Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an optical pick-up for an optical disc drive, which is provided with an objective lens configured to converge a laser beam emitted from a laser source on a recording surface of an optical disc, spherical aberration caused by the objective lens being compensated at a predetermined setting temperature of the objective lens, a heating unit configured to be driven to heat the objective lens, a spherical aberration detection unit which detects amount of spherical aberration caused by the objective lens, and a driving unit that drives the heating unit in accordance with the amount of the spherical aberration detected by the spherical aberration detection unit, the driving unit driving the heating unit when the spherical aberration detected by the spherical aberration detection unit is positive, the driving unit stopping driving the heating unit when the spherical aberration is zero or negative.

Abstract: A disk drive apparatus includes: head means for performing laser irradiation to and detection of reflected light from an optical disk recording medium and having a focus bias mechanism and a spherical aberration correction mechanism; focus bias means for driving the focus bias mechanism to add a focus bias to a focus servo loop; spherical aberration correction means for driving the spherical aberration correction mechanism based on a spherical aberration correction value; evaluation value creating means for creating an evaluation value based on reflected light information obtained by the head means; adjustment means for adjusting the focus bias and the spherical aberration correction value; and control means for determining whether data is written on at least one track of the tracks adjacent to an adjustment use range on the recording medium and controlling an adjustment operation on the focus bias and the spherical aberration correction value by the adjustment means based on the determination result.

Abstract: An apparatus for reproducing a recording medium having a recorded defect management area. The apparatus includes a pickup reading data from a recording medium and a controller controlling the pickup to read data on the recording medium and determining whether the recording medium contains predetermined data, recorded in response to a finalization command, to prevent recording with respect to the recording medium. The controller determines whether an area of a temporary defect management area not having defect management data includes the predetermined data by checking whether the temporary defect management data is filled with repetitions of a predetermined value.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, upon insertion of an optical disc into a player/recorder system, the system attempts to recognize the disc and read data from the disc. Any error causing failure of a startup procedure will be detected. If a reading error is detected, the disc is rotated by an angle for minimizing the impacts due to the reading error. Then the data is read again from the disc. If a reading error is still detected, the procedure is repeated for a few times to minimize the reading errors. The rotational angle of the disc may be either preset or calculated by the system based on measured eccentricity values. In this way, the combined eccentricity, i.e., the distance from the spiral groove center of the disc to the system's rotational axis, can be minimized, and the ability of the system to read an optical disc during the startup procedure can be significantly improved.

Abstract: An optical disk reproducing device has a defect-signal generating circuit including a peak-holding-signal generating circuit for generating a peak-hold signal based on an RF signal read from a recording medium, an intermediate-signal generating circuit for generating an intermediate signal based on the peak-hold signal, a signal-level adjusting circuit for generating a threshold signal based on the intermediate signal, a threshold-signal adjusting circuit for adjusting the level of the threshold signal, and a comparator for generating a defect signal based on the peak-hold signal and threshold signal. The threshold-signal adjusting circuit includes at least one of: a first adjusting circuit for raising the threshold signal in the event the peak-hold signal falls below the threshold signal due to the peak-hold signal and the threshold signal being reversed; and a second adjusting circuit for lowering the threshold signal in the event the peak-hold signal exceeds the threshold signal, due to the reversal.

Abstract: On a write-once-type recording medium 10, there are provided: a definite defect management area 13 to definitely record therein defect management information; and a plurality of temporary defect management areas 14A, 14B, and 14C to temporarily record therein the defect management information. If the recording medium 10 is not yet finalized, every time the defect management information is updated, the updated defect management information is recorded into any one of the plurality of temporary defect management areas. Moreover, a status information recording area 15 is provided on the recording medium 10, and status information for indicating the temporary defect management area in which there is the defect management information recorded at last is recorded into the status information recording area 15. By referring to the status information, it is possible to quickly specify the defect management information recorded at last.

