JP2006302500A - Information recording medium, information recording device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medium, a device, and a method for recording information, for sharply shortening the time for updating management information recorded on an information recording medium to the latest management information even when the information recorded on the medium is determined as unreliable. <P>SOLUTION: The information recording medium has a recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas, and an information area for recording the management information for managing states of the plurality of partial areas at least for respective partial areas, and for recording reliability information exhibiting the reliability of the management information respectively for the plurality of partial regions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of information recording media such as optical disks and hard disks, and information recording apparatuses and methods for recording data on such information recording media.

  There is known a technique for recording management information indicating a data recording state in a recording area, that is, whether or not recording has been performed, on a recording medium such as an optical disk.

  In addition, even if the management information described above is not recorded on the recording medium due to, for example, a power interruption, the presence or absence of the management information update is detected, and the inconsistency between the management information and the actual recording state is detected. A technique for preventing and improving reliability is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-44431

  However, according to the above-described technique, it is only possible to determine whether or not the management information for the entire recording area has been updated to the latest information by detecting whether or not the management information has been updated. That is, the management information of the physical or logical block specified by which physical or logical address is not updated, so it cannot be determined whether it is not consistent with the actual recording state and does not correspond one-to-one. For this reason, for example, when the management information has not been recorded on the information recording medium due to a power-off or the like, that is, when the management information on the information recording medium has not been updated, In some cases, it may be necessary to verify or scan the entire recording area, which may be very time consuming.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, for example, even if it is determined that the management information recorded on the information recording medium is not reliable, for example, the latest management information It is an object of the present invention to provide an information recording medium, an information recording apparatus, and a method that make it possible to greatly reduce the time for updating.

  In order to solve the above problem, an information recording medium according to claim 1 of the present invention is a management for managing a recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas and a state of the plurality of partial areas at least for each partial area. An information area for recording information and reliability information indicating the reliability of the management information for each of the plurality of partial areas.

  An information recording apparatus according to claim 6 of the present invention is an information recording apparatus for recording data on the information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the management information is stored in the information area. Reading means for reading from, a determining means for determining at least one of the plurality of partial areas managed by the management information read by the reading means as a data recording area, and the determined A first updating means for temporarily updating the reliability information corresponding to the management information for managing the data recording area so as not to have reliability; and a recording means for recording the data in the determined data recording area And updating the management information after completion of the recording of the data, and a second update means for deterministically updating the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information to be reliable. Provided.

  In order to solve the above problems, an information recording method according to claim 7 of the present invention is an information recording method for recording data on an information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the management information is stored in the information area. A reading step of reading from the data, a determining step of determining at least one of the plurality of partial regions managed by the management information read by the reading step as a data recording region, and the determined A first update step for temporarily updating the reliability information corresponding to the management information for managing the data recording area so as not to have reliability, and a recording step for recording the data in the determined data recording area And, after the recording of the data is completed, the management information is updated, and the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information is definitely updated to be reliable, Provided.

  The effect | action and gain of this invention are clarified from embodiment described below.

  Hereinafter, an information recording medium, an information recording apparatus, and a method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described in order.

(Embodiment of information recording medium)
An embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention includes a recording area (for example, a lead-in area, a data zone or a lead-out area) divided into a plurality of partial areas (for example, a user data area), Management information (for example, space bitmap information or defect list information) for managing the state of the partial area at least for each partial area, and reliability information indicating the reliability of the management information for each of the plurality of partial areas (For example, reliability map information) and an information area (for example, a lead-in area, or a management information recording area thereof).

  According to the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the recording area is divided into a plurality of partial areas, and data can be recorded in each of the plurality of partial areas. Here, “data” according to the present invention refers to data that is the main object of reproduction or execution, and is, for example, content data such as image data, audio data, and document data, or data for a computer program.

  Management information is recorded in the information area. Here, the “management information” according to the present invention means general information for managing the recording state of each data in a plurality of partial areas at least for each partial area in order to appropriately record the data described above. To do. For example, the management information includes information indicating whether or not data has been recorded in each of the plurality of partial areas, information indicating whether or not a defect exists in each of the plurality of partial areas, and the like. Furthermore, the management information may be updated or created whenever there is an opportunity to record on the information recording medium, or when an operation such as ejection of the information recording medium is performed after all the series of recording is completed. Or may be updated or the like. Further, the management information may be information on the recording area, that is, information on the entire recording area of the information recording medium including the information area, or information on only the information area, for example.

  In the information area, reliability information indicating the reliability of the management information is recorded for each partial area, such as for each area including a plurality of blocks. For example, if the entire recording area of the recording medium is divided into, for example, 16 pieces of reliability information, whether the management information corresponding to each of the divided partial areas has been updated to the latest information or not. It includes flag information indicating reliability. Further, the reliability information may be updated or created every time management information is recorded on the information recording medium, or the information recording medium is discharged after the recording of the management information for a series of records is completed. Or the like may be updated or created.

  Since it is configured as described above, when data is recorded on the information recording medium according to the present embodiment, for example, it is vacant based on the management information read prior to the actual recording operation. Data can be recorded here by specifying a partial area. Alternatively, for example, the location of the defect can be specified and data can be recorded avoiding this. Even if the management information is not recorded on the information recording medium, for example, due to a power interruption or the like, that is, the management information on the information recording medium is not updated, the reliability information is later trusted according to the reliability information. It is possible to identify a partial region that is considered to be low in nature. Accordingly, the specified partial area may be updated to the latest management information. That is, it is not necessary to perform verification or scanning, that is, read the entire recording area, and it is sufficient to perform verification or scanning only on a partial area identified as having low management information reliability. Therefore, it is possible to greatly reduce the time required for updating the management information.

