JPH08129458A - Information device using optical storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To prevent the unexpected occurrence of a defective block by providing test block areas in the inner periphery, the middle periphery, the outer periphery, etc., of an optical storage medium and performing the write test of respective areas at the time of initial operation to preliminarily check the write state. CONSTITUTION: Write operation confirmation is started with setting of the medium to the device as the trigger (S11). Data is written in each test block, and data written in the test block is read in to confirm whether it is correctly written or not (S12 and S13). Each block reports the status indicating that write error occurs to a host device (S14). The same block is read to confirm whether test data is normally written or not. After it is confirmed that test data is normally written, the same operation is executed for the area in the middle periphery of the optical storage medium. Thus, the occurrence of defective blocks is prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information device using an optical storage medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Optical disks have come to be used frequently for image filing, and recently, they have come to be standardly equipped as large-capacity external storage even in the field of relatively high performance personal computers.

FIG. 5 shows a general configuration of an information device using an optical disc as an external storage device. In the figure, reference numeral 51 is a CPU, which is a higher-level device, and controls an optical disk device 54, a printing device 55, and other input / output devices (not shown) connected to a bus 53 according to a program stored in a main memory 52.

Reference numeral 52 denotes a main storage device, which stores image data taken out from the optical disk device 54, intermediate calculation data by the CPU 51, or print image data in addition to the program.

Reference numeral 53 is a system bus, which is commonly connected to the CPU 51, the main storage device 52, and various input / output devices described later, and serves as an information exchange path between these devices.

Reference numeral 54 denotes an optical disk device, which stores image data and stores a normal data area, a header,
An area for control such as an address management table is allocated. The data area is also assigned an alternative area used when a write error occurs.

Reference numeral 55 denotes a printing device, which prints image data processed by the CPU 51. Incidentally, in writing data to an optical disk, like the magnetic disk, a writing operation is performed and then a reading operation is performed on the same block to confirm the written data. In the case of the one having the alternative block function, if the writing is defective, the rewriting is performed in the prepared area. The substitution is managed by the substitution management table in which the substitution source address and the substitution destination address are recorded.

[0008]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional example, since the actual data write operation is performed and the state of the device and the medium are confirmed, the number of defective blocks and replacements are inadvertently increased. .

Since the alternative block area is limited, the medium cannot be used when the alternative block area is full. Therefore, useless substitution has caused a decrease in the usage rate of media.

[0010] When the substitution occurs frequently, the cause is investigated by reading the information in the substitution management table of the medium, and by grasping the tendency and the place where the substitution occurs on the medium, it takes time to identify the cause.

Since the replacement information is reported to a higher level than the device with a certain threshold value, it has a drawback that the replacement block is uselessly used when the replacement occurs intensively due to a failure of the device or the like. It was

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is possible to prevent a careless bad block or replacement in advance by grasping the write state or the replacement occurrence state in advance, thereby reducing the usage rate of the medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information device using an optical storage medium to prevent.

[0013]

In an information device using an optical storage medium of the present invention, a test block area is assigned to a specific area of the optical storage medium, and data is previously stored in the test block area during initial operation of the system. The write test is performed and the result is notified to the host device to confirm the operation of the device and the optical storage medium. In addition, when a write command is received from the host device and data is written to the target block of the optical storage medium, and if it is determined that the data write test is not normal, the data is written again to the alternative block. In an information processing system using an optical storage medium that updates the alternative management table and performs a writing process, when an instruction to attach / detach the optical storage medium is received from a host device, the number of alternative occurrences is obtained from the alternative management table and the maximum alternative is obtained. It is also characterized in that the relationship with the possible number is calculated, the relationship is recorded in the cartridge, and the user is alerted. Further, each time the substitution management table is updated, a flag is set in the address corresponding to the substitution occurrence block, and a mapping memory is provided for storing the flag. It also features recognition.

[0014]

According to the present invention, test block areas are provided in the inner, middle, and outer circumferences of the optical storage medium, and a write test is performed in each area during the initial operation to check the write state in advance. When an error occurs, a warning is issued to the host device to prevent the occurrence of careless bad blocks. Further, by adding the function of printing the progress of occurrence of substitution (percentage of the substitutable area) on the cartridge to the optical disk device having the block substituting function,
It is possible to easily grasp the replacement status of each optical storage medium and prevent unnecessary shortening of the life due to the replacement. An optical disk device having a block replacement function is provided with a replacement block address mapping memory, and by recognizing the occurrence by a pattern (shape), it is possible to identify whether the cause of the replacement is the media or the device, A warning is issued to prevent inadvertent replacement. Further, by providing a memory for alternative block address mapping and a function for printing the map (indicating the position on the medium) to the optical disk device having the block alternative function, the generation pattern (shape) information is provided,
Information is provided whether the substitute is due to the media or the device, and the inadvertent occurrence of the substitute is prevented.

[0015]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 11 is a step for confirming the writing operation triggered by mounting of the medium on the apparatus. Reference numeral 12 is a process of writing to each test block, reference numeral 13 is a step of reading the data written in the test block, and confirming whether or not the data is correctly written, and reference numeral 14 is a write error in each block. The process for reporting the status indicating the above to the upper device.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. When the medium is loaded, the test data is first written to the test block area in the inner circumference before receiving the command from the host device.

Next, whether the test data has been normally written or not is read into the same block. If it is confirmed that the data has been written normally, the same operation is performed on the middle circumference area.