Abstract: A defect area management system for an optical storage medium including a management part producing a defect area management signal for real-time processing and transmitting the signal along with data to be written; and a write part executing a defect area management of the optical storage media, writing the data, applied by the defect area management signal from the management part, into the optical storage medium so that whenever a light pickup meets a defect block at the time of writing data requiring the real-time processing into the optical storage medium, it does not have to be moved to the spare area, thus reducing the time it takes to move the light pickup and removing shortcomings of the real-time processing.

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: A write once disc with at least one record layer includes a temporary defect management area in which temporary defect information regarding only defect detected during a corresponding recording operation, and temporary defect management information for managing the temporary defect information are recorded; and defect management areas in which the temporary defect information and temporary defect management information recorded in the temporary defect management area are recorded as defect information and defect management information, respectively.

Abstract: A recording medium and a method and apparatus for managing defective areas of the recording medium are provided. The method includes allocating, in a data recording direction, a spare area of a certain size in an information area of the recording medium as a data recording operation is performed, if a defective area is detected during the data recording operation; and performing a replacement recording operation onto the allocated spare area to record in the allocated spare area, data intended for the defective area.

Abstract: A write once disc, a disc drive therefor, and a method of managing disc defects on the write once disc using the disc drive in consideration of the compatibility of the write once disc with a rewritable disc drive, the write once disc includes a single record layer disc in which a lead-in area, a data area, and a lead-out area are sequentially formed and a first spare area and a second spare area are sequentially formed in the data area. The write once disc includes a defect management area (DMA) formed in at least one of the lead-in area and the lead-out area; a first temporary defect management area (TDMA) formed in at least one of the lead-in area and the lead-out area; and a second TDMA formed between the first spare area and a user data area or between the user data area and the second spare area.

Abstract: A method for accessing data of an optical disk with a disk drive. The drive includes a memory; the optical disk has a plurality of data blocks for recording data and a plurality of spare blocks for replacing defect data blocks. While reading data recorded on the optical disk, a predetermined number of data blocks are read, then spare blocks for replacing defect data blocks among the predetermined number of data blocks are read. While writing data onto the optical disk, a predetermined number of data blocks are written, then data written in defect blocks among the predetermined number of defect blocks are written in corresponding spare blocks. The predetermined numbers are determined by a memory capacity of the memory, or a progress of the reading or writing.

Abstract: A write once disc allowing management of a data area, a method of managing the data area of the write once disc, an apparatus recording data on the write once disc, an apparatus and method of reproducing data from a write once disc. The write once disc, includes a lead-in zone, a data area, and a lead-out zone. The write once disc includes a predetermined area storing area allocation information which indicates whether at least one section of the data area is allocated for disc defect management. In the disc and method, area allocation information specifying a structure of the data area is recorded on the disc, thus allowing a recording/reproducing apparatus to recognize the data area structure. Therefore, allocating areas, such as a spare area, for disc defect management other than an area for storing user data, to the data area is possible. The allocation of the areas for disc defect management to the data area enables effective use of the write once disc.

Abstract: To provide a recording control device able to control a data recording so as not to use a defective sector free from a sector test before a shipment thereof, which controls a data recording with respect to a plurality of sectors in a recording region of a recording medium and has: a verification unit writing data to be written to a first sector in the recording medium when receiving a write request to the recording medium, then reading out the data from the first sector, and performing a verification processing comparing the data to be written with the read out data; and a processing unit writing the data to be written to a second sector on condition that the verification unit decides that the comparison result is disagreement, and determining attribute data as a management data.

Abstract: On a write-once-type recording medium 10, there are provided: a definite defect management area 13 to definitely record therein defect management information; and a plurality of temporary defect management areas 14A, 14B, and 14C to temporarily record therein the defect management information. If the recording medium 10 is not yet finalized, every time the defect management information is updated, the updated defect management information is recorded into any one of the plurality of temporary defect management areas. Moreover, a status information recording area 15 is provided on the recording medium 10, and status information for indicating the temporary defect management area in which there is the defect management information recorded at last is recorded into the status information recording area 15. By referring to the status information, it is possible to quickly specify the defect management information recorded at last.