  For example, the information recording medium according to the present embodiment includes reliability information corresponding to each of the divided partial areas by the number of divisions, for example, 16 pieces, more specifically, a data amount of 16 bits (2 bytes). ing. As described above, the information recording medium of the present embodiment requires reliability information having a data amount that is “number of divisions” times that of the conventional technique, but the time required for updating to the latest management information. Can be reduced to "1 / number of divisions" times, for example, "1/16" times. It should be noted that a data amount that is double the “number of divisions” can be sufficiently recorded in one sector described later.

  In one aspect of the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the information area is arranged in a lead-in area of the recording area.

  According to this aspect, the management information recorded in the information area can be acquired, for example, when the information recording medium is mounted, that is, when it is mounted.

  In another aspect of the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the management information comprises information indicating whether or not data has been recorded for each small area obtained by further dividing the plurality of partial areas.

  According to this aspect, the management information includes flag information indicating a recording state such as “recorded” or “unrecorded” in a small area obtained by further dividing each partial area of the recording area of the information recording medium. Contains information. More specifically, the small area is a logical block or physical block (hereinafter referred to as appropriate) designated by a logical address or physical address (hereinafter referred to as “address” as appropriate) of a sector in the recording area of the information recording medium. This is referred to as “block”.) Flag information that can identify the recording state of “recorded” or “unrecorded” is assigned to each of these small areas, that is, blocks. The management information includes information in which the flag information is collected. Therefore, when recording data, for example, a partial area having a relatively large number of unrecorded small areas is specified based on the management information read prior to the actual recording operation, and the specified part Data can be recorded in the area.

  In particular, if flag information is used as the management information, for example, the distribution of small areas in an unrecorded state read when the information recording medium is loaded and the flag information corresponding to the recorded small areas are updated. It can be done easily and quickly. In addition, the data amount can be reduced by using only one type of flag information.

  Further, in the space bitmap information which is a specific example of the management information, a “recorded” small area, that is, a block is flagged with “1”, and an “unrecorded” small area, that is, The block is flagged with “0”.

  However, the management information is not limited to information indicating whether or not recording has been performed, and may include, for example, a defect list indicating defect locations.

  In another aspect of the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the recording area is divided into the plurality of partial areas in accordance with attributes of data to be recorded.

  According to this aspect, it is very effective when the recording area is divided into a plurality of partial areas in accordance with the attributes of data recorded in each of the plurality of partial areas. Here, the “attribute” according to the present invention means a property corresponding to the use purpose or method of the data described above. For example, the partial area may be functionally divided into a lead-in area, a spare area, a user data area, a lead-out area, and the like, which will be described later. Furthermore, the lead-in area may be divided at a boundary such as a management information recording area or an OPC area, which will be described later. This is because, in these partial areas, the recorded data are similar in use or recording period and timing, so that the range of the partial areas specified as having low management information reliability is minimized. Is possible. More specifically, when reliability information is set for each of the plurality of partial regions, even if a power interruption or the like occurs, the spatial locality and temporal locality cause spatial It can be said that there is a high possibility of being recorded in a block or the like nearby in a short time. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the range of the partial area specified as having low management information reliability. However, it may be divided equally based on the amount of data that can be recorded in the partial area regardless of the attribute.

  In another aspect of the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the management information and the reliability information are described in a table format for each partial area.

  According to this aspect, when the management information corresponding to the partial area and the actual recording state of the partial area are not consistent and updated to the latest management information, for example, flag information in the table The partial area that has not been updated to the latest management information can be quickly and easily specified by the reliability information corresponding to the partial area.

(Embodiment of information recording apparatus and method)
An embodiment according to the information recording apparatus of the present invention is an information recording apparatus for recording data on the information recording medium according to the above-described embodiment, the reading means for reading out the management information from the information area, and the plural Determining means for determining at least one of the partial areas managed by the management information read by the reading means as a data recording area, and management for managing the determined data recording area First update means for temporarily updating the reliability information corresponding to the information to the extent that there is no reliability, a recording means for recording the data in the determined data recording area, and after completion of the recording of the data And second updating means for updating the management information and deterministically updating the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information to be reliable.

  According to the embodiment of the information recording apparatus, during the operation, management information is read from the information area of the information recording medium prior to the actual recording operation by reading means such as a processor, a demodulator, and an optical pickup. At this time, the reliability information may be read together with the management information. Preferably, the read management information or management information and reliability information may be stored in, for example, a processor, a memory, or the like. Next, at least one of the partial areas managed by the management information read out by the determination means such as a processor (for example, an unrecorded block, an unrecorded block without a defect, etc.) Is determined as the data recording area. Next, the reliability information corresponding to the data recording area is temporarily updated to be unreliable by first updating means such as a processor, an encoder, and an optical pickup. Next, actual data is recorded in the data recording area of the recording area by recording means such as a processor, an encoder, and an optical pickup. Next, after the recording of the data in the data recording area by the recording means is completed, the management information is updated by the second updating means such as a processor, an encoder, an optical pickup or the like. At the same time or in succession, the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information, that is, the reliability information related to one partial area that has been provisionally updated to be unreliable is definitely definitive. It is updated to the effect.

  Each time the recording means performs recording on the information recording medium, the second updating means performs management information at an appropriate timing, that is, every time recording is performed, or after a series of recording is completed. May be updated.

