JP2000149334A - Information recording medium and information recording medium processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily display information on the recorded contents of an information recording medium without requiring reproduction and troublesome work by forming a rewritable heat-sensitive color developing layer capable of recording and vanishing visible data on a disk body. SOLUTION: The optical disk 1 consists of a disk body (substrate) 10 and a rewritable heat-sensitive color developing layer 12 formed on the surface of the body 10. The heat-sensitive color developing layer 12 is formed by successively laminating a colored layer, an undercoat layer, a recording layer, a middle layer and a heat resistant protective coat. The recording layer formed in about 5-10 μm thickness is made transparent when heated to a prescribed temperature. The colored layer of about 2 μm thickness is relieved in the transparent part and a picture and letters (visible data) are displayed. The recording layer is made opaque when reheated, the relieved colored layer disappears and the picture and letters are vanished.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a DVD (Digital Video Disk) -RAM (rand) characterized by high-density recording.
om access memory). The present invention also relates to an information recording medium processing device that handles the information recording medium described above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, a system for reproducing an optical disk on which images (moving images) and sounds are recorded has been developed. For the purpose of reproducing, etc., it is widely used. On the surface of these optical discs, information indicating recorded contents such as titles is usually printed. Further, information indicating recorded contents such as a title is usually attached to a package of these optical disks. As a result, the recorded contents of the optical disk can be known without reproducing the optical disk.

In recent years, internationally standardized MPEG
A DVD standard using the 2 (Moving Picture Experts Group) system and adopting AC-3 (digital audio compression) and other audio compression systems has been proposed. This DVD standard includes a read-only DVD
Video (or DVD-ROM), write once DV
DVD, DVD-RW (or DV)
D-RAM).

The standard of DVD video (DVD-ROM) conforms to the MPEG2 system layer, and MPEG-2 is used as a moving picture compression system and linear PC is used as an audio recording system.
It supports AC3 audio and MPEG audio in addition to M. In addition, this DVD video standard
For subtitles, sub-picture data obtained by run-length-compressing bitmap data and control data (navigation data) for playback control such as fast-forward / rewind data search are added. This standard also conforms to ISO 96 standards so that data can be read by a computer.
60 and UDF bridge formats are also supported.

At present, an optical disk (DVD-ROM disk) used for DVD video (DVD-ROM) is a single-sided, single-layer, 12 cm disk having a size of about 4.7.
It has a GB (gigabyte) storage capacity. The two layers on one side have a storage capacity of about 9.5 GB, and the two layers on both sides enable a large capacity recording of about 18 GB (when a laser having a wavelength of 650 nm is used for reading).

On the other hand, at present, an optical disk (DVD-RAM disk) used for a DVD-RAM is one type.
It is a 2cm disk and has a storage capacity of about 2.6GB (gigabyte) on one side, and a capacity of 5.2GB on both sides. A DVD-RAM disk currently in practical use has a smaller storage capacity than a DVD-ROM disk of a corresponding size. However, technology for expanding the capacity of DVD-RAM disks is constantly being developed, and in the near future, DVD-RAMs having a storage capacity of 4.7 GB or more per side will be used.
There is a high possibility that a RAM disk will be put to practical use.

However, MPEG2 video files that provide high image quality have a large data size.
With a VD-RAM disk (2.6 GB single-sided disk or 5.2 GB double-sided disk), the recording time is not sufficient (approximately 1 hour and 5.2 GB for a 2.6 GB disk).
About 2 hours on a GB disc).

[0008] Since data can be freely recorded on a DVD-RAM disk by a user, information indicating recorded contents is not usually printed on the surface of the disk. For the same reason, information indicating the recorded contents is not usually printed on the DVD-RAM disk package.