Abstract: A method of managing defects on a write-once optical recording medium having at least one recording layer is disclosed. The method of managing defects on the at least one recording layer comprises the steps of allocating at least one replacement area and a plurality of temporary defect management areas to the optical recording medium, wherein the temporary defect management areas are separately provided, and recording defect management information on at least one of the plurality of temporary defect management areas.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of a pick-up head involves retrieving the respective parameter values relating to the linear velocity and angular velocity of the pick-up head at a certain place on the optical disk, and then calculating the ratio of the parameter value of the linear velocity to the parameter value of the angular velocity. Since the ratio is linearly correlated with the distance between the pick-up head and the center of the optical disk, the absolute position of the pick-up head can be determined, as far as its whereabouts is concerned.

Abstract: At least one detection area on an optical storage medium is allocated for data storage first, and then the detection area is set to a defect detection mode of either write detection or write verification, depending on the number of defects stated in a previous defect record. If the detection area is the write detection mode and the number of accumulated defects exceeds a default threshold value, the detection area would be configured anew and thereby set to a defect detection mode of write verification.

Abstract: An information recording medium according to an aspect of this invention includes a data area (A2) for recording user data and an address area (DMA address area) for recording address data that indicates the position of a defect management area that manages a defect present in the data area.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of data tracks, wherein each data track comprises a plurality of data sectors, and a head is actuated over the disk. A suspect sector list (SSL) stores a plurality of SSL entries, wherein each SSL entry identifies at least one suspect data sector. The disk drive further comprises a disk controller for executing an access command received from a host computer to access at least one of the data sectors. If an error is detected while executing the access command, the disk controller generates an SSL entry having a priority level selected from at least three priority levels and adds the SSL entry to the SSL. A verification operation is executed for each suspect data sector identified by each SSL entry, wherein the SSL entries are processed relative to the priority level assigned to each SSL entry.

Abstract: A recording medium having a spare area for defect management and the management information of the spare area, a spare area allocation method, and a defect management method. When a primary spare area is allocated for slipping replacement and linear replacement upon initialization, and a remaining portion of the primary spare area after slipping replacement and allocated for linear replacement after initialization are insufficient, a supplementary spare area is allocated.

Abstract: A high-density multi-layer optical disc, a method for recording data thereon on a layer-by-layer basis, and a method for managing spare areas thereof. In a high-density multi-layer optical disc, having a plurality of recording layers formed thereon, such as a Blu-ray disc rewritable (BD-RE) dual layer, management information is recorded and managed appropriately to the multiple layers so that data can be recorded in a state where the recording layers are linked to each other or the recording layers are separated from each other. Inner and outer spare areas are separately assigned to each of the recording layers formed on the high-density multi-layer optical disc. The management information is recorded and managed appropriately to the multiple layers so that the data can be recorded in a state where the spare areas of the recording layers must be used together irrespective of the recording layers or used separately on the layer-by-layer basis.

Abstract: An information storage medium having a plurality of information storage layers, each of which includes an optimal power control (OPC) area for obtaining an optimal recording condition, wherein OPC areas in odd-numbered and even-numbered information storage layers are disposed not to face each other and not to contact each other, or partially overlap each other and lock out use of the overlapped portion. Therefore, when an OPC area of one information storage layer performs OPC, this OPC does not affect another information storage layer.

Abstract: An information storage medium having a plurality of information storage layers, each of which includes an optimal power control (OPC) area for obtaining an optimal recording condition, wherein OPC areas in odd-numbered and even-numbered information storage layers are disposed not to face each other and not to contact each other, or partially overlap each other and lock out use of the overlapped portion. Therefore, when an OPC area of one information storage layer performs OPC, this OPC does not affect another information storage layer.

