Abstract: A drive apparatus of the present invention includes: a recording/reproduction section, a drive control section and a memory circuit. The drive control section performs a process including: receiving a recording instruction specifying at least data to be recorded; storing the data to be recorded in the memory circuit; defining data from a start location of the data stored in the memory circuit to a location corresponding to a next writable address as a first data portion; defining data from the location corresponding to the next writable address to an end location of the data stored in the memory circuit as a second data portion; and controlling the recording/reproduction section to record the second data portion before recording the first data portion.

Abstract: In a disc playback apparatus for playing back audio signals recorded on a disc medium, a system controller detects a channel format of the audio signals that can be outputted from the playback apparatus. When content is recorded on a disc so as to be played back in a channel format other than the player channel format, it is not played back.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording information on a write-once recording medium, the write-once recording medium including a disk management information area and a volume space, the recording apparatus including: a host apparatus; and a drive apparatus, the host apparatus including: a first instruction section for instructing the drive apparatus to allocate at least one first track and at least one second track to the volume space; a second instruction section for instructing the drive apparatus to record a file on the at least one first track; a third instruction section for instructing the drive apparatus to record a file structure on the at least one second track, the file structure managing the file; a fourth instruction section for instructing the drive apparatus to record a virtual allocation table structure in the volume space, the virtual allocation table structure managing a recording location of the file structure; and a fifth instruction section for instructing the drive apparatus to record track

Abstract: A DSP (digital signal processor) of a DVD recorder has a pulse type setting section that sets the type of write pulse, a reference power setting section that sets a reference power that is a reference value of the drive power of the write pulse, a pulse type checking section that checks whether or not the type of write pulse thus set is a write pulse consisting of a plurality of pulses, the write pulse being of a type that allows the drive power to be set for each of the plurality of pulses, a power correcting section that corrects, if the set type of write pulse is found to be a write pulse consisting of a plurality of pulses, the drive power of at least one pulse of the plurality of pulses constituting the write pulse by adding a previously set correction power to the set reference power, and a drive control section that applies to an LD the write pulse consisting of the pulse with the set reference power and the pulse with the corrected drive power.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a recording device for easy and quick access to record carrier management information stored on the record carrier itself. The invention further relates to a record carrier for use in such a method and recording device.

Abstract: A file system is enabled to use a Metadata Partition instead of VAT for write-once discs, and is provided by a pseudo-overwrite method with a plurality of tracks especially for metadata and file data. On applying this invention to a drive apparatus that supports pseudo-overwrite media, the file system distinguishes data to overwrite from data to append (S1701). When the data is newly written to a logical sector, the drive apparatus writes the data to a physical sector to which the logical sector corresponds (S1703). When the data being overwritten is data stored in the logical sector, the data is written to the other unrecorded physical sector in the volume space (S1704), and remapping information is written (S1705). The remapping information specifies the original address of the physical sector, and the remapping address of the physical sector in which the data is written.

Abstract: An information processing device includes a reception unit that receives a write instruction to instruct data writing into a recording medium; a plurality of drive units that perform data reading/writing from/into a recording media; a first detection unit that detects a drive unit to which a detachable recording medium is attached, from among the plurality of drive units; a second detection unit that controls the drive unit detected by the first detection unit so as to read information recorded on the detachable recording medium attached to the detected drive unit, and so as to detect a recording medium, the read information from which includes predetermined information; and a control unit that controls the drive unit to which the recording medium detected by the second detection unit is attached, so as to write data which is instructed to be written by the write instruction received by the reception unit, into the recording medium attached to the drive unit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, the invention allows identification of a data recording unit that does not include any reference picture and a data recording unit that includes a reference picture. Specifying information indicating whether or not a target object includes the data unit that does not include any reference picture or I-picture is provided in management information associated with that object.

Abstract: A system and related methods for characterizing and improving optical drive read performance is presented. The system includes an innovative audio file stored on optical media (characterization file), and an optical drive characterization agent, implemented on a computing system. The optical drive characterization agent iteratively controls the optical drive to perform incremental reads of at least a subset of the characterization file, analyzes at least the subset of the characterization file read from the optical media, and generates one or more performance scores on an associated one or more performance attributes of the optical drive. In this regard, optical drive characterization agent quantifiably characterizes an optical drive's ability to accurately read individual sectors from optical media comprising audio content.

