U.S. patent application number 12/179308 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-04 for optical disc recording system.
This patent application is currently assigned to NEC CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Masatsugu Ogawa, Shigeru Shimonou, Naoto Yamamoto.
Application Number | 20080298184 12/179308 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34936929 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080298184 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yamamoto; Naoto ; et
al. |
December 4, 2008 |
OPTICAL DISC RECORDING SYSTEM
Abstract
An optical disc recording system includes a host apparatus
configured to issue commands; and an optical disc recording
apparatus configured to carry out a process corresponding to each
of the commands, and to reply a response data to the command to the
host apparatus. The host apparatus issues a record command as one
of the commands to record a record data in an optical disc medium,
and an optical disc recording apparatus records the record data in
a data area in a predetermined format in response to the record
command, wherein the optical disc comprises the data area and a
first control data recording area. The optical disc recording
apparatus additionally sets each of second control data recording
areas in the data area in association with a command from the host
apparatus as one of the commands, and a record status control data
is recorded in the first or second control data recording area to
indicate record status of the record data. At least a part of a
second control data recording area associated data with at least
one of the second control data recording areas is shared by the
host apparatus and the optical disc recording apparatus.
Inventors: |
Yamamoto; Naoto; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Shimonou; Shigeru; (Tokyo, JP) ; Ogawa;
Masatsugu; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO LLP
1177 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS (6TH AVENUE)
NEW YORK
NY
10036-2714
US
|
Assignee: |
NEC CORPORATION
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
34936929 |
Appl. No.: |
12/179308 |
Filed: |
July 24, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11136863 |
May 25, 2005 |
|
|
|
12179308 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
369/47.1 ;
G9B/20.009; G9B/20.027; G9B/27.041 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11B 2020/1285 20130101;
G11B 2020/1292 20130101; G11B 2020/1265 20130101; G11B 2220/218
20130101; G11B 27/32 20130101; G11B 20/1217 20130101; G11B 20/10
20130101; G11B 2220/2562 20130101; G11B 2020/1267 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
369/47.1 |
International
Class: |
G11B 5/09 20060101
G11B005/09 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 25, 2004 |
JP |
2004-154422 |
Jun 22, 2004 |
JP |
2004-183350 |
Claims
1. A recording method in an optical disc medium, comprising:
providing an optical disc medium having a data area in a recording
area of said optical disc medium; recording a record state control
data concerning a recording operation in a control data recording
area of said recording area of said optical disc medium when a user
data is recorded in said data area; wherein said control data
recording area comprises a first control data recording area
provided in a portion of said recording area of said optical disc
medium other than said data area, and second control data recording
areas provided in said data area; and additionally setting said
second control data recording area for next use in said data area
when a remaining record capacity of a current-use one of said
second control data recording areas or said first control data
recording area becomes equal to or less than a predetermined record
capacity, wherein said record state control data includes a data of
said additionally set second control data recording area.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said additionally
setting comprises: additionally setting said additionally set
second control data recording area in a border area, when said
border area is newly set for a session in said data area.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said additionally set
second control data recording area contains at least one of a
position data indicating a position of said additionally set second
control data recording area, and a size data indicating a capacity
of said additionally set second control data recording area.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said record state
control data is allocated with a plurality of fields, said data
area is allocated with a plurality of logic tracks, and said
recording a record state control data comprises: recording a start
address indicating a start position of each of said plurality of
logical tracks, and an end address indicating a last recorded
position of said logical track in one field of said plurality of
fields.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said recording a record
state control data comprises: recording a data of one of said
second control data recording areas corresponding to another field
as one of said plurality of fields other than said one field in
said another field.
6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said recording a record
state control data comprises: recording a data of each of said
second control data recording areas in said one field in addition
to said start address and said end address.
7. The method according to claim 4, wherein each of said second
control data recording areas is allocated with at least one of said
plurality of logic tracks, and said second control data recording
area data comprises a number of said second control data recording
areas, and said start address and said end address of the allocated
logic track.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said plurality of logic
tracks are allocated with track numbers to indicate an order of
said plurality of logic tracks, and said second control data
recording area data comprises a number of said second control data
recording areas and said track number of said logic track allocated
to said second control data recording areas.
9. The method according to claim 4, wherein each of said plurality
of fields is a sector.
10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said optical disc
medium comprises a preset record state control data replica area,
said additionally setting comprises: recording the latest record
data control data in said record state control data replica area,
when said second control data recording area is set additionally,
said latest record data control data contains said second control
data recording area data.
11. A data recording apparatus for an optical disc medium,
comprising: an optical head configured to access an optical disc
medium rotated and having a data area in a recording area of said
optical disc medium; and a control section configured to control
said optical head to record a user data in said data area and to
record a record state control data concerning a recording operation
of said user data in a control data recording area of said
recording area of said optical disc medium when said user data is
recorded in said data area, wherein said control data recording
area comprises a basic control data recording area provided in a
portion of said recording area of said optical disc medium other
than said data area, and second control data recording areas
provided in said data area, said control section controls said
optical head to additionally set said second control data recording
area for next use in said data area when a remaining record
capacity of a current-use one of said second control data recording
areas or first control data recording area becomes equal to or less
than a predetermined record capacity, and said record state control
data includes a data of said additionally set second control data
recording area.
12. The data recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
said control section controls said optical head to additionally set
said additionally set second control data recording area in a
border area, when said border area is newly set for a session in
said data area.
13. The data recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
said additionally set second control data recording area data
contains at least one of a position data indicating a position of
said additionally set second control data recording area, and a
size data indicating a capacity of said additionally set second
control data recording area.
14. The data recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
said record state control data is allocated with a plurality of
fields, said data area is allocated with a plurality of logical
tracks, and said control section controls said optical head to
record a start address indicating a start position of each of said
plurality of logical tracks, and an end address indicating a last
recorded position of said logical track in one field of said
plurality of fields.
15. The data recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
said control section controls said optical head to record a data of
one of said second control data recording areas corresponding to
another field as one of said plurality of fields other than said
one field in said another field.
16. The data recording apparatus according to claim 41, wherein
said control section controls said optical head to record a data of
each of said second control data recording areas in said one field
in addition to said start address and said end address.
17. The data recording apparatus according to claim 41, wherein
each of said second control data recording areas is allocated with
at least one of said plurality of logic tracks, and said second
control data recording area data comprises a number of said second
control data recording areas, and said start address and said end
address of the allocated logic track.
18. The data recording apparatus according to claim 17, wherein
said plurality of logic tracks are allocated with track numbers to
indicate an order of said plurality of logic tracks, and said
second control data recording area data comprises a number of said
second control data recording areas and said track number of said
logic track allocated to said second control data recording
area.
19. The data recording apparatus according to claim 14, wherein
each of said plurality of fields is a sector.
20. The data recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein
said optical disc medium comprises a preset record state control
data replica area, said control section controls said optical head
to record the latest record data control data in said record state
control data replica area, when said second control data recording
area is set additionally, and said latest record data control data
contains said second control data recording area data.
21. A computer-readable software product recording for achieving
program code for a recording method in an optical disc medium,
wherein said recording method comprises: providing an optical disc
medium having a data area in a recording area of said optical disc
medium; recording a record state control data concerning a
recording operation in a control data recording area of said
recording area of said optical disc medium when a user data is
recorded in said data area; wherein said control data recording
area comprises a first control data recording area provided in a
portion of said recording area of said optical disc medium other
than said data area, and said second control data recording areas
provided in said data area; and additionally setting said second
control data recording area for next use in said data area when a
remaining record capacity of a current-use one of said second
control data recording areas or said first control data recording
area becomes equal to or less than a predetermined record capacity,
wherein said record state control data includes a data of said
additionally set second control data recording area.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/136,863, filed May 25, 2005, which claims priority to
Japanese Application Serial Nos. 2004-154422, filed May 25, 2004,
and 2004-183350, filed Jun. 22, 2004, the entirety of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/111,758, filed on Apr. 22, 2005, entitled "OPTICAL DISC MEDIUM,
OPTICAL DISC APPARATUS USING THE SAME, AND DATA RECORDING METHOD IN
THE SAME", which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application
Serial No. 2004-129085, filed on Apr. 23, 2004, the entirety of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0003] This application also relates to U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/111,767, filed on Apr. 22, 2005, entitled "OPTICAL DISC
MEDIUM, OPTICAL DISC APPARATUS USING THE SAME, AND DATA RECORDING
METHOD ON THE SAME", which claims priority to Japanese Patent
Application Serial No. 2004-129087, filed on Apr. 23, 2004, the
entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The present invention relates to an optical disc medium, an
optical disc recording apparatus, and a control method of the same,
and especially relates to a write once type optical disc medium, an
optical disc recording apparatus to record and reproduce data in
the optical disc medium and a control method of the same.
[0006] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0007] A first conventional example of a write once optical disc
medium and a second conventional example of a conventional optical
disc apparatus are disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent
Application (JP-P2000-504463A) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,701,281.
According to the first conventional example, a writing apparatus
writes a data block in a track pattern on a writable record medium.
This writing apparatus has a writing unit and a positioning
section. The writing unit writes a mark indicating the data block
in an area of the record carrier through the electromagnetic
radiation beam. The positioning section positions the writing unit
on the record carrier based on the track structure showing the
track pattern. The writing apparatus also has a status section to
generate a status data, which indicates that a write operation is
carried out in at least one area of the record carrier. This status
data extends from a start position of the track pattern area for
the data block to be written, and has an initial area data showing
an initial area into which data is written without any
interruption.
[0008] According to the second conventional example, an optical
disc apparatus uses an optical disc that has a zone border unused
area and a buffer area as an unused area, and a test area in each
user band of a user area. The optical disc apparatus includes a
SCSI controller, a head, a control unit, a control parameter data
edit unit, a random-access memory, a control parameter writing
unit, and a control parameter reading unit. The SCSI controller is
connected with a host apparatus and exchanges data with the host
apparatus. The head writes or reads the data into or from an
optical disc. The control unit controls the writing and reading
operations of the data and controls an entire operation of the
optical disc apparatus. The control parameter data edit unit edits
a control parameter data to have a predetermined format. The
random-access memory stores the control parameter data edited by
the control parameter data edit unit. The control parameter writing
unit writes the control parameter data stored in the random-access
memory in an unused area of the optical disc through the head, when
the optical disc is pulled out from the optical disc apparatus. The
control parameter reading unit reads the control parameter data
written in the unused area of the optical disc through the head,
when the optical disc is inserted in the optical disc
apparatus.
[0009] As shown FIG. 3, an optical disc recording system includes a
host apparatus 1, an optical disc recording apparatus 2, and an
optical disc medium 3. The host apparatus 1 is exemplified by a
personal computer (PC). In built-in devices such as DVD (Digital
Versatile Disc) recorders, the host apparatus 1 is equivalent to a
dominant system to control an entire system. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 records data in the optical disc medium 3
such as the DVD-R medium under an instruction from the host
apparatus 1.
