JP3919203B2 - Information recording / playback system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to information recording exchangeable in a computer system, such as an optical disc such as CD-R / RW, DVD-R / RW, DVD + RW / R, magneto-optical disc such as MO, magnetic disc such as HD or FD, memory card, etc. The present invention relates to an information recording / reproducing system suitable for use in a medium, and particularly suitable for use in recording a lead-out area created in a data area when a background format is interrupted and an information recording medium is taken out.

  There is a universal disk format (UDF: Universal Disc Disc Format) as a file system using an information recording medium. UDF is a file system that is used on various devices and uses a recording format that takes advantage of the characteristics of each device. In particular, since CD-RW and DVD + RW can overwrite data, UDF that can randomly record and reproduce data is employed.

  By the way, in the case of CD-RW, in order to perform data recording / reproduction at random, it is necessary to perform a formatting process in which recording is performed with dummy data in advance on the entire recording area or a specified area. Also in the case of DVD + RW / -RW, if compatibility with a conventional DVD-ROM (read only) drive is required, it is necessary to fill an unrecorded area with dummy data up to a certain radius.

  Furthermore, CD-R / DVD-R / DVD + R, which is a write-once medium, has no operation called a format, but in consideration of playback compatibility with a playback device, a continuous area without an unrecorded portion in the middle. Must be recorded. This is also the same, and it is necessary to indicate the end of recording by performing some recording processing on an unrecorded area with a certain length. The outer peripheral recording portion that is not valid user data is called a lead-out area.

  As described above, according to the formatting process, the entire surface of the information recording medium or the designated area is filled with dummy data, so that the time required for the formatting process increases in proportion to the increase in capacity of the information recording medium. . To solve such a problem, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 “Optical Disc Recording / Reproducing Device, Optical Disc Recording / Reproducing Method, and Computer-Readable Recording Medium”, the formatting process is performed in the background. There has been proposed an information recording / reproducing apparatus capable of recording / reproducing data requested by a user in a short time. The content disclosed here relates to a background format in a CD-RW disc, but a similar background format has also been proposed in a DVD + RW disc.

  In the background format, processing for filling an unrecorded (format) area with dummy data is performed using a time when there is no data recording / playback request from the user. When a data recording / playback request is issued from the user during the background formatting, the formatting process is interrupted and data recording / playback is performed according to the user request. As described above, during the background format, it is necessary to perform data recording / reproduction requested by the user and dummy data recording in the background format in parallel.

  Further, during the background formatting, the user can take out the information recording medium from the information recording / reproducing apparatus before the formatting is completed. When the information recording medium is taken out, a temporary lead-out (temporary lead-out) is recorded after the data recording area, so that the taken-out disc can be read out by a conventional DVD-ROM drive or the like. Temporary lead-out is an area like a mark that the information recording medium has recorded so far, and it also serves to protect the optical system by preventing unnecessary movement of the pickup (recording / reproducing head) to an unrecorded part. Since it is related to the physical operation of the device, a certain size is required.

The temporary lead-out is recorded from the end address of the area located on the outermost periphery in the area where the background format or the data recording by the user request is performed. With respect to the information recording medium on which the temporary lead-out is recorded, the format can be restarted from the temporary lead-out start position by a user request.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-134799

  As described above, in the case of CD-RW, in order to perform data recording / reproduction at random, it is necessary to perform a format process in which recording is performed in advance on the entire recording area or a specified area with dummy data. Also in the case of DVD + RW / -RW, if compatibility with a conventional DVD-ROM (read only) drive is required, it is necessary to fill an unrecorded area with dummy data up to a certain radius.

  Furthermore, CD-R / DVD-R / DVD + R, which is a write-once medium, has no operation called a format, but in consideration of playback compatibility with a playback device, a continuous area without an unrecorded portion in the middle. Must be recorded. This is also the same, and it is necessary to indicate the end of recording by performing some recording processing on an unrecorded area with a certain length.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information recording / reproducing system that can be read by other devices and can improve the compatibility of information recording media.

