Abstract: An optical disk that includes main information and write-once information recorded on the optical disk. The write-once information is recorded as information unique to the optical disk, and the write-once information stores at least watermark production parameters for producing a watermark.

Abstract: The recording method of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving a write instruction which specifies at least a logical sector in which data is to be written; determining whether the logical sector corresponds to a recorded physical sector or an unrecorded physical sector; when it is determined that the logical sector corresponds to an unrecorded physical sector, writing the data into the unrecorded physical sector, determining whether a verification of the data which has been written into a physical sector is successful, if the verification of the data that has been written is not successful, writing the data into an unrecorded physical sector, generating a remapping table including remapping information which remaps an original address of the physical sector corresponding to the logical sector to a remapping address of the selected physical sector, and writing the remapping table on the write-once disc.

Abstract: Congested rewriting in the same area is to be evaded to suppress the tendency towards occurrence of defective areas. When a stream 1 has been recorded, the last written address, representing the last written position, is stored. When recording a stream 2 next, recording is started directly following the position indicated by the last written address for the stream 1. The last written address, corresponding to the last address of the recording position, is stored. If the stream 2 is erased for recording a stream 3, recording is started not at a position directly following the last written address of the stream 1, but from a position directly following the last written address of the stream 2. When the stream 3 has reached the end of a recording area, the next following data is recorded as from a position directly following the stream 1.

Abstract: A recording method is provided for recording data into an information recording medium, in which the number of data rewrites into the same area is limited. The recording method comprises the steps of (a) performing a search for unallocated areas in an information recording area and retaining, in a memory, unallocated area identifying information for identifying at least one unallocated area found by the search, (b) determining whether or not an unallocated area satisfying a record request is present among the at least one unallocated areas identified by the unallocated area identifying information, and (c) when an unallocated area satisfying a record request is present among the at least one unallocated areas identified by the unallocated area identifying information, allocating the unallocated area as an area for recording data and recording data into the allocated area.

Abstract: When recording data on a medium where a certain data rate is required, an allocation manager in the player must allocate sections of the logical space in such a way that the recording medium is efficiently filled and that an adequate data rate can be guaranteed even in the presence of defective ECC blocks. The allocation rules for the allocation manager are complex. The rules can be simplified by placing a lower limit on the size of an extent and by increasing the size of the extent depending on the number of defect ECC blocks in the extent.

Abstract: Congested rewriting in the same area is to be evaded to suppress the tendency towards occurrence of defective areas. When a stream 1 has been recorded, the last written address, representing the last written position, is stored. When recording a stream 2 next, recording is started directly following the position indicated by the last written address for the stream 1. The last written address, corresponding to the last address of the recording position, is stored. If the stream 2 is erased for recording a stream 3, recording is started not at a position directly following the last written address of the stream 1, but from a position directly following the last written address of the stream 2. When the stream 3 has reached the end of a recording area, the next following data is recorded as from a position directly following the stream 1.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus according to the present invention generates data to be written continuously on first and second recording layers of a recording medium. The first and second recording layers have first and second storage capacities, respectively.

Abstract: A method for searching for at least one recordable area in which real time data can be recorded from at least one empty area included in an information recording medium includes a first step of setting at least one of a starting end and a terminating end of the section so as to match at least one of a starting end and a terminating end of at least one empty area, and determining whether or not the section fulfills an unused area condition regarding the size and the number; and a second step of determining at least one empty area, included in an area on an information recording medium including at least one section fulfilling the unused area condition, as a recordable area in which real time data can be recorded.

Abstract: In order to perform simultaneous recording and reproduction, a large capacity of buffer memories were required. In addition, it was difficult to record data while reproducing data which was recorded by a different apparatus. The present invention has an objective of providing an information recording medium, a simultaneous recording and reproduction method, and an information recording and reproduction apparatus which guarantee simultaneous recording and reproduction. The simultaneous recording and reproduction is guaranteed by reproducing data recorded in an area having at least a minimum size fulfilling the simultaneous recording and reproduction condition which allows for four access operations, recording data in an area having at least the same size, and performing reproduction and recording alternately by switching reproduction to recording when the data amount in the reproduction buffer becomes full and switching recording to reproduction when the data amount in the recording buffer becomes empty.

Abstract: A file system which is enabled to use a Metadata Partition instead of VAT for write-once discs, is provided by a pseudo-overwrite method. On applying this invention to a drive apparatus which supports pseudo-overwrite media, the file system distinguishes data to overwrite from data to append. When the data is newly written to a logical sector (S1305), the drive apparatus writes the data to a physical sector to which the logical sector corresponds (S1311). When the logical sector is overwritten the data is written to another unrecorded physical sector in the volume space (1321), and remapping information that specifies the original address, and the remapping address are stored in the remapping table (S1322).