[0010] The specification for exchange of a command and a status
between the host apparatus 1 and the optical disc apparatus 2 is
described in ANSI T10/1545-D: "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY-Multi-Media
Commands-4 (MMC-4)" as a third conventional example. The host
apparatus 1 exchanges the command and status with the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 by using a packet command shown in the third
conventional example. In the present invention, the description is
given by using the following MMC-4 commands defined in the third
conventional example.
[0011] (1) A Read (10) command is a command used to read a data
from the optical disc recording apparatus 2 for the specified
number of sectors from a certain logical address.
[0012] (2) A Write (10) command or the a Write (12) command is a
command used to read a data from the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 for a specified number of sectors from a certain
logical address.
[0013] (3) A Synchronize Cache command is a command used to make
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 to data stored in a write
buffer memory of the recording apparatus 2 into the optical disc
medium 3.
[0014] (4) A Read Disc Information command is a command used to
acquire the number of tracks or sessions of the optical disc medium
3, a flag indicating whether the optical disc medium 3 is erasable,
and a record status of the optical disc medium 3.
[0015] (5) A Read Track Information command is a command used to
acquire a start logical address of a certain track or session of
the optical disc medium 3, a next writable logical address, and
status of tracks and sessions.
[0016] (6) A Reserve Track command is a command used to reserve a
logical address area containing a certain quantity of sectors as a
track.
[0017] (7) A Close Track command is a command used to bury all the
writable logical address areas of a certain track with dummy
data.
[0018] (8) A Read DVD Structure command and A Send DVD Structure
command are commands used to read and set data arranged in a system
area, which cannot be accessed through the Read (10) and the Write
(10) command.
[0019] (9) A Request Sense command is a command issued for the host
apparatus to acquire the status of the optical disc recording
apparatus. This command is issued when the optical disc recording
apparatus completes a command, and when the optical disc recording
apparatus transmits data to be notified to the host apparatus when
the status in the optical disc recording apparatus is changed.
[0020] As a large capacity of optical disc medium of the write once
type, the DVD-R standard is known which is shown in ISO/IEC
20563"80 nm (1.23 Gbytes per side) and 120 nm (3.95 Gbytes per
side)-recordable disc",
[0021] FIG. 1 shows a physical data arrangement of the DVD-R
medium. The optical disc medium 3 has a control data record area
130, a lead-in area 131, a data area 138, and a lead-out area 139
in the order from the inner side. The control data record area 130
and the lead-in area 131 are referred to as a system area, in which
data to control the optical disc medium 3 is recorded. Therefore,
the system area is controlled so that the host apparatus 1 cannot
access directly. The control data record area 130 is an area where
data for record management on a recording operation of data in the
data area is recorded. The data for the record management is
referred to as a record status management data. The data area 138
is an area of the optical disc medium 3 where user data is
recorded. The lead-out area 139 indicates an end of the record area
of the optical disc medium 3.
[0022] These areas are managed every sector of 2048 bytes to which
a series of numbers (addresses) is given. Referring to FIG. 1 "h"
is put on the end of the address so that the address of each area
is described in a hexadecimal notation. The optical disc medium 3
is initialized by the optical disc recording apparatus 2 prior to a
data record operation. Through the initialization, the control data
record area 130 and the lead-in area 131 are arranged in the area
up to the physical address 30000h, and the data area is arranged
from the physical address 30000h. In order to prevent the host
apparatus from accessing this area up to the physical address
30000h, the physical address 30000h is defined as a logical address
Oh normally. Also, the host apparatus 1 accesses the optical disc
medium 3 by using the logical address. Therefore, the host
apparatus 1 cannot access the system area arranged inside the data
area 138. However, the commands such as a Read Disc Information
command, a Read DVD Structure command, and a Send DVD Structure
command are prepared so that the host apparatus can use a part of
these data. Such the command is provided in the ANSI MMC-4 standard
described in the third conventional example.
[0023] The logical addresses on the record of data in the
write-once optical disc should be consecutive due to the constraint
of a consecutive record. Therefore, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 manages the data area by dividing the data area into
small areas refereed to as a logical track. Then, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 consecutively record the data in the logical
track. Thus, the constraint of the consecutive record is met. In
the DVD-R medium, it is ruled that maximum three logical tracks can
be managed at a same time. The logical tracks are respectively
referred to as a first track, a second track, and an invisible
track. The invisible track is a logical track on the outermost side
of the disc and an end area of the invisible track is not
determined.
[0024] These logical tracks are areas obtained by separating a
logical address space of the data area 138 in the optical disc
medium 3 to which the host apparatus 1 can access. Therefore, these
logical tracks are different from a physical track configured from
a guide groove of the optical disc medium 3 for an optical head and
recorded pit strings. In the present invention, the record of the
user data and the record status management data is managed by
controlling the logical track. Therefore, the logical track is
simply referred to as a track in the following description.
Moreover, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 can generate a
plurality of logical volumes, as virtual disc spaces, on the
write-once optical disc 3. Then, each of the logical volumes can be
managed as a session.
[0025] A recording operation in the DVD-R medium with DVD-Video
format will be described below, as an example of using three
logical tracks of the DVD-R medium.
[0026] First, a file configuration of the DVD-Video will be
described. In the DVD-Video, a file system data, a video manager
file group, a single or plural video title file groups are arranged
in ascending order of the logical address of the optical disc
medium. The video manager file group is configured of three files
of a video manager data file, a video manager object file and a
video manager data backup file. The video manager object file may
be omitted. Each video title file group is configured of a video
title data file, a video title object file, and a video title data
backup file.
[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, the ANSI MMC-4 commands exchanged
between the host apparatus 1 and the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 and operations started based on the commands will be
described.
[0028] 1. When an unused optical disc medium 3 is inserted into the
optical disc recording apparatus 2, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 determines a physical media type and initializes the
optical disc medium 3. Thus, a system area including a first
control data record area and a data area are set in the optical
disc medium 3, and necessary physics and logical data are recorded
in the system area.
[0029] 2. The host apparatus 1 issues the Reserve Track command to
reserve a track where the file system and the video manager data
file are recorded. Receiving the Reserve Track command, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 reserves an area for the number of
reservation sectors defined by an argument of the Reserve Track
command as one track, and then updates the record status control
data in the control data record area of the optical disc medium
3.
[0030] 3. Subsequently, the host apparatus 1 issues the Reserve
Track command to reserve the record area for the video title data
file. The optical disc recording apparatus 2 reserves an area for
the number of the sectors specified based on the Reserve Track
command as a second track. Then, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 updates the record status control data and records it
in the control data record area of the optical disc medium 3.
[0031] 4. The host apparatus 1 issues the Read Track Information
command to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. Receiving the
Read Track Information command, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 calculates a writable logical address following a track
number specified based on the command, and replies the host
apparatus. The host apparatus 1 acquires a recordable address (Next
Writable Address) of the invisible track as a command reply
value.
[0032] 5. The host apparatus 1 outputs a video object file data of
a first title to the optical disc recording apparatus 2 by using
the Write (10) command. Receiving the Write (10) command, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 records the data for the number
of write sectors from a record start logical address in the optical
disc medium 3 based on the command. The optical disc recording
apparatus 2 records the record status control data in a RAM using a
semiconductor memory, and the record status control data is updated
for every command.
[0033] 6. The host apparatus 1 issues the Synchronize Cache command
to the optical disc recording apparatus 2, to end the recording
operation of the first title. The optical disc recording apparatus
2 records an un-outputted record data remained in a write buffer
memory therein to the optical disc medium 3. The record status
control data stored in the RAM in the above step 5 is updated, and
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 records the record status
control data in the control data record area of the optical disc
medium 3.
[0034] 7. The host apparatus 1 outputs the video title data backup
file data to the optical disc recording apparatus 2 by using the
Write (10) command. Receiving the Write (10) command, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 records the data for the number of the
write sectors from the record start logical address in the optical
disc medium 3. Moreover, the optical disc recording apparatus 2
stores the record status control data in the RAM.
[0035] 8. The host apparatus 1 issues the Synchronize Cache command
to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 records the un-outputted record data remained
in the write buffer memory in the devices in the optical disc
medium 3. The record status control data stored in the RAM in the
mentioned step 7 is updated, and the host apparatus 1 records the
data in the control data record area of the optical disc medium
3.
[0036] 9. The host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command to
the optical disc recording apparatus 2. The optical disc recording
apparatus 2 carries out an end process of the invisible track. In
order to set the following recordable area, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 generates a new invisible track following the
invisible track to which the end process is carried out. Moreover,
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 updates the record status
control data for the invisible track after the end process and the
invisible track newly generated, and then records the data in the
control data record area of the optical disc medium 3.
[0037] 10. The host apparatus 1 issues the Read Track Information
command to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 calculates a writable logical address
following the track number specified based on an argument of the
Read Track In formation command, and replies it to the host
apparatus 1. The host apparatus 1 acquires the writable address
following the track reserved in the above step 3 as a command
replay value.
[0038] 11. The host apparatus 1 issues the Write (10) command and
sends the video title data file data to the optical disc recording
apparatus 2. Receiving the Write (10) command, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 records the video title data file data for
the number of the write sectors from the record start logical
address in the optical disc medium 3 in response to the command,
and stores the record status control data in the RAM.
[0039] 12. The host apparatus 1 issues the Synchronize Cache
command to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 records the un-outputted record data remained
in the buffer memory to the optical disc medium 3. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 updates the record status control data stored
in the RAM in the above step 11, and records the record status
control data in the control data record area of the optical disc
medium 3.
[0040] 13. In order to close the second track, the host apparatus 1
issues the Close Track command to the optical disc recording
apparatus 2. The optical disc recording apparatus 2 carries out the
end process of the second track, and updates the record status
control data, and records the record status control data in the
control data record area in the optical disc medium 3.
[0041] 14. The host apparatus 1 issues the Read Track Information
command to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 calculates a writable logical address
following the track number given based on an argument of the Read
Track In formation command, and replies it to the host apparatus 1.
The host apparatus 1 acquires the writable address following the
track reserved in the above step 2 as a command replay value.
[0042] 15. The host apparatus 1 issues the Write (10) command to
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 in order to write a file
system data and a video manager file group. Receiving the Write
(10) command, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 records the
data for the number of the write sectors from the record start
logical address in the optical disc medium 3 according to the
command. The optical disc recording apparatus 2 records the record
status control data in the RAM.
[0043] 16. The host apparatus 1 issues the Synchronize Cache
command to the optical disc recording apparatus. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 records the un-outputted record data remained
in the buffer memory to the optical disc medium 3. The record
status control data stored in the RAM in the above step 15 is
updated, and the optical disc recording apparatus 2 records the
record status control data in the control data record area of the
optical disc medium 3.