  Therefore, according to the embodiment of the information recording apparatus, even if the management information on the information recording medium is not updated at the time of processing, for example, due to power interruption or the like, the reliability is low according to the reliability information later Therefore, the time required for updating the management information can be greatly shortened.

  An embodiment according to the information recording method of the present invention is an information recording method for recording data on the information recording medium according to the above-described embodiment, the reading step for reading the management information from the information area, and the plurality of the information recording methods. A determination step of determining at least one of the partial regions managed by the management information read by the reading step as a data recording region, and a management for managing the determined data recording region A first update step for temporarily updating the reliability information corresponding to the information to the extent that there is no reliability, a recording step for recording the data in the determined data recording area, and after completion of the recording of the data And a second update step for updating the management information and deterministically updating the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information to be reliable.

  According to the embodiment of the information recording method, as in the case of the embodiment of the information recording apparatus, the management information on the information recording medium is not updated at the time of processing, for example, due to a power interruption or the like. However, since it is possible to specify a partial area that is later considered to be less reliable according to the reliability information, it is possible to greatly reduce the time required to update the management information.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present embodiment will be clarified from examples described below.

  As described above, according to the embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the recording area is divided into a plurality of partial areas, and the information area includes the reliability indicating the reliability of the management information and the management information. Since the information is recorded, even if the management information is not recorded on the information recording medium at the time of processing, for example, due to power interruption or the like, the time required to update the management information is greatly increased. It can be shortened. According to the embodiment of the information recording apparatus or method of the present invention, it comprises a reading means or reading step, a determining means or determining step, a recording means or recording process, or various updating means or various updating steps. Even if the management information is not recorded on the information recording medium due to a cause such as interruption of the information, the time required to update the management information can be greatly reduced.

(Information recording medium)
Hereinafter, embodiments of the information recording medium of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the basic structure of the optical disk of the present embodiment will be described. An example of the optical disk of this embodiment is a rewritable optical disk. However, the optical disc may be a write-once optical disc. FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of an optical disc as an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention. The upper portion is a schematic plan view of an optical disc having a plurality of recording areas, and the lower portion associated therewith. FIG. 3 is a schematic conceptual diagram of a recording area structure in the radial direction. The “recording area” according to the present invention includes the “information area” according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an optical disc 100 is, for example, rewritable, and on a recording surface on a disc body having a diameter of about 12 cm as in a DVD, from an inner peripheral side toward an outer peripheral side with a center hole 1 as a center. The “recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas” according to the present invention comprises a lead-in area 101, a data zone 102, and a lead-out area 103. The lead-in area 101 includes an “information area” according to the present invention. In each recording area, for example, tracks 10 such as a groove track and a land track are alternately provided spirally or concentrically with the center hole 1 as the center. Alternatively, prepits may be formed on one or both of these tracks. On the track 10, data is divided and recorded in units of sectors 11. The present invention is not particularly limited to the optical disc 100 having such three recording areas.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the recording area of the optical disc according to the embodiment of the present invention and the information and data recorded on the optical disc will be described. FIG. 2 is a structural diagram of the recording area of the optical disc which is an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention. 2 is the inner peripheral side of the optical disc 100, and the right side in FIG. In FIG. 2, the recording area of the optical disk is divided, for example, into 16 areas. An example of the “partial area” according to the present invention is composed of 16 divided recording areas such as “LI-2”, “LI-3”, and “LI-4”, that is, “area”.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the recording area of the optical disc 100, a lead-in area 101 exists on the inner peripheral side, a data zone 102 exists on the outer peripheral side of the lead-in area 101, and an outer peripheral side of the data zone 102. A lead-out area 103 exists.

  In the lead-in area 101 and the lead-out area 103, various information for controlling or managing data recording / reproduction is recorded. The control information is information for controlling recording and reading to the data zone 102. For example, information indicating attributes and types of information recording media, information for managing data addresses, for example, information recording such as a disk drive Information for controlling a recording operation and a reading operation of the reproducing apparatus.

  Control information recording areas LI-1 and LI-4 are provided on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side in the lead-in area 101. The control information recording areas LI-1 and LI-4 are areas for recording control information for controlling recording and reading in the data zone 102.

  Furthermore, a management information recording area LI-2 and an OPC area LI-3, which constitute an example of the “information area” according to the present invention, are provided in the central portion in the lead-in area 101. Here, OPC (Optimized Power Control) is a function for performing laser output with optimum power when recording data is written to an information recording medium. In the management information recording area LI-2, for example, space bitmap information, reliability map information, and the like are recorded as described later (see FIG. 3). In the lead-out area 103, control information recording areas LO-1 and LO-2 are provided.

  In the data zone 102, the aforementioned data or user data is recorded. In the data zone 102, a plurality of user data areas UD-1 to UD-8 are provided, and spare areas SA-1 and SA-2 are provided on the inner periphery side and the outer periphery side, respectively. The user data areas UD-1 to UD-8 are main areas for recording data. Spare areas SA-1 and SA-2 are alternative recording areas for saving data from defects in user data areas UD-1 to UD-8. Here, the defect is an area or a portion that cannot be recorded to the extent that it can be accurately reproduced due to scratches or dust existing on the recording medium, deterioration of the recording medium, or the like. That is, when a defect exists in the user data areas UD-1 to UD-8, the data that should have been recorded at the location where the defect exists or the data recorded at the location is the spare area SA-1. Alternatively, it is recorded alternatively in SA-2 and used for subsequent playback.

