Abstract: An optical recording medium having a read-only storage area and a writable storage area and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefor. The optical recording medium is a hybrid disc having both the read-only storage area, which is suitable for mass production of information having the same contents, and the writable storage area on which data can be recorded, updated or added at a user's option.

Abstract: A recording medium recorded by a data structure adapted to link and reproduce audio data and video data, a method of recording/reproducing using the data structure and an apparatus for recording/reproducing using the data structure. On the recording medium, first data and second data, which are different from each other in type and formed of a plurality of data units, are recorded. A first data unit descriptor table and a second data unit descriptor table, in which information on the first data units and the second data units are respectively recorded as data unit descriptors, are recorded. A first program descriptor table and a second program descriptor table, in which information on one or more data units forming respective programs is stored in the program descriptor of the corresponding program in the form of information on respective data unit descriptors, are recorded.

Abstract: With an object of executing excellent finishing processing when information is recorded to a rewritable type record medium or a write once type record medium, the finishing processing is switched by whether a kind of a medium for recording information is the rewritable type record medium or the write once type record medium and a method of executing the finishing processing is switched based on a state of supplying power.

Abstract: The inventions relates to an optical record carrier (1) comprising a first area (2) comprising embossed structures representing pre-recorded system information, and a second area (3) intended for recording information, said first area located at the inner radius of the record carrier with respect to said second area and comprising an embossed structure (4) indicative of the type of the record carrier. The record carrier further comprises an indication area (5) located in said second area and adjacent to said first area, which indication area intended for indicating whether the second area is considered to be fully recorded, or is to be considered to be blank or partially recorded. The invention further relates to a read device and a recording device for use with the record carrier according to the invention.

Abstract: A method of inspecting disc information stored on an optical disc, for applying in an optical drive of a computer system. The method of inspecting disc information comprises a. outputting a standard command, for reading the disc structure of the disc; b. determining whether the reading was successful, if not, step c is performed; if yes, step d is performed; c. outputting a force read command, for reading the disc structure; d. receiving the disc structure; and e. outputting the corresponding disc information according to the disc structure. The invention can inspect various disc information of the optical disc, and the user database can be manually updated and expanded according to a user's will, thereby increasing the convenience of inspecting optical discs.

Abstract: An optical disc playback apparatus having DTS sound incompatible function is provided, which apparatus is capable of automatically playing back the Dolby sound without selecting the Dolby sound in the menu setting, when an optical disc including the DTS content is played back. When the playback of the optical disc including the DTS content is started, DTS compatibility judging means judges whether or not the setting function of the apparatus is set in the DTS sound compatible state. In the case when the result of judgment indicates the DTS sound incompatible state, Dolby sound selection means carries out a control in such a manner that a Dolby sound is compulsively selected, so that the Dolby sound is output instead of the DTS sound. Accordingly, a user is able to listen a comfortable sound and no operation for selecting the Dolby sound is required as for the type of sound to be listened, thereby enabling the usability to be enhanced in the operation of the apparatus.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recording and/or reproduction apparatus and a program suitable for use to record or reproduce data onto or from an optical disk having two recording layers on one side thereof. In an optical disk which has, on one side thereof, two layers including a recording film L0 layer in an unformatted state and another recording film L1 layer in a formatted state, the recording film L0 layer is formatted with marks at step S1, and formation of marks corresponding to recording data is started beginning with the recording film L0 layer at step S2. After the recording film L0 layer is used up, marks corresponding to recording data are formed on the recording film L1 layer at step S3. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a DVD player.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information recording apparatus which records content compliant with a second DVD standard on an information storage medium, the second DVD standard being a DVD standard later than a first DVD standard defined for a first image quality and being defined for a second image quality higher than the first image quality, includes a determination unit configured to determine whether narrow burst cutting area (NBCA) of the information storage medium is valid or not, and whether supported maximum recording speed of the information storage medium is triple speed or more of a predetermined recording speed, and a recording unit configured to perform real-time recording of the content compliant with the second standard on the information storage medium on the basis of the determination.