[0044] 17. The host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command to
the optical disc recording apparatus in order to close the first
track. The optical disc recording apparatus 2 carries out an end
process of the first track, and then, updates and records the
record status control data in the control data record area of the
optical disc medium 3.
[0045] 18. The host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command to
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 in order to close the
optical disc medium 3. The optical disc recording apparatus 2
carries out a disc close process that is referred to as a
finalizing process of the optical disc medium 3. That is, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 adds the lead-in area and the
lead-out area to the optical disc medium 3 so that the write-once
optical disc 3 can be treated equally to the DVD-ROM.
[0046] As mentioned above, the optical disc recording apparatus 2
updates the record status control data for the record management of
the optical disc medium 3 when a track is newly reserved by using
the Reserve Track command and the series of the recording processes
are ended by using the Synchronize Cache and the Close Track
command. In addition, when the Write (10) command is issued plural
times, the record status control data of optical disc medium 3 is
sometimes update in every predetermined number of issuance of the
command or every predetermined number of record sectors. In the
example of FIG. 2, the record status control data of the optical
disc medium 3 is updated in the steps 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16 and
17.
[0047] In this way, in the conventional optical disc media 3 such
as the DVD-R medium, the control data record area 130 for the
record management is arranged in the fixed size on the system area
that the host apparatus 1 cannot directly access. The record status
control data is updated every constant data size when the host
apparatus 1 issues the write command consecutively. Also, the
record status control data is updated when the host apparatus 1
issues the synchronize cache command to the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 or the track close command is ended. Therefore, if
small size data are repeatedly recorded, the control data record
area 130 is assumed in a short time. Therefore, when the control
data record area 130 for the record status control data has
entirely used although the data area 138 has a free area, an
additional recording operation cannot be carried out to the optical
disc medium 3.
[0048] Especially, the write-once optical disc using a blue laser
has a storage capacity several times or more times as large as the
conventional DVD-R medium. Therefore, when the size of data to be
recorded is the same as the conventional size of data, there is a
possibility that the record status control data overflows from the
control data record area in the system area.
[0049] In conjunction with the above description, a method of
recording information to a write once type information recording
medium is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application
(JP-A-Heisei 6-338139). In this conventional example, the
information recording medium has an information record area to
record information, a replace information record area used when the
record of the information is failed and the information is
re-written, and a management information record area to record data
for managing a rewrite history. When an unused area is below a
predetermined quantity in a record area for a purpose, at least a
part of an unused area of a record area for another purpose is
allocated as an extension area of the record area for the above
purpose.
[0050] Also, an optical disc medium is disclosed in Japanese Laid
Open Patent Application (JP-P2004-39186A). In this conventional
example, a data record area is defined based on a predetermined
standard. An extension area is further provided in an inner area
from the data record area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0051] An object of the present invention is to provide an optical
disc recording system that can additionally record data in an
optical disc medium if a data area has an unused area, and a
optical disc medium used for the same.
[0052] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
optical disc recording system that can additionally record data in
the optical disc medium even if there is no recordable area in the
control data record area in the system area, and an optical disc
medium used for the same.
[0053] In an aspect of the present invention, an optical disc
recording system includes a host apparatus configured to issue
commands; and an optical disc recording apparatus configured to
carry out a process corresponding to each of the commands, and to
reply a response data to the command to the host apparatus. The
host apparatus issues a record command as one of the commands to
record a record data in an optical disc medium, and an optical disc
recording apparatus records the record data in a data area in a
predetermined format in response to the record command, wherein the
optical disc comprises the data area and a first control data
record area. The optical disc recording apparatus additionally sets
each of second control data record areas in the data area in
association with a command from the host apparatus as one of the
commands, and a record status control data is recorded in the first
or second control data record area to indicate record status of the
record data. At least a part of a second control data record area
associated data with at least one information related to said
additional setting of a second control data recording area is
shared by the host apparatus and the optical disc recording
apparatus.
[0054] Here, the information related to the additional setting
preferably includes at least one of a number of the second control
data record areas and addresses of the second control data record
areas.
[0055] Also, a check may be made to determine whether or not a
second control data record area is additionally set in the data
area each time the record status control data is recorded when a
predetermined record time elapses or when the record of the record
data is once ended.
[0056] Also, when the size of an unused record area remaining in
the first control data record area or the second control data
record areas is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, it
is preferably determined that the second control data record area
should be additionally set in the data area. In this case, the
threshold may be equal to or larger than 2*m, where m is a number
of the tracks accessible at a same time, to one of record units of
the record data. Also, the optical disc recording apparatus may
notify the host apparatus of a fact that it is determined that the
second control data record area should be additionally set in the
data area.
[0057] Also, the optical disc recording apparatus may set a data
indicating that the second control data record area is additionally
added, in the response data to the command. In this case,
preferably, the command is one of a Reserve Track command, a Write
(10) command, a Write (12) command, a Synchronize Cache command and
a Close Track command which are defined in ANSI MMC-4.
[0058] Also, after an invisible track is closed and a termination
position thereof is determined, the second control data record area
may be additionally set subsequently to the closed invisible track.
In this case, the optical disc recording apparatus may receive a
close command from the host apparatus to close the invisible track,
may additionally set a second control data record area when
determining that an area for the record status control data is
insufficient to record subsequent data, and may set a data
indicating addition of the second control data record area, in the
response data to the close command.
[0059] Also, the close command may have an extension permission
flag to indicate that the host apparatus permits the optical disc
recording apparatus to additionally set the second control data
record area in the data area. The optical disc recording apparatus
additionally sets the second control data record area only when the
extension permission flag indicate a permission, and notifies
addition of the second control data record area to the host
apparatus.
[0060] Also, a secure command to secure a track in the data area
may have a control data record area flag to specify whether or not
the track should be secured for the second control data record
area. When determining that an area for the record status control
data is insufficient to record subsequent data, the host apparatus
issues the secure command to the optical disc recording apparatus
subsequent to a close command to close an invisible track. The
optical disc recording apparatus additionally secures the second
control data record area in the data area in response to the secure
command.
[0061] Also, the host apparatus may determine whether an area for
the record status control data is insufficient to record subsequent
data, and issue a secure command to the optical disc recording
apparatus to secure the second control data record area in the data
area, subsequently to a close commend to close an invisible track.
The optical disc recording apparatus additionally secures the
second control data record area in the data area in response to the
secure command.
[0062] Also, the host apparatus may transmit an input/output
command to input or output the record status control data in the
second control data record area to the optical disc recording
apparatus. The optical disc recording apparatus sets a data in the
response data to the input/output command to indicate that it is
not possible to carry out the input/output of the record status
control data in the second control data record area.
[0063] Also, the host apparatus may issue a status acquire command
to acquire a status of the optical disc to the optical disc
recording apparatus. The optical disc recording apparatus sets the
second control data record area associated data in the response
data to the status acquire command. In this case, the second
control data record area associated data may contain at least one
of a flag to indicate that the second control data record area
exists and a number of the areas which the record status control
data is stored in the optical disc medium. Also, the number of the
areas in which the record status control data are recorded in the
optical disc medium may be a number of the second control data
record areas. Also, the number of the areas in which the record
status control data are recorded in the optical disc medium may be
a number of the first control data record areas and the second
control data record areas.
[0064] Also, management of a track as the second control data
record area may be different from management of a track for the
record data. In this case, a field of the record status control
data for managing the track as the second control data record area
may be different from that of the record status control data for
managing the track for the record data.
[0065] Also, management of a track as the second control data
record area may be same as management of a track for the record
data. In this case, a field of the record status control data for
managing the track as the second control data record area may be
same as that of the record status control data for managing the
track for the record data.
[0066] Also, the optical disc recording apparatus may notify the
host apparatus of a number of tracks for recorded data other than a
number of tracks used for the second control data record area. In
this case, the host apparatus may issue a status acquire command to
acquire a status of the optical disc medium. The optical disc
recording apparatus sets a number of the tracks for the recorded
data other than a number of the tracks used for the second control
data record area in the response data to the status acquire
command.
[0067] Also, a number of tracks notified from the optical disc
recording apparatus to the host apparatus contain a number of the
tracks used for the second control data record area. In this case,
the host apparatus issues a status acquire command to acquire a
status of the optical disc medium. The optical disc recording
apparatus sets a number of the tracks used for the second control
data record area in the response data to the status acquire
command.
[0068] Also, the host apparatus issues track data acquire command
to acquire a track data. The optical disc recording apparatus sets
a data of whether or not a specified track is in the second control
data record area, in the response data to the track data acquire
command.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0069] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a physical data arrangement of a
DVD-R medium;
[0070] FIG. 2 is a table showing the ANSI MMC-4 commands and
operations started based on the commands;
[0071] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an optical disc recording
system of the present invention;
[0072] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the contents stored in a
RAM 12 shown in FIG. 3;
[0073] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of the optical
disc medium of the present invention;
[0074] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a conventional record status
control data of a DVD-R;
[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a managing method of a control
data record area extended in the data area;
[0076] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a track control data;
[0077] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a method of simultaneously
managing two control data record areas provided in two data areas
by providing an area to store the first control data record area
track number and an area to store the second control data record
area track number;
[0078] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of managing the
control data record area extended to a third data area;
[0079] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the control data record area
data containing the number of the control data record areas in the
data area;
[0080] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a managing method of the
control data record area extended to the data area;
[0081] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a managing method of the
control data record area extended to the data area;
[0082] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the control data record area
data containing a control data record area number and a truck
number of each control data record area;
[0083] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an extension of the response
data to the Read Disc Information command;
[0084] FIG. 16 is an extension of the response data to the Read
Track Information command;
[0085] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a control data record area flag
provided in the bit 0 of the first byte of this command to instruct
the track reserved by a command to secure as the control data
record area;
[0086] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a bit of extension of the
control data record area provided in the bit 3 of the second byte
of the conventional command packet;
[0087] FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a relation between a track in
the optical disc recording apparatus and a track in the host
apparatus;
[0088] FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an operation of the CPU in a
first extension method of the control data record area to the data
area;
[0089] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an operation of the CPU in a
second extension method of the control data record area to be
extended into the data area;
[0090] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an operation of the CPU in a
third extension method of the control data record area to the data
area; and
[0091] FIG. 23 is a flowchart when the optical disc recording
apparatus receives a command of an input and output to the logical
address of the control data record area.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0092] Hereinafter, an optical disc recording system of the present
invention will be described with reference to attached
drawings.
[0093] FIG. 3 shows a configuration of the optical disc recording
system of the present invention. The optical disc recording system
includes a host apparatus 1, an optical disc recording apparatus 2,
and an optical disc medium 3. The host apparatus 1 is exemplified
by a personal computer (PC). The host apparatus 1 is exemplified by
an upper rank system to control the whole system in case of a
built-in apparatus such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) recorder.