Abstract: A method of reproducing an audio file includes: applying a reproducing mode established based on an attribute information; obtaining at least a part of the audio file under the established reproducing mode; and determining whether the audio file is reproducible under the established reproducing mode by checking whether the part of the audio file constructs a specific format stream corresponding to the applied reproducing mode.

Abstract: A recording medium, and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the recording medium, are provided. According to an embodiment, there is provided a method for recording management information on a recording medium, the method comprising: determining whether recording of padding data in a recordable area of a recordable recording-range of the recording medium is performed, when the recordable recording-range is changed to be a non-recordable recording range; and recording padding indicator information indicating whether the recording of padding data is performed.

Abstract: A content processing apparatus includes a CPU, and when a recording mode is selected, the CPU writes content data to a data area of an external memory. Management information recorded in a management area of the recording medium in order to manage the data recorded in the data area is updated in association with the writing processing. A distribution of a copying area formed across the data area and an internal memory is controlled by a controller such that a capacity of the data area is increased, a distribution ratio to the data area is increased. The management information recorded in the management area is copied in the copying area when a specific mode is selected. When a deleting operation is performed in the specific mode, a part of the information corresponding to desired content data recorded in the data area out of the management information recorded in the management area is deleted.

Abstract: An optical disc apparatus and a method of performing a finalize operation thereof are capable of automatically performing the finalize operation without separate manipulation by setting an easy (EZ) recording mode in the optical disc apparatus such as a digital video disc (DVD) recorder. The method includes determining whether or not a key for opening a disc is input by instruction of a user, comparing a capacity of data that is recorded on the disc with a remaining capacity of data that is not recorded on the disc when the key for opening the disc is input, and determining whether or not to automatically perform the finalize operation.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a computer readable recording medium thereof to update filter tap coefficients of an equalizer include a defect signal detection unit and a coefficient updating unit. The defect signal detection unit receives a sampled input signal reflected from an optical disc and/or a track jump signal, detects whether the input signal and/or the track jump signal are defective, and outputs an update stop signal indicative thereof. The coefficient updating unit stops the updating of the filter tap coefficients in response to the update stop signal and outputs current filter tap coefficients.

Abstract: A method of reproducing information recorded on an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers inclusive of a first recording layer and a second recording layer includes the steps of referring to an order of recording of the first recording layer and the second recording layer according to which information is recorded in a prerecorded area of the optical disc, and selecting a scan path in response to the order of recording, from a first scan path including no seek operation preceding a focus jump and a second scan path including a seek operation preceding a focus jump, to scan an optical spot from a first address in the first recording layer to a second address in the second recording layer through scanning along the prerecorded area in at least one of the first recording layer and the second recording layer.

Abstract: An information storage medium according to an aspect of this invention comprises a rewritable area, the rewritable area comprises a user area to store user data, and a defect management area to store defect management information used to manage defective areas on the rewritable area, the defect management area comprises first and second defect management reserved areas, the first defect management reserved area being used to store the defect management information in an initial state, and the second defect management reserved area being used to store the defect management information which is transited at a predetermined timing.

Abstract: An optical disc drive apparatus (1) comprises: a read/write element (34) to be positioned with respect to the disc (2), and a detector (35) for generating a read signal (SR); actuator means (50) for controlling the positioning of said read/write element. A control circuit (90) receives said read signal and generates an actuator control signal (SCR), the control circuit having at least one variable gain (?). Said control circuit, actuator means, read/write element, and detector define a control loop (100) having a critical frequency (cocp). A non-linear state estimator (350) is used to selectively set said gain (?) to a first value for signal components having a frequency in a predefined range corresponding to said critical frequency (COCP) and to a second value for signal components having a frequency outside said range, said first value being lower than said second value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method includes reading control information including version information from a specific area of the recording medium. The version information includes a first version information and a second version information. At least one of the first version information and the second version information is used to determine a backward compatibility with respect to reading or writing of the recording medium. A recording/reproducing of data on/from the recording medium is controlled based on the version information.