The invention according to claim 1, which has been made to solve the above-described problem, includes a host device, an information recording / reproducing device that records and reproduces information on an information recording medium in response to a request from the host device, an information recording and reproducing system wherein the information recording medium, which lead-in area, user Zade over data area, lead-out area is formed, the upper apparatus, the user in the information recording and reproducing apparatus issues a request for recording data, the information recording and reproducing apparatus performs recording of the user data to the user data area according to a data recording request from the upper apparatus, when the recording of user Zade over data has been completed, when recording end position is not reached the specified position, the information recording and reproducing system, characterized by forming the lead-out area from the recording end position to the position of the prescribed It resides in.

The invention according to claim 2 resides in the information recording / reproducing system according to claim 1 , wherein the size of the lead-out area can be selected by the user through the host device.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the information recording / reproducing system according to the second aspect, the size of the lead-out area is selected by a user through a GUI screen generated by the host device.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information recording / reproducing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the information recording medium is a recording medium capable of overwriting data.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the information recording / reproducing system according to the fourth aspect, wherein the information recording medium is a DVD + RW.

In the invention according to claim 6 , when the information recording medium is inserted, the information recording / reproducing apparatus can accept data recording / reproduction from the host apparatus after finishing the format initialization process, 6. The information recording / reproducing system according to claim 5 , wherein background format processing for recording dummy data in an unrecorded area of data from the inner periphery side of the information recording medium is performed in the background.

The invention according to claim 7 is the information recording / reproducing system according to any one of claims 2 to 6 , wherein the lead-out area formed on the information recording medium is a temporary lead-out area.

  According to the invention of the present application, it can be read by another apparatus, and the compatibility of the information recording medium can be improved.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an information recording / reproducing apparatus of the present invention. Here, an optical disk and an optical disk drive having spiral tracks from the inner circumference to the outer circumference on the information recording medium are exemplified.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the optical disk drive includes a motor 11 that rotates an optical disk 10, a coarse motion motor 13 that moves an optical pickup 12 in the radial direction of the optical disk 10, an optical pickup 12, and their respective control systems (rotation control system 14). , Coarse motor control system 15, pickup control system 16, and signal processing system 17).

  Data read from the optical disk 10 is stored in the cache memory 18 and transferred to a host device (not shown) via the controller 19 and an external interface. Data transmitted from the host device is recorded on the optical disc 10 via the cache memory 18.

  In addition, as will be described later, the controller 19 controls background format interruption, resumption, temporary lead-out recording, and the like. The controller 19 includes a register and a nonvolatile RAM, and can hold various setting data. Specifically, the controller 19 is constituted by a peripheral LSI including a CPU and a memory, and the CPU 19 performs each control described above by sequentially reading and executing a program recorded in the memory. Further, communication is performed with an upper device (not shown) via an external interface. For example, as will be described later, a GUI screen generated by the upper device is received to prompt the user to select, and the selection result is communicated with the upper device. It also has a function to tell to. Communication is performed by the host device issuing a command and the illustrated optical disk drive answering the command. (In this specification, such a device that transmits a command is referred to as a host device.)

  FIG. 2 is a diagram cited for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, when DVD + RW is used as the optical disc 10, recording of dummy data by background format and data recording by user request are performed. An example of playback and temporary lead-out recording is shown. Recent information recording media are expressed linearly because one-dimensional addresses are allocated so as not to depend on physical positions.

  When a blank disc (DVD + RW) is inserted into the optical disc drive shown in FIG. 1, only a part of the lead-in area is recorded by the format initialization process, and data recording / playback from the user is possible. Data unrecorded areas are recorded with dummy data from the inner periphery (FIG. 2A).

  When there is a data recording / playback request from the user, the background format processing is stopped and the user data is recorded / played back (FIG. 2B). When the data recording / reproduction requested by the user is completed and the disk removal request is received, if the specified position has not been reached, dummy data or lead-out is written to that position (FIG. 2 (c)). ).

  When there is a background format interruption request from the user, the temporary readout is recorded from the end address and the format is interrupted. Here, in FIG. 2C, since the restart of the background format depends on the optical disk drive, the temporary lead-out position recorded by the format interruption request has finished recording the user data in FIG. 2B. It is not necessarily the position. For the first time in FIG. 2D, it is confirmed by adding a temporary lead-out.

  As described above, how much the temporary lead-out is recorded is a point for the user or the optical disc drive to dynamically determine. FIG. 2E shows a state in which data can be written beyond the original lead-out. The lead-out is often specified as a minimum, but is often recorded more than that. Compatibility and reproducibility decline, but you still want to make more space.

