JPH04137048A - File managing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To regenerate logically erased information again by regenerating a recording data file erased logically by using erasure information and the serial number of the erasure information. CONSTITUTION:A step to record the erasure information 102 with respect to the recording data file desired to erase and the information representing the serial number 101 of the erasure information to erase the recording data file logically on directory areas 21-30 is provided. Also, a step is provided to repro duce the recording data file erased logically by using the erasure information 102 and the serial number 101 of the erasure information to regenerate again the recording data file erased logically. In such a way, it is possible to quickly retrieve and regenerate a file desired to regenerate and be erased logically in the past.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a file management method for an information recording and reproducing apparatus that records and/or reproduces information on an information recording medium.

[Conventional technology]

Directories are used as a file management method for handling large amounts of files on floppy disks, magnetic hard disks, magneto-optical disks, IC cards, and the like.

This is used as a file heading, and includes the file name, creation date, writing position (first track number) of the corresponding file, etc. You can easily manage files by creating a new directory when you create a new file, and deleting the directory when a file is no longer needed.

In a system using an erasable/rewritable information recording medium such as the magnetic/magnetic optical recording medium or an IC card, information can be easily erased and rewritten.

In this case, the deleted file physically exists even if it is logically deleted as long as the area where the file existed is secured as an empty state.

However, when part or all of the area is used by recording another file, the logically deleted file is also physically deleted.

Basically, systems using the above information recording media include:
There is no concept of saving and managing deleted files one by one.

On the other hand, write-once information storage media, such as optical cards, which have begun to be used in recent years, are small and lightweight, making them convenient to carry, and are relatively large-capacity and inexpensive, so they are in great demand as recording media for managing personal information held by individuals. It is expected.

The file management method in a system that uses such an optical card as an information recording medium is very different from the file management method in a system that uses the magnetic recording medium or the like.

First, the structure of an optical card and the principle of recording/reproducing information will be explained.

FIG. 6(a) is a schematic plan view showing an example of an optical cart, and FIG. 6(b) is a sectional view taken along line BB.

In these figures, numeral 1 indicates an optical card, and the surface of the optical cart is roughly divided into an information recording area 51 and a blank area 52 other than this area. An appropriate logo 50 is placed in the blank area so that the user can visually determine the type, purpose, etc. of the optical card.
can be attached. In the information recording area 51, a plurality of preformatted tracking tracks 54 for auto-tracking are arranged in parallel. The space between adjacent tracking tracks is an information track 55 on which information is recorded.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the optical cart 1 consists of a plurality of layers. 56 is a transparent protective layer, and 57 is a recording layer. The recording layer is, for example, silver salt-based, dye-based, or chalcogen-based. Further, the boundary between the transparent protective layer 56 and the recording layer 57 is stepped, thereby forming the tracking track 54 and the information track 55.

59 is a substrate, and the substrate and the recording layer 57 are connected to the adhesive layer 5.
8.

Information is recorded on the optical card l by modulating a light beam focused into a minute spot according to the recorded information and scanning the information track 55, and the information is recorded as an optically detectable information bit string. Information is recorded.

Since this information bit string is formed by physical changes such as deformation or discoloration due to light and heat, it is impossible to physically erase a previously recorded information bit string and use the erased information bit string area as a recording area again. It is possible.

In addition, to reproduce information from a recording medium, the information bit string of the information track is scanned with a light beam spot of a certain power that does not record on the medium, and reflected light or transmitted light from the medium is detected. This is done by

Next, file management in a system that uses an optical cart as an information recording medium will be explained.

When recording a certain set of information, the optical cart records two pieces of information: a data file for the information and a directory for managing the data file.

At this time, the directory and data files are as shown in Figure 6 (a).
), file management is facilitated by recording in separate recording areas.

Further, recording of further information is performed sequentially in the next unrecorded area of the already data file or directory.

Next, file deletion will be explained.

Deleting a file that is no longer needed can be done logically by adding information indicating that the file has been deleted to the information in the directory that manages the file, and by preventing the corresponding file from being read on the system. Files are being deleted.

In a system using an optical card as an information recording medium, file management is performed as described above.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In recent years, personal information has been managed using various recording media. The field of use is wide-ranging, and further development is expected in the future, such as medical information management, insurance information management, parts management, ID, and prepaid card applications.

However, with such personal information management systems, the biggest problems are the accidental erasure and destruction of recorded information, as well as the manipulation and falsification of information by others, which often leads to human rights issues.

In response to such problems, magnetic/magnetic recording media or IC cards are unsuitable as recording media for managing personal information because files are physically erased, and it is impossible to deal with problems when they occur. You can say that.

In addition, optical cards can be said to be the best medium as a recording medium for personal information management in that the recorded information is not physically erased, but in conventional systems using optical cards,
Because it uses the same file management method as systems using magnetic/magnetic optical recording media or IC cards, -
Information that has been logically erased cannot be reproduced again.