In order to be able to know the recorded contents of a DVD-RAM disk at a glance, for example, the following measures are required. First, the user grasps the recorded contents recorded on the DVD-RAM disk. In addition, if the user
Create information indicating the recorded contents of the D-RAM disk.
Then, the user writes information indicating the recorded contents of the DVD-RAM disc on the surface of the disc. Alternatively, the user adds information indicating the recorded contents of the DVD-RAM disc to the package of the disc.

[0010]

As described above, the DV
Since information on the recorded contents is not printed on the D-RAM disk, there is a problem that the recorded contents of the optical disk cannot be known only by looking at the appearance of the disk.

[0011] Further, in order to be able to know the recorded contents of the optical disk at a glance of the appearance of the DVD-RAM disk, it is necessary for the user to take predetermined measures on the disk.

(1) An object of the present invention is to contribute to the achievement of the object of easily displaying information relating to the recorded contents of an information recording medium without requiring reproduction and troublesome work of the information recording medium. An object of the present invention is to provide an information recording medium.

(2) An object of the present invention is to provide an information recording medium (DVD-RAM disk) which can easily supply information relating to the recorded contents of the information recording medium without requiring troublesome reproduction and troublesome work. An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium processing device.

[0014]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems and achieve the object, an information recording medium and an information recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention are configured as follows.

(1) An information recording medium according to the present invention includes a main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data, and a layer formed on the main body, which is capable of recording and reading visible data. An erasable rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer.

(2) An information recording medium according to the present invention comprises a main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data, a main body case for protecting the main body, and a layer formed on the main body case. And a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer capable of recording and erasing visible data.

(3) The present invention provides a main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data,
An information recording medium processing apparatus for handling an information recording medium comprising a layer formed on the main body and a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer capable of recording and erasing visible data, comprising a light beam having a different power. Irradiating the rewritable recording layer to record and erase data on the rewritable recording layer, and irradiating a light beam of different power to cause the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer to develop a color, thereby producing the rewritable thermosensitive coloring. A light beam irradiation means for recording and erasing data on the layer is provided.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A digital information recording / reproducing system (information recording medium processing apparatus) according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As an example of a digital information recording / reproducing system according to the present invention, there is a device for recording / reproducing a moving picture encoded based on MPEG2 at a variable bit rate, for example, a DVD digital video recorder. (This DVD
A specific example of the digital video recorder will be described later. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a disk main body 10 constituting a recordable optical disk used in the DVD digital video recorder. As shown in FIG.
The disk main body 10 includes a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12.
Together with the optical disk 1 (information recording medium).

As shown in FIG. 1, this disk body 10
Is a pair of transparent substrates 1 each having a recording layer 17 provided thereon.
4 is bonded with an adhesive layer 20. Each substrate 14
Can be made of 0.6 mm thick polycarbonate, and the adhesive layer 20 can be made of an extremely thin (for example, 40 μm thick) ultraviolet curable resin. These pairs of 0.
By bonding the 6 mm substrate 14 such that the recording layer 17 is in contact with the surface of the adhesive layer 20, the 1.2 mm thick disk body 10 is obtained.

The disk main body 10 is provided with a center hole 22. Around the center hole 22 on both surfaces of the disk, a clamp area 24 for clamping the disk main body 10 at the time of rotational driving is provided. In the center hole 22,
When the optical disk 1 is loaded into a disk drive (not shown), the spindle of the disk motor is inserted. The disk body 10 is clamped in the clamp area 24 by a disk clamper (not shown) while the disk is rotating.

The disk body 10 has a clamp area 24
Is provided with an information area 25 in which video data, audio data and other information can be recorded.

In the information area 25, a lead-out area 26 is provided on the outer peripheral side. Further, a lead-in area 27 is provided on the inner peripheral side in contact with the clamp area 24.
Is provided. A data recording area 28 is defined between the lead-out area 26 and the lead-in area 27.

The recording layer (light reflecting layer) 17 of the information area 25
, Recording tracks are formed continuously in a spiral shape, for example. The continuous track is divided into a plurality of physical sectors, and these sectors are assigned serial numbers. Various data are recorded on the disk body 10 using this sector as a recording unit.