The optical disc recording apparatus 2 drives the optical disc
medium 3, and records data in the optical disc medium 3 in
accordance with an instruction or command from the host apparatus
1.
[0094] The optical disc recording apparatus 2 includes a host
controller 10, a CPU 11, a RAM 12, a motor controller 13, a motor
14, a read/write signal processing section 15, an A/D-D/A
converting section 16, and an optical head 17.
[0095] The host controller 10 transmits and receives a command and
data to and from the host apparatus 1. At this time, as physical
interfaces for the transmission and reception, the following
interfaces are general: SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), IDE
(Integral Device Electronics), USB (Universal Serial Bus), and IEEE
1394 standard interface. In case of the built-in system, an
exclusive electrical I/F can be occasionally used. When the host
apparatus 1 is a personal computer, the command definition is
conformed to ANSI MMC-4 command set shown in the third conventional
example. On the other hand, in the built-in system, the command
definition often has a so-called vender unique command set that is
extended originally based on the MMC-4 command.
[0096] The CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 controls the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 entirely, and uses the RAM (Random
Access Memory) 12 as a program memory and a work memory. The CPU 11
is connected with the host controller 10, the motor controller 13,
and the read/write signal processing section 15 through a bus. The
CPU 11 controls each of the sections and exchanges data with the
host apparatus 1 through the host controller 10.
[0097] The read/write signal processing section 15 carries out
buffering, data/channel data modulation that is matched to various
types of optical disc media, and addition and calculation of an
error correction code. Also, the read/write signal processing
section 15 exchanges data with the A/D-D/A (Analog to
Digital-Digital to Analog) converting section 16.
[0098] The optical head 17 record a signal from the A/D-D/A
converting section 16 in the optical disc medium 3, or outputs a
signal read out from the optical disc medium 3 to the A/D-D/A
converting section 16.
[0099] The motor controller 13 controls a rotation of the optical
disc medium 3. In case of a CLV (Const ant Linear Velocity), the
motor controller 13 controls the rotation number of the motor 14
based on the position of the optical head 17 in the redial
direction so that the linear velocity becomes constant.
[0100] As shown in FIG. 4, the RAM 12 is divided into a record
status control data memory 121, a write buffer memory 122, a read
buffer memory 123, a program execution memory 124, a temporary
record status control data memory 125, and a work memory 126. Also,
the RAM 12 is used as a temporary data storage of data necessary
for the optical disc recording apparatus 2.
[0101] The CPU 11 stores a record status control data of data that
is recorded in the optical disc medium 3 in the record status
control data memory 121. In case of the recording operation to the
optical disc medium of a write once type, the CPU 11 stores the
record status control data of the recorded data in the record
status control data memory 121 of the RAM 12. When the recording
operation of data is ended, the CPU 11 records the stored data in
the record status control data memory 121 in the control data
record area of the optical disc medium 3, to update a use status of
the optical disc medium 3. The latest record status control data
recorded in the optical disc medium 3 indicates all records of the
optical disc medium 3. A Write command exemplifies the record
command of the record status control data. A Synchronize Cache
command and a Close Track command exemplify the data record
termination command. In the optical disc recording apparatus 2 of
the present invention, a variable set is provided in the record
status control data memory 121 to manage the management data record
area set in the data area.
[0102] The write buffer memory 122 is a memory to temporarily store
the data to record in the optical disc medium 3. In the optical
disc recording apparatus 2, an area of approximately 1 Mbytes in
the RAM 12 is assigned to the write buffer memory 122. When the
host apparatus 1 instructs the data record to the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 by using the Write (10) command, the CPU 11
stores the record data in the write buffer memory 122 and outputs
the record data to the optical disc medium 3 through the section
15, A/D-D/A converting section 16, and the optical head 17 in units
of data sizes. Such a recording method is general in the optical
disc recording apparatus 2. Therefore, even if the host apparatus 1
has ended the recording process, there is a case that the record
data remains in the write buffer memory 122 without being recorded
in the optical disc medium 3. For this reason, when having ended
the recording process, the host apparatus 1 issues the Synchronize
Cache command to the CPU 11 through the host controller 10 such
that the record data remained in the write buffer memory 122 is
recorded in the optical disc medium 3 and the write buffer memory
122 becomes empty.
[0103] The read buffer memory 123 is a memory to temporarily store
the data read out from the optical disc medium 3. An area of about
1 Mbytes in the RAM 12 is assigned to the read buffer memory 123.
When the host apparatus 1 issues the Read command to the optical
disc recording apparatus 2, the optical disc recording apparatus 2
reads from the optical disc medium 3 in the read buffer memory 123,
read data for a preset number of sectors which is larger than the
number of the sectors instructed based on the Read command. When
the host apparatus 1 issues the Read command to read out the next
data from the optical disc medium 3, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 does not actually read the data from the optical disc
medium 3, but outputs the recorded data that has been stored in the
read buffer memory 123 to the host apparatus 1. Therefore, the
command response time can be shortened.
[0104] The program execution memory 124 is a memory that stores a
program to control the CPU 11. The temporary record status control
data memory 125 is a memory to temporarily store the record status
control data to be recorded in the optical disc medium 3 when the
optical disc medium 3 cannot record the data. The work memory 126
is a memory to store necessary data for the CPU 11 to execute
program and the like.
[0105] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, an arrangement of data in the
optical disc medium 3 will be described below. The optical disc
medium 3 includes a control data record area 130, a lead-in area
131, a data area 138, and a lead-out area 139 in this order from
the inner circumference side of the disc.
[0106] The control data record area 130 and the lead-in area 131
are referred to as the system area, in which the data to control or
manage the optical disc medium 3 are recorded. The control data
record area 130 is an area where the record status control data for
the record management is recorded when a data is recorded in the
data area 138.
[0107] The data area 138 is an area of optical disc medium 3 in
which a user data is recorded. The lead-out area 139 indicates the
end of the record area of the optical disc medium 3.
[0108] These areas are managed in units of areas of 2048 bytes
referred to as sectors, to which a series of numbers (addresses)
are allocated. The symbol "h" is put on the end of the address in
FIG. 1 so that the addresses of these areas are expressed in the
hexadecimal notation. Through the initialization before the data
recording process to the optical disc recording apparatus 2, the
control data record area 130 and the lead-in area 131 are arranged
in the area up to a physical address 30000h, and the data area 138
is arranged in the area from the physical address 30000h. The
physical address 30000h is defined as a logical address 0h. The
host apparatus 1 accesses the optical disc medium 3 by using the
logical address. Therefore, the host apparatus 1 cannot access the
system area that is in the inner circumference side of the data
area 138. However, the Read Disc Information command, a Read DVD
Structure command, a Send DVD Structure command, and the like are
prepared in ANSI MMC-4 standard described in the third conventional
example, so that the host apparatus 1 can use a part of those
data.
[0109] The logical address of the record data must be consecutive
because a write-once optical disc has a constraint of the record to
consecutive areas. Therefore, the optical disc recording apparatus
2 manages the data area 138 by dividing the data area 138 into
small areas referred to as logical tracks. The optical disc
recording apparatus 2 sequentially records data in the tracks.
Thus, the constraint of the record to the consecutive areas is met.
It is supposed that in the optical disc medium 3, maximum three
logical tracks can be managed at a same time. The three tracks are
referred to as a first track, a second track, and an invisible
track. Here, the invisible track is a logical track which is
arranged in the outermost side of the disc, and does not have a
predetermined end area.
[0110] The logical tracks are areas configured by dividing the
logical address space of the data area 138 of the optical disc
medium 3 to which the host apparatus 1 can access. Since the length
of the track depends on the data to be recorded, the management of
the logical track is carried out based on sector addresses. In
other words, the logical track is different from a physical track
that is configured from a guide groove on the optical disc medium 3
for the optical head 17 and a recorded pit row. In the present
invention, the record of the user data and the record status
control data are managed by controlling the logical track.
Therefore, the logical track is abbreviated to a "track" in the
following description. Moreover, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 can produce a plurality of logical volumes as virtual
disc spaces on the write-once optical disc 3, so that the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 can manage each of the logical volumes
as a session.
[0111] FIG. 5 shows a configuration of the optical disc medium 3 of
the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the optical disc medium
3 includes the first control data record area 130, the lead-in area
131 which are arranged in the system area. The optical disc medium
3 further includes the data area 138, in which a track (#1) 132, .
. . , a track (#n-1) 133, a track (#n) 134 and a tracks (#n+1) are
arranged. The track (#1) 132 to the track (#n-1) 133, and the track
(#n+1) are tracks in which the user data are recorded. The track
(#n) 134 is used as a control data record area.
[0112] The control data record area 134 set in the data area 13B is
provided to extend the first control data record area 130.
Therefore, the control data record area 134 is necessary to have
continuity with the data in the first control data record area 130.
For this reason, the control data record area 134 has the following
data management structure.
[0113] As shown in FIG. 6, the conventional record status control
data of the DVD-R (in the third conventional example, table 18) is
configured of one ECC block, namely, 16 sectors. Thus, one ECC
block is used for every recording operation of the updated record
status control data in the optical disc medium 3. A zero sector
among the 16 sectors is a link loss area. Field numbers are
assigned to first to fifteenth sectors in an ascending order, and
storage contents are defined previously.
[0114] The link loss area is an area for a gap between the areas
and has no data. This area is reserved for compatibility with a
conventional optical disc medium 3.
[0115] As shown in a table 19 of the third conventional example, a
Field 0 is an area where a common data is stored, which is commonly
managed in various types of optical disc media. As shown in a table
21 of the third conventional example, a field 1 is an area where a
media power data is stored, which indicates recording conditions
such as the intensity of the laser light and the like, in the
recording operation in the optical disc medium 3. A field 2 is an
area which a vender of the optical disc recording apparatus 2 can
freely use. As shown in a table 22 of the third conventional
example, a field 3 is an area where a session data is stored.
Fields 4 to 12 are areas where a track control data is stored such
as a start address and an end record address of the generated
track. As shown in a table 23 of the third conventional example,
the field 4 is also an area to store a track data on the recording
operation, and corresponds to a header section of the track control
data. As shown in a table 24 of the third conventional example, the
fields 5 to 12 are areas to store the track control data that
follows the field 4. Fields 13 and 14 are reserved areas.
[0116] The track control data 25 stored in the Field 4 is
configured from track numbers assigned to the first track, the
second track, and the invisible track, a set of a start address and
a record end address of each generated track. The start address and
the record end address of each generated track are stored from
16-th bite of the field 4 in correspondence to the track number.
The track control data 26 is configured of a start address and a
record end address of each track from the track number following
the track control data 25.
[0117] According to the present invention, the conventional record
status control data configured as mentioned above is extended to
provide an area to store the record status control data in the data
area 138. Here, five kinds of conventional extension methods of the
record status control data are known.
