Optical information recording medium

Details Optical information recording medium Optical information recording medium

2001-07-26

2003-09-30

Dinh, Tan (Department: 2653)

Dynamic information storage or retrieval

Storage medium structure

Optical track structure

C369S053240

Reexamination Certificate

active

06628602

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information recording medium, which has a structure of recording information by using the packet writing recording format for a CD-R disc and a structure capable to read out recorded information from the top through the last recorded packet by a CD-ROM drive even when a recordable area still remains in such a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A recordable type of information recording medium such as a CD-R disc became popular recently that a recorded disc can be treated equally as a CD-ROM disc and that the recorded information can not be interpolated.
There are four types of recording format for the CD-R disc such as DAO (Disc At Once), SAO (Session At Once), TAO (Track At Once) and PW (Packet Writing).
FIG. 8
is a diagram for explaining the recording format of DAO. This format is the basic recording format for a CD-R disc and it has almost the same structure of the recording format for a read-only CD disc such as a CD-DA disc and a CD-ROM disc.
As shown in
FIG. 8
, a CD-R disc is composed of an area A, typical of a CD-R disc, and an area B, common to a read-only CD disc. The area A consists of a {circle around (1)} PCA (Power Calibration Area) area and a {circle around (2)} PMA (Program Memory Area) area. The {circle around (1)} PCA area is an area for determining an optimum recording laser power for a CD-R disc, and the {circle around (2)} PMA area is a data recording area for recording a temporal lead-in information before writing the lead-in information in a {circle around (3)} lead-in area actually. As the recording formats of DAO and SAO write information in the {circle around (3)} lead-in area and a {circle around (5)} lead-out area simultaneously with a {circle around (4)} program area, it is not necessary to write the temporal lead-in information in the {circle around (2)} PMA area. As the area A does not directly impact the following, the detailed description for the area A is omitted.
The area B consists of the {circle around (3)} lead-in area, the {circle around (4)} program area and the {circle around (5)} lead-out area, and is called a “session”. The {circle around (3)} lead-in area is an area for recording a starting time of recording information in the {circle around (4)} program area and the {circle around (5)} lead-out area and for recording a type of data to be recorded in the {circle around (4)} program area. The {circle around (4)} program area is composed of a plurality of tracks and each track is recorded with an user information to be recorded. The {circle around (5)} lead-out area is recorded with an information indicating the end of the {circle around (4)} program area.
The area B of the DAO format has the same structure of the recording area of a read-only CD disc as described above to enable the CD-R disc recorded in the DAO format being lead-out by a CD-ROM disc drive.
FIG. 9
is a diagram for explaining the SAO format. The SAO format is a format developed from the DAO format and is for recording information repeatedly in a session unit of the {circle around (3)} lead-in area, the {circle around (4)} program area and the {circle around (5)} lead-out area. In the case of
FIG. 9
, it shows two sessions indicated as an area B′. The first session consists of {circle around (3)} lead-in area, {circle around (4)} program area and {circle around (5)} lead-out area and the second session consists of {circle around (3)}′ lead-in area, {circle around (4)}′ program area and {circle around (5)}′ lead-out area. In the SAO format, as the recording operates in the session unit, a recorded CD-R disc can be used for reading out information by a CD-ROM disc drive or a CD-R disc drive for multi-section application.
The TAO format is developed from the SAO format to reduce an area unavailable for user data in the SAO format by dividing each session area in a track unit and to make such an area recordable.
More specifically, the lead-out area and the lead-in area are necessary in one session for recording information in the session unit by the SAO format, and further, in the case of
FIG. 9
, such the format requires 90 seconds for recording in the {circle around (5)} lead-out area and 60 seconds for recording in the {circle around (3)}′ lead-in area. The TAO format is to reduce these areas unavailable for user data recording. Consequently, there is a benefit of recording more user information in the {circle around (4)} program area. Generally, the TAO format has one session and divides one session into a plurality of tracks and records information in the track unit.
FIG. 10
is a diagram for explaining recording format of the TAO format. In
FIG. 10
, the TAO format has one session and the {circle around (4)} program area is composed of three tracks. Each track is {circle around (4)}-1 track #
1
, {circle around (4)}-2 track #
2
, and {circle around (4)}-1 track #
3
from the top. The recording is carried out in the order of track #
1
, #
2
, and #
3
in the track unit.
After the recording in the {circle around (4)}-3 track #
3
is completed, the lead-in information is recorded in the {circle around (3)} lead-in area and the lead-out information in the {circle around (5)} lead-out area respectively, which is called finalization. As a result of this finalization, a CD-R disc recorded by the TAO format can be used for reading out information by a CD-ROM disc drive.
FIG. 11
is a diagram for explaining recording format of the PW format. The PW format is a recording format subdivides the track unit into a packet unit. As this recording format records information into a smaller packet unit, many files can be recorded in a CD-R disc as if such files are recorded in a floppy disc. The {circle around (4)} program area may have a plurality of tracks which is more than two.
In the case of
FIG. 11
, the {circle around (4)} program area consists of the {circle around (4)}-1 track #
1
and this track #
1
consists of three packets a {circle around (4)}-1-1 packet #
1
, a {circle around (4)}-1-2 packet #
2
, and a {circle around (4)}-1-3 packet #
3
.
FIG. 12
is a diagram for explaining a packet recording format for the PW format. In
FIG. 12
, the PW format has a structure of 32 user data blocks having predetermined blocks preceding and succeeding the user data blocks such that a link block (1 block) and a run-in block (4 blocks) precedes the user data blocks, and a run-out block (2 blocks) succeeds the user data blocks. Each block is corresponding to 2 k-byte of a sector configuration of CD-ROM disc (thus, one block corresponds to a data amount of one sector).
The head link block (1 block) is for connecting with a run-out block in a preceding packet seamlessly and the subsequent run-in blocks (4 blocks) are run up portions for synchronizing with a sector of CD-ROM disc. The run-out blocks (2 blocks) are a protection area of the user data blocks for connecting with a subsequent link block seamlessly.
As shown in
FIG. 11
, the PW format records information in three packets (packet #
1
through packet #
3
) and the lead-in information and lead-out information are recorded in the {circle around (3)} lead-in area and the {circle around (5)} lead-out area respectively by the finalization. The CD-R disc recorded and finalized by the PW format can be read by a CD-ROM disc drive.
FIG. 13
is a diagram for explaining an unfinished recording status of “before the finalization” in the PW format shown in
FIG. 11
such that two packets are recorded but the last packet is not yet recorded before the finalization. In
FIG. 13
, before the finalization, an area and a packet shown by a dotted line (i.e. the {circle around (3)} lead-in area, the {circle around (4)}-1-3 packet #
3
and the {circle around (5)} lead-out area) indicate that information is not recorded, and the packets shown by a solid line (i.e. the {circle around (4)}-1-1 packet #
1
and the {circle around (4)}-1-2 pack

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