JP3334129B2 - Recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus for recording data transferred from an external device such as a personal computer on a recording medium such as a CD-R.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, optical disks have become widespread as their prices have been reduced. The optical disk is suitable for electronic storage of documents in a company because the data recorded on the optical disk does not deteriorate, and in particular, a CD-R (Compact Disc Recorder).
dable) is used. The CD-R is a write-once optical disc, and can record only once on its recording surface.

Such a recording apparatus for recording data on a CD-R is connected, for example, directly to a personal computer or via a communication line, and sequentially writes data transferred from the personal computer to the CD-R. Go. The recording device includes a buffer memory for temporarily storing the transferred data. By recording the data through the buffer memory, the recording device can continuously record the data even if the transfer speed is higher than the recording speed. Recording can be performed.

In the recording apparatus having such a configuration, when the transfer speed is continuously lower than the recording speed, a phenomenon in which the amount of data temporarily stored in the buffer memory is lost, that is, a so-called buffer under condition, occurs. Runs may occur. This is due to the fact that a recent personal computer operates in a multitasking environment, and the transfer processing is slowed down by other tasks. Under such circumstances, data recording is intermittent and not only the track in this portion becomes unusable, but also writing of TOC (Table of Contents) performed at the end of data recording cannot be performed. The data cannot be read or written, including the data recorded normally. CD-R is
Since data cannot be deleted or rewritten, it is discarded in such a case.

To solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
-161826, JP-A-4-195971, JP-A-10-188443, and JP-A-10-188443
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2939961 discloses that a transfer rate is calculated based on the amount of data temporarily stored in a buffer memory and a recording rate, a clock cycle is increased in accordance with the transfer rate, and a CD-ROM which operates in synchronization with the clock rate. A recording apparatus for reducing the speed of recording performed by an R drive motor and a write pickup is disclosed.

According to this recording apparatus, even if a buffer underrun occurs, it can be detected in advance and adjusted to a recording speed corresponding to the transfer speed. There is an advantage that recording can be performed continuously without occurrence of a run.

Note that a buffer overflow that occurs when the transfer speed is higher than the recording speed in response to a buffer underrun is normally monitored by the transfer source personal computer, and the transfer speed of the personal computer decreases. It can be solved by doing so.

[0008]

However, in the conventional recording apparatus disclosed above, the recording speed is reduced by continuously or intermittently reducing the clock cycle in adjusting the recording speed. However, its realization has the following problems.

First, a drive motor for rotating a CD-R can change its rotation speed smoothly and steplessly in accordance with adjustment of a clock cycle. Since the pulse signal for controlling the applied voltage does not have an accurate rectangular shape, the adjustment is complicated.

[0010] This is because pits on the recording surface of a CD-R are generated by increasing the rising amplitude of a pulse signal at the start of laser irradiation, and reducing the amplitude of the pulse signal to generate pits with residual heat during irradiation. However, the energy pattern of such a pulse signal is
This is because there are innumerable energy patterns necessary to obtain an appropriate pit shape because the target CD-R differs depending on the manufacturer, material, and the like.

In other words, in order to realize the above-described conventional recording apparatus, a data table prepared with such various energy patterns is provided in advance, and the energy table corresponding to the type of the target CD-R is prepared. It is important to select a pattern.

However, when the recording speed is adjusted steplessly or in small increments, it is necessary to facilitate an enormous amount of data tables, which is practically difficult to realize.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and based on the amount of data stored in a buffer memory, for example, the recording speed (4) of a recording device for CD-Rs currently in practical use. (Double speed, double speed, etc.), the speed is gradually reduced to double speed, normal speed (standard speed), etc., and actual data is not recorded during deceleration.
By generating appropriate data as discard data and recording this on a CD-R as a recording medium, it is usually necessary to prepare only a small number of energy patterns corresponding to most types of CD-Rs. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus capable of performing substantially continuous recording, preventing a buffer underrun, and making a CD-R unreadable and writable.