Abstract: An extracting circuit for extracting meta information from information forming contents is provided. The meta information extracted by the extracting circuit is recorded in a recording medium together with the contents and is used as management information. With this configuration, an object can be searched for based on the contents of the object in a recording device for recording contents, such as moving and still pictures, voices, graphics, and text, in a recording medium.

Abstract: This optical disc drive has an optical pickup head that emits a light beam to an optical storage medium, detects the light beam reflected from the optical storage medium, and outputs a signal based on the received reflected light; a jitter measuring unit for measuring jitter in signals output from the optical pickup head; and an evaluation unit for determining from the measured jitter if the optical storage medium is good or defective. The jitter measuring unit measures jitter in a train of 3T or longer marks or spaces from an optical storage medium to which digital information is recorded as a train of marks or spaces of length kT based on a period T and an integer k of two or more.

Abstract: [PROBLEMS] In an information recording disc such as a CD, DVD, HDD, the disc information analysis is slow and it takes quite a time from the system start to the reproduction start, which results in a bad user response and increase of cost of the memory and the like. [MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS] There is provided a disc reproduction device including: data readout means for reading out data stored in a disc; data storage means for temporarily storing data read by the data readout means; and analysis control means for rearranging the position of information to be analyzed among the data stored in the data storage means according to a physical address order and acquiring the information according to the physical address order when analyzing the information.

Abstract: An optical recording medium, an apparatus and method of manufacturing an optical recording medium, and an apparatus and method of recording/reproducing data of an optical recording medium, allocated with a wobble address suitable for a capacity of a high density recording disc, the optical recording medium including a wobble address that corresponds to a recording unit block on which data is recorded on the optical recording medium, wherein the wobble address includes a plurality of wobble address units, and each wobble address unit includes address information in 28 bits, auxiliary information in 8 bits, and parity information in 24 bits.

Abstract: Described herewith is an optical disk manufacturing apparatus for reading recorded digital data from an optical disk, comprising an encryption unit (22, 23) for encrypting entered digital data according to a plurality of key information; an optical disk substrate manufacturing unit 2 for manufacturing an optical disk substrate 4 on which the encrypted digital data and key information are recorded in the form of physical form changes; a reflection film forming unit 41 for forming a reflection film on the optical disk substrate 4; and a key information recording unit 7 for recording key information on the optical disk substrate on which the reflection film is formed. The reflection factor of the optical disk is changed locally, thereby giving a jitter to the position information of each pit edge, and desired data is recorded additionally according to this jitter. Pits, etc.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for slicing an RF signal and compensating for the slice level of an RF signal reproduced from a disk, which minimizes a block error rate by optimizing the slice level of the RF signal according to variations in symmetry of the RF signal when slicing the RF signal. A comparator converts the RF signal reproduced from the disk into a digital signal by comparing the RF signal with a slice level, a low-pass filter low-pass filters the digital signal and provides the result to the comparator as the slice level, and a slice level compensator compensates for the slice level provided to the comparator by the low-pass filter according to variations in symmetry of the RF signal.

Abstract: An information writing/reading apparatus that cooperates with an information record medium including a ROM area and a RAM area, either the RAM area or the ROM area having in advance control information recorded thereon used to limit reading and/or writing of information, the information writing/reading apparatus including an optical pick-up unit for reading information stored on the information record medium; and a control unit for, based on the control information read by the optical pick-up unit, limiting reading and/or writing of information from/to the other area on which the control information is not recorded and outputting a signal which notifies of presence of the other area only out of the ROM area and the RAM area on the information record medium.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing apparatus including a signal processing unit that performs signal processing of a first and a second address to distinguish a first area disposed in a data recordable area of an information recording medium from a second area disposed in the data recordable area, the second area using a recording and/or reproducing unit block with a different size from that of a recording and/or reproducing unit block used in the first area, and records data on or reads data from the information recording medium; and a control unit that controls the signal processing unit for recording and/or reproducing data using the first address in the first area of the information recording medium and the second address in the second area.