Abstract: A temporary defect management area 14 is placed between a control information recording area 12 and a data area 11. Before a recording medium 10 is finalized, defect management information is temporarily recorded into the temporary defect management area. Upon finalizing, the defect management information is recorded into a definite defect management area 13 placed in the control information recording area.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for reproducing replacement data recorded in a spare area of a disc, such as a DVD-RAM. The replacement data is temporarily stored in a memory provided in a disc reading or player apparatus or a RAM provided in a PC connected to the disc reading or player apparatus so that the temporarily stored data can be read without movement of an optical pickup to the spare area during a subsequent data reproducing operation. The replacement data is thereby reproduced along with data recorded in a data area of the disc, in a successive manner. Accordingly, it is possible, for example, to efficiently prevent reproduced pictures from being discontinuously outputted due to a delayed data reading operation caused by a searching operation for the spare area in which the replacement data is recorded.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided that includes a data area for recording user data and a defect management area for recording a defect list for managing N number of defect areas existing in the data area, where N is an integer satisfying N?0. The defect list includes two or more blocks, and further includes a header located at a fixed position in the defect list and N number of defect entries, located subsequent to the header, including position information on the respective positions of the N number of defect areas. An anchor is located subsequent to the defect entries, and the header includes first update times information representing the number of times that the defect list has been updated. The anchor includes second update times information representing the number of times that the defect list has been updated.

Abstract: A method of formatting a rewritable optical recording medium includes registering defective blocks in a primary defect lists (PDL) and performing a slipping replacement corresponding to the number of PDL registrations, determining whether an error has occurred in the slipping replacement, and if it is determined that the error has occurred in the slipping replacement, adjusting a recording capacity of the optical recording medium by checking the number of un-slipped PDLs and reducing the recording capacity by the number of un-slipped PDLs. As a result, even if the error has occurred in the slipping replacement due to insufficient spare area, the PDL registration is still maintained without formatting error, thereby causing the optical recording medium to be usable.

Abstract: A method for recording data on an optical recording medium includes the step of receiving data to be written and control data. The control data includes status information to indicate whether or not an other sector within a block in which a sector is included is valid. The data is written in an other sector within the block. The method further includes determining whether to perform an error certification process based on the control data, and writing the data based on the result of determining step.

Abstract: A method for real time recording and playback of data to and from an optical recording medium, and a method for managing a file thereof is disclosed. In the present invention, the host controls real time data writing by providing a signal requesting for information on a defective area to the device for recording/playback of data to/from an optical disk before providing a write command. Accordingly, the write command is generated such that data is not written on the defective areas, based upon the returned information on the defective area. Alternatively, the host may first provide a write command to the device for recording/playback of data to/from an optical disk, upon which information on defective areas is returned. Thus, the host generates and provides a new write command such that data is not written on a defective area based upon the returned information on the defective area.

Abstract: A recording medium having a spare area for defect management and the management information of the spare area, a spare area allocation method, and a defect management method. When a primary spare area is allocated for slipping replacement and linear replacement upon initialization, and a remaining portion of the primary spare area after slipping replacement and allocated for linear replacement after initialization are insufficient, a supplementary spare area is allocated.

Abstract: A method for replacing a defective block with a good block in an optical disk allows data recording operations to be effectively performed. The method temporarily stores data that would have otherwise been recorded in a defective area of an optical disc in a temporary buffer. The method then stores the data in the temporary buffer in a spare area of the optical disc after the normal data recording operation is completed, or if the amount of data in the buffer exceeds a predetermined memory capacity. The method can continuously and quickly perform a general data recording operation, effectively avoid a system load increase due to frequent track movements on an optical disc, and appropriately record real-time data without the loss of data.

Abstract: A defect area management system for an optical storage medium including a management part producing a defect area management signal for real-time processing and transmitting the signal along with data to be written; and a write part executing a defect area management of the optical storage media, writing the data, applied by the defect area management signal from the management part, into the optical storage medium so that whenever a light pickup meets a defect block at the time of writing data requiring the real-time processing into the optical storage medium, it does not have to be moved to the spare area, thus reducing the time it takes to move the light pickup and removing shortcomings of the real-time processing.

Abstract: The present invention enhances the usability of a write-once recording medium having a plurality of recording layers. The write-once recording medium has a plurality of recording layers each including a regular recording reproduction area, an alternate area, a first alternate-address management information area and a second alternate-address management information area (a TDMA). In addition, written unwritten state indication information (a space bitmap) is recorded therein. Typically, the written unwritten state indication information is recorded in the second alternate-address management information area. By additionally recording alternate-address management information related to an alternate-address process in the second alternate-address management information area, the second alternate-address management information area can be used as an area for implementing renewal of the alternate-address management information.