Abstract: On an information recording medium, an entire stream including a plurality of portion streams, each of which is provided with content information including still picture information, is multiplexed-and-recorded by a unit of packet. The information recording medium is provided with a file for storing object data, which is provided with a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a piece of the content information. The information recording medium is further provided with a file for storing information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data. The object data includes packets, each packet storing therein a piece of respective one of still picture information sets, the still picture information set including still picture information and control information thereof. A display control to the still picture information included in one still picture information set is described by the control information included in another still picture information set.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to set an operating condition enabling the best recording characteristic to be obtained for any kind of recording media, even in the case where the recording medium is combined with any kind of drive devices. According to the present invention, even in the case where a unknown and new kind of recording medium is loaded into the drive device, a piece of first operating condition information for an optical system suitable for a combination of the drive device and the new kind of recording media is read from a specific read only area provided for the recording medium, and an operating condition enabling the best operating characteristic to be obtained is set by using the first operating condition information, as a result of which even in the case where any kind of recording medium and any kind of drive device are combined, the operating condition for enabling the best recording characteristic to be obtained for the recording medium, can be set in the drive device.

Abstract: There is provided an information recording device for recording record information onto an information recording medium having a plurality of recording layers. The information recording device includes: write elements capable of writing record information into the recording layers; control elements for controlling the write elements to write first boundary information or second boundary information (107a-0) having a smaller recording capacity than the first boundary information at the end of record information recorded in one of the recording layers; and detection elements for detecting an empty capacity of the data area in that recording layer. The control elements controls the write elements to write the first boundary information at the end if the empty capacity is equal to or greater than a first threshold value and the second boundary information at the end if the detected empty capacity is smaller than the first threshold value.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus with level detecting capability has an electronic component, a light-sensing device for sensing light, a light source for emitting light onto the light-sensing device, a light blocker for blocking light emitted by the light source from projecting onto the light-sensing device when the electronic component is tilted and has a tilt angle within a predetermined range, and a control circuit electrically connected to the light-sensing device for controlling the electronic component to selectively operate in one of a plurality of operating modes according to the intensity of light received by the light-sensing device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for detecting the type of wobble on an optical recording medium. According to the invention, a programmable digitally tuned oscillator is provided for detecting the wobble at different frequencies and the wobble signal is converted to the base band. Favorably the consistency of the phase of the wobble together with the amplitude of the wobble is used for verifying the presence of the wobble. For this purpose a Cartesian to Polar converter is provided.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having a plural number of recording layers includes a n-th recording layer (23) (n?1), made up by a substrate (20) and a semi-reflective layer (21) carried by the substrate (20) and adapted for partially reflecting and partially transmitting the incident light, a (n+1)th recording layer (28), made up by another substrate (25) and a reflecting layer (26) carried by the substrate (25) and adapted for reflecting the incident light, and a light condensing layer (24) for condensing the light incident via the n-th recording layer (23) on the (n+1)th recording layer (28).

Abstract: On an information recording medium, an entire stream including a plurality of portion streams, each of which is provided with content information including still picture information, is multiplexed-and-recorded by a unit of packet. The information recording medium is provided with a file for storing object data, which is provided with a plurality of packets, each of which stores therein a piece of the content information. The information recording medium is further provided with a file for storing information which defines a reproduction sequence of the object data. The object data includes packets, each packet storing therein a piece of respective one of still picture information sets, the still picture information set including still picture information and control information thereof. A display control to the still picture information included in one still picture information set is described by the control information included in another still picture information set.

Abstract: To enable a physically rewritable disc to be appropriately used as a write-once type. When the rewritable disc is used in rewritable application, the position where writing of a predetermined data unit (for example, an ECC block) in data is started is set to a first position with respect to a reference position to record or play back the data. In contrast, when the rewritable disc is used in write-once application, the position where writing of the predetermined data unit in the data is started is set to a second position different from first position to record or play back the data.