[0014]

A recording apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a buffer memory for storing data transferred from an external device, and a data recording means for reading data from the buffer memory and recording the data on a recording medium. A data amount detecting means for detecting an amount of data stored in the buffer memory, wherein the recording device adjusts a recording speed on the recording medium based on a detection result by the data amount detecting means. A deceleration means for gradually reducing the recording speed of the data recording means based on the detection result by the data amount detection means, and during deceleration by the deceleration means,
Data generating means for generating discard data to be provided to the data recording means, wherein the data recording means records the discard data provided from the data generating means on the recording medium. I do.

In the recording apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the first aspect, the data generation means generates the discarded data from the start to the end of the deceleration by the deceleration means, Preferably, the discard data generated by the data generating means is recorded on the recording medium, and information indicating a recording range of the discard data is recorded on the recording medium.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the recording apparatus according to the first or second aspect.
The recording apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that the deceleration means decelerates when the data amount detected by the data amount detection means falls below a predetermined threshold.

According to the recording apparatus of the first aspect, data transferred from an external device such as a personal computer is stored in the buffer memory, and the data is read from the buffer memory and recorded on the recording medium, while being stored in the buffer memory. In a recording apparatus that detects the amount of data stored and adjusts the recording speed on a recording medium based on the detection result, based on the detection result of the amount of data stored in the buffer memory, Since the recording speed is reduced stepwise, discarded data is generated during the deceleration, and the discarded data is recorded on a recording medium. Recording is performed at the recording speed (4 times speed, 2 times speed, etc.),
While decelerating stepwise in units of double speed to 1 × (standard speed) or the like, during deceleration, actual data is not recorded, but appropriate data as discard data is generated and this is recorded on a CD as a recording medium. By recording on the R-R, usually only a small number of energy patterns corresponding to most types of CD-Rs need to be prepared. Prevent,
It does not make the CD-R unreadable and writable.

As described above, the recording speed in each stage is reduced by the recording speed of a CD-R that has been put to practical use, ie, quadruple speed, double speed, and normal speed (standard speed). The energy patterns corresponding to such double speeds are known, and since these energy patterns are designed to guarantee the difference in maker, material, etc., the energy patterns conventionally used for the respective recording speeds are used. Can be used as it is, and the entire apparatus can be constructed at low cost.

In the present invention, when the recording speed is the double speed which has been put to practical use as described above, the energy pattern in that state is guaranteed according to the type of the CD-R, and the recording speed is increased. However, with the practical use of a recording apparatus capable of higher-speed recording in the future, for example, 8 × speed, 16 × speed, etc. may be adopted. Also, the CD
-R recording speed (4 × speed, 2 × speed, and 1 × speed (standard speed)) refers to the data transfer speed (150
(kB / sec) as the standard speed.

In a transient state during deceleration, it is necessary to prepare various energy patterns as in the prior art in order to guarantee the above-mentioned energy pattern. Without performing the recording operation, arbitrary data as discarded data is recorded on the recording medium. Therefore, the recording area of the optical disc is wasted by the amount of the discarded data, but substantially continuous recording can be performed to prevent buffer underrun,
In particular, when the recording medium is a CD-R, the recording medium does not become unreadable and writable. The discarded data is arbitrary data and may be generated with regularity or may be random.

According to the recording apparatus of the second aspect, the discard data is generated from the start to the end of the deceleration, and the discard data is recorded on the recording medium, and the information indicating the recording range of the discard data is recorded. Since the information is recorded on a recording medium, for example, this information is recorded in the TOC of the CD-R, so that no matter what data is recorded as discard data, the data is read from this CD-R. Only the discarded data can be ignored.

According to the recording apparatus of the third aspect, the deceleration operation is performed when the detected data amount of the buffer memory falls below the predetermined threshold value. Can be performed.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings showing the embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the configuration of a recording device 1 according to the present invention and a personal computer 2 connected to the recording device 1 as an external device.

The recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention is a recording apparatus using a CD-R3 as a recording medium,
It comprises a drive motor 11, a motor control circuit 12, an interface 13, a buffer memory 14, a signal processing circuit 15, a pickup 16, and the like.