This does not take full advantage of the greatest feature of optical cards, which is that even if recorded information is erased logically, it is not physically erased.

Therefore, the present inventor has proposed a file management method in an information recording/reproducing apparatus that is capable of reproducing information that has been logically erased.

This file management method deletes data containing information, but
This file management method also has the following problems. For example, there is a problem in that the user cannot find out which stone directory is the same information many times, and the information corresponding to each deleted directory must be checked one by one, making the search time consuming.

[Means for Solving the Problems (and Effects)] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it makes it possible to reproduce logically erased information again and reduces the search time during said reproduction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a file management method for an information recording/reproducing device that does not cause such problems.

The purpose is to provide a file management method for an information recording/reproducing device that manages recorded data files by recording directory information for managing recorded data files in a directory area provided on an information recording medium. In order to logically erase the data file, recording erasure information regarding the recorded data file to be erased and information indicating the serial number of the erased information in the directory area, and re-recording the logically erased recorded data file. and reproducing the logically erased recorded data file using the erasure information and the serial number of the erasure information for reproduction.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

Note that, as an example of the directory format, a case where it is used in an optical card will be described.

First, a configuration example of an information recording/reproducing apparatus used for directory formation according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the configuration of an information recording/reproducing apparatus used in the present invention.

An information recording/reproducing device (hereinafter referred to as a drive) 31 is connected to a higher-level control device (hereinafter referred to as a host) 32, and performs data communication, control, etc. between the drive 31 and the host 32. The MPU 33 in the drive 31 is ROM, RAM
It mainly controls the card feed motor 37 and head feed motor 36, and the AT/AF control circuit 34 receives the signal from the photodetector 39 and controls the AF actuator 40, A
The T actuator 41 is driven. In addition, the modulation/demodulation circuit 3
5 executes recording by changing the emission intensity of the light source 38 during recording, and demodulates data based on the signal from the photodetector 39 during reproduction. The host 32 sends and receives data to and from the drive 31, and the directory section on the optical card 1.
It controls the recording and reproducing operations of information in the data section.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the file management method of the present invention.

In the figure, 21 to 30 are directory parts, 21a1
22a and 21a1 to 21a3.22a1 are data sections.

Of the directory sections 21-30, 23.25.27
．． 29 indicates an erase directory, and the others indicate directories.

Further, the directory and the erase directory have the same format, and the format is composed of a directory serial number section 101, an erase information section 102, a file name section 103, and an other information section 104. Here, at least one bit or more is allocated to the erase information section 102.

In the erasure information section 102, if the directory is an erasure directory, a multi-byte serial number, which is a numerical value other than 0 and indicates the number of established erasure directories in the optical cart, is recorded. Further, if the directory is not an erase directory, O is recorded in the erase information section 102.

In this embodiment, if the deletion information is a non-zero value, that directory is determined to be an deletion directory, and the files managed by that deletion directory belong to a logically deleted file group managed in (deletion mode). , and files managed by a directory whose deletion information is 0 belong to a logically existing file group managed in (normal mode). However, since each directory in the directory section 21, 24, 26, and 22 is already a directory to be deleted, even if the deletion information is 0, it does not belong to the file group managed in the normal mode.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for recording information in the file management method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for reproducing information in the file management method of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a file management method using the above directory format will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4.

In FIG. 1, consider a case where the contents of a file l managed in a directory l with directory serial number 1 are corrected and re-recorded on the optical card with the same file name.

In Figures 1 and 3, the above file 1 is
The host 32 sends information to the MPU 33 to rewrite the corrected data file 1 with the same file name.

In step 200, it is determined that the file is to be deleted, and the deletion information part is set to 1 in the deletion directory format 201. In step 203, it is determined that the file is to be rewritten with the same file name, and in step 204, it is written to the optical card. The erase directory 1 is recorded in the directory section 23. Note that the contents of the file name section 103 and other information section 104 of the deletion directory l are the same as the contents of the directory l. Here, file l is the first file erased on this optical card.

Then, the MPU 33 confirms that the deletion directory l has been recorded in the directory section 23, and the step 200 is performed again.
It is determined whether the file is to be deleted or not. In this case, since it is a record of the correction data file l and the directory that manages it, serial number 4, directory 1,
First, the corrected data file 1 is recorded as file 1 in the file section. Next, directory 1 with directory serial number 4 is recorded in the directory section 24 with the erasure information section set to O.

As a result, file 1, which was managed in the (normal mode) file group, has a directory serial number.

Since the deletion directory l of 3 has been determined, it will be managed in the file group of (erase mode), and file 1, which is newly managed with directory serial number 4, will be managed in the file group of (normal mode). It turns out.