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

Abstract: Before playing a digital photo slide show, both required digital photos and a guiding program are burnt on an optical disc in advance. While the disc is loaded into an optical disc play device, the guiding program triggers the optical disc play device to connect with an external network for updating media play effect packages, which are related to the digital photos, and for storing the updated media play effect packages in a preserved database of said optical disc play device. Then a corresponding digital photo slide show is dynamically generated and played according to both the updated media play effect packages, which are stored in the preserved database, and the digital photos burnt on the optical disc.

Abstract: A control mechanism includes a medium wavefront aberration correction voltage generating unit and an optical system wavefront aberration correction voltage generating unit therein, and has a mechanism that independently corrects a medium wavefront aberration caused by a shape or the like of an optical recording medium and an optical system wavefront aberration caused by an optical system in an optical pickup mechanism. Further, it includes a liquid crystal panel as an aberration correcting unit, and is designed to apply voltages corresponding to corrections of the medium wavefront aberration and the optical system wavefront aberration to two transparent electrodes provided in the liquid crystal panel.

Abstract: An optical analysis disc includes grooves defining corresponding laser-readable tracks and trigger marks that identify respective target regions on the disc. The trigger marks are implemented as a radial interruption of the grooves to thereby produce an increased reflection of a laser beam. There is also provided an optical analysis disc system including a trigger mechanism having a trigger detector adapted to detect interruptions in grooves of an optical analysis disc. A related method for triggering through interrupted grooves of an optical analysis disc includes detecting interruption in the grooves, generating an electrical reflection signal corresponding to the interruptions detected, and elaborating said reflection signal, so that to generate a trigger signal.

Abstract: A disk apparatus is for a disk, and a DVD-RW or a DVD+RW can be mounted as the disk. For example, a wobble signal is detected on the basis of a laser beam reflected by a recording surface of the disk. A CPU determines whether a cycle of the wobble signal (wobble cycle) is 32 times or 186 times as long as a data cycle on the basis of a detection result of a detecting circuit. Then, when the wobble cycle is 186 times as long as the data cycle, the disk kind is identified as the DVD-RW, and when the wobble cycle is 32 times as long as the data cycle, the disk kind is identified as the DVD+RW.

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: Disclosed is electronic equipment enjoying improved ease of use, and a highlighting method and a program to be implemented or installed in the electronic equipment. For example, a user performs manipulations so as to reproduce a content up to the middle of the content, and then turns off a power supply. When the user turns on the power supply next, a playback selection menu screen image is displayed and “Playback from the middle thereof” is highlighted. Consequently, when the user wants to reproduce the content from the middle of the content, the user need not worry about whether to reproduce the content from the beginning or the middle thereof. The user should merely finalize the highlighted item. This would prove user-friendly and helpful. When the electronic equipment is used outdoors or the like, the number of manipulations to be performed on the equipment is smaller than the number of manipulations conventionally performed.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus according to one aspect of this invention comprises a detection unit configured to detect a manufacturing error unique to an information storage medium, a transmission unit configured to transmit the manufacturing error detected by the detection unit to an external apparatus, a reception unit configured to receive a recordable capacity which is calculated by the external apparatus on the basis of the manufacturing error transmitted from the transmission unit, a limitation unit configured to limit data to be supplied on the basis of the recordable capacity received by the reception unit, and a recording/aborting unit configured to record the recording data, supply of which is limited by the limitation unit, or to abort recording of the recording data.

Abstract: A method of recording read/write compatibility information on an optical disc and a recording medium employing the method. Extended part version information, latest part version having recording capability, and latest part version having reproducing capability are stored in n.xy form on 6 bytes of a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of the optical disc. A recording/reproducing apparatus to record extended part version information on a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of a recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus has a base part version and a comparing unit to determine recording/reproducing compatibility with a recording medium having a detailed extended part version stored in a reserved zone of a physical format information zone.