Abstract: A writable-once optical recording medium such as a BD-WO, and a method and apparatus for managing the writable-once optical recording medium, are provided. The recording medium includes at least one recording layer having at least one temporary defect management area and at least one final defect management area. The method includes recording temporary defect management information in the temporary defect management area of the recording medium, the temporary defect management information including disc usage management information indicating a recording use status of the recording medium; and transferring, at a transfer stage, the temporary defect management information from the temporary defect management area to the final defect management area of the recording medium.

Abstract: A multi-layered information recording medium including a plurality of recording layers, the multi-layered information recording medium comprising: a user data area for recording user data; and a plurality of spare areas including at least one replacement region, wherein when the user data area includes at least one defect region, the at least one replacement region may be used in place of the at least one defect region, wherein a first spare area of the plurality of spare areas is positioned so as to be contiguous to a first user data area of a first recording layer, a second spare area of the plurality of spare areas is positioned so as to be contiguous to a second user data area of a second recording layer, and the first spare area and the second spare area are positioned approximately at the same radial position on the multi-layered information recording medium.

Abstract: A method for recording a plurality of data sets onto an optical storage medium by utilizing a temporary storage device in an optical storage system. The optical storage medium contains a plurality of data blocks and a plurality of spare data blocks. Each data block is utilized for recording a data set, and each spare data block is utilized for substituting for a defective data block to record the corresponding data set. The method comprises: storing a plurality of data sets corresponding to a plurality of defective data blocks in the memory into the temporary storage device; re-arranging a sequence of the plurality of data sets corresponding to the plurality of defective data blocks in the temporary storage device according to a sorting process; and recording the re-arranged data sets in the temporary storage device into the spare data blocks of the optical storage medium.

Abstract: When user data is recorded on a write-once medium, linking variations can be reduced that are produced as management information for managing the user data is updated by additionally recording on and off, thereby assuring the reliability of the reproduction compatibility of the DVD player. Before the final file of the management information is recorded, dummy data of a plurality of successive blocks are recorded at a time by a single operation, and then the final file is additionally recorded after the dummy data. Therefore, the linking precision can be prevented from being degraded in the linking portions of the management information, and thus the management information can be properly read when the DVD player makes compatible reproduction of the medium.

Abstract: A hard disk drive (HDD) defect list searching method includes checking whether a target track is on a non-defective track list when a command to access the target track is applied, obtaining defect information from the non-defective track list if the target track is on the non-defective track list, searching for a defect list if the target track is not on the non-defective track list and obtaining defect information, including the number of defects existing between a starting track of a zone where the target track belongs and the target track and the number of defects in the target track, from the defect list, and obtaining defect information on the target track and defect information on tracks ranging from the target track to a next defective track from the defect list and storing the defect information to the target track and the next defective track on the non-defective track list.

Abstract: A method for verifying sectors on an optical disc is provided. The method includes writing user data to unverified sectors of the optical disc and verifying the sectors of the optical disc with the user data. The sectors of the optical disc are verified by reading the user data on the unverified sectors of the optical disc and comparing the user data read from the unverified sectors of the optical disc with user data stored on a system buffer. The sectors of the optical disc are verified to determine whether any one of the unverified sectors having user data is defective. Also, the verifying of the unverified sectors establishes verified sectors having user data. The sectors of the optical disc that have been verified are tracked with a bitmap that is continually updated as the sectors are verified.

Abstract: A system and method for a file server to allocate spare disks in a network storage system. The method determines the available spare disks and first selects those disks that satisfy one or more required rules. The method sorts the spare disks by a set of ordered policies to determine a highest-ranked disk that is then selected as the spare to be utilized. If multiple disks are equally ranked, one of the equally ranked disks is randomly chosen to be the spare disk allocated.