  The control information and management information and data recorded on the information recording medium described above cannot always be clearly distinguished according to their contents. However, control information and management information are mainly information directly used for operation control of an information recording / reproducing apparatus such as a disk drive, while data is mainly recorded or read in the information recording / reproducing apparatus. This data is mainly used in, for example, data reproduction processing or program execution processing of the back end or host computer. Data is recorded in the data zone 102 according to such a difference in properties, and the control information and management information are the control information recording area LI-1 or LI-4 in the lead-in area 101, the management information recording area LI. -2, OPC area LI-3, and control information recording areas LO-1 and LO-2 in the lead-in area 103.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a specific example of the structure of the recording area of the optical disc of this embodiment and the recording area and address recorded on the optical disc will be described. FIG. 3 is a divided structure diagram of the recording area to which recorded information is added in the optical disk which is an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention. The structure of the recording area of the optical disc is the same as that described in FIG.

  In the management information recording area LI-2 shown in FIG. 3, space bitmap information 120 constituting an example of “management information” according to the present invention is recorded.

  Here, the space bitmap information 120 is information in which flag information indicating a recording state such as “recorded” or “unrecorded” is summarized for the entire optical disc 100 for each block. More specifically, the space bitmap information 120 is recorded as “recorded” or “unrecorded” for each of the blocks specified by the sector address of the recording area of the information recording medium. Is information in which the entire optical disk 100 (all blocks) is collected. In particular, the space bitmap information 120 is first read by an information recording apparatus that records data on the optical disc 100 prior to the actual recording operation, and then recorded in the memory built in the information recording apparatus. Updated or created whenever there is an opportunity to record on the medium. After that, the latest space map information updated or created in this way is updated at the appropriate timing, for example, every time recording is completed or when an operation such as EJECT is performed. It will be written into LI-2. As a result, as long as the processing ends normally, valid space bitmap information 120 is written on the optical disc 100. In the present embodiment, “1” flag information is set in the space bitmap information 120 for “recorded” recording areas, and space for “unrecorded” recording areas. Flag information “0” is set in the bitmap information 120.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in one specific example of the present embodiment, the address is expressed in a hexadecimal number. The blocks designated by “2BFFFF”, “3F0000 to 3FFFFF”, and “480000 to 51FFFF” (that is, the areas filled in gray in FIG. 3) are recorded recording areas. On the other hand, the block not designated by the address is an unrecorded recording area. More specifically, a DVD-RW having a recording capacity of 4.7 gigabytes has 2048 bytes for one sector and 16 sectors (about 32.8 kilobytes) for one block. Therefore, the data amount of the space bitmap information 120 recorded in units of this block is 4.7 gigabytes / (2048 × 16) bytes / 8 = about 17.9 kilobytes, which is enough to fit in one block. The amount of data. The space bitmap information 120 may not be information about the entire recording area of the optical disc 100 but may be information about only the user data area UD or the lead-in area 101, for example.

  In the management information recording area LI-2, reliability map information 130 that constitutes an example of “reliability information” according to the present invention is recorded. Here, the reliability map information 130 is that the entire recording area of the recording medium is divided into, for example, 16 pieces, and the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to each of the divided partial areas, that is, areas, is the latest information. Flag information indicating the reliability of whether or not it has been updated is information gathered for the entire optical disc 100 (all areas). Specifically, when the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to the area is not consistent with the actual recording state of the area and is not updated to the latest information, the reliability flag 131 indicates “1”. Flag information is set. On the other hand, if it is consistent with the actual recording state of the area and updated to the latest information, flag information of “0” is set. The reliability map information 130 is information in which the reliability flag 131 is collected for the entire optical disc 100. More specifically, in this embodiment, the reliability map information has a data amount of 16 bits (2 bytes) because flag information corresponding to each of the 16 areas is collected. If the latest space bitmap information is written in the management information recording area LI-2, the reliability map information 130 indicating that the space bitmap information is valid is written in the control information recording area LI-2. Become. Particularly in the present embodiment, as described below, such a reliability flag is set in the reliability map information 130 in units of areas composed of a plurality of blocks.

  Next, referring to FIG. 4, the addresses of the head and tail sectors in the block unit of the entire recording area, the space bitmap information 120, the divided partial areas, that is, the names of the areas, and the reliability flag 131 for this area are shown. A specific example will be described. FIG. 4 is a data table configuration diagram showing a specific example of the address, space bitmap information 120 and reliability flag 131 in the optical disc 100 which is an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 4, with respect to all the blocks designated by the address of the recording area of the information recording medium such as a rewritable optical disc by the process at the time of the previous recording, the “recorded” block has a space bitmap. “1” flag information is set in the field of information 120, and “0” flag information is set in the “unrecorded” block. In the area name field, the names of the partial areas divided into 16, that is, the areas are described. Thereafter, at the time of the current recording, such a data table is first taken into the information recording / reproducing apparatus. The management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100 is recorded despite the fact that the data has been normally recorded in the recording area address “100,000” to “10FFFF”. When the power supply of the main body of the information recording / reproducing apparatus is cut off at the timing when the management information and the reliability information recorded on the disk are not updated, the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to this block is not updated on the optical disc 100. . That is, the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to the recorded block of data on the optical disc 100 is “0” indicating “unrecorded” even though the recording of data on the optical disc 100 has actually ended. The flag information is not updated to the latest information (see the “×” mark in the field of the completed flag 121 when the address is “100000” to “10FFFF” in FIG. 4). In this case, similarly, on the optical disc 100, flag information “1” is set only in the field of the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area LI-3 by the provisional update process executed prior to data recording. Thus, the fact that the space bitmap information has not been updated to the latest information can be recognized. On the other hand, for example, when the data is normally recorded in the blocks having addresses from “20000” to “6FFFF” and the space bitmap information 120 is also normally updated, the “record” “1” flag information indicating “completed” is set and updated to the latest information. In this case, flag information of “0” is set in the field of the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area “LI-1” including these blocks, that is, reset to flag information of “0”. .

