in the flag area.

Abstract: An information recording medium complies with a predetermined file system, and is provided with: a logical first recording area to record therein a first file which is recorded and reproduced by a first application; and a logical second recording area to record therein a second file which is recorded and reproduced by a second application different from the first application.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with: a user data area to record therein record data; a spare area to alter thereto one portion of the user data area, along with defect management in the user data area; and a defect management area to record therein defect management information which includes first information and second information, the first information indicating a correspondence relationship between an evacuation source address in the user data area and an evacuation destination address in the spare area, along with alternative recording in the user data area based on the defect management, the second information indicating a correspondence relationship between an alternative source address in the spare area and an alternative destination address in the spare area, along with alternative recording in the spare area based on the defect management.

Abstract: A write-once-type information recording medium is provided with: a user data area to record therein record data; a spare area to alter thereto one portion of addresses of said user data area, along with defect management in said user data area or logical overwriting to said user data area; and a defect management area to record therein defect management information which includes an alternative list and identification information, the alternative list indicating a correspondence relationship between an alternative source address in said user data area which is altered to said spare area and an alternative destination address in said spare area, the identification information being intended to identify whether each alternative is based on the defect management or the logical overwriting.

Abstract: An optical disc capable of repeated recording, such as a DVD?RW, is applicable. An information recording and reproducing apparatus starts recording by making a sync pattern of recording data correspond to a recording reference position determined by an LPP formed on the disc at the time of recording new data on the disc. Afterward, the apparatus continues the recording by gradually shifting a position of the sync pattern of the recording data with respect to the recording reference position, and performs the recording with a shift quantity fixed to the predetermined shift quantity when the shift quantity thereof reaches a quantity equal to or larger than a predetermined quantity. Thereby, at a rewriting portion on the optical disc, the shift between recorded data and a recording start position of recording data for rewriting can be small, and establishing synchronization at the time of reproducing or rewriting can be stably performed.

Abstract: As an information recording medium, an optical disc such as a DVD-R and the like, is applicable. The optical disc has a recording structure which includes a lead-in area, a lead-out area and a user data area. The lead-in area includes control information area having control information data, such as an address of recording data. Moreover, the control information area includes a predetermined remaining quantity area. Until recorded control information data does not reach the predetermined remaining quantity area, when the data is recorded on the optical disc, the newest control information data is additionally recorded in the control information area every time the optical disc is ejected. On the other hand, after the control information data reaches the predetermined remaining quantity area, the newest control information data is additionally recorded in the control information area only when additional recording data larger than a predetermined quantity is recorded.

Abstract: As information recording medium, an optical disc, such as a BD-R and the like, is applicable. The optical disc has a recording structure including a lead-in area, a lead-out area and a user data area. In addition, the optical disc is adopted to a defect management system, and a spare area and a defect management area are provided between the user data area and the lead-out area. When recording capacity of the space area becomes insufficient, the spare area is expanded. At the same time, the defect management area is also expanded. Thus, it is possible to cope with the increase of the defect management information due to the increase of the spare area.

Abstract: A recording medium capable of preventing recording quality from deteriorating due to repeated overwriting is provided. Recording marks and spaces which are formed based on recording information generated by combining desired content information and additional information that changes whenever the content information is recorded in an overwritable recording medium to thus record the content information.

Abstract: A recording medium capable of preventing recording quality from deteriorating due to repeated overwriting is provided. Content information recording regions that represent desired content information and sync code recording regions that represent sync codes synchronized with each other during the reading of the content information including sync detectors defined by at least two kinds of patterns are formed in an overwritable recording medium to thus record the content information.

Abstract: An information recording medium provided with: a data area for recording therein record data; and a temporary defect management area for temporarily recording therein defect management information which is a basis of defect management for a defect in the data area, the defect management information being divided into a plurality of divisional defect management information in which one divisional defect management information can be updated independently of another divisional defect management information and being recorded, if the defect management information exceeds a predetermined size.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus records the record data onto an information recording medium, which is provided with wobbled tracks and on which pre-format address information is recorded. The information recording apparatus is provided with: an optical pickup; a detector for detecting a push-pull signal on the basis of an output of the optical pickup; a timing generator for generating a timing signal by detecting the pre-format address information and by detecting a slot unit smaller than a data management unit of the pre-format address information on the basis of a cycle of the push-pull signal; and a system controller for detecting an optimum recording laser power by recording or reproducing a test signal on the tracks while changing a recording laser power on the basis of the timing signal.

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: A disk drive 121 generates defect information indicating a position of a defect on a recording surface of a DVD-RAM 130 when data recorded on the DVD-RAM is read during the data rewriting against the DVD-RAM. The disk drive determines whether or not the data is recorded at the position of the defect when the data is recorded onto the DVD-RAM and sends the result to a main controller 111. The main controller 111 controls the disk drive such that data including the same contents as those of the data recorded at the position of the defect into a spare area on the DVD-RAM, on the basis of the result of the determination. Recording into the spare area is executed, for example, when the continuous recording of the data into the data area on the DVD-RAM is completed.

Abstract: An information detecting apparatus which can surely detect specific information such as a digital watermark in high-speed data stream and can be configured at low cost. The apparatus extracts data including specific information from a high-speed data stream, and detects the specific information in the extracted data at low speed.

Abstract: An information reading apparatus has a feature that, when a disc on which data is recorded by a CLV system is read out by a CAV system, a transfer rate is changed in accordance with an amount of data recorded on the disc and the data can be efficiently read out in a short time. In an information reading apparatus arranged such that data read by rotating at a constant angular velocity a disk-shaped recording medium on which data is recorded at a constant linear velocity is transmitted to an external apparatus through a buffer memory, there is provided a setting unit for setting a rotational angular velocity of the disk-shaped recording medium in a manner such that a transfer rate when the information read at a predetermined radial position excluding the outermost peripheral portion in the information recording region of the disk-shaped recording medium is transferred to the buffer memory is equal to the maximum sustain transfer rate at which the information reading apparatus can perform the reading operation.