[0118] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a managing method of the control
data record area extended in the first data area will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the managing method of the control data
record area, a track number, which indicates the control data
record area extended in the data area, is added to the track
control data 25 that is stored in the Field 4 of the record status
control data. Then, the track number is changed to a track control
data 30.
[0119] As shown in FIG. 8, the track control data 30 includes an
invisible track number, a first track number, a second track
number, a control data record area track number, a reserved area,
and start and last record addresses of each track. The invisible
track number, the first track number, and the second track number
are track numbers of the invisible track, the first track, and the
second track, which are set to manage simultaneously. The control
data record area track number is a track number of the track set as
a control data record area extended into the data area 138. The
start address and the last record address of each track are
respectively a start address and last record address (sector
address) of the logical track set in the data area 138 (sector
address). The addresses are stored in the order of the track
number. The tracks are sequentially set as the recording process
advances, and the start address and the last record address are
recorded. The reserved area is an area prepared previously for data
extension.
[0120] A 2-byte area 31 2-from the sixth byte is an area to record
the control data record area track number arranged in the data
area, although this area has been used as a reserved area in the
conventional DVD-R medium. By providing the area 31, it becomes
possible to arrange the control data record area 134 in the data
area 138 to store the record status control data in addition to the
data tracks 132, 133, 135, . . . to store the user data.
[0121] When the control data record area 134 is set in the data
area 138, its track number n is stored in the 2-byte area from the
sixth byte in the track control data 30. The track control data 30
or the track control data 26 is retrieved based on the track number
n. Thus, the stare address and last record address of the control
data record area 134 can be acquired.
[0122] As mentioned above, in the conventional DVD-R medium, when
the control data record area 130 generated in the system area at
the initialization has been entirely used, it is not possible to
record the user data even if the data area has a unused area. On
the other hand, in the present invention, the control data record
area 134 is extended to the data area 138, and the record status
control data is recorded in the extended area. As a result, it is
possible to record the user data if the data area 138 has the
unused area.
[0123] Moreover, the reserved area from the eighth byte shown in
FIG. 8 may be used to record the track number of the control data
record area. In this case, it is possible to manage a plurality of
the control data record areas. The extension up to maximum 5 areas
is possible by using the entire reserved area.
[0124] A managing method of the control data record area extended
to a second data area is described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9.
In the managing method, two control data record area track numbers
are recorded in the track control data 30. In a first managing
method of the control data record area extended to the data area,
an area can store only one track number indicating the control data
record area 134 extended to the data area 138 and is set in the
track control data 30. For this reason, it is possible to indicate
the control data record area 134 extended to the data area 138,
following the first control data record area 130. However, it is
not possible to store data indicating the area to be further
extended. As a result, it is necessary to reserve a large capacity
of the control data record area 134 in the first managing method.
In a second managing method, the record status control data is
distributed to a plurality of the control data record areas. Thus,
the size of each of the control data record areas can be made
comparatively small.
[0125] In the managing method of the control data record area
extended to the second data area, the track control data 30 stored
in the field 4 shown in FIG. 7 has two track numbers to indicate
the control data record areas as shown in FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, by
providing an area 38 to store the first control data record area
track number and an area 39 to store the second control data record
area track number, it becomes possible to simultaneously manage the
control data record areas 134 and 134' provided in two data
areas.
[0126] The first control data record area track number stored in
the area 38 indicates the track number of the control data record
area extended to the data area 138. That is to say, the first
control data record area track number is a track number of the
first control data record area extended to the data area 138 in the
record status control data recorded in the first control data
record area 130, and is a track number of the control data record
area 134 in the record status control data recorded in the control
data record area 134 extended to the data area 138.
[0127] The second control data record area track number stored in
the area 39 is a track number of the control data record area next
extended to the data area 138. That is to say, when the second
control data record area is not set, the second control data record
area track number is not recorded in the record status control data
recorded in the first control data record area. The second control
data record area track number is a track number of the control data
record area 134' to be next used, in the record status control data
recorded in the control data record area 134 extended to the data
area 138.
[0128] The control data record area 134 is not usually extended to
the data area 138 immediately after the initialization of the
optical disc medium 3. Therefore, the track number stored in the
areas 38 and 39 are not yet determined, and the record status
control data is recorded in the first control data record area 130
sequentially. When the control data record area 134 is set in the
data area 138 to extend the control data record area, the track
number of the control data record area 134 is recorded in the
control data record area 130 set in the area 38 for the record
status control data as the first control data record area track
number. At this time, if the second control data record area is not
yet set, the area 39 is still unset.
[0129] When the recording process further progresses, the record
status control data is recorded in the control data record area
134. At this time, the track number of the control data record area
134 is set as the first control data record area track number.
Also, the second control data record area track number is not set
until the control data record area 134' to be next used is set.
When the control data record area 134' to be next used is set, the
second control data record area track number is set to the control
data record area 134'.
[0130] When the areas 38 and 39 are set in this way, and the
recording process further progresses, the record status control
data is recorded in the control data record area 134'. At this
time, the track number of the control data record area 134' is set
as the first control data record area track number. Also, the
second control data record area track number is not set until the
control data record area to be next used is set.
[0131] By repeating the above operation, the control data record
area 134 can be extended to the data area 138 one after another.
Thus, the extended control data record areas are configured to have
a list structure.
[0132] In the description up to this, the extending method of the
control data record area is described, in which the two track
numbers of the extended control data record area are managed.
However, it is possible to extend the area by another method, in
which a flag indicating the setting of the control data record area
extended to the data area 138, and the track number of the area are
managed.
[0133] Next, a method of managing the control data record area
extended to a third data area will be described with reference to
FIGS. 10 and 11. As shown in FIG. 10, in the method of managing the
control data record area extended to the third data area, a control
data record area data area 40 is provided in the field 14 besides
the track control data areas 25 and 26 in order to manage the data
concerning the control data record area extended to the data area
138. The difference from the conventional technique is to provide
the control data record area data region 40 in the field 14.
Moreover, the third managing method uses sector addresses for the
management although the control data record area is managed by
using the track number set in the data area 138 in the first and
second managing methods.
[0134] The control data record area data region 40 is an area where
the data concerning the control data record area extended to data
area 138 is recorded. As shown in FIG. 11, the control data record
area data includes the number of the control data record areas in
the data area 138, a start address, an end address and a last
record address of each control data record area. A set of the start
address, the end address, and the last record addresses of each
control data record area can be recorded in the control data record
area data region 40 up to 169 sets. It is possible to extend the
control data record area provided in the data area 138 up to 169
areas.
[0135] The data of the control data record area 134 is added each
time the control data record area 134 is provided in the data area
138. When the control data record area 134 is newly added, the
start address and the end address of the area are recorded, and the
number of the extended control data record areas is updated and
recorded. The last record address of the control data record area
134 is updated and recorded each time the record status control
data is recorded.
[0136] In this way, according to the third management method, the
plurality of the control data record areas can be managed or
controlled, and the management is carried out based on the address
data of each control data record area. Therefore, it is unnecessary
to convert the track number into the address, and simplification
and speeding-up of the processing can be achieved.
[0137] Here, the end address of the control data record area may be
acquired by calculating the start address of the control data
record area and the start address of each track recorded in the
track control data 25 and 26. Therefore, when the CPU 11 in the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 is operated in high-speed, the
same effect can be achieved even if the end address of the control
data record area is not recorded in the control data record area
data region 40.
[0138] Next, a fourth managing method of the control data record
area extended to the data area will be described with reference to
FIG. 12. As shown in FIG. 12, the fourth managing method is a
method to provide a track control data 30 in the field 4, and
control data record area data 40 in the field 14 for the
management. As shown in FIG. 11, the control data record area data
40 stores an address of the control data record area 134 extended
to the data area 138. Also, as shown in FIG. 8 or 9, the track
control data 30 stores the track number of the control data record
area 134. Therefore, the control data record area 134 is managed
based on the address and the track number in the fourth managing
method.
[0139] In the track control data 30, it is possible to refer to the
track number of the latest control data record area 134. In the
control data record area data 40, it is possible to refer to the
history of the control data record area. Thus, it is possible to
bifurcate the control data record area data 40 and the track
control data 30 according to the situation to manage the control
data record area 134. In other words, in the fourth managing method
of the control data record area extended to the data area, each
track recorded in the data area 138 can be managed simultaneously
based on the track control data 30, as well as the plurality of the
control data record areas provided in the data area can be managed
by using the control data record area data 40.
[0140] Next, a fifth managing method of the control data record
area extended to the data area will be described with reference to
FIGS. 13 and 14. The difference between the fourth and the fifth
methods is in that the data to he stored in the field 14 is a
control data record area data 60 in the fifth method as shown in
FIG. 13, while it is the control data record area data 40 in the
fourth method.
[0141] As shown in FIG. 14, the control data record area data 60
includes a control data record area number and a truck number of
each control data record area. The control data record area number
indicates the number of the extended control data record areas
contained in the data area 138. The track number of each control
data record area is the track number of each extended control data
record area contained in the data area 138. This track number
corresponds to the track number stored in the track control data 30
or 26, and it is possible to refer to the address of each control
data record area from the track number of each control data record
area. The control data record area data 60 can store the track
numbers up to 1016 of the extended control data record areas, and
in the fifth managing method, the extended control data record
areas up to 1016 areas can be managed or controlled. Therefore, the
fifth managing method is effective when a lot of control data
record areas are to be managed.
[0142] In the above description, the control data record area data
40 or control data record area data 60 has been set in the field 14
of the record status control data. However, the control data record
area extended to the data area can be managed if the control data
record area data exists in the record status control data.
Therefore, a part of the sector whose content is standardized
according to the standard of the optical disc medium 3 such as the
DVD-R may be changed and an additional sector may be specified and
arranged.
[0143] Also, the addresses set in the track control data 30, the
control data record area data 40, and the control data record area
data 60 are usually physical addresses. However, it may be logical
addresses since the record data management area extended to the
data area 138 is set in the logical address space.
[0144] Next, control methods will be described, in both cases that
the control data record area is visible and invisible for the host
apparatus 1 as the logical track.
[0145] As mentioned above, it is possible to extend and set the
control data record area 134 in the data area 138. However, since
the record status control data recorded in the control data record
area 134 is conventionally recorded in the system area, the data is
closed and managed in the optical disc recording apparatus 2. Since
the control data record area 134 is in the data area 138, the
record status control data is treated in the same manner as a usual
user data. Also, the record status control data is impossible to be
closed and managed in the optical disc recording apparatus 2.
Therefore, in order that the record status control data is closed
and managed in the optical disc recording apparatus 2 in the access
to the control data record area 134 from the host apparatus 1, the
conventional interface between the host apparatus 1 and the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 is modified.