Abstract: Novel evaluation indexes are introduced to allow both a total evaluation of data recording and an evaluation of individual detection patterns. A data recording evaluation method includes a step of reproducing a result of data recording performed on an optical disk and identifying a predetermined detection pattern in a reproduction signal, a step of detecting a signal state of the reproduction signal associated with the predetermined detection pattern, and a first calculation step for calculating a first evaluation index value based on the detected signal state and a reference state identified from the predetermined detection pattern. When there is a plurality of predetermined detection patterns as described above, a second calculation step is further provided for calculating a second recording state evaluation index value using the first evaluation index value calculated from each of the predetermined detection patterns.

Abstract: A reproducing method and apparatus are discussed. According to an embodiment, the method includes checking whether or not a current position is a linking data area based on an identifier to identify the linking data area, the linking data area preceded and followed by a real data area and removing invalid data in the linking data area and outputting continuously the real data in the real data area before and behind the linking data area, when the identifier is detected.

Abstract: An information recording medium according to the present invention includes a plurality of recording layers, and a test area for determining a recording power of a laser light for each of the plurality of recording layers, in which a first test area of a first layer and a second test area of a second layer adjacent to the first layer are provided at different radial positions.

Abstract: A recording method for recording, on a write once type information recording medium, management information representing a recording state of the write once type information recording medium is provided. The information recording medium includes data including a first synchronization signal. The information recording medium has a second synchronization signal pre-recorded by cutting. The recording method includes the steps of (a) performing a recording operation for recording the management information at a predetermined position of the information recording medium based on the first synchronization signal; (b) determining whether the recording operation in step (a) is normally terminated or not; and (c) when the recording operation in step (a) is not normally terminated, performing a recording operation for recording the management information at the predetermined position of the information recording medium based on the second synchronization signal.

Abstract: An optical recording method is designed for recording data on a recordable optical disk by use of a laser beam of a present recording apparatus under a desired recording condition. The method detects identification information which is reserved in the optical disk and which is indicative of a type of a previous recording apparatus. The detected identification information is compared with a plurality of identification information which are previously stored in correspondence to various types of recording apparatuses. As results of the comparison, the method determines whether the detected identification information matches with one of the stored identification information which does not correspond to the type of the present recording apparatus. Upon the determining of matching, the method retrieves a recording condition which is previously stored in association with the matching identification information.

Abstract: An optical head device and an optical recording and reproducing apparatus using this optical head device, which can record information and reproduce the recorded information at any of optical recording media, such as a next generation optical recording medium, in which the wavelength of the light source is made to be shorter, the numerical aperture of the objective lens is made to be higher, and the thickness of the recording medium is made to be thinner, and conventional recording media of DVD and CD standards, are provided. A light having wavelength of 405 nm, emitted from one of optics, is inputted to an objective lens as a collimated light, and is focused on a disk having thickness of 0.1 mm. A light having wavelength of 650 nm, emitted from the other of optics, is inputted to the objective lens as a diverged light, and is focused on a disk having thickness of 0.6 nm.

Abstract: An optical disc including one or more than one recording layers has land areas (131) and groove areas (132) as recording tracks, wherein a data recording area of at least one of the recording layers is divided into a plurality of zones in a radial direction. In each of the divided zones, one or more than one prepits (133) with predetermined data are disposed in a track so that each header area is disposed at ever other boundary among the boundaries between the land areas and the groove areas. Each header area is shifted in the circumferential direction from other header areas apart from the each header area by two boundaries without overlapping in the radial direction.

