Abstract: The present invention has as an object to accomplish reliable data reproduction in a data reproducing apparatus in which servo operation easily becomes unstable in an unrecorded disc area, and provides a data storage medium whereby the highest address of the reproducible data area is obtained by the optical disc drive, and reproduction is possible using only a normal READ command, without providing a physical area in the volume space. Address information (181) for an integrity information area (111) allocated in the first overrun extent in the volume space is recorded to a lead-in area (101) reproducible by an optical disc drive.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical disk barcode forming method wherein, as information to be barcoded, position information for piracy prevention, which is a form of ID, is coded as a barcode and is recorded by laser trimming on a reflective film in a PCA area of an optical disk. When playing back the thus manufactured optical disk on a reproduction apparatus, the barcode data can be played back using the same optical pickup.

Abstract: A method, system, and language to express storage requirements. The language provides keywords and rules corresponding to commands for configuring a set of storage devices to provide requested capabilities of a logical volume. The language also has keywords and constructs for defining capabilities. The language supports direct inheritance of a capability, where a template specifies another template that contains rules to be used to provide a given capability. The language also supports indirect inheritance of a capability, where a template requires a capability but does not provide an implementation of the capability. In addition, the language is processed to “merge” rules by selecting a single storage device that conforms to more than one rule when possible. Merging rules enables a minimum number of storage devices to be used to meet a given logical volume configuration and set of capabilities.

Abstract: Disclosed is a photo-responsive liquid crystal composition which is composed of a liquid crystalline compound and a gelling agent, an information-recording medium and an information-recording process making use of the information-recording medium. The gelling agent consists of a photochromic compound having a group capable of forming an intermolecular hydrogen bond in its molecule as well as a photo-responding site of a specific structure. The composition can exist in any state of gel of a first phase and gel of a second phase and can undergo changes in state between the gel of the first phase and the gel of the second phase. The information-recording medium has a recording layer formed of the composition, and the information-recording process utilizes changes in state between the gel phases in the recording layer.

Abstract: The invention is a method for reading special track-related information on an optical storage medium. The medium sequentially has at least one session. Each session comprises a lead-in area and at least one track, wherein at least one session comprising one or more data tracks. A pickup head is firstly moved to read special track-related information in a target session. When reading the target session, first read Table of Content data of the lead-in area in the target session, and then sequentially read the data tracks in the target session for reading special track-related information. Only when finishing reading all data tracks in the target session, then the pickup head is moved to the next session for continuing reading the special track-related information.

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: 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 recording and reproduction apparatus and method for recording and reproducing different types of data including AV data and PC data on a disc type medium. The type of the recorded data determines the length of recording units used to record the data on the disc. Management information including identification indicating one of the respective types of data is stored at least at two location of a logical volume.

Abstract: A record medium playback apparatus includes a playback section and a playback control section. The playback control section is adapted to control a playback start position of the program information when the record medium playback apparatus is restarted after power thereof was turned off. The playback control section determines the playback start position of the program information using a first sequence when the record time of the whole program information corresponding to the playback position at the power off is less than a predetermined time. The playback control section determines the playback start position of the program information using a second sequence when the record time of the whole program information corresponding to the playback position at the power off is equal to or longer than the predetermined time.

Abstract: A reproducing apparatus (100) is provided with a reading device (4) for reading reproduction data and reproduction control data to control a reproduction of the reproduction data from a record disc (1), on which the reproduction data and the reproduction control data are recorded, a record medium (7, 10) having a plurality of memory areas, a data managing device (9) for storing one reproduction control data read by the reading device into one of the memory areas, and a reproducing device (8) for reproducing the reproduction data in accordance with the reproduction control data stored in the memory areas.