[0146] First, how data concerning the track that is managed in the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 is given to the host apparatus 1
will be described. FIG. 19 shows a relation between the track under
the control by the optical disc recording apparatus 2 and the track
in the light of the host apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 19, it is
supposed that four tracks of a track # 1, a track # 2, a track # 3
and a track # 4 are set in the data area 138 in the optical disc
medium 3, the user data are recorded in the track # 1, the track #
2 and the track # 4, and the record status control data is recorded
in the track # 3. That is, the track # 1, the track # 2 and the
track # 4 are assigned as data tracks, and the rack # 3 is assigned
as a control data record area. Therefore, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 manages the four tracks as the data track #1,
the data track #2, the control data record area # 1, and the data
track #3.
[0147] In the optical disc recording apparatus 2, when the request
from the host apparatus 1 is handled as one based on the track
number in the same way as the conventional technique, the control
data record area # 1 is also handled as a user data track. Thus,
the data corresponding to the track #1, the track # 2, the track #
3 and the track # 4 are replied to the host apparatus 1. Therefore,
the data of the data track #1, the data track #2, and the control
data record area #1 and data track # 3 are transferred to the host
apparatus 1. That is to say, the control data record area becomes
visible as a track. For instance, when the host apparatus 1
accesses the track # 3, it is necessary that the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 notifies the host apparatus 1 that the data
track # 3 is different from a usual data track. This is to prevent
an unnecessary read-write operation to the control data record area
by handling the track #3 as usual data track by the host apparatus
1. The host apparatus 1 also needs to recognize the existence of
the control data record area to manage the data area of the optical
disc medium 2.
[0148] In the optical disc recording apparatus 2, when the request
from the host apparatus 1 is handled as one based on the track
number concerning the user data, that is, when the control data
record area is handled as the system area or one similar to the
system area, the data concerning the control data record area is
not replied to the host apparatus 1. Therefore, only the data
corresponding to the data track # 1 (the track # 1), the data track
#2 (the track # 2), and the data track # 3 (Track # 4) are replied
to the host apparatus 1. As a result, the control data record area
becomes an invisible as a track. For instance, if the host
apparatus 1 accesses the track # 3 when the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 does not show the control data record area in the data
area 138 as a data track, the optical disc recording apparatus 2
replies to the host apparatus 1, the data corresponding to the
track numbers reassigned after the control data record areas 134
assigned to the data area 138 is excluded based on the record
status control data. Therefore, the data of the track # 4 is
recognized as the data of the track # 3 by the host apparatus 1. At
this time, the host apparatus 1 needs not to recognize the control
data record area in the data area 138 in order to manage the data
area of the optical disc medium 2. However, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 needs to reply to the request from the host
apparatus 1 excluding the control data record area 134.
[0149] In this way, the managing method of the optical disc medium
3 in the host apparatus 1 and the optical disc recording apparatus
2 is different depending on the handling of the control data record
area 134 extended to the user area 138. Therefore, a command and a
response to the command are extended. The commands relating to the
extension of the control data record area are a Reserve Track
command and Close Track command.
[0150] The Reserve Track command is a command used to reserve a
logical address area for the number of the sectors specified by the
host apparatus 1 as a track. A command packet of the conventional
Reserve Track command is shown in Table 499 of the third
conventional example. As shown in FIG. 17, a control data record
area flag 70 is provided in the bit 0 of the first byte of this
command to instruct the track reserved by the command to secure as
the control data record area. The number of sector 72 to be secured
for the track as the control data record area may be arranged in
the fifth to eighth bytes of the command. Also, a new command
argument may be provided and arranged. The optical disc recording
apparatus 2 receives the Reserve Track command, and when the
control data record area flag 70 is true, the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 reserves an area for the number of sectors 72
as the control data record area additionally.
[0151] The Close Track command is a command used to close, that is,
to end the record of the specified track. After the closing
process, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 newly sets an
invisible track. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, a bit 80 of
extension of the control data record area is provided in the bit 3
of the second byte of the conventional command packet to indicate
whether or not it is permitted to set the control data record area
before the invisible track is newly set.
[0152] The host apparatus 1 uses a Request Sense command, Read Disc
Information command, a Read Track Information command and the like
in order to acquire the status of the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 and status of the optical disc medium 3.
[0153] The Request Sense command is a command issued by the host
apparatus 1 to acquire the status of the optical disc recording
apparatus 2. Conventionally, this command has been issued if there
is the data to be notified to the host apparatus 1 from the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 when the status of the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 changes, or when the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 completes the given command. When the number of the
remaining record control areas set in the system area or the data
area becomes less than a threshold, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 notifies the status to the host apparatus 1. Receiving
the status, the host apparatus 1 transmits the Request Sense
command to the optical disc recording apparatus 2. Thus, the
issuance of commands is increased. The host apparatus 1 acquires a
necessary data from the response to the Request Sense command.
[0154] When the host apparatus 1 can recognize the control data
record area extended to the data area as a data track, it is
necessary to distinguish the track in which the user data is
recorded, and the track of the control data record area. For this
reason, the Read Disc Information command to acquire the status of
the disc, and the Read Track Information command to acquire the
state of the track are extended as described below.
[0155] Referring to FIG. 15, an extension of the response data to
the Read Disc Information command will be described. The
conventional response data to the Read Disc Information command is
shown in Table 368 of the third conventional example. As shown in
FIG. 15, the control data record area flag 70 and the number of
times 71 of control data record area extension in the data area are
added to the response data.
[0156] The value of the bit 5 of the second byte of the command
response data is used as the control data record area flag 70 that
becomes "1" when the control data record area 134 exists in the
data area 138. Also, the 32nd byte of the command response data is
used as an area 71 which stores the number of times of the
extension of the control data record area, and a data to indicate
the number of the control data record areas existing in the data
area 138 is added to the command response data. These data may be
provided in other unused areas described in Table 368 of the third
conventional example, and my be added after an Entries of OPC Table
arranged in the 34 to n bytes by changing the command response data
length.
[0157] Referring to FIG. 16, the extension of the response data to
the Read Track Information command will be described. A
conventional response data to the Read Track Information command is
shown in Table 463 of the third conventional example. As shown in
FIG. 16, the control data record area flag 70 is added to the
response data. A data of bit 6 of the fifth byte of the command
response data is used as the control data record area flag 70 that
becomes "1" when the track specified based on the command is the
control data record area. After acquiring the response data to the
Read Track Information command, the host apparatus 1 recognizes
that it is not necessary to carry out the reading/writing process
because the track is the control data record area track if the
control data record area flag 70 is "1".
[0158] It should be noted that the position of the flag of the
control data record area may be arranged in an empty portion by
changing a part of a data defined in Table 463 of the third
conventional example is defined. Otherwise, the position may be
arranged in a portion of data bytes newly added.
[0159] The extension method of the control data record area
arranged in the data area will be described in the optical disc
recording system by using the control data record area extended
thus and the commands.
[0160] In the optical disc medium 3, the system area is arranged in
an area equal to or less than 30000h physical address, and the data
area is arranged in an area equal to or more than 30000h physical
address. The control data record area 130 and the lead-in area 131
are arranged in the system area. The tracks 132, 133, 134, and 135
are arranged in the data area 138 to record the user data. The
track 134 of these tracks is set as the control data record area.
It is when the host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command of
the invisible track or when it issues the command to secure the
control data record area that the extension of the control data
record area is carried out by arranging the control data record
area 134 in this data area 138. That is, it is necessary to issue a
command to secure the control data record area after the Close
Track command of the invisible track is issued before a Write (10)
command to record the data in the invisible track or the Reserve
Track command to record to reserve a logical track is issued This
is because that the invisible track is a track in the outermost
side of the disc, and the end address is determined depending on an
amount of data recorded until the track is closed.
[0161] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 20, a first method for the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 to extend the control data record area
autonomously will be described. In a first operation, when the host
apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command of the invisible track,
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 extends the control data
record area 134 in the data area 138 irrespective of the command
form the host apparatus 1 if the amount of the remaining area of
the control data record area to record the current record status
control data is equal to or less than a threshold.
[0162] When the host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command for
the invisible track 133 of a track number # (n-1), the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 closes the track # (n-1) in response to the
command. Then, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 records an
updated record status control data in the first control data record
area 130. In case that the amount of the remaining area of the
first control data record area 130 is equal to or less than the
threshold, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 reserves the
control data record area 134 for the predetermined number of
sectors in the track #n. If the control data record area 134 is
newly reserved in the data area 138, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 records a flag in the system area to indicate that the
control data record area is extended to the data area. Also, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 updates the number of the
control data record areas that exist in the data area 138, and the
record status control data, and then records the updated record
status control data in the first control data record area 130 in
the optical disc medium 3.
[0163] Next, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 generates a new
invisible track 135 in the track # (n+1), and updates the record
status control data and then records the updated record status
control data in the first control data record area 130 in the
optical disc medium 3. The optical disc recording apparatus 2
notifies the host apparatus 1 the fact that the closing process of
the track with the track number # (n-1) normally ends, and a status
indicating the fact that the control data record area 134 has been
newly extended, in response to the Close Track command. Thus, the
host apparatus 1 can not only detect that the response data to the
Close Track command indicates a normal end, but also detects the
existence of the data other than the track managed by user in the
optical disc medium 3 from the reception of the status of the
extended control data record area. Also, because the control data
record area is extended in the optical disc recording apparatus 2
without depending on the command from the host, the number of the
remained sectors of the data area 138 in the optical disc medium 3
is not coincident with the value held by the host apparatus 1. For
this reason, the host apparatus 1 issues the command to acquire the
number of empty sectors in the optical disc media 3, and confirms
the number of empty sectors in the optical disc media 3. In
addition, when the host apparatus 1 adds the data to the optical
disc medium 3, the host apparatus 1 uses the command to obtain the
status of the disc or track in order to acquire the number of
tracks of the data in the optical disc medium 3 or state of the
track. The host apparatus 1 determines a next recordable logical
address based on the acquired data.
[0164] In above description, a case that the amount of the
remaining area of the first control data record area 130 is equal
to or less than the threshold is described. However, it should be
noted that the same operation can be accomplished even when the
amount of the remaining area in the first control data record area
134 extended to the data area 138 is equal to or less than the
threshold, if the control data record area can be further extended
to the data area 138.
[0165] An operation of the CPU 11 in the first method to extend the
control data record area to the data area will be described with
reference to FIG. 20. When the host apparatus 1 issues a command to
the optical disc apparatus 2, the CPU 11 analyzes the command to
determine whether or not the received command is the Close Track
command (step S202). If the received command is not the Close Track
command (step S202-NO), the control is ended. If the received
command is the Close Track command (step S202-YES), the Close Track
process is carried out (step S203). In the Close Track process, an
unused sector in the reserved area is buried with a dummy data.