Abstract: In an optical pickup apparatus which includes at least a laser light source and an object lens and can apply a laser beam to different types of optical discs, an aberration correction liquid crystal device is placed on the optical axis of the laser beam emitted from the laser light source. The aberration correction liquid crystal device includes a first electrode section being placed on the side of the laser light source and having a first electrode pattern for correcting aberration concerning a first optical disc, a second electrode section being placed on the side of the optical disc and having a second electrode pattern for correcting aberration concerning a second optical disc different from the first optical disc in type, and liquid crystal being sandwiched between the first and second electrode sections.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a storage medium includes a burst cutting area at an inner periphery, wherein the burst cutting area has includes plural burst-cutting-area data areas.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recording and/or reproducing data on a disc are provided using padding information, and a corresponding information storage medium. The recording method includes recording a recording unit block in which invalid data is padded in part of the block and recording padding information indicating that the invalid data is included. According to the method, a disc drive becomes able to distinguish valid data from invalid data in an error correction block such that reliability of reproduction increases and stability of the system is improved.

Abstract: A DSP (32) of a disc recorder (100) includes an identification information obtaining portion (321) for obtaining type identification information stored in an optical disc (a DVD-R) (2) for identifying a manufacturer and a type of the optical disc, a type memory portion (326) for storing a plurality of type identification information in advance, a type deciding portion (322) for deciding whether or not the obtained type identification information matches any one of the plurality of type identification information stored in the type storing portion (326), a parameter obtaining portion (323) for obtaining strategy parameters stored in the optical disc (2) if the type deciding portion decides that the former type identification information does not match any one of the latter type identification information, a parameter correcting portion (324) for correcting the obtained strategy parameter, and a recording condition setting portion (325) for setting recording conditions for the optical disc (2) based on the corr

Abstract: On an information recording medium, a recording area is divided in a plurality of data areas, and data is recorded on each of the data areas. In response to a request for obtaining data management information concerning a recording of the data recorded on each of the data areas, a plurality of predetermined data areas among the foregoing data areas are regarded as a predetermined pseudo area, and the data management information including information concerning the predetermined pseudo area is obtained.

Abstract: An optical recording medium has a multi-layer structure recording layer portion including plural recording layers provided with tracks for guiding a recording light and being adapted to record data, where recording condition information and recording layer identification information for the recording layers are recorded on the tracks as information signals. Test writing is conducted on a recording layer that is subject to recording to derive a suitable recording condition based on recording condition information that is recorded on the recording layer, and direct recording is conducted according to a direct recording condition.

Abstract: A multivalued information reproducing apparatus includes: a light source which emits a linear polarized light having a prescribed polarization direction; a first optical system which generates a first linear polarized light and a second linear polarized light that have different polarization directions using the linear polarized light which is emitted from the light source and makes the two polarized lights input to an optical recording medium in which the polarization directions of recording lights are recorded as multivalued information; a second optical system by which light that passes the optical recording medium or light that is reflected by the optical recording medium is directed to a photo detecting portion in a state where the first linear polarized light and the second linear polarized light are separated; and a polarization direction judging portion which judges the polarization direction that is recorded in the optical recording medium based on amount of light of the first linear polarized light

Abstract: In a write-once recording medium, an optimum updating of the management information and a simple matching processing are to be achieved. To this end, in a system of a write-once medium, rendered accessible at random by employing the write/non-write indicating information, the management information, including a space bitmap and the last recording position information (LRA) indicating the last position of the recorded user data, is updated on the disc responsive to the generation or extinction of a gap (unrecorded area) in a region ahead of the LRA. The state of matching between the management information on the disc and the recording state of the user data is confirmed, responsive to the updating of the management information on the disc by the generation or extinction of the gap in the management information, by detecting whether or not the gap in the management information (gap indicated by the space bitmap) or the LRA is coincident with the gap or the LRA on the actual disc.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an information processing apparatus includes an optical disk drive that performs at least one of a read process and a write process for a plurality of kinds of optical disk, and a designation unit that designates at least one kind of an optical disk as a designated optical disk for which the at least one of the read process and the write process is performed, wherein the optical disk drive performs the at least one of the read process and the write process only for the designated optical disk.