Abstract: An optical disc and method of recording physical address information on the optical disc, the optical disc including a first recording area ranging from an innermost circumference to a predetermined position, and a second recording area ranging from the predetermined position to an outermost circumference. Data is recorded in the first recording area in units of first recording blocks shorter than a predetermined track in the first recording area and is recorded in the second recording area in units of second recording blocks longer than the first recording blocks. First format address information indicating physical address information of a first recording block is recorded in the first recording area and second format address information indicating physical address information of a second recording block is recorded in the second recording area.

Abstract: In an information recording method and apparatus, a sequence of sync frames indicative of data is recorded onto tracks of an optical recording medium. In the recording medium, prepits are formed on lands between the tracks at given intervals, and sync patterns, providing synchronization on a sync-frame basis, are inserted in the sync frames such that each sync pattern has a length in a track direction larger than a length of one of the prepits and a position of each sync pattern matches with a position of at least one of the prepits. Codes that represent sync patterns for the sync frames are selected such that each sync pattern is formed as a space on the recording medium. Modulation codes are generated based on the sync frames in which the selected codes are inserted, by modulating the sync frames containing the selected codes in accordance with a predetermined modulation scheme. A sequence of recording pulses is generated by converting the modulation codes through a predetermined conversion scheme.

Abstract: An information recording method records information to a multilayer recording medium in which a number of record layers are laminated and recording of information to each record layer is possible. When an amount of the information being recorded to the medium does not exceed a maximum amount of information which can be recorded to the medium, the information being recorded to the medium is divided into data blocks by the number of the record layers. The data blocks are recorded to data areas of the respective record layers so that the recording areas of the record layers where the data blocks are recorded are overlapped each other with respect to a thickness direction of the medium.

Abstract: A record and reproduction apparatus includes: a CPU; a memory; a recording medium control unit configured to read out data from a recording medium; a reproduction buffer configured to temporarily store stream data such as an image and an audio out of the data read by the recording medium control unit; a reproduction processing unit configured to decode and reproduce the stream data temporarily stored in the reproduction buffer; and an access control unit configured to control the timing by which the access control unit switches between access to the memory and access to the reproduction buffer so that the reproduction processing does not break off during reproduction of the stream data while supervising the state of the reproduction buffer; and to manage the memory and the recording medium control unit in each transaction.

Abstract: A method for optimizing a scheduler for an optical pick-up reduces switch times required for seamless video angle switching. The pick-up reads data streams from different files on an optical storage medium, e.g. Blu-Ray disc. Seamless video angle switching requires reading and buffering a new video data stream from another file, delaying the switch to be visible. Labels that mark entry points for seamless angle switching are attached to the video stream, and are stored together with the video data in a buffer. When an angle switch is requested, and thus a switch to a new video data stream, the scheduler determines the time before data from the new data stream can be buffered, detects the next label, and stores the new data beyond the label, thus flushing non-relevant parts of the previous buffer contents.

Abstract: A record carrier has a track pattern of substantially parallel tracks. Control data packs are stored repetitively in several control locations (32) for protection against damage and contamination. The control locations (32) are separated at spacer positions (33) by one or more spacers (34,35). The length of the spacers (34,35) is selected for preventing overlap of the position of the first block of the control data packs in the parallel tracks.

Abstract: Provided herein are hybrid laser diode drivers (LDDs) that drive a laser diode in response to receiving enable signals from a controller. In accordance with specific embodiments, a hybrid LDD includes a read channel to selectively output a read current, one or more write channel each to selectively output a write current, and an oscillator channel to selectively output an oscillator current. Additionally, in specific embodiments the hybrid LDD includes a decoder that receives the enable signals from the controller, and based on the enable signals, controls timing of the currents output by the read, write and oscillator channels.

Abstract: There are different types of DVD systems, e.g. the replay-only DVD-Video system and the re-recordable DVD-VR system. A DVD-VR type disc containing a DVD-VR type bitstream is to be replayed on a DVD-VR type recorder or player. However, it is also possible to record a DVD-Video type bitstream on a DVD-VR type disc in a DVD-VR type recorder, for replay of that disc in a DVD-Video type player. Because the DVD-VR and DVD-Video formats are different and contain different content they are not compatible with each other and a disc containing a bitstream of the one type can not be replayed on a player of the other type, a user must make a choice of which type of bitstream recording on a disc. One solution to this problem would be to record a separate disc for each type of bitstream. According to the invention a special type of bitstream is assembled and recorded on a disc that can be replayed on both types of players. This special type of bitstream is compatible with the DVD-Video system as well as the DVD-VR system.