The data recording area 28 is an actual data recording area. As recording / reproducing information, video data (main video data) such as a movie, sub-video data such as subtitles / menus, and speech / sound effects are recorded. Audio data is recorded as a similar pit row (a physical shape or phase state that causes an optical change to the laser reflected light).

When the disk body 10 is a single-sided, double-sided recording RAM disk, each recording layer 17 has a phase change recording material layer (for example, Ge2Sb2Te5) made of two zinc sulfide-silicon oxide mixtures (ZnS / SiO2). It can be constituted by a sandwiched triple layer.

When the disk body 10 is a single-sided, single-sided recording RAM disk, the recording layer 1 on the reading surface 19 side is used.
7 can be constituted by a triple layer including the above-mentioned phase change recording material layer. In this case, the layer 17 disposed on the opposite side as viewed from the reading surface 19 does not need to be an information recording layer, but may be a simple dummy layer.

If the disk body 10 is a single-sided read-type two-layer RAM / ROM disk, the two recording layers 17
Can be composed of one phase-change recording layer (rear side when viewed from the reading surface 19; for reading and writing) and one translucent metal reflective layer (front side as viewed from the reading surface 19; for reproduction only).

The disk body 10 is a write-once DVD
In the case of -R, polycarbonate is used as the substrate, gold can be used as the reflection film (not shown), and ultraviolet curing resin can be used as the protection film (not shown). In this case, an organic dye is used for the recording layer 17. As the organic dye, cyanine, squarylium, croconic, triphenylmenthane dye, xanthene, quinone dye (naphthoquin, anthraquinone, etc.), metal complex dye (phthalocyanine, vorphyrin, dithiol complex, etc.) and others can be used. is there.

Data writing to such a DVD-R disk is performed, for example, at a wavelength of 650 nm and an output of 6 to 12 m.
It can be performed using a semiconductor laser of about W.

In the above various disk bodies 10, read-only ROM information is recorded on the recording layer 17 as an emboss signal. On the other hand, the substrate 14 having the read / write (or write-once) recording layer 17 is not provided with such an emboss signal, but is provided with continuous groove grooves instead. A phase change recording layer is provided in the groove. D for reading and writing
In the case of a VD-RAM disk, a phase-change recording layer on a land portion in addition to the groove is also used for information recording.

When the disk body 10 is a single-sided reading type (single or two recording layers), the substrate 14 on the back side as viewed from the reading surface 19 does not need to be transparent to the reading / writing laser. . In this case, printing may be performed on the entire surface of the back substrate 14.

A DVD digital video recorder, which will be described later, performs repetitive recording / reproducing (read / write) on a DVD-RAM disc (or DVD-RW disc),
One recording / repeating reproduction for VD-R disc,
The VD-ROM disc is configured to be capable of repetitive reproduction.

FIG. 2 shows the disc body (DVD-R) shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a correspondence between a data recording area 28 of AM) 10 and a recording track of data recorded therein.

When the disk body 10 is a DVD-RAM (or DVD-RW), the disk body 10 is protected by a disk case 1 to protect a delicate disk surface.
1 may be accommodated. When the disk main body 10 is stored in the disk case 11, the disk main body 10 is inserted into a disk drive of a DVD video recorder described later, integrally with the disk case 11. Then, from the disk case 11 to the disk body 10
Is pulled out, clamped on a turntable of a spindle motor (not shown), and driven to rotate so as to face an optical head (not shown). On the other hand, when the disk body 10 is not stored in the disk case, the bare disk body 10 is directly set on the disk tray of the disk drive.

The recording layer 17 of the information area 25 shown in FIG.
, A data recording track is formed continuously in a spiral shape. The continuous track is divided into a plurality of logical sectors (minimum recording units) having a fixed storage capacity as shown in FIG. 2, and data is recorded based on the logical sectors. The recording capacity of one logical sector is determined to be 2048 bytes (or 2 kbytes).