When a state in which data is not correctly written occurs, attention is given to the host device and it is reported that the device or medium is not in a normal state. The host device can check the device and the medium based on this attention, and can prevent the generation of a defective block or a substitute block carelessly.

2 to 4 are flowcharts showing the operating procedures of another embodiment of the present invention. The operation at the time of writing will be described using the embodiment shown in FIG.

First, when a write command is received from the host device, the head moves to the target block and writes data. Next, the same block is read to see if the data has been written normally. If the writing is not normally performed, the data is written again to the alternative block and confirmation is performed. If written normally, the alternative management table is updated and the write operation is terminated.

When a medium removal command is received from a higher-level device using the above-mentioned optical disk device having the replacement function, the replacement management table is first read. The number of occurrences of substitution is counted from the management table, the percentage with the maximum number of possible substitutions is calculated, and the result is recorded on the surface of the cartridge using the printing device.

The operator can grasp the current usage rate of the substitute table by looking at the print result, and can take action before the substitute table becomes full. When the alternative block is full, it becomes impossible to write data thereafter even if the medium is used only about 10%.

Next, the operation of another embodiment (second embodiment) will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. First, when a write command is received from the host device, the write head moves to the target block and data writing is performed.

Next, whether the data has been normally written or not is read into the same block. If the writing is not normally performed, the data is written again to the alternative block and confirmation is performed.

If the writing is done normally, the substitution management table is updated, and a flag is set to the address corresponding to the substitution block (block that could not be written) (becomes the image data of the medium).

As a result, a certain pattern is generated as the number of replacements increases. This pattern is discriminated and the generated pattern is reported to the upper device as a status.

The host device can facilitate the discovery of a defect in the medium or device based on the generation pattern.
Incidentally, as the generation pattern, if the addresses are continuous by three blocks, there is a possibility that a tracking error has occurred, and if the alternative addresses are arranged in the radial direction or in the circumferential direction. There is a possibility of foreign matter on the medium, a possibility of device failure, etc., when the alternative address is irregularly processed in a wide range.

Next, the operation of another embodiment (third embodiment) of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. When receiving the write command from the host device,
The write head moves to the target block and writes data.

Next, whether the data has been normally written or not is read into the same block. If the writing is not normally performed, the data is written again to the alternative block and confirmation is performed.

If written normally, the substitution management table is updated and a flag is set to the address corresponding to the substitution occurrence block (block that could not be written) (becomes a medium image).

Next, when the print command arrives from the host device, the substitute generation image stored in the memory is printed. With this printed matter, it is possible to grasp the status and state of substitution.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a test block area is provided on the inner and outer circumferences of a medium, and a write test is performed on each block at the initial operation to confirm the write state in advance. It is also characterized by further mapping alternative blocks and providing information to the higher-level device whether there is a medium or device failure depending on the occurrence status. By printing on the cartridge, or by printing the replacement map on the printing device that is standard equipment for this type of device, it is possible to call attention to the host device or the user and prevent inadvertent bad blocks or replacement. As a result, the life of the media can be extended.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing another processing procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing another processing procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing another processing procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information device using an optical storage medium.

[Explanation of symbols]

51 ... Higher-order device (CPU), 52 ... Main storage device, 53 ...
System bus, 54 ... Optical disc device, 55 ... Printing device.

Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location G11B 20/18 501 C 8940-5D 552 B 8940-5D

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A test block area is allocated to a specific area of an optical storage medium, a data write test is performed in advance in the test block area during initial operation of the system, and the result is notified to a higher-level device, thereby improving the performance of the device. An information device using an optical storage medium, characterized in that the operation of the optical storage medium is confirmed. 2. A test block area is assigned to an arbitrary position on the inner and outer circumferences of the optical storage medium, and when the storage medium is mounted,
2. An information device using an optical storage medium according to claim 1, wherein a write test is performed on each of the areas and the resulting status is transferred to a host device. 3. When a write command is received from a higher-level device and data is written to a target block of an optical storage medium, and when it is determined that the data write test is not normal, data is written again to the alternative block. In the information processing system using the optical storage medium that performs the writing and updating of the alternative management table and performs the writing process, when the instruction to attach / detach the optical storage medium is received from the host device, the number of alternative occurrences is obtained from the alternative management table. An information device using an optical storage medium, which is characterized by calculating the relationship with the maximum number of alternatives, recording the relationship in a cartridge, and calling the user's attention. 4. When receiving an instruction to attach / detach an optical storage medium from a host device, the contents of the substitution management table are read, the number of occurrences of substitution is counted, the percentage of the maximum number of substitutions is calculated, and the printing device is set. 4. An information device using an optical storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the information is recorded on the surface of the cartridge to know the progress of substitution occurrence. 5. When a write command is received from a higher-level device and data is written to a target block of an optical storage medium, and when it is determined that the data write test is not normal, data is written again to the alternative block. In an information processing system using an optical storage medium that performs writing of data, updates the alternative management table, and performs write processing, a flag is set in the address corresponding to the alternative block every time the alternative management table is updated, and the result is stored. An information device using an optical storage medium, characterized in that the host device obtains information from the mapping memory at an arbitrary time point and recognizes its occurrence in a pattern. 6. The content of the mapping memory is printed to provide information as to whether the alternative cause is due to a medium or an apparatus and alert the user. An information device using the optical storage medium according to item 5.