  As described above, one of the differences between the configuration of the present embodiment and the comparative example described later is that, for example, the space bitmap information 120 is not recorded on the information recording medium due to, for example, a power shutdown. Even so, since it is possible to identify an area that is considered to be low reliability according to the reliability flag 131 indicating the reliability of the space bitmap information 120 later, the time required to update the space bitmap information 120 is greatly reduced. It is possible to do.

  Specifically, as described above, when the power of the main body of the information recording / reproducing apparatus is cut off even though data is normally recorded in a certain area, the space bitmap information corresponding to the certain area. 120 may not be updated to the latest information. In this case, since the flag information “1” is set in the field of the reliability flag 131 and the area “LI-3”, which is considered to be low in reliability, can be specified, the latest space bit for the specified area can be specified. What is necessary is just to update to the map information 120. That is, it is not necessary to verify or scan the entire recording area, and it is sufficient to verify or scan only the area “LI-3” identified as having low reliability of the space bitmap information 120. Therefore, the time required to update the space bitmap information 120 can be greatly shortened.

  More specifically, this embodiment is divided into areas, and the reliability flag 131 corresponding to each of the areas is provided for the number of divisions, for example, the data amount for 16 bits (2 bytes). On the other hand, in a comparative example to be described later, as information indicating whether or not the space bitmap information 120 of the entire recording area indicates the latest information, one reliability flag 132, that is, a data amount for one bit is used. Only have. As described above, the present embodiment requires a management information reliability flag having a data amount that is “number of divisions” times as large as that of the comparative example to be described later, but for updating to the latest space bitmap information 120. It is possible to shorten the time by “1 / number of divisions” times, for example, “1/16” times. It should be noted that a data amount that is double the “number of divisions” can be sufficiently recorded in one sector.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, when the entire recording area is divided into areas, it is very effective to divide at the boundary according to the usage method of the area. For example, the lead-in area 101, the spare area SA-1 or SA-2, the user data area UD, and the lead-out area 103 may be divided. Furthermore, the lead-in area 101 may be divided at the boundary of the management information recording area LI-2, the OPC area LI-3, or the like. This is because these areas are similar in timing and timing of use or recording. Therefore, when the reliability flag 131 is set for each of these areas, even if the power supply is interrupted, the spatially close blocks and the like due to the spatial locality and temporal locality Therefore, it is possible to minimize the range of the area specified as being unreliable in the space bitmap information 120, the time to scan, and the latest space bitmap. It is possible to further shorten and improve the efficiency of updating the information 120.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the effect of the present embodiment will be examined. FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a recording area to which recorded information is added in an optical disc as a comparative example, and FIG. 6 is a data table configuration diagram thereof. The structure of the recording area of the optical disc is the same as that described with reference to FIGS.

  In the management information recording area LI-2 shown in FIG. 5, as described above, the space bitmap information 120 constituting an example of the “management information” according to the present invention is recorded.

  In the management information recording area LI-2, a reliability flag 132 constituting an example of reliability information indicating the reliability of the management information according to the comparative example is recorded.

  In this comparative example, the recording area is not divided as a unit for providing the reliability flag as in this embodiment. Then, only one reliability flag 132 is provided as information indicating whether or not the space bitmap information 120 of the entire recording area has been updated normally. Specifically, when the optical disc 100 is inserted into an information recording / reproducing apparatus to be described later, flag information “1” is set in the reliability flag 132 and the latest space bitmap information 120 is normally updated. In this case, the flag information is reset to “0” when the optical disc 100 is ejected. On the other hand, although the data has been normally recorded on the optical disc 100, the power supply of the main body of the information recording / reproducing apparatus to be described later is cut off and the latest space bitmap information 120 corresponding to this block has not been updated. The flag information “1” is still set in the reliability flag 132 field. Thus, even when it is determined by the reliability flag 132 that the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to any block is not reliable, in order to update the space bitmap information 120 normally, for example, recording is performed. There is a need to verify or scan the entire area.

  On the other hand, according to the optical disc 100 of the present embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, even if the space bitmap information 120 is not updated, a space can be obtained by referring to the reliability flag 131. Since the area to be verified or scanned in order to update the bitmap information 120 normally can be remarkably reduced, it is advantageous to each stage as compared with the comparative example.

(Information recording / reproducing device)
Next, the configuration and operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In particular, the present embodiment is an example in which the information recording apparatus of the present invention is applied to the above-described information recording / reproducing apparatus for an optical disc.

  First, the configuration of an information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 that is an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 has a function of recording record data on the optical disc 100 and a function of reproducing the record data recorded on the optical disc 100.

  The internal configuration of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 will be described with reference to FIG. The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 is an apparatus that records information on the optical disc 100 and reads information recorded on the optical disc 100 under the control of the processor 354.

  The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 includes an optical disc 100, a spindle motor 351, an optical pickup 352, a signal recording / reproducing unit 353, a processor (drive control unit) 354, a memory 355, a data input / output control unit 306, a power control unit 308, and an operation button 310. , A display panel 311, and a bus 357.

  The spindle motor 351 rotates and stops the optical disc 100, and operates when accessing the optical disc. More specifically, the spindle motor 351 is configured to rotate and stop the optical disc 100 at a predetermined speed while receiving spindle servo from a not-shown servo unit or the like.