The data recording area 28 is an actual data recording area in which management data, main video (video) data, sub-video data, and audio (audio) data are similarly recorded.

Although not shown, the data recording area 28 of the disk body 10 in FIG. 2 has a ring shape (annular ring shape).
Can be divided into a plurality of recording areas (a plurality of recording zones). Although the angular velocity of the disk rotation differs for each recording zone, the linear velocity or the angular velocity can be kept constant in each zone. In this case, a spare recording area (free space) can be provided for each zone. The free space for each zone can be collected and used as a reserved area of the disk body 10.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration of the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 formed on the disk body 10 (base material) shown in FIG. In addition, as shown in FIG.
It comprises a disk body 10 and a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12. The disk body 10 includes the rewritable phase change recording layer as described above.

As shown in FIG. 3, on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12, a coloring layer, an undercoat layer, a recording layer, an intermediate layer, and a heat-resistant protective film are sequentially laminated. More specifically, a colored layer having a thickness of about 2 μm is formed on the surface of the disk body 10 (base material). An undercoat layer having a thickness of about 2 to 3 μm is formed on the surface of the colored layer. On the surface of the undercoat layer, a recording layer having a thickness of about 5 to 10 μm is formed. On the surface of this recording layer, a thickness of about 1-2
A μm intermediate layer is formed. A heat-resistant protective film having a thickness of about 2 to 3 μm is formed on the surface of the intermediate layer. The recording layer becomes transparent when heated to a predetermined temperature. The colored layer emerges in the transparent portion, and pictures and characters (visible data) are expressed.
When the recording layer is reheated, the recording layer becomes opaque, the coloring layer that has emerged disappears, and pictures and characters are erased.

The present invention is not limited to the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 described above. For example, it may be a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer having a material that develops a color when heated and forms a picture and a character, and disappears when heated again. Furthermore, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on the front surface of the disk body 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 1
2 may be formed only on a part of the disk body 10.

If the thickness of the recording layer is smaller than the above-mentioned thickness, the density contrast between the recorded portion and the non-recorded portion cannot be sufficiently obtained. In addition, a shear stress caused by sliding with a thermal head for thermal transfer recording causes problems such as rapid deterioration of the recording layer. In thermal transfer recording using a thermal head, a very large thermal gradient occurs in the thickness direction of the recording layer. Therefore, the temperature difference between the surface side (thermal head side) and the bottom side (disk body side) of the recording layer becomes large. The rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 receives thermal transfer in a predetermined temperature range,
Recording and erasing are realized. Therefore, if the temperature is to be changed to the bottom, the temperature on the front side falls outside the effective temperature range. Therefore, in order to realize recording and erasing in consideration of the temperature gradient of the recording layer, the upper limit of the thickness of the recording layer is 1
It is about 0 μm.

FIG. 4 and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a case where a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a case where the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on the main body of the disc case, and FIG. 5 shows a case where the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on the shutter portion of the disc case. In the case of thermal transfer recording using a thermal head, it is necessary that the thermal head be uniformly pressed against the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12. The shutter portion has high rigidity and is suitable for uniformly pressing the thermal head against the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12.

FIGS. 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams showing an example of a DVD digital video recorder (information recording medium processing device). In particular, FIG. 6 shows a DV equipped with a thermal head for performing thermal transfer recording on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a D digital video recorder.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a DVD digital video recorder including an optical pickup for performing thermal transfer recording on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12, reproduction of digital data recorded on the disk main body, and recording of digital data on the disk main body. is there. FIG. 8 shows the DVD shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which thermal transfer recording is performed on a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 using drive control of a disc tray in a digital video recorder.

As shown in FIG. 6, the DVD digital video recorder VR1 has a main CPU 50, a thermal head 51, a thermal head controller 52, a disk motor 5
3, disk motor control unit 54, optical pickup 55,
An optical pickup controller 56, a disc tray 57, a tray motor 58, a tray motor controller 59, and the like are provided. The main CPU 50 controls the entire DVD digital video recorder VR1.