Then, the updated record status control data is recorded in the
control data record area 130 or the control data record area 134 in
the optical disc medium 3.
[0166] Next, it is determined whether or not the closed track is an
invisible track (step S 204). If the closed track is not an
invisible track (step S204-NO), the command response data is set
and the control operation is ended since it is not the end process
of the invisible track.
[0167] On the other hand, if the closed track is an invisible track
(step S204-YES), the amount of the remaining area and the threshold
of the control data record area are compared (step S205). As the
result of the comparison, the control data record area 134 is set
in the data area 138 as a control data record area (step S206) when
the amount of the remaining area is equal and less than the
threshold (the step S205-NO). In the process of setting the control
data record area, the control data record area 134 for the
predetermined number of sectors is set for the ended invisible
track 133, and the start address and end address of the control
data record area 134 newly set are set and updated. Here, a method
is known in which the control data record area 134 newly set is
used until the control data record areas other than the control
data record area 134 newly set are filled with predetermined data,
or these areas are entirely used, as will be described later in
detail.
[0168] Next, a new invisible track is set (step S207), and the
command response data is set and the process of the command is
ended. When the amount of the remaining area of the control data
record area is larger than the threshold (step S205-YES), the
invisible track setting process is carried out processed (step
S207). Then, the command response data is set and the process of
the command is ended.
[0169] In the invisible track setting process (step S207), the
invisible track for data to be next written is newly set, and the
record status control data of the invisible track newly set is
updated and the command process is ended.
[0170] In the first operation, the amount of the remaining area and
the threshold of the control data record area are compared with
each other (step S205) and the control data record area setting
process (step S206) is carried out. Therefore, the setting of the
control data record area in the data area 138 is made possible,
which cannot be carried out by the conventional optical disc
recording apparatus.
[0171] In this embodiment, the program to be carried out by the CPU
11 is described as an example. The same operation can be achieved
using by a logical circuit.
[0172] Next, two kinds of recording method will be described, when
a new control data record area is provided on the data area in case
that the above-mentioned optical disc recording apparatus 2 can
manage a plurality of control data record areas at the same
time.
[0173] In a first recording method, an unused area of the existing
control data record area is filled with predetermined data before a
new control data record area 134 is provided. Thus, since the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 is sufficient to manage one
control data record area any time, the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 can quickly search the latest record status control
data as soon as the optical disc medium 3 is inserted in the
optical disc recording apparatus 2. Here, the predetermined data is
configured of the latest record status control data or dummy
data.
[0174] In a second recording method, even though the control data
record area 134 is newly set, the new control data record area 134
is not used until the unused area of the existing control data
record area is completely used out. The record status control data
is recorded in the unused area of the existing control data record
area. In the second recording method, because the latest recording
status management data is searched from a plurality of control data
record areas when the optical disc medium 3 is inserted in the
optical disc recording apparatus 2. Therefore, the second method is
inferior in the search speed to the first method, but the control
data record area can be efficiently used.
[0175] Here, the threshold of the amount of reminded area of the
control data record area will be described. The threshold of the
amount of reminded area of the control data record area should have
a value twice or more larger than the number of tracks for data
that can be opened at the same time. There is a case that the
commands such as the Reserve Track command and the Close Track
command are issued to the optical disc recording apparatus 2 even
if the data recording operation is not carried out. Therefore, the
control data record area is necessary to update two record status
control data. For instance, in the above-mentioned operation shown
in FIG. 2, the Reserve Track command, the Synchronize Cache
command, and the Close Track command are issued to the first track
and the second track. Therefore, three record status control data
are necessary for one track, and four record status control data
from the step 5 to the step 9 are necessary for an invisible track,
and as the result of this, 10 (=3*2+4) record status control data
are necessary. Considering that the Synchronize Cache command are
actually issued to one track a plurality of times, it is preferable
to set the value of about five times of the tracks that opened at
the same time. Therefore, it is preferable that the threshold of
the remained number of the control data record areas is, for
example 15 in the embodiment.
[0176] In addition, when the optical disc apparatus 2 frequently
updates the record status control data, it is effective to increase
the threshold more than usual for the extension of the control data
record area to the data area earlier or to extend the control data
record area to the data area even if the remaining area is larger
than the threshold.
[0177] Moreover, the predetermined number of sectors in the
extension of the control data record area may be approximately same
as the number of sectors secured in the first control data record
area 130. It is possible to secure adaptive control data record
areas from the number of sectors used in the data areas 138, the
number of the record status control data, and the number of empty
sectors in the data areas. For instance, the predetermined number
of sectors can be determined from the following equation:
(the predetermined number of sectors)=(the number of empty sectors
in data area)/(the number of used sectors)*(the number of record
status control data).
The adaptive control data record area 134 is calculated and secured
from an average record data size of the recorded data and a free
area of the data area 138. Thus, the effective record data
management of the optical disc medium 3 can be carried out. Also,
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 is generally recorded in
every ECC block. Therefore, the number of sectors becomes a
multiple of the number of sectors for the ECC block. For instance,
the value of 400 ECC blocks (6400 sectors) is set as the
predetermined number of sections.
[0178] In addition, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 includes
the temporary record status control data memory 125 in the RAM 12
to store a plurality of the record status control data. For a case
that the Synchronize Cache command is issued a plurality of times
before the control data record area 134 is extended to the data
area 138, the record status control data to be updated is stored in
the temporary record status control data memory 125. Thus, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 can normally operate even if the
control data record area is in short until the invisible track is
closed.
[0179] A second extension method of the control data record area by
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 5 and 21. In the second extension method, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 extends the control data record
area only when the host apparatus 1 permits.
[0180] When the host apparatus 1 issues the Close Track command for
the invisible track to which an control data record area extension
permission flag is added, the optical disc recording apparatus 2
newly extends the control data record area to the data area when
the extension permission flag indicates "true" and the remaining
area of the current control data record area, which stores the
current record status control data, becomes equal to or less than
the threshold.
[0181] When the host apparatus 1 determines to be permitted to
extend the control data record area 134 to the data area 138, an
extension permission flag 80 of the control data record area in the
command is set to a true state in the issuance of the Close Track
command for the invisible track.
In FIG. 5, when the Close Track commands is issued for the (n-1)
track as the invisible track, the extension permission flag 80 is
set to the true state. The optical disc recording apparatus 2
secures a new control data record area 134 in the track #n, after
the invisible track is closed, when the argument of the Close Track
command indicates the invisible track as the object track, the
extension permission flag 80 is true, and the amount of the
remaining area of the control data record area in the optical disc
medium is equal to or less than the threshold. In this way, a newer
invisible track # (n+1) is continuously provided.
[0182] Here, whether or not the extension permission flag 80 for
the control data record area should be set to the true state in the
issuance of the Close Track command for the invisible track from
the host apparatus 1 is dependent on whether or not in the
processing sequence of the host apparatus 1 for the permission.
Therefore, the state of the optical disc recording apparatus 2
gives no affect on the determination. In other words, even if the
control data record area of optical disc recording apparatus 2 is
less than the threshold, the extension of the control data record
area is not carried out when the permission flag 80 of the control
data record area is "false" or reset. The permission flag 80 of the
control data record area is reset to indicate a prohibition when
the address data managed by the host apparatus 1 should not be
changed during the recording operation to the optical disc medium
3. For instance, when the host apparatus 1 records a file
management data existing in the optical disc medium 3, there is a
case that an offset address is changed due to the existence of the
control data record area between the data tracks if the position to
record is not indicated by using a logical address but by an offset
address from a certain reference address.
[0183] Moreover, when the control data record area of the optical
disc medium 3 is equal to or less than the threshold, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 notifies to the host apparatus 1, a
status indicating the fact that the amount of the remained control
data record area is equal to or less than the threshold as the
response data to the Write (10) command and the Synchronize Cache
command to the invisible track issued from the host apparatus 1. In
this way, the host apparatus 1 can appropriately set the extension
permission flag of the control data record area of the invisible
track.
[0184] The optical disc recording apparatus 2 notifies the host
apparatus 1 of the status indicating the fact that the track close
is ended normally, and the control data record area is newly
extended as a response to the track close command. The host
apparatus 1 receives not only the status indicating the response
data of the normal end of the track close but also the status
indicating the extension of the control data record area.
Therefore, the host apparatus 1 can detect that the data other than
the data in the track managed by the user exists in the optical
disc medium 3. As a result, a proper processing can be accomplished
in case of the data management of the host apparatus 1 by using the
track number.
[0185] In addition, when the host apparatus 1 adds data to the
optical disc medium 3, the host apparatus 1 uses the command to
acquire the disc status and the command to acquire track status to
acquire the number of tracks and track status in the optical disc
medium 3. The host apparatus 1 determines the logical address for
the data to be recorded based on the acquired statuses.
[0186] Next, an operation of the CPU 11 in the second extension
method for the control data record area to be extended into the
data area will be described with reference to FIG. 21. When the
host apparatus 1 issues the command to the optical disc apparatus
2, the CPU 11 analyzes the command. Whether the received command is
a Close Track command is determined (step S212). If the received
command is not the Close Track command (step S212-NO), the control
operation is ended. If the received command is the Close Track
command (step S212-YES), the Close Track process is carried out
(step S213). In the Close Track process, the process of filling an
unused sector of the reserved area with the dummy data is carried
out. The updated record status control data is recorded in the
control data record area 130 or the control data record area 134 in
the optical disc medium 3.
[0187] Next, it is determined whether the closed track has been an
invisible track (step S 214). If the closed track is not the
invisible track (step S214-NO), the command response data is set
since the process to the invisible track is not ended, and the
processing is finished.
[0188] If the closed track is the invisible track (step S214-YES),
the extension permission flag 80 of the control data record area is
checked, which is set to the Close Track command (step S218). If
the extension permission flag 80 of the control data record area
indicates the permission status (step S218-YES), the amount of the
remaining area of the control data record area and the threshold
are compared (step S215). As the result of the comparison, the
control data record area 134 is set in the data area 138 as a
control data record area (step S216) when the amount of the
remaining area is equal and less than the threshold (the step
S215-NO). In the process of the control data record area, the
control data record area 134 of the predetermined number of sectors
are set following the ended invisible track 133, and the start
address and end address of the newly set control data record area
134 are set and updated in the record status control data. Here,
the control data record areas other than the control data record
area 134 newly set are filled with predetermined data, or the
control data record area newly set is not used until the existing
control data record area has completely used out, as described
later.
[0189] Next, a new invisible track is set (step S217), and the
command response data is set and the process of the command is
ended.
[0190] When the extension permission flag 80 of the control data
record area indicates non-permission (step S218-NO) or when the
amount of the remaining area of the control data record area is
larger than threshold (step S215-YES), the invisible track setting
process is carried out (step S217), and the command response data
is set to end the process.