Abstract: A recordable optical disc includes a user area and a management information area. User data is recorded in a physical block used as a single unit, and the space bit map is recorded in the management information area. Integrity verification processing is performed for each of recording status information so as to verify the integrity of the recording status information indicating a recording status of the physical block and the recording status of the physical block on the recordable optical disc. The necessity of the integrity verification processing is determined by reading out the status information indicating the necessity of the integrity verification processing. When the integrity verification processing is determined to be necessary, the integrity verification processing is carried out for unverified recording status information of the recording status information of the space bit map.

Abstract: A recording and playback apparatus according to the present invention includes a duplicating section for duplicating music data from a music CD in a CD read-out section onto a hard disk and a preserving section which, if duplication by the duplicating section is interrupted, preserves TOC information identifying the music CD and duplicated-music-data information identifying duplicated music data such that the TOC information is associated with the duplicated-music-data information. The recording and playback apparatus further includes a playback section for playing back music data stored in the hard disk. When a music CD having a history of interrupted duplication is placed in the CD read-out section, the duplicating section resumes duplication onto the hard disk based on the TOC information and the duplicated-music-data information preserved in the preserving section.

Abstract: An optical disk device includes a recording and reading means which performs recording of data upon, or reading of data from, an optical disk upon which are stored an ID, number of times information, and recording management information. Furthermore, when recording of data upon the optical disk has been completed, this optical disk device stores the recording management information, the number of times information, and the ID of the optical disk in a storage means in mutual correspondence. And, when the optical disk has been mounted, the recording and reading means decides whether a first situation or a second situation holds, using the ID and the number of times information of the optical disk as a key. And, if the second situation holds, the recording and reading means utilizes the recording management information in the storage means.

Abstract: A playback apparatus plays back information from a recording medium having a data structure including sync signals added in units of data items each having a predetermined size. The information is recorded in runlength limited codes, and the signals correspond to consecutive unique run lengths. The apparatus includes an information reading unit that obtains a binary data string as read information by reading the medium, a sync detection unit that performs detection of sync signals from the data string, and a data demodulation unit that obtains played-back data from the medium by performing demodulation on the data string with timing based on the detected signals. On the basis of detection, from the data string, of one detection pattern among types of detection patterns set as patterns including at least one of the unique run lengths, the sync detection unit regards the pattern detection as the signal detection.

Abstract: A recording medium on which digital data is recorded in synchronism with pre-recorded address data. At least a portion of the address data is converted in accordance with a pre-set conversion rule.

Abstract: An information recording and reproducing apparatus, a disc apparatus and a defect area replacement method are disclosed for accurately detecting a defect area for each small area of a recording area of an information recording medium and replacing the defect area per small area. The information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information in an information recording medium having a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a plurality of small areas includes a verification execution part iteratively executing a verification operation on small areas of a recording area and a small area replacement part replacing a small area determined as a defect area greater than or equal to a predefined number of times during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution part.

Abstract: In a recording method on a rewritable optical disc a control data recording zone in which a control data is recorded, is set to a portion of the disc close to a user data recording area in an inner circumference control data record area. A spiral recordable track of the disc is divided into the inner circumference control data record area, the user data recording area, an outer control data record area from an inner circumference side. The control data indicates record states of the inner circumference control data record area, the user data recording area, and the outer control data record area. A new control data is recorded on one of a plurality of record divisions contained in the control data recording zone. A planned record division is set for the control data to be next recorded after the control data is recorded in the one record division.

Abstract: A DVD audio data structure following high-sound-quality specifications is realized, making the best use of the audio data structure standard in DVD video. A first sample data string created by digitizing a first channel audio signal at a first sampling frequency in a first number of quantization bits, a second sample data string created by digitizing a second channel audio signal at a second sampling frequency in a second number of quantization bits, and header data including timing data to synchronize the first sample data string with the second sample data string are recorded on a recording medium.