Abstract: A recording medium for storing defect management information to record real time data, a defect managing method therefor, and a method of recording real time data. The recording medium stores information representing use or non-use of linear replacement defect management in which a defective area on the recording medium is replaced with the spare area, in order to record real time data. While maintaining compatibility between the defect managing method and a defect managing method based on a current DVD-RAM standard, i.e., while allowing a report of the fact that there are blocks which have not been linearly replaced, linear replacement is not performed when real time data is recorded. Thus, real time data can be recorded and reproduced.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus, which can format a recording medium in the background, that verifies data written in a designated region of the recording medium if the designated region has not yet been certified in the background, and writes the data in an alterative region of the recording medium if the designated region is found defective. Since the data storage apparatus either certifies the designated region of the recording medium or verifies the data written in the designated region, the data storage apparatus can enhance the reliability of the data written in the recording medium, but the data storage apparatus does not waste time by verifying the designated region of the recording medium two times or more.

Abstract: A recording medium having a spare area for defect management, and a method and apparatus for allocating and assigning the spare area. A plurality of zones are formed as one group without prescribing the relationship between a zone and a group. Spare areas include a spare area for slipping replacement and a spare area for linear replacement. The spare are for slipping replacement is first allocated, and the spare area for linear replacement is allocated according to the size of an area remaining after the spare area for slipping replacement is used and the purpose for which a disc is used. When the spare area for linear replacement becomes deficient during use of the disc, a supplementary spare area for linear replacement is allocated in sequence from the rearmost of a logical file area, such that the spare area can be more flexibly and effectively allocated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing defects in a memory, wherein the method includes the steps of testing a plurality of memory locations to determine an inoperable memory location and moving a memory address corresponding to the inoperable memory location to a first position in a list of available memory addresses. The method further includes the steps of incrementing an address pointer to a second position in the list of available addresses indicating a next available memory address in the list of available addresses, wherein said step of incrementing an address pointer to a second position operates to remove the memory address stored in the first position from the list of available memory addresses.

Abstract: A method of recording drive information on an optical disc and an optical disc having drive information recorded using the method. The method of recording drive information comprises including a plurality of physical clusters in a drive region where disc drive information is recorded, recording the drive information in a set of a plurality of consecutive and available physical clusters, and recording an address of a reliable physical cluster, which is the first physical cluster of the plurality of consecutive and available physical clusters, in a separate region other than the drive region.

Abstract: A plurality of tracks on an optical disk are optically read to obtain a signal containing a plurality of LOW segments. Each of the plurality of LOW segments should correspond to a certification pit. Accordingly, if the interval between LOW segment Xj and nth succeeding LOW segment Xj+n exceeds the length of one track, a defect pit that could be confused with a certification pit is judged as being present between two certification pits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting a defect area without any mistake during data recording on a writable disk. This method detects a level of a servo error signal produced during a recording operation, checks whether the servo error signal is in an abnormal state based on the detected level, detects a periodic wobble signal or periodicity of the abnormal state occurrences of the servo error signal produced during the recording operation, and determines whether a recording area is in defect based on successful decoding of the detected periodic wobble signal or the periodicity of the abnormal state occurrences if the servo error signal is in an abnormal state. This method ensures exact detection of a defect area, whereby unnecessary speed reduction can be eliminated and successful data writing can be also guaranteed even in a defect area.

Abstract: An optical media drive contains light reflective surfaces positioned about a transparent center portion of the optical media. The light reflective surfaces reflect laser light from a laser unit of the drive which is directed toward the transparent center portions of the optical media. Defects such as cracks in the optical media disturb the reflection. The disturbance is detected by a laser lens and represented by a signal corresponding to the size of the defect. Information about the cracks is used to determine a safe spin rate for the optical media.

Abstract: A recording medium having a spare area for defect management, and a method and apparatus for allocating and assigning the spare area. A plurality of zones are formed as one group without prescribing the relationship between a zone and a group. Spare areas include a spare area for slipping replacement and a spare area for linear replacement. The spare are for slipping replacement is first allocated, and the spare area for linear replacement is allocated according to the size of an area remaining after the spare area for slipping replacement is used and the purpose for which a disc is used. When the spare area for linear replacement becomes deficient during use of the disc, a supplementary spare area for linear replacement is allocated in sequence from the rearmost of a logical file area, such that the spare area can be more flexibly and effectively allocated.