Abstract: To improve the convenience of a record medium and allow a reproduction process to be more easily performed than before. When a reproduction process 123 that reproduces material data recorded on a disc 32 is executed, a disc information file management section 63 references a reproduction history of a disc information file held in a disc information file hold section 52 and starts reproducing material data from a position according to the reproduction history. When the reproduction process is completed, the disc information file management section 63 updates the reproduction history of the disc information file held in the disc information file hold section 52. A disc information file record control section 82 records the updated disc information file on the disc 32.

Abstract: To smoothly reproduce data. A clip generation section 104 generates a clip information file that describes attribute information of each piece of essence data that are necessary to reproduce each piece of essence data generated by a data generation section 103 according to parameter information supplied from an information obtainment section 102. An index file update section 105 generates in an index file read from an optical disc 17 and stored in a RAM a clip element that describes attribute information of a clip necessary to reproduce the clip according to the parameter information supplied from the information obtainment section 102 and updates the index file. The present invention can be applied to a video program creation support system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recording an AV file using an information recording disk in which data is recorded/reproduced by sectors. The recording method includes the steps of determining whether or not input data is AV data; detecting a defective sector existing in an assigned data recording area; when the input data is AV data while a defective sector is detected in the data recording area, allocating a defective extent including the defective sector; recording AV data in continuous sectors while skipping the defective extent; and allocating an area of continuous sectors where on the AV data is recorded as one AV extent.

Abstract: In order to perform simultaneous recording and reproduction, a large capacity of buffer memories were required. In addition, it was difficult to record data while reproducing data which was recorded by a different apparatus. The present invention has an objective of providing an information recording medium, a simultaneous recording and reproduction method, and an information recording and reproduction apparatus which guarantee simultaneous recording and reproduction. The simultaneous recording and reproduction is guaranteed by reproducing data recorded in an area having at least a minimum size fulfilling the simultaneous recording and reproduction condition which allows for four access operations, recording data in an area having at least the same size, and performing reproduction and recording alternately by switching reproduction to recording when the data amount in the reproduction buffer becomes full and switching recording to reproduction when the data amount in the recording buffer becomes empty.

Abstract: A card information-storing portion is provided in a semiconductor memory card, and information relating to access performance such as access condition and access rate is held in the storing portion. Further, an access device acquires the held information from the semiconductor memory card to make it possible that the information can be used for control of a file system. This optimizes processing of the access device and the semiconductor memory card independent of differences in characteristics of semiconductor memory cards and management methods used, realizing high-rate access from the access device to a semiconductor memory card.

Abstract: An information recording medium including a plurality of sectors of the present invention includes: a first spare area including a spare sector for replacing a defective sector among the plurality of sectors; a defect management information area for managing the replacement of the defective sector by the spare sector; and a volume space in which user data can be recorded. The volume space is configured so that a second spare area including a spare sector for replacing a defective sector among the plurality of sectors can be additionally allocated. Location information indicating a location of the second spare area is recorded in the defect management information area.

Abstract: In order to perform simultaneous recording and reproduction, a large capacity of buffer memories were required. In addition, it was difficult to record data while reproducing data which was recorded by a different apparatus. The present invention has an objective of providing an information recording medium, a simultaneous recording and reproduction method, and an information recording and reproduction apparatus which guarantee simultaneous recording and reproduction. The simultaneous recording and reproduction is guaranteed by reproducing data recorded in an area having at least a minimum size fulfilling the simultaneous recording and reproduction condition which allows for four access operations, recording data in an area having at least the same size, and performing reproduction and recording alternately by switching reproduction to recording when the data amount in the reproduction buffer becomes full and switching recording to reproduction when the data amount in the recording buffer becomes empty.

Abstract: An optical disk storing write-once information usable for protecting the copyright of the software by preventing the duplication, unauthorized use, etc., of the software. In the optical disk, a recording layer (213) is formed on a disk substrate (211) with a dielectric layer (212) inbetween. Then, an intermediate dielectric layer (214) and a reflecting layer (215) are successively laminated upon the recording layer (213), and an overcoat layer (216) is formed on the surface of the reflecting layer (215). A plurality of BCA (one of write-once identification information systems) sections (220a and 220b) are recorded by lowering the vertical magnetic anisotropy of the recording layer (213). At the time of reproduction, the write-once information is detected from differential signals.

Abstract: An information recording medium including a plurality of sectors of the present invention includes: a first spare area including a spare sector for replacing a defective sector among the plurality of sectors; a defect management information area for managing the replacement of the defective sector by the spare sector; and a volume space in which user data can be recorded. The volume space is configured so that a second spare area including a spare sector for replacing a defective sector among the plurality of sectors can be additionally allocated. Location information indicating a location of the second spare area is recorded in the defect management information area.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a marking forming apparatus, a method of forming a laser marking on an optical disk, a reproduction apparatus, an optical disk, and a method of manufacturing an optical disk, capable of providing a greatly improved copy prevention capability as compared to prior known construction. To achieve this object, in the optical disk of the invention, for example, a marking is formed by a laser on a reflective film of a disk holding data written thereon and at least position information of the marking or information concerning the position information is written on the disk in an encrypted form or with a digital signature appended thereto.