The thermal head controller 52 includes a main CP
Based on the control of U50, the movement of the thermal head 51 (movement in the vertical and radial directions with respect to the optical disc 1) is controlled. Further, the thermal head control unit 52
Based on the control of the main CPU 50, the thermal head 51
Control the temperature of the Such a thermal head controller 5
By the control of (2), the thermal head 51 causes the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 formed on the disc main body 10 or the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 formed on the disc case 11 for protecting the disc main body 10 to have a predetermined temperature. Is transferred, data is recorded at a predetermined position on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12, and the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 1 is recorded.
2 to erase the data recorded at the predetermined position.

The optical pickup control unit 56 includes a main CP
Based on the control of U50, the movement of the optical pickup 55 (movement in the vertical and radial directions with respect to the optical disc 1) is controlled. Further, the optical pickup control unit 56
Based on the control of the main CPU 50, the optical pickup 55
The drive of the semiconductor laser (not shown) provided in the controller is controlled. Under the control of the optical pickup controller 56, the optical pickup 55 reproduces digital data recorded at a predetermined position on the disk main body and records digital data at a predetermined position on the disk main body.

The disk motor control unit 54 has a main CP
The drive of the disk motor 53 is controlled based on the control of U50. More specifically, the disk motor control unit 54 controls the disk motor so that the optical disk rotates at a rotation speed suitable for recording and erasing data by the thermal head 51 and recording and erasing data by the optical pickup 55, respectively. Control the drive.

The disc tray 57 includes a tray motor 58
Driven by The tray motor 58 is controlled by a tray motor control unit 59. The disc tray 57
The drive is controlled by the tray motor 58 and the tray motor control unit 59, and the optical disk is loaded into the DVD digital video recorder VR1 and discharged from the DVD digital video recorder VR1.

In the DVD digital video recorder VR1 having the above-described configuration, recording and erasing of data at a predetermined position of the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 by the thermal head 51, and recording and erasing of digital data at a predetermined position of the disk body by the optical pickup 55. It can be performed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a DVD digital video recorder VR2 which is a modified example of the DVD digital video recorder VR1 shown in FIG.

The DVD digital video recorder VR2 is
The point that the thermal head 51 and the thermal head control unit 52 are not provided is that the DVD digital video recorder VR1
And different. In the DVD digital video recorder VR2, the optical pickup 55 includes the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 1.
2 for recording and erasing data on the disc 2 and recording and erasing digital data for the disc body. That is, thermosensitive coloring recording and erasing are performed using thermal energy obtained by a light beam emitted from the optical pickup 55. Therefore, the optical pickup control unit 56
Rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 by optical pickup 55
It also controls the recording and erasing of data for

As described above, by providing the optical pickup 55 with both functions, the DVD digital video recorder can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a DVD digital video recorder VR3 which is a modification of the DVD digital video recorder VR1 shown in FIG.

The DVD digital video recorder VR3 is
The difference from the DVD digital video recorder VR1 is that the thermal head 51 is fixed. Further, the DVD digital video recorder VR3 controls the drive of the disc motor 53 by the disc motor control unit 54 and the drive control of the tray motor 58 by the tray motor control unit 59.
It differs from the DVD digital video recorder VR1 in that data is recorded and erased at a predetermined position on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12.

As described above, the drive control of the disk motor 53 by the disk motor control unit 54 and the drive control of the tray motor 58 by the tray motor control unit 59
By recording and erasing data at a predetermined position on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12, the thermal head 51 can be fixed. As a result, the DVD digital video recorder can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

In the case of the DVD digital video recorders VR1 and VR3, a thermal head 51 for recording and erasing data on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 and an optical pickup 55 for recording and erasing digital data on the main body are provided. Are provided at positions facing each other across the information recording medium. Therefore, when the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on one surface of the information recording medium and the other surface of the information recording medium is a recording and reading surface of digital data, the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer of the information recording medium is used. If the disc is loaded so that the surface on which the recording head 12 is formed faces the thermal head 51, recording and erasing of data on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 and recording and erasing of digital data on the main body can be performed without turning over the disc. It can be performed.