  The optical pickup 352 performs recording / reproduction with respect to the optical disc 100, and includes a laser device and a lens. More specifically, the optical pickup 352 irradiates the optical disc 100 with a light beam such as a laser beam at a first power as reading light during reproduction, and modulates with a second power as writing light at the time of recording. Irradiate.

  The signal recording / reproducing means 353 performs recording / reproduction with respect to the optical disc 100 by controlling the spindle motor 351 and the optical pickup 352.

  The memory 355 is used in general data processing in the disk drive 300, such as a buffer area for recording / reproducing data and an area used as an intermediate buffer for conversion to data usable by the signal recording / reproducing means 353.

  In particular, the memory 355 includes a ROM area in which a program for performing operations as these recorder devices is stored, a buffer used for compression / decompression of video data, and a RAM area in which variables necessary for program operation are stored. . In particular, in this embodiment, even if the power is cut off, the space bitmap information 120 can be updated efficiently with the information of the reliability flag 131 stored in the memory 355.

  The processor (drive control means) 354 is connected to the signal recording / reproducing means 353 and the memory 355 via the bus 357, and controls the entire information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 by giving an instruction to each control means. Usually, software for operating the processor 354 is stored in the memory 355.

  The data input / output control unit 306 controls data input / output from the outside to the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300, and stores and retrieves data from / in the data buffer on the memory 355. When the data input / output is a video signal, the data received from the outside is compressed (encoded) into the MPEG format at the time of data input, and then output to the memory 355. At the time of data output, the MPEG format received from the memory 355 is output. Data is decompressed (decoded) and then output to the outside.

  The operation control unit 307 receives and displays an operation instruction for the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300. The operation control unit 307 transmits an instruction by the operation button 310 such as recording or reproduction to the processor 354, and the operation state of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 such as recording or reproduction Is output to a display panel 311 such as a fluorescent tube.

  As described above, the household device, which is an example of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300, is a recorder device that records and reproduces video. This recorder device is a device that records a video signal from a broadcast receiving tuner or an external connection terminal on a disc, and outputs the video signal reproduced from the disc to an external display device such as a television. The program stored in the memory 355 is executed by the processor 354, thereby operating as a recorder device.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 10, the space bitmap information 120 is recorded on the optical disc 100 based on the reliability map information 130 by the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 of the present embodiment whose configuration has been described with reference to FIG. The updated operation and recording operation will be described in detail. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of updating the space bitmap information 120 on the optical disc 100 based on the reliability flag 131 constituting the reliability map information 130 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment. It is. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a recording operation when the power is turned off in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a normal recording operation in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment.

  The operation in each process is basically instructed by issuing a command to the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 from the operation button 310, and data recording to the optical disc 100 and data reproduction from the optical disc 100 are performed. The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 executes.

  First, with reference to FIG. 8, an operation of updating the space bitmap information 120 on the optical disc 100 based on the reliability flag 131 constituting the reliability map information 130 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 will be described.

  The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment is turned on and activated (step S101). Here, it is assumed that the optical disc 100 is loaded.

  Before setting the recording area for performing data recording, the processor 354 confirms whether or not the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 is in a disk-mounted state, and then issues a disk recording information read command. The optical pickup 352 The latest reliability map information 130 is read from the management information recording area LI-2 on 100, and the reliability map information 130 is transferred to the RAM area of the memory 355 through the bus 357 under the control of the processor 354. The map information 130 is stored (step S102).

  The space bitmap information 120 is stored in the RAM area of the memory 355 of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in the same manner as the reliability map information 130 in step S102a (step S103).

  The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the reliability flags 131 of the reliability map information 130 stored in the memory 355 are all “0” (step S104). Here, when the reliability flag 131 corresponding to a certain area is set to “1” (step S104: No), the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to this area has low reliability, so this space bitmap. The information 120 is updated to the latest information on the optical disc 100. Specifically, in some areas where the reliability flag 131 is “1”, scanning, that is, reading is performed, the recording area and the unrecorded area are discriminated, and the management information recording area on the optical disc 100 is recorded. The space bitmap information 120 recorded in LI-2 is updated to the latest information (step S105a). When scanning the recording area, it is efficient to preferentially scan the unrecorded area indicated in the space bitmap information 120 before update. Simultaneously updated reliability flag information is recorded in the management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100.

  On the other hand, if all the reliability flags 131 of the reliability map information 130 are “0” as a result of the determination in step S104 (step S104: Yes), the space bitmap information 120 indicates the latest information. Updating on the optical disc 100 is not performed.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the recording operation and the updating operation on the optical disc 100 when the power is shut off during the application operation in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 will be described.

  After the acquisition of the reliability map information 130 and the space bitmap information 120 described in FIG. 8 or the update in addition to the acquisition, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 waits for a recording start instruction, that is, the issue of a write command (step S200).

  Here, for example, when the recording button is pressed with the operation button 310, the processor 354 detects this, and when the data from the data input / output control means 306 is stored in the memory 355, the processor 354 gives a recording start instruction, That is, it is determined that a write command has been issued (step S200: Yes).

  On the other hand, for example, when the recording button is not pressed with the operation button 310, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 continues to wait for the recording start instruction, that is, the issue of the write command (step S200: No).

  Next, based on the space bitmap information 120 stored in the memory 355, the processor 354 sets a recording area to be recorded, that is, to be written, and determines the address and recording data length of this recording area. “1” is provisionally set in the management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100 in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area belonging to the recording area thus determined (step S210a).