[0191] In the invisible track setting process (step S217), the
invisible track for data to be next recorded is newly set, the
record status control data of the invisible track newly set is
updated and process is ended.
[0192] The difference from the operation of the CPU 11 in the above
mentioned first operation is in that determination of a control
data record area extension flag (step S218) is added between the
determination of the invisible track (step S214) and the comparison
of the remained number of the control data record areas and the
threshold (step S215). By providing the determination of the
control data record area extension flag (step S208), the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 can recognize when the host apparatus 1
should extend the control data record area. Therefore, this method
is especially effective when the host apparatus 1 controls the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 in detail.
[0193] In this embodiment, the program to be carried out by the CPU
11 is described as an example. However, the same operation can be
accomplished by using a logical circuit.
[0194] A third extension method of the control data record area by
the optical disc recording apparatus 2 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 5 and 21. In the third extension method, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 extends the control data record
area under a control of the host apparatus 1.
[0195] The host apparatus 1 issues a command to reserve the control
data record area on the data area following the Close Track command
of the invisible track. Then, the optical disc recording apparatus
2 newly extends the control data record area to the data area based
on the request of the size of the area from the host apparatus
1.
[0196] Moreover, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 notifies
the host apparatus 1 the fact that the amount of the current
remaining area of the control data record area become equal to or
less than the threshold by using the status. Therefore, the host
apparatus 1 can issue a command to reserve the control data record
area on the data area.
[0197] When the host apparatus 1 issues the Write (10) command and
the Synchronize Cache command to the track # (n-1) as an invisible
track, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 notifies the host
apparatus 1 of the status indicating that the amount of the
remaining area of the control data record area is equal to or less
than the threshold, as the command response data if the remaining
area of the control data record area of the optical disc medium 3
is equal to or less than the threshold. The host apparatus 1 checks
the status of the command response data, and ends the recording
process, and issues the Close Track command of the track #
(n-1).
[0198] Next, when the status notified from the optical disc
recording apparatus 2 indicates that the remaining area of the
control data record area is equal to or less than the threshold,
the host apparatus 1 sets the number of sectors to be secured for a
control data record area in the argument, and issues the command to
reserve the control data record area in the data area 138. The
optical disc recording apparatus 2 sets the control data record
area in the track #n for the requested number of sectors. Then, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 newly sets the invisible track #
(n-1). The optical disc recording apparatus 2 sets the normal end
in the command response data, and replies to the host apparatus 1.
The host apparatus 1 can recognize that the track number of the
invisible track or the logical address for data to be next
recordable to the invisible track are changed when the command for
reserving or setting the control data record area 134 in the data
area 138 is ended normally. Therefore, the host apparatus 1 uses
the Read Disc Information command and the Read Track Information
command, and acquires the number of tracks of data and the track
status in the optical disc medium 3, and then determines the
logical address for data to be recorded in the invisible track.
[0199] When the control data record area flag 70 is set of the
track reservation command in spite that the remaining area of the
control data record area is larger than the threshold, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 may set an error as the command response
data without securing the control data record area, or may secure
the control data record area for the requested number of sectors
from the host apparatus 1 and may set the invisible track
#(n+1).
[0200] As mentioned above, as the command to reserve the control
data record area in the data area, the Reserve Track command is
used. The optical disc recording apparatus 2 receives the Reserve
Track command and reserves the track for the number of sectors 72
to be newly secured as the control data record area.
[0201] Here, the number of sectors 72 to be secured as the control
data record area is set in a multiple of ECC block since the
recording operation is carried out in every ECC block, and the
control data record area uses one ECC for one update. Therefore, it
is preferable to secure an area for the number of ECC blocks which
is larger than the threshold. It should be noted that when the unit
of the record is a sector unit, the ECC block can be replaced in
the sector.
[0202] An operation of the CPU 11 in the third method to extend the
control data record area to the data area will be described with
reference to FIG. 22. When the host apparatus 1 issues a command to
the optical disc apparatus 2, the CPU 11 analyzes the command to
determine whether the received command is the Reserve Track command
or not (step S220). If the received command is not the Reserve
Track command (step S220-NO), the control operation is ended. If
the received command is the Reserve Track command (step S220-YES),
the control data record area flag 70 of the Reserve Track command
is determined (the step S221). If the control data record area flag
70 indicates the control data record area setting (step S221-YES),
the control data record area setting process to set a new control
data record area 134 in the data area 138 is carried out (step
S222), and the control operation is ended. If the control data
record area flag 70 does not indicate the control data record area
setting (the step S 221-NO), it is determined whether the first
track is unused (step S223). If the first track is unused (step
S223-YES), the reserving process of the first track is carried out.
Since the first track is unused, in the first track reserving
process, the number of sectors specified based on the Reserve Track
command argument is reserved as the first track. Then, the record
status control data is updated (step S224). Thereafter, the control
operation is ended.
[0203] If the first track is used (step S223-NO), it is determined
whether the second track is unused (step S225). If the second track
is unused (step S 225-YES), the reserving process of the second
track is carried out. Since the second track is unused, in the
second track reserving process, the number of sectors specified
based on the Reserve Track command argument is reserved as the
second track, and the record status control data is updated (step
S226). Thereafter, the control operation is ended. If the second
track is also used (step S225-NO), an error process is carried out.
In the error process, the generated error status is set in the
command response data (step S227), and the control operation is
ended.
[0204] In the third extension method of the control data record
area to the third data area, by providing the determining process
of the control data record area flag 70 of Reserve Track command
(step S221) and the control data record area setting process in
which the new control data record area 134 is set in data area 138
(step S222), the extension of the control data record area to the
data area can be made possible, which can be never carried out in
the conventional optical disc recording apparatus.
[0205] In this embodiment, the program to be carried out by the CPU
11 is described as an example. The same operation can be achieved
using by a logical circuit.
[0206] As mentioned above, when the control data record area is in
short in the closing process of the invisible track, the control
data record area 134 is newly set in the data area 138 following
the invisible track. When a plurality of logical volumes that are
referred to as sessions are set in the optical disc medium 3,
borders of the sessions are assigned as the system area. Therefore,
the control data record area that has the same function as the
first control data record area 130 can be arranged in the session
border.
[0207] When a plurality of sessions are provided in the write-once
optical disc 3, the data area is set in the session that addition
record is possible. The control data record area of the present
invention can be applied in such the data area.
[0208] Also, when the host apparatus 1 tries to directly access the
control data record area managed by the optical disc recording
apparatus 2, the optical disc recording apparatus 2 returns or
replies an error. That is, when the host apparatus 1 issues the
Write (10) command or the Read (10) command to the logical address
in the track assigned to the control data record area, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 returns the error without the writing
and reading operations. In this way, it is possible to prevent the
user from accessing the control data record area arranged in the
data area erroneously when the record status control data is
arranged in the data area although the record status control data
is only in the system area conventionally. Especially, when a data
indicating that the logical address specifies the control data
record area is notified to the host apparatus in the returning of
the error, the host apparatus 1 can efficiently control the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 because it is no need to carry out a
retry operation and the like.
[0209] FIG. 23 shows a flowchart when the optical disc recording
apparatus 2 receives a command of an input and output to the
logical address of the control data record area. The difference
from the conventional input and output operation is in that in the
present invention, the determining process of the control data
record area (step S241) and a notifying process of control data
access limitation (step S244) are provided. In the control data
record area determining process, it is determined whether the
logical address for the input and output is the control data record
area or not.
[0210] Receiving a command from the host apparatus 1, the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 analyzes the command. It is determined
whether the received command is the I/O command such as the Read
command and the Write command (step S240). If the received command
is not the I/O command (step S240-NO), the control operation is
ended. If the received command is the I/O command (step S240-YES),
it is determined whether the logical address for the input and
output is an address in the control data record area (step S241).
If the logical address is not the address for the input and output
in the control data record area (the step S241-NO), the optical
disc recording apparatus 2 carries out a usual I/O operation
because it is not the input and output to the control data record
area. In the I/O operation, the user data is read out from the
optical disc medium 3 and the user data is recorded in the optical
disc medium 3 (step S242). Thereafter, in an I/O status notifying
process, the status in the end of the input and output is set to
the command response data to notify the host apparatus 1 (step
S243), and then the control operation is ended.
[0211] If the logical address for the input and output is in the
control data record area (step S241-YES), the management area
access limitation notifying process is carried out since it is an
input and output to the control data record area. In the management
area access restricting process, the data indicating that the
access address indicates the control data record area is set in the
command response data to notify the host apparatus 1 (step S244),
and the control operation is ended.
[0212] Hereinafter, the method will be described in which the host
apparatus 1 acquires the control data when the control data record
area 134 exists in the data area 138 of the optical disc medium 3
by using the above-mentioned Read Disc Information command and the
Read Track Information command.
[0213] As shown in FIG. 15, the number of tracks in the entire disc
area including the control data record area, a flag data whether or
not the control data record area exists in the data area, and the
number of the control data record areas in the data area are set in
the command response data to the Read Disc Information command.
Using these data, the host apparatus 1 can determine the total
number of the tracks in the optical disc medium 3, the existence of
the tracks that cannot be operated, and the numbers of the tracks
that cannot be operated. In order to determine which track is of
the control data record area, the Read Track Information command is
issued for the total number of tracks in the optical disc medium 3
from the track number # 1 sequentially. As shown in FIG. 16, the
control data record area flag 70 is set to the response data to the
Read Track Information command to indicate whether or not the track
is the control data record area.
[0214] If the n-th track is the control data record area, a flag
data is set to the response data to the Read Track Information
command issued to the n-th track to indicate that the track is the
control data record area. The host apparatus 1 can recognize that
the track is the control data record area, based on the flag data.
Therefore, the host apparatus 1 can efficiently carry out the
control of the optical disc recording apparatus 2 because the host
apparatus 1 does not carry out the reading/recording operation to
the n-th track.
[0215] When the control data record area extended to the data area
is concealed by the optical disc recording apparatus 2, so that the
host apparatus 1 cannot treat the control data record area extended
to the data area as a data track, the host apparatus 1 can carry
out the recording/reading control in the same way as to the
conventional optical disc recording apparatus. Especially, when
receiving the Close Track command of the invisible track, the
optical disc recording apparatus 2 determines that the remaining
area of the control data record area to store the current record
status control data becomes equal to or less than the threshold. In
this case, if the control data record area is extended to the data
area without depending on the command from the host apparatus 1,
there is an excellent effect that it is not required to modify the
control program of the host apparatus 1 largely to control the
optical disc recording apparatus 2, compared with the conventional
program.
[0216] As described above, in the present invention, the control
data record area is extended to the data area once or many times
for the record management of the optical disc medium. Therefore, it
is possible to record data in the optical disc medium that a user
data cannot be added in spite of an unused area in the data area
due to the constraint of the control data record area. As a result,
the user can effectively use the optical disc medium.
* * * * *