Abstract: In a method of recording real-time information on an information carrier, e.g. audio on an optical disc, the real-time information is compressed to units comprising a variable amount of compressed data, and playback parameters are determined in dependence of the compressed data. The playback parameters comprise an access list (Main_Acc_List) having entries, each subsequent entry being assigned to a subsequent interval of a fixed playback time and comprising a pointer (Entry[N]) to a unit within said interval. In a player the real-time information may be accessed at a selected point of playing time. The corresponding entry in the access list is determined by dividing the selected time by the interval. The entry provides the pointer (Entry[N]) to the unit corresponding to the selected playing time.

Abstract: Audio-centered information is stored on a unitary storage medium through a Table-of-Contents (TOC) mechanism that specifies an actual configuration of various audio items. In particular, in addition to the TOC mechanism a file-based access mechanism is assigned to the audio-centered information by a higher level Audio file. At a next-lower level a mechanism is assigned separately as one or more track-wise organized files indicating exclusively audio items contained in the area, and separately therefrom a comprehensive file indicating audio tracks as well as interposed pause intervals.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for accessing target data in a data storage medium, identification data in an initial data sector is verified before a target data sector that corresponds to starting location of the target data in the data storage medium can be found. Therefore, accuracy of the target data can be ensured before decoding of the target data is performed to result in increased efficiency and reduced idle time.

Abstract: An information storage medium according to an embodiment of this invention includes a management area for recording management information, and a data area for recording content data. The content data recorded in the data area contains a plurality of object data, each object data contains a plurality of data units, each data unit contains a plurality of packs, each pack contains at least one packet, the packet contains at least one transport stream packet, the management information recorded in the management area contains program chain information which manages the playback order of data contained in the object data, the program chain information contains cell information, and the cell information contains information that specifies an object to be played back.

Abstract: In audio contents which have cells for defining an audio title playback unit and whose actual playback sequence is determined by defining the playback sequence of the cells, cell information to specify the cells is provided with identification information to identify the types of the cells according to the difference in the contents of the data included in the cells. One type of the contents of the data in the cells is for obtaining the length of the silent period of time. The identification information corresponding to the cell indicates a silent cell.

Abstract: An audio data distribution apparatus includes a central computer that disseminates specially formatted audio data to a local computer for transfer to and use on an audio data player. The invention includes a method for distributing audio data including a data collection process, a data distribution process, and a data selection and playing process. In the data collection process, a plurality of text articles are converted into audio data and formatted for storage on a plurality of additional data storage tracks. From this data, an audio table of contents is generated which describes the information within the audio data, the audio table of contents being formatted for storage on a first data storage track. In the data distribution process, the audio data and the audio table of contents are then downloaded to a digital storage disk. The user then plays the digital storage disk in an audio data player to listen first to the audio table of contents and then to selected audio data.

Abstract: When controlling a search for a target track on an optical disk having tracks on which data are recorded, the track-search control apparatus determines whether or not the optical disk is a DVD-RW disk. Then the apparatus calculates the number of tracks between the position of the currently detected track and the position of the target track, and calculates the number of correction tracks with which to correct the calculated number of tracks when the optical disk is determined to be a DVD-RW disk. Further, the apparatus executes the search for the target track based on the calculated corrected number of tracks.

Abstract: A data recording and reproducing method for an optical disk data storage system to record data compressed at different data compression rate according to an operator's specification, and to reproduce the recorded data by decompressing. According to the operator's indication, the data is recorded at certain data compression rate in indicated area. The information of the data compression rate and the recorded area is stored as a table of contents (TOC) data. The TOC data is reproduced and stored in a memory after the optical disk is loaded. The recorded data is reproduced by selecting a decoding circuit to decompress the data. The decoding circuit is selected by referring the TOC data to identify data compression rate of the recorded data. Also the TOC data is referred to identify read-in and read-out region of the recorded data. The position of a pick-up when the data recording is started and ended, is recorded as the TOC data to provide random access capability for the data reproduction.