The controller 10 is composed of a microcomputer and controls each unit provided in the recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention.

The drive motor 11 includes a servomotor, and a CD-R3 mounted on the output shaft.
Is rotationally driven at any of quadruple speed, double speed, and normal speed (standard speed) of the data transfer speed of the audio CD. The motor control circuit 12 controls the drive motor 1 so that the drive motor 1 has a linear velocity corresponding to the clock signal generated by the controller 10.
In addition to controlling the drive of the drive 1 and controlling the drive unit of the pickup 16 in synchronization with the drive motor 11, the drive motor 11 and the pickup 16 are switched to one of the double speeds according to a change in the clock signal of the controller 10.

The interface 13 comprises a SCSI interface board for connecting the recording device 1 according to the present invention to a personal computer 2 as an external device.
The data transferred from the personal computer 2 is received.

The buffer memory 14 has the interface 1
3 to temporarily store data input from the personal computer 2.

The signal processing circuit 15 reads the data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 14 at a speed corresponding to the clock signal generated by the controller 10, modulates the data into a signal recordable on the CD-R3, and modulates the modulated data. To the pickup 16 and the discard data provided from the controller 10 to the pickup 16.

The pickup 16 is provided close to the recording surface of the CD-R 3, and is controlled by the motor control circuit 12 and a red or purple semiconductor laser that emits light based on data supplied from the signal processing circuit 15. And a drive unit for moving the semiconductor laser in a direction perpendicular and radially to the recording surface of the CD-R3, and records data provided from the signal processing circuit 15 on the CD-R3. In addition, 4
The energy pattern for exciting the semiconductor laser according to the double speed, the double speed, and the normal speed is stored in advance in an internal memory of the controller 10.

The controller 10 monitors the amount of data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 14,
When the data amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the motor control circuit 12 is configured to reduce the recording speed at every double speed. This will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a recording process by the controller 10 of the recording apparatus 1 according to the present invention. This processing is repeated for each clock signal generated by the controller 10, for example, and first, an initial recording speed is set (step 1). The setting of the initial recording speed
This is performed by selecting the highest speed among quadruple speed, double speed, and single speed according to the data transfer speed from the personal computer 2.

Next, actual data recording (actual recording) at the set recording speed is started (step 2), and it is confirmed whether or not the recording is completed (step 3). Confirmation of recording completion is to confirm whether data to be recorded still remains in the buffer memory 14.

If the recording is not completed, it is checked whether the amount of data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 14 is less than a predetermined value (step 4). If the data amount exceeds the predetermined value, it is determined that data that does not cause a buffer underrun is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 14, and the processing from step 2 is repeated.

On the other hand, when the data amount is equal to or less than the predetermined value, it is determined that there is a possibility of buffer underrun, and
For example, if the quadruple speed is the initial setting, the deceleration instruction is output to the motor control circuit 12 and the signal processing circuit 15 in order to switch the recording speed to the double speed lower by one rank (step 5). Motor control circuit 12
And the signal processing circuit 15 starts deceleration.

In response to the start of the deceleration, this deceleration start point is stored in the built-in memory (step 6). Next, discard data is generated and supplied to the pickup 16 via the signal processing circuit 15 (step 7), and the pickup 16 records the discard data on the CD-R 3 in response thereto.

Then, it is confirmed again whether or not the recording has been completed (step 8). Confirmation of recording completion here
It is to check whether a recording area still remains in R3. If the recording has not been completed, it is checked whether or not the deceleration has been completed (step 9). If the deceleration has not been completed, the processing from step 7 is repeated to continue recording the discarded data. On the other hand, if deceleration has been completed,
The deceleration completion time is stored in the built-in memory (step 10),
The processing from step 2 is repeated.

On the other hand, if the recording is completed in step 8, the deceleration completion time is stored in the built-in memory as in step 10, and the recording is completed after step 11 or in step 3. In this case, a recording instruction is given to the motor control circuit 12 and the signal processing circuit 15 in order to record the information of the recording area including the start and completion points of the deceleration stored in the built-in memory in the TOC (step 12). Ends.