In the case of the DVD digital video recorder VR2, the optical pickup 55 is provided with the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 1
2 for recording and erasing data, and for recording and erasing digital data for the main body. Therefore, when the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on one surface of the information recording medium and the other surface of the information recording medium is a recording and reading surface of digital data, the disk must be turned upside down as appropriate. For example, the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12
Recording and erasing of digital data with respect to the main unit cannot be performed. Therefore, when the disk main body 10 is stored in the disk case 11, the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 is formed on the surface of the disk case in the same direction as the recording and reading surface of the digital data so as to save the trouble of inversion. Is also good.

As shown in FIG. 9, the character size may be automatically controlled by the number of characters printed on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12. Such an automatic control function is realized by the thermal head control unit 52.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the data printed on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12 may be coded data. One example is a one-dimensional barcode, a two-dimensional barcode, and the like. These encoded data can be read by the optical pickup 55. For example, if the disc body is a game R
Even in the case of an OM disc, information during the game can be recorded in the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12. The game may be restarted based on information up to the middle of the game recorded on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 12.

[0061]

According to the present invention, the following information recording medium and information recording medium processing apparatus can be provided.

(1) The object of the present invention can contribute to the achievement of the object of easily displaying information relating to the recorded contents of an information recording medium without the need for reproducing and troublesome information recording medium. Information recording medium.

(2) It is an object of the present invention to provide an information recording medium (DVD-RAM disk) which can easily supply information relating to the recorded contents of the information recording medium without requiring troublesome reproduction and troublesome work. Recording medium processing device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic structure of a main body of an information recording medium according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a correspondence relationship between a data recording area in a main body of the information recording medium shown in FIG. 1 and a recording track of data recorded in the data recording area.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer formed on a main body of the information recording medium shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a case where a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer is formed on a main body of a disk case for storing the information recording medium shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a case where a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer is formed on a shutter portion of a disk case for storing the information recording medium shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a DVD digital video recorder including a thermal head for performing thermal transfer recording on a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a first modification of the DVD digital video recorder shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second modification of the DVD digital video recorder shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the character size is automatically controlled based on the number of characters printed on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which data printed on a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer is coded data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Optical disk 10 ... Disk main body 11 ... Disk case 12 ... Rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer 50 ... CPU 51 ... Thermal head 52 ... Thermal head control unit 53 ... Disk motor 54 ... Disk motor control unit 55 ... Optical pickup 56 ... Optical pickup Control unit 57 ... Disc tray 58 ... Tray motor 59 ... Tray motor control unit VR1 ... DVD digital video recorder

Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiyuki Ishizawa 70 Yanagicho, Saiwai-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa F-term in Toshiba Yanagimachi Plant (reference) 5D029 JB18 PA01 5D066 AA07 CA01 CA10 CA11 SA07 SF06 SG05 5D077 AA28 AA30 BB16 HA10 HB01 HC50

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data, and a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer formed on the main body and capable of recording and erasing visible data. An information recording medium, comprising: 2. A main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data, a main body case for protecting the main body, and a layer formed on the main body case, and recording of visible data. And a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer capable of erasing. 3. A main body having a rewritable recording layer capable of recording and erasing digital data, and a rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer formed on the main body and capable of recording and erasing visible data. An information recording medium processing apparatus for handling an information recording medium comprising: changing the rewritable recording layer by irradiating light beams of different powers, while recording and erasing data on the rewritable recording layer, An information recording medium processing apparatus comprising: a light beam irradiation unit that irradiates light beams having different powers to form a color on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer and records and erases data on the rewritable thermosensitive coloring layer. .