Abstract: An information provision apparatus has a detachable information storage medium that stores information, an information storing portion that storing information read from the information storage medium, a processing portion that performs a reproduction processing of information stored in the information storing portion, an output portion that outputs information reproduced by the processing portion, and a clocking portion that counts an elapsed time since the information storage medium is detached from the information provision apparatus, wherein the processing portion stops the reproduction processing when the elapsed time exceeds a specified value.

Abstract: In embodiments, a method and apparatus for controlling access to a storage medium, such as an optically readable medium. Light sensitive or other materials that are adapted to change state and affect reading of a storage medium are used to control access to data that may be stored on optical medium and/or to control use of the medium.

Abstract: An optical data storage and retrieval system that includes a phase change storage medium and dual energy sources. The phase change material may store information by undergoing a transformation from one structural state to another structural state through application of energy. The system is equipped with two energy sources, neither of which alone provides sufficient energy to effect the transformation. The combination of both energy sources, however, provides sufficient energy to induce the transformation needed to record information. The energy from either source may be optical, thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical or magnetic energy.

Abstract: A method for testing a burner includes the steps of: providing a rewriter (RW) disk (4) in good burning condition, and inserting the RW disk into a test burner (3) connected to a computer (1); selecting a burner type for the burner; designating a source file to be burned, and setting a counter J=0, a loop time N and a maximum time of fail test M; erasing all data on the RW disk; burning the source file onto the RW disk; determining whether the source file is successfully burned to the RW disk; executing J=J+1 if the source file is successfully burned to the RW disk; repeating the erasing step, the burning step and the determining step, and counting a time of successfully burned process by the counter J, until J=N?M+1 which denotes that the burner is in good burning condition. A related method for testing a RW disk is also provided.

Abstract: An information recording medium includes an access control area in which access control data (ACD) is recorded, the ACD having common information set to allow a recording/reproducing apparatus that cannot recognize a predetermined function of the information recording medium to control access to the information recording medium; and an ACD state information area in which state information regarding one of defectiveness and recordability of an ACD block, at which the ACD is recorded in the access control area, is recorded.

Abstract: An optical recording medium having a read-only storage area and a writable storage area and a recording/reproducing apparatus and method therefore. The optical recording medium is a hybrid disc having both the read-only storage area, which is suitable for mass production of information having the same contents, and the writable storage area on which data can be recorded, updated or added at a user's option.

Abstract: An information processing device (225) is a device for processing specific information recorded to a recording medium (100), and has a characteristic identification unit (204) and a processing unit (226). The characteristic identification unit (204) identifies the reflection characteristic of the recording medium (100). The processing unit (226) processes the specific information recorded to the recording medium (100) according to the identified reflection characteristic. The reflection characteristic is either a first characteristic such that the reflectance of light reflected by a recorded region of the recording medium (100) (referred to as first reflectance) is greater than the reflectance of light reflected by an unrecorded region of the recording medium (100) (referred to as second reflectance), or a second characteristic such that the first reflectance is less than the second reflectance.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention involve an optical storage media inventory system and methods that leverages the capabilities of an optical storage media characterization device to direct repair of the optical storage media if it is damaged, to assess pecuniary penalties to a rental customer responsible for the damage or take other action. In one example, an optical storage media, such as a DVD with movie data recorded thereon, is processed in a optical storage media characterization device to render a damage level. Based on the damage level, repair may be undertaken, the customer may be charge, or any combination of various actions may be taken.

Abstract: A recording method for embedding in a record medium many types of management information corresponding to many types of record media as additional information added to content data that is recorded on the record medium, performing a first encoding process for the content data to which the additional information has been embedded, performing a second encoding process for the many types of management information; and modulating the content data of which the first encoding process has been performed and the many types of management information of which the second encode process has been performed.