[0039]

As described in detail above, in the recording apparatus according to the present invention, data transferred from an external device such as a personal computer is stored in a buffer memory, and the data is read from the buffer memory and recorded on a recording medium. On the other hand, in a recording apparatus that detects the amount of data stored in the buffer memory and adjusts the recording speed on the recording medium based on the detection result, the amount of data stored in the buffer memory is reduced. Based on the detection result, the recording speed is gradually reduced, and discard data is generated during the deceleration, and the discard data is recorded on a recording medium. Recording is performed at the recording speed of a recording device (for example, quadruple speed, double speed, etc.), and this is gradually reduced to double speed, normal speed (standard speed), etc. in double speed units In addition, during deceleration, actual data is not recorded, but appropriate data as discarded data is generated and recorded on a CD-R as a recording medium. Only an energy pattern of a small number of steps corresponding to R needs to be prepared, recording can be performed substantially continuously, buffer underrun is prevented, and reading / writing of the CD-R is not disabled.

As described above, the recording speed in each stage is reduced by the recording speed of a CD-R which has been put to practical use, ie, quadruple speed, double speed, and normal speed (standard speed). The energy patterns corresponding to such double speeds are known, and since these energy patterns are designed to guarantee the difference in maker, material, etc., the energy patterns conventionally used for the respective recording speeds are used. Can be used as it is, and the entire apparatus can be constructed at low cost.

In the present invention, when the recording speed is the double speed which has been put to practical use as described above, the energy pattern in that state is guaranteed in accordance with the type of the CD-R. However, with the practical use of a recording apparatus capable of higher-speed recording in the future, for example, 8 × speed, 16 × speed, etc. may be adopted. In addition, the CD
-R recording speed (4 × speed, 2 × speed, and 1 × speed (standard speed)) refers to the data transfer speed (150
(kB / sec) as the standard speed.

In a transient state during deceleration, various energy patterns must be prepared as in the prior art in order to guarantee the above-mentioned energy pattern. Without performing the recording operation, arbitrary data as discarded data is recorded on the recording medium. Therefore, the recording area of the optical disc is wasted by the amount of the discarded data, but substantially continuous recording can be performed to prevent buffer underrun,
In particular, when the recording medium is a CD-R, the recording medium does not become unreadable and writable. The discarded data is arbitrary data and may be generated with regularity or may be random.

Further, since the discard data is generated from the start to the end of the deceleration, the discard data is recorded on the recording medium, and the information indicating the recording range of the discard data is recorded on the recording medium. For example, this information is
By recording the data in the TOC of the DR, no matter what data is recorded as the discard data, only the discard data can be ignored when reading the data from the CD-R.

Further, since the deceleration is performed when the detected data amount of the buffer memory falls below a predetermined threshold value, the deceleration operation can be performed before the buffer underrun occurs. Has an excellent effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the configuration of a recording apparatus according to the present invention and a personal computer connected to the recording apparatus as an external apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a recording process performed by a controller of the recording apparatus according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording device 2 Personal computer 3 CD-R 10 Controller 11 Drive motor 12 Motor control circuit 14 Buffer memory 15 Signal processing circuit 16 Pickup

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/06-3/08 G11B 19/00-20/18

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A buffer memory for storing data transferred from an external device, data recording means for reading data from the buffer memory and recording the data on a recording medium, and detecting an amount of data stored in the buffer memory. A data amount detection unit that adjusts the recording speed on the recording medium based on the detection result by the data amount detection unit. A decelerating means for gradually reducing the recording speed of the data recording means, and a data generating means for generating discard data to be given to the data recording means during deceleration by the decelerating means,
The recording apparatus, wherein the data recording unit is configured to record the discard data provided from the data generation unit on the recording medium. 2. The data generation means generates the discard data from the start to the completion of deceleration by the deceleration means, and the data recording means stores the discard data generated by the data generation means in the deceleration data. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is recorded on a recording medium, and information indicating a recording range of the discarded data is recorded on the recording medium. 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deceleration means decelerates when said data amount detected by said data amount detection means falls below a predetermined threshold.