In Figure 1, each file is deleted by directory number 5.7.9, and the recording of each corrected data file and its management directory is also managed by the same process as the file management described above. Ru. However, the directory serial number is 5.7.
．． The erasure information recorded in each of the erasure directories 9 is 2, 3, and 4, respectively, as shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the erasure information of the erasure directory is a serial number indicating the order in which the erasure directories of the optical card were recorded, and each time an erasure directory is added, there is one serial number that is erasure information. It gets bigger little by little. Also, the number of existing deletion directories is
The determination is made by detecting erasure information in the last erasure directory by reading the directory when the optical card is inserted into the information recording/reproducing device.

By the way, so far we have explained the case of correcting a file and re-recording it with the same file name, but if you only want to delete the existing file, by determining NO in step 203 of the flowchart, only that deletion directory will be deleted. It will be written on the card.

Next, a method for reproducing information recorded on an optical card will be explained using FIGS. 1 and 4.

Data parts 21a, 22a and 2 recorded on the optical card
The files 1al, 21a2.
Sent to 3. In step 300, the MPU 33 determines whether or not the erasure information portion of each directory or erasure directory is erasure information≠0. Directory serial number whose erasure information field is not 0, 3.5.7
．． The file groups managed by the nine erase directories are stored in the (erase mode) area of the host 32.

Also, the directory serial number whose erasure information field is O
, 8.10 are stored in the (normal mode) area of the host 32. That is, in step 300, it is determined whether the reproduced information has been erased in the past or not, and the information is distributed accordingly.

Also, each file group stored in the host 32 for each mode can be accessed by selecting each mote.
It is possible to display the file name on the display 301 as shown in FIG.

If you select this time (erase mode), enter the file name and serial number, which is the erasure information, into the serial number.
, shall be displayed simultaneously in ascending order. This allows you to determine the history of the deleted file. (
If the normal mode) is selected, the information will be displayed in the order of reading from the optical card.

Of course, in both modes, it is also possible to view the contents of each file by selecting the file name.

As described above, according to the present invention, files that exist logically and files that have been logically deleted can be managed as separate file groups, and while normally file management is promoted using groups of files that exist logically, By selecting (erase mode), it is possible to search for a group of files that have been logically erased in the past according to the serial number that is the erase information of each erase directory.

In the first embodiment, the deletion information section 1 of each directory
Although the numerical value 0 was recorded in 02, it goes without saying that the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained even if nothing is recorded and left blank.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained by managing the serial number, which is the erasure information of the erasure directory, independently for each file with the same file name. Furthermore, the functionality of searching for files that have been logically deleted can be further improved.

Furthermore, when a predetermined number of deletion directories is reached, the erase directories may be recorded in units of a predetermined number in units of a predetermined number in a specific area (not shown) on the optical card.

In addition, the management of deleted directories only targets a predetermined number of deletions. For example, if the predetermined number is 5, when 7 deletion updates have been performed, only the 5 deletion directories from the newest in the deletion history will be displayed. It is also possible to configure it like this.

With these, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the functions of file management can be improved.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained in detail above, according to the file management method of the present invention, when a file is logically deleted, information indicating the serial number of the deletion information is added to the deletion information recorded in the directory, and By using the serial number of information and erasure information,
Files that have been logically deleted in the past can be quickly searched for and played back.

This not only makes it possible to manage files that take full advantage of the features of write-once information recording media, but it also makes it possible to avoid problems even if recorded information is forged by someone else, or if recorded information is logically deleted by mistake. Information can be reproduced.

This makes it possible to achieve highly reliable file management suitable for managing personal information.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a file management method of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of the configuration of an information recording/reproducing apparatus used in the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for recording information in the file management method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for reproducing information in the file management method of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating another file management method of the present invention. 6(a) and 6(b) are a schematic plan view and a sectional view thereof showing an example of an optical card 1... Optical cards 21 to 30... Directory portions 21a, 22a and 21a1 to 21a3, 22al
...Data section 31...Drive 32...Host 33...MPU 101-104...Directory format content 3
01...Display section Figure 2 Figure 4 Optical power (Erase mode display) (Normal mode display) Figure 3 Recording to optical card Recording to optical card Figure 6 (a) Figure 6 (b)

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a file management method for an information recording and reproducing device that manages recorded data files by recording directory information for managing recorded data files in a directory area provided on an information recording medium, recording in the directory area erasure information regarding the recorded data file to be erased and information indicating a serial number of the erased information in order to logically erase the recorded data file; and for reproducing the logically erased recorded data file. An information management method comprising the step of: reproducing the logically erased recorded data file using the erase information and the serial number of the erase information. (2) In claim 1, the serial number of the erasure information is managed for each file having the same file name. (3) In claim 2, the serial number of the erasure information is information indicating the number of times the file has been erased.