Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Simultaneous diverse types of storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-18
2001-10-02
Dinh, Tan (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Simultaneous diverse types of storage or retrieval
C369S077210, C369S053410
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298016
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
The present application claims priority to Japanese Application No. P10-141661 filed May 22, 1998, which application is incorporated herein by reference to the extent permitted by law.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention includes a drive unit that records and reproduces data in and from recording media, for example, in a computer system, a multimedia system, and a data communication system, and recording media in and from which data can be recorded and reproduced with the drive unit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is a general practice to distribute a variety of software and data using recording media such as optical disks, optical magnetic disks, magnetic disks, and IC cards. It also is a general practice for users to save data and the like in these recording media.
In these cases, usually, a disk drive that performs recording and reproduction operations on recording media such as optical disks and optical magnetic disks is connected to a host computer, and the disk drive writes and reads data to and from the disks under control of the host computer.
Recording media include the above described disk types and IC memory types and the like, which have characteristics, respectively.
For example, disk types have the advantage of being able to record relatively large volumes of data, whereas they are considerably slower than IC memories in recording/reproduction operation speed.
On the other hand, although IC memories have a smaller data recording capacity, the recording/reproduction operation speed is very high.
Since different types of media respectively have advantages and disadvantages as described above, users should select appropriate media and media drive units so as to meet their use modes.
However, practically, there are many cases where disk media and IC memory media should be used differently for different uses, in which case both a disk drive unit and an IC memory drive unit (IC card reader, etc.) must be provided. This raises the problem of providing users with increased equipment installation loads, to be more specific, purchase costs, installation spaces, and system connections changes.
In addition to widely used disk media such as a ROM disk used for reproduction only and a rewritable RAM disk, a partial ROM disk (hereinafter referred to as a P-ROM disk) with a part of a user area allocated as a ROM area and another part as a RAM (rewritable) area is also being developed. The P-ROM disk permits more diversified and prospective use modes than the ROM and RAM disks.
However, a P-ROM disk has a drawback in that the manufacturing yield is relatively bad, and this fact hampers the widespread use of the P-ROM disk and the promotion of diversified use modes thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With such a problem in view, the present invention has been made and words towards promoting effective use of various media in accordance with characteristics thereof, relieve users of burdens, and promote diversified use modes by use of media.
To achieve the above, the respective cartridges of a plurality of types of recording media, each having a cartridge as a housing, are shaped so that the recording media mounting part of a drive unit capable of recording or reproduction operations on the plurality of types of recording media can be shared between one of the plurality of types of recording media and others of them.
That is, the plurality of types of recording media referred to herein are respectively almost the same in cartridge shape and any of them can be mounted in the recording media mounting part of the drive unit.
The plurality of types of recording media, for example, include recording media (disk media) with disk-shape recording media housed within a cartridge, recording media (IC media) with IC memory housed within a cartridge, and recording media (hybrid media) with disk-shape recording media and IC memory housed within a cartridge.
On each cartridge is formed an identification feature for providing identification of a type thereof.
On the other hand, a drive unit that can perform recording or reproduction operations on a plurality of types of these recording media comprises: a recording media mounting part in which the plurality of types of recording media can be respectively mounted; identification means for identifying the type of the recording media in accordance with an identification feature formed on the cartridge of recording media mounted in the recording media mounting part; disk drive means for performing a recording or reproduction operation on disk-shape recording media; IC memory drive means for performing a recording or reproduction operation on disk-shape recording media; and control means, in accordance with the type of recording media identified by the identification means, for controlling a recording or reproduction operation on the mounted recording media by either or both of the disk drive means and the IC memory drive means. That is, the drive unit can provide for any of disk media, IC media, and hybrid media mounted.
Diversified use modes are provided for hybrid media.
As recording media of the present invention, in part or the whole of an area, of the recording media, in or from which data can be recorded or reproduced, one or more data protection areas are allocated and one or more pieces of key data corresponding to the data protection areas are recorded.
A drive unit according to the present invention comprises: key data existence judgement means for judging whether key data is recorded in mounted recording media; and drive permission means for matching the key data with input data when it is determined by the key data existence judgement means that the mounted media are recording media in which key data is recorded, and when the matching yields a successful result, for permitting a recording or reproduction operation on a data protection area on the recording media, corresponding to the key data.
In other words, data protection areas in or from which data can be recorded or reproduced only when matching by use of key data is OK can be allocated, thereby promoting diversified use modes and media/data distribution modes.
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Dinh Tan
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sony Corporation
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