Abstract: When underflow of a sub-Q data table occurs, a sub-Q data processing section does not read and output sub-Q data but outputs only audio data. Moreover, to achieve consistency between audio data and the sub-Q data in terms of buffer management, an input processing section includes respective counters for managing respective input data amounts of the audio data and the sub-Q data. Then, the input processing section executes management so that overflow and underflow of the sub-Q data table are suppressed as much as possible and a switch changes an IEC output mode at a time of audio processing and a time of dubbing. Thus, sound deterioration, and error recording in equipment to which the audio player is connected, and the like can be prevented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a data search system for searching the data sync pattern by using a physical address or by detecting the falling edge of the blank area end. The data search system comprises a first data start indicator, a second data start indicator, a decision circuit, a window generator and a data sync pattern search circuit. The first data start indicator generates a first start search signal indicating a first start position. The second data start indicator generates a second start search signal indicating a second start position. The decision circuit selects to output one of the start search signals. The window generator generates a window interval starting from the start position. The data sync pattern search circuit searches a data sync pattern of the data in the window interval to determine the data following the data sync pattern.

Abstract: The data structure includes a navigation area of the recording medium storing navigation data associated with a data stream representing a portion of the title. The navigation data indicating whether the data stream for the portion of the title represents multiple reproduction paths. The navigation data may further indicate a number of the reproduction paths represented by the data stream when the data stream represents multiple reproduction paths.

Abstract: After the DVD-Audio (1) is set and a signal for automatic reproduction is read out, or after a signal for reproduction generated in response to an input operation by a user in an operating section (73) is recognized, whether image output on a monitor is possible or not is checked. When image output is possible, it is determined that the user can visually recognize images, the data based on the VCAP system is read and reproduced. When it is determined that the image output is not possible, it is determined that the user can not or can hardly recognize images visually, and the data based on the AOP system which can be reproduced without requiring any input operation in the operating section (73) is read our and reproduced. The processing mode for reproduction is automatically switched according to the user's situation, which insures the improved convenience in use.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include first and second pulse trains input to a switch in synchronization. The first and second pulse trains may have a repeating high and low values at first and second frequencies, respectively, and the first pulse train may transition from the low to the high value with a first edge sharpness. The second pulse train input may have a lower than the first frequency. The switch may use a selection signal in synchronization with the first pulse train to select an output from the first or second pulse train to create an output pulse train appropriate to transition fault test an integrated circuit. The switch may switch from the second pulse train to the first pulse train and substantially maintain the first edge sharpness of the first pulse train during a low value of both the first and second pulse trains.

Abstract: A method and device for recording video on a record carrier (11), e.g. an optical disc. The 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 (20) for performing the following steps: first creating a free area (12) by selecting a starting point (13) within the recording area different from the beginning of the recording area, thereafter recording the real-time information from the starting point (13), and recording the control information in said free area (12).

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for precisely and adequately evaluating actual quality of reproduced data whenever applying a maximum likelihood decoder for converting signal reproduced from a recording medium into binary signal Based on data arrays of a pair of binary data outputted from a “Viterbi” decoder, SAM values are secured by selecting any of path-metric differential values (00) and (11) being the difference between a pair of values compared when renewing path-metric values PMM (00) and (11) outputted from the “Viterbi” decoder. The minimum SAM value for an ideally-reproduced signal is outputted from a constant generating circuit. If the SAM values are verified as valid, and yet, if the SAM values coincide with the equation “input SAM values”?“data value outputted from the constant generating circuit”, then squared values outputted from a square circuit are averaged by an averaging circuit. Finally, the average value is outputted as the reproduced signal evaluation.

Abstract: A method of identifying a mechanically readable medium is described. The medium, for instance a gramophone record, a magnetic tape or a celluloid film, contains information which is contained in a continuous sequence on the medium and is intended for optical or acoustic reproduction. A sequence of markings which individualizes the medium, and which can be read out together with the acoustic or optical information, is formed in the area of this acoustic or optical information.