  Next, under the control of the processor 354, a data recording command is issued based on the recording area address and the recording data length determined as described above, and the data is actually recorded in the recording area on the optical disc 100. (Step S220-1). The processor 354 that has received the command completion status identifies the recorded recording area, and updates the space bitmap information 120 stored in the memory 355 and the management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100 (step S230a). . After the update of the space bitmap information 120 is completed, “0” is definitely set in the management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100 in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area (step S240a).

  Thereafter, a series of recording operations from step S210a to step S240a is repeated. The actual recording in the recording area on the optical disk at the “n” th time is referred to as “step S220-n”.

  Next, in the “n” -th recording operation, “1” is provisionally set in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area (step S210a), and recording is performed on the recording area on the optical disc at the “n” -th time (step S220). -N) is completed. After the completion of the recording, when the power is cut off while the application is still operating (step S900), the actual recording in the recording area on the optical disk at the “n” th time is the management information recording area LI of the memory 355 and the optical disk 100. -2 is not reflected in the space bitmap information 120 above, and the reliability flag 131 remains set to “1”. Therefore, after the information recording apparatus 300 is restarted, the area in which the reliability flag 131 remains set to “1” in step S105a after the above-described steps S102 and S103 in FIG. Only the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to is updated to the latest information on the management information recording area LI-2 on the optical disc 100. It should be noted that normal updating of the space bitmap information 120 and the reliability map information 130 before the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 is powered off is naturally effective.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a normal recording operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 and an update operation on the optical disc 100 will be described. The recording operation from step S200 to step S220-n is the same as when the power supply in FIG. 9 is shut off.

  Under normal conditions, after completion of recording to the recording area on the optical disc at the “n” th time (step S220-n), the above-described step S230a is updated, and the reliability flag 131 of the corresponding area is obtained at the above-described step S240a. "0" is set in

  Next, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 waits for an instruction to eject the optical disc 100 from the operation button 310, that is, issuing an EJECT command (step S300). When this ejection instruction or command is issued (step S300: Yes), the space bitmap information 120 updated to the latest information on the memory 355 is rewritten or appended to the management information recording area LI-2 of the optical disc 100. (Step S400).

  Next, similarly, the reliability map information 130 is rewritten or appended for confirmation (step S500).

  Next, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 actually ejects the optical disc 100 in response to the ejection instruction or command issuance of the optical disc 100 from the operation button 310 in step S300 (step S600).

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S300 is that a discharge instruction or command is not issued (step S300: No), the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 waits for a recording start instruction, that is, a write command (step S200).

  Next, with respect to the case where a nonvolatile memory is provided, referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, an operation of updating the space bitmap information 120 on the nonvolatile memory 355 based on the reliability map information 130 and The recording operation will be described in detail. FIG. 11 shows an operation in which the space bitmap information 120 is updated on the nonvolatile memory 355 based on the reliability flag 131 constituting the reliability map information 130 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a recording operation when the power is turned off in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in this embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a normal recording operation in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 in the present embodiment.

  First, referring to FIG. 11, an operation in which the space bitmap information 120 is updated on the nonvolatile memory 355 based on the reliability flag 131 constituting the reliability map information 130 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 will be described. To do. In FIG. 11, steps similar to those in FIG. 8 showing the operation updated on the optical disc 100 are given the same step numbers, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 determines whether or not the reliability flags 131 of the reliability map information 130 stored in the nonvolatile memory 355 are all “0” (step S104). Here, when the reliability flag 131 corresponding to a certain area is set to “1” (step S104: No), the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to this area has low reliability, so this space bitmap. The information 120 is updated to the latest information on the memory 355. Specifically, in some areas where the reliability flag 131 is set to “1”, scanning, that is, reading, is performed, and a recording area and an unrecorded area are discriminated and recorded in the nonvolatile memory 355. The space bitmap information 120 that has been updated is updated to the latest information (step S105b). As described above, when the recording area is scanned, it is efficient to preferentially scan the unrecorded area indicated in the space bitmap information 120 before update.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 12, the recording operation and the updating operation on the nonvolatile memory 355 when the power is shut off during the application operation in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 will be described. In FIG. 12, the same steps as those in FIG. 9 showing the operation updated on the optical disc 100 are given the same step numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  Based on the space bitmap information 120 stored in the nonvolatile memory 355, the processor 354 sets a recording area to be recorded, that is, to be written, and determines an address and a recording data length of the recording area. “1” is provisionally set in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area belonging to the recording area determined in this way on the nonvolatile memory 355 (step S210b).

  Next, a data recording operation is performed in step S220-1 described above.

  Next, the processor 354 that has received the command completion status identifies the recorded recording area, and updates the space bitmap information 120 on the memory 355 (step S230b). After the update of the space bitmap information 120 is completed, “0” is definitely set on the nonvolatile memory 355 in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area (step S240b).

  Next, in the “n” -th recording operation, “1” is temporarily set on the nonvolatile memory 355 in the reliability flag 131 corresponding to the area (step S210b), and the “n” -th recording on the optical disk is performed. Recording in the recording area (step S220-n) is completed. After the completion of the recording, when the power is cut off while the application is still running (step S900), the actual recording in the recording area on the optical disk at the “n” th time is reflected in the space bitmap information 120 on the memory 355. In addition, the reliability flag 131 remains “1”. Therefore, after the information recording apparatus 300 is restarted, the area in which the reliability flag 131 is still set to “1” in step S105b after the steps S102 and S103 of FIG. Only the space bitmap information 120 corresponding to is updated to the latest information on the nonvolatile memory 355. It should be noted that normal updating of the space bitmap information 120 and the reliability map information 130 before the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 is powered off is naturally effective.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 13, a normal recording operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 300 and an update operation on the nonvolatile memory 355 will be described. The recording operation from step S200 to step S220-n is the same as when the power supply in FIG. 12 is shut off.