Abstract: To determine whether a record medium loaded on a drive has character information in a management area of the record medium corresponding to data received from the drive and to obtain the character information when the record medium has the character information as the determined result. A system includes an optical disc drive and a host computer 53 connected through an interface 42, wherein the drive has a servo and signal processing portion 30, a system controller 41, and a CD-ROM signal processing portion 50. The servo and signal processing portion 30 reproduces data from a disc 21. The system controller 41 controls the entire operation of the drive. Return data is sent from the drive to the host computer 53 corresponding to a read table of contents (TOC) command received from the host computer 53. A code that represents the data length is contained in a header of the return data. With the code, it is determined whether or not the disc 21 is a CD-TEXT disc.

Abstract: A method for sequential reproducing of a rewritable optical disc including a plurality of sessions, each session having at least one attribute information, the method including the steps of a) reading the attribute information of multiple sessions recorded on an optical disc; and b) determining whether to automatically reproduce subsequent sessions based on the read attribute information. Additional key inputs or selection requests, which are conventionally required to invoke reproduction of sessions subsequent to the selected session, can be avoided when the user wishes to reproduce information (e.g., music) from an optical disk in which data is recorded in different sessions by the user and in which data having the same attributes may occur sporadically.

Abstract: A DVD recording apparatus that can record the video data taken with a video camera directly on an optical disk in a format reproducible on a DVD video playback device without using an intermediate medium, wherein a controller instructs a data recording unit to secure a reserved area on a recording medium, instructs a data formatter to convert content data compressed by a data compressor into at least one video title set, instructs the data recording unit to sequentially record the video title sets in an area following the reserved area on the optical disk, and after the video title sets have been recorded, instructs the data formatter and the data recording unit to record a video manager behind the reserved area, and after the video manager has been recorded, instructs the data formatter and the data recording unit to record volume and file structure data in front portion of the reserved area.

Abstract: A recording medium has a management area and a data area. Information pertaining to recording reservation is recorded in the management area so as to be displayable in the form of an image. A recording/playback apparatus for recording and reproducing information with respect to the recording medium reads out information pertaining to recording reservation from the recording medium and executes reservation recording on the basis of the information that is read out.

Abstract: A video signal recording apparatus using an information recording medium, having: a unit for identifying and detecting a WO type information recording medium and a rewritable type information recording medium; a control unit for each of the WO type information recording medium and the rewritable type information recording medium; and a display apparatus for displaying a detection result of the detecting unit. In the video signal recording apparatus using the information recording medium, file management information to form a directory is recorded as intermediate information onto the information recording medium.

Abstract: In a method of preparing an audio disc by writing music in an additionally recordable optical disc, a specific TOC is first written in a lead in area (LIA) of the additionally recordable optical disc. Thereafter, the music to be recorded is written in a program area of the additionally recordable optical disc.

Abstract: A multimedia search and indexing system automatically selects scenes or events of interest from any media, i.e., video, film, sound for replay, in whole or in part, in other contexts. The entire audio track of a recorded event in video, film, sound, etc., is analyzed to determine audio levels within a set of frequency ranges of interest. Audio clip levels within the selected frequency ranges are chosen as audio cues representative of events of interest in the track. The selection criteria are applied to the audio track of the recorded event. An Edit Decision List (EDL) is generated from the analysis of the audio track. The list is representative of scenes or sounds of interest as clips for reuse. The clips are reviewed and accepted or rejected for reuse. Once selected, the clips are edited using industry standard audio and video editing techniques.

Abstract: Audio-centered information is stored on a unitary medium by using a Table-of-Contents (TOC) mechanism that specifies an actual configuration of various audio items on the medium. In particular, each one of a set of one or more Track Areas gets at least two mutually logically conforming Sub-TOCs assigned. This allows to retrieve any constituent Sub-TOC part from at least any correct copy of the Sub-TOCs. Furthermore, one or more Master-TOCs are provided for specifically pointing to each of the Sub-TOCs.