  3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example of an information recording medium on which information is recorded according to the present invention. If the size of the lead-out area is fixed, the lead-out is narrower in the radial direction in the example shown in FIG. 4 than in the example shown in FIG. Then, not only the reproducibility is lowered, but the optical pickup 12 may be damaged.

  Therefore, if the lead-out size can be increased according to the last recording position, a certain lead-out width can be expected even if the radial position changes.

  As described above, it can be seen that there are several options even when several lead-outs are variable. Therefore, it is conceivable to select the option in advance and automatically add the selected readout.

  In this way, it is possible to obtain an optical disk drive that operates with the desired specifications without performing the selection operation one by one. Such an optical disk drive is convenient when the information recording medium is used and the environment is relatively fixed.

  In addition, when ejecting (removing) the optical disc 10, a method of presenting options and allowing them to be selected is also conceivable. In this case, when the contents are the same but the optical disk 10 is to be transferred to an unspecified partner, selection according to the partner is possible. Alternatively, it is convenient when it is not determined that information must be recorded.

  Also, as described above, when there are a plurality of options, it is important for the convenience of the user to display and select them. Recently, GUI (Graphical User Interface) for using computers has been developed, and dialog boxes and windows can be displayed easily. However, even if the details of the operation are described for the options, the user does not always understand everything.

  Therefore, usability can be improved by presenting easy-to-understand words regardless of the device operation. FIG. 5 shows an example of the dialog display (GUI screen).

  Here, when “Priority is given to compatibility” is selected, lead-out writing up to a specified position, lead-out writing of a specified width, and the like are performed. On the other hand, when “Priority is given to the speed of removal” is selected, the minimum length of lead-out writing is performed at the maximum address currently recorded. Furthermore, when it is desired to increase the recording capacity as much as possible, there may be a selection in which only recording shorter than the original lead-out is performed. In this case, “Allow LeadOut Capacity Reduction” is selected.

  The host device (not shown) generates the above-described GUI screen, presents words that can be easily understood by the user, selects one of them, and asks the user to check items that are prioritized or emphasized. It is possible to configure to change the operation.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an easy-to-use information recording / reproducing apparatus and its system by changing the length of the lead-out area. For example, in order to improve compatibility Records a temporary lead-out that meets the length and position recommended by the standard, or records a short lead-out that is minimal to shorten the takeout time. When it is desired to earn capacity, there may be a choice of performing recording shorter than the original lead-out.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. That is, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It is a block diagram which shows embodiment of the information recording / reproducing apparatus of this invention. It is the figure quoted in order to demonstrate operation | movement of this invention embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recording medium on which information was recorded by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the information recording medium on which information was recorded by this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the dialog display by this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical disk 11 Motor 12 Optical pick-up 13 Coarse motion motor 14 Rotation control system 15 Coarse motion motor control system 16 Pickup control system 17 Signal control system 18 Cache memory 19 Controller

Claims (7)

An information recording / reproducing system comprising: a host device; and an information recording / reproducing device that records and reproduces information on an information recording medium in response to a request from the host device,
The information recording medium, which lead-in area, user Zade over data area, lead-out area is formed,
The host device issues a user data recording request to the information recording / reproducing device,
The information recording and reproducing apparatus, the performs recording of the user data to the user data area, if the recording of user Zade over data is completed, the position of the recording end position defined in accordance with the data recording request from the upper apparatus If not, the lead-out area is formed from the recording end position to the specified position. The information recording / reproducing system according to claim 1 , wherein a size of the lead-out area can be selected by a user through the host device. 3. The information recording / reproducing system according to claim 2 , wherein the size of the lead-out area is selected by a user through a GUI screen generated by the host device. The information recording / reproducing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the information recording medium is a recording medium capable of overwriting data. 5. The information recording / reproducing system according to claim 4 , wherein the information recording medium is a DVD + RW. When the information recording medium is inserted, the information recording / reproducing apparatus allows the data recording / reproduction from the higher-level apparatus to be accepted after finishing the format initialization process, and the information recording / reproducing apparatus in the background 6. The information recording / reproducing system according to claim 5 , wherein a background format process for recording dummy data in an unrecorded area of data from the inner periphery side is performed. The information recording medium lead-out area formed in the information recording and reproducing system according to a temporary either one of the lead-out to claims 2 is a region 6.

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