  Under normal conditions, after completion of recording in the recording area on the optical disc at the “n” th time (step S220-n), the update in the memory 355 in the above-described step S230b is performed. The reliability flag 131 of “0” is definitely set on the nonvolatile memory 355.

  Next, Step S300, Step S400, Step S500, and Step S600 are the same as those in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the space bitmap information 120 has been described as an example of management information. However, the management information may be other management information such as defect list information, or may be information that collectively includes such information. . Accordingly, when it is determined that the defect list information or the like is not updated to the latest information and is not reliable, it is necessary to scan the area in which the defect list information or the like is recorded, as with the space bitmap information 120. In addition, the area that needs to be scanned is specified. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time for which the defect list information or the like is updated to the latest information.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the space bitmap information 120 and the reliability map information 130, which are examples of management information, are recorded in the management information recording area LI-2 and managed by the disk drive 300 under the control of the processor 354. However, the management information may be recorded in the user data area UD and managed by a file system or an application.

  In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the rewritable optical disc 100 is described as an example of the information recording medium, and the recorder or player according to the rewritable optical disc 100 is described as an example of the information reproducing / recording apparatus. Is not limited to a rewritable optical disc and its recorder or player, but can be applied to the embodiments of FIGS. 11 to 13 in the latter half to apply a large amount of a write-once information recording medium such as a write-once optical disc or a hard disk. The present invention can also be applied to a capacity recording apparatus, other various information recording media corresponding to high density recording or high transfer rate, and its recorder or player.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and information recording accompanying such changes is possible. A medium, an information recording apparatus, and a method are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 shows the basic structure of an optical disc as an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention, the upper part being a schematic plan view of an optical disc having a plurality of recording areas, and the lower part associated therewith in the radial direction It is a schematic conceptual diagram of a recording area structure. 1 is a structural diagram of a recording area of an optical disc that is an embodiment of an information recording medium of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a divided structure diagram of a recording area to which recorded information is added in an optical disc as an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention. It is a block diagram of the data table which showed the specific example of the address, the space bitmap information 120, and the reliability flag in the optical disk which is one Example of the information recording medium of this invention. FIG. 5 is a structural diagram of a recording area to which recorded information is added in an optical disc as a comparative example. It is a block diagram of the data table which showed the specific example of the address, space bitmap information, and a reliability flag in the optical disk which is a comparative example. It is a block diagram of the information recording / reproducing apparatus based on the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement by which the space bitmap information is updated on the rewritable optical disk based on reliability map information in the information recording / reproducing apparatus in a present Example. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a recording operation when the power is turned off in FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a normal recording operation in FIG. 8. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement by which the space bitmap information is updated on a non-volatile memory based on reliability map information in the information recording / reproducing apparatus in a present Example. 12 is a flowchart showing a recording operation when the power is turned off in FIG. 11. 12 is a flowchart showing a normal recording operation in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 Center hole 10 Track 11 Sector 100 Optical disk 101 Lead-in area 102 Data zone 103 Lead-out area LI-1 Control information recording area LI-2 Management information recording area LI-3 OPC area LI-4 Control information recording area SA-1 Spare Area UD User data area UD-1 User data area UD-2 User data area UD-3 User data area UD-4 User data area UD-5 User data area UD-6 User data area UD-7 User data area UD-8 User data area SA-2 Spare area LO-1 Control information recording area LO-2 Control information recording area 120 Space bitmap information 121 Completed flag 130 Reliability map information 131 Reliability flag 132 Reliability flag 300 Broadcast recording and reproduction apparatus 306 data input-output control means 307 operation control means 310 operation buttons 311 display panel 351 Spindle motor 352 optical pickup 353 signal recording and reproduction means 354 processor (drive control device)
355 memory

Claims (7)

A recording area divided into a plurality of partial areas;
An information area for recording management information for managing the state of the plurality of partial areas at least for each partial area, and reliability information indicating the reliability of the management information for each of the partial areas; An information recording medium comprising:   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the information area is arranged in a lead-in area of the recording area.   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes information indicating whether data has been recorded for each of small areas obtained by further dividing the plurality of partial areas.   The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the recording area is divided into the plurality of partial areas according to attributes of data to be recorded.   2. The information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the management information and the reliability information are described in a table format for each partial area. An information recording apparatus for recording data on the information recording medium according to claim 1,
Reading means for reading the management information from the information area;
Determining means for determining, as a data recording area, at least one of the partial areas managed by the management information read by the reading means among the plurality of partial areas;
First update means for temporarily updating the reliability information corresponding to the management information for managing the determined data recording area so as not to be reliable;
Recording means for recording the data in the determined data recording area;
And second update means for updating the management information after completion of recording the data and deterministically updating the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information to be reliable. A characteristic information recording apparatus. An information recording method for recording data on the information recording medium according to claim 1,
A reading step of reading the management information from the information area;
A determining step of determining, as a data recording region, at least one of the partial regions managed by the management information read by the reading step among the plurality of partial regions;
A first update step of updating the reliability information corresponding to the management information for managing the determined data recording area to be temporarily unreliable;
A recording step of recording the data in the determined data recording area;
A second update step of updating the management information after completion of recording the data and deterministically updating the reliability information corresponding to the updated management information to be reliable. A characteristic information recording method.

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