Abstract: A data recording medium and a data replay apparatus are provided for allowing an automatic return to a menu at the completion point of a replay of one content and allowing an arbitrary jump to the next or previous content during a replay of one content. An entire disk of DVD for a musical product such as karaoke is made up of a single program chain (PGC) and tunes are divided into cells. An instruction to jump to a tune selection menu is written in a cell command (cell CMD) of each cell. On completion of a normal replay of a tune, the cell command is executed and the operation jumps to the tune selection menu.

Abstract: Audio-centered information is stored on a unitary medium by a Table-of-Contents (TOC) mechanism for specifying an actual configuration of various audio items on the medium. In addition to the TOC mechanism a file-based access mechanism to the information is assigned through a ROOT directory that contains a highest level TOC directory pointing at various audio items.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording apparatus and a reproducing apparatus that record/reproduce a digital audio signal to/from a rewritable magnetic optical disc. With an operating portion and a displaying portion having an input field with a plurality of lines, character information such as titles of individual programs in a plurality of character formats can be input at a time.

Abstract: An audio data recording disc stores audio data and a text data manager. The text data manager contains an item text. The item text includes a first ID code signal and a second ID code signal. The first ID code signal indicates a main classification rank of an item type of contents represented by the audio data. The second ID code signal relates to a sub classification rank of the item type which is subordinate to the main classification rank.

Abstract: A multimedia search and indexing system automatically selects scenes or events of interest from any media, i.e., video, film, sound for replay, in whole or in part, in other contexts. The entire audio track of a recorded event in video, film, sound, etc., is analyzed to determine audio levels within a set of frequency ranges of interest. Audio clip levels within the selected frequency ranges are chosen as audio cues representative of events of interest in the track. The selection criteria are applied to the audio track of the recorded event. An Edit Decision List (EDL) is generated from the analysis of the audio track. The list is representative of scenes or sounds of interest as clips for reuse. The clips are reviewed and accepted or rejected for reuse. Once selected, the clips are edited using industry standard audio and video editing techniques.

Abstract: Video information is arranged according to a recording format, e.g. DVD-video, for being playable in standardized players. The video information is subdivided into cells and playback parameters for reproducing sequences of the cells are included in control information. The format prescribes that within the recording area the control information precedes the video information for playback functions of the recorded video. However for home recording it is preferable that a recording is made in one pass, i.e. the video is to be recorded directly at its final location. Therefore the recorder has a control unit for performing the following steps: first creating a free area by selecting a starting point within the recording area different from the beginning of the recording area, thereafter recording the real-time information from the starting point, and recording the control information in said free area.

Abstract: Audio-centered information is stored on a unitary medium by using a Table-of-Contents (TOC) mechanism that specifies an actual configuration of various audio items on the medium. In particular, each one of a set of one or more Track Areas gets at least two mutually logically conforming Sub-TOCs assigned. This allows to retrieve any constituent Sub-TOC part from at least any correct copy of the Sub-TOCs. Furthermore, one or more Master-TOCs are provided for specifically pointing to each of the Sub-TOCs.

Abstract: When controlling a search for a target track on an optical disk having tracks on which data are recorded, the track-search control apparatus determines whether or not the optical disk is a DVD-RW disk. Then the apparatus calculates the number of tracks between the position of the currently detected track and the position of the target track, and calculates the number of correction tracks with which to correct the calculated number of tracks when the optical disk is determined to be a DVD-RW disk. Further, the apparatus executes the search for the target track based on the calculated corrected number of tracks.

Abstract: An optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm and, a thickness of 1.2 mm±0.1 mm, with a plurality of record tracks having data recorded thereon as embossed pits representing information and exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 &mgr;m and 1.05 &mgr;m; with the tracks being divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area. The data includes table of contents (TOC) information recorded in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track and user information recorded in a plurality of sectors in user tracks; with the TOC information including addresses of start sectors recorded in the user tracks. The data (both user and TOC information) is encoded in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols, and is run length limited (RLL) modulated.