JPH0896557A - Optical information recording and reproducing device, its cartridge case and optical information recording and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To enable quantity of used record to be discriminated by visual observation by providing a thermosensible part for recording information showing quantity of used recording on an optical information recording medium in an non-information recording area. CONSTITUTION: An optical disk 1 is provided with a hub 1a, a label 1b and an information recording area 1c and is also provided with an area 1e for displaying quantity of recorded information composed of the thermosensible part at a part of the label 1b. The label 1b is provided with 0, 10,...90% graduation based on 0 sector position 1d while confronting with the area 1e. The area 1e is composed of, for example, a thermosensible paper and area and length of the displaying datum 1f are changed by irradiation with a laser beam corresponding to quantity of recorded information from an optical head 3. Heat change is caused at the area 1e composed of the thermosensible part by the laser beam irradiation corresponding to recorded information and length change thereof (recording time from 0 sector) is used as the displaying datum 1f of the quantity of recorded information.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical information recording medium, a cartridge case therefor, and an optical information recording / reproducing apparatus, and more particularly to an optical information recording medium in which the amount of recorded information in the information recording medium can be easily visually checked.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the above-mentioned optical information recording / reproducing system, in order to know the recorded information amount or the unrecorded remaining amount in the information recording medium, the information recording medium is loaded into the optical information reproducing apparatus. By issuing an open operation (spindle motor on, linear motor on, focusing on, tracking on, etc.), the management data section in which the management information of the information recording medium is recorded is read.

[0003]

However, in the conventional method as described above, in order to know the amount of recorded information or the amount of unrecorded information of the information recording medium, the optical information recording / reproducing apparatus is used for the information recording medium each time. However, since it has to be loaded and loaded to execute the open operation, there is a problem that it is complicated and takes too much time.

For this reason, in applications such as video cameras, there has been a fatal obstacle of lacking prompt responsiveness when recording a moving image. That is, when the information recording amount or the unrecorded remaining amount of the information recording medium is confirmed by the procedure as described above, if it is found out that these are insufficient for the target to be recorded, This is because the information recording medium must be replaced with another information recording medium, which may miss the recording time.

Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to manage the recorded information amount or the unrecorded remaining amount of the information recording medium by the conventional method as described above. Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an optical information recording medium and a cartridge case for the same are provided so that the recorded information amount (unrecorded remaining amount) of the information recording medium can be easily known by visual observation. And an optical information recording / reproducing device.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in an information recording medium capable of recording information by irradiating light, a heat sensitive portion for recording information indicating the amount of use of a recording area on the information recording medium. There is provided an optical information recording medium characterized by having the following in a non-information recording area.

Further, according to the present invention, the heat sensitive portion is arranged on the inner or outer circumference side of the recording area on the information recording medium, and the amount of use is represented by the length of recording from the 0 sector position which is the recording reference. There is provided an optical information recording medium characterized in that the reflectance is changed by being irradiated with light.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an optical information recording medium characterized in that the heat-sensitive portion is provided on a label of the medium in a circumferential shape in association with a scale indicating a standard of usage amount. To be done.

Further, according to the present invention, in the cartridge case accommodating the optical information recording medium capable of recording information by irradiating light, the information recording medium records information according to the usage amount of the information recording area. The non-information recording area has a heat-sensitive portion for carrying out, and a transparent portion is used in at least a part of the cartridge case so that at least a part of the heat-sensitive portion can be seen. A cartridge case for a recording medium is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, for the optical information recording medium, the vicinity of the center of the cartridge case is formed by a see-through portion, and the cartridge case shutter is also provided with the see-through portion. A cartridge case is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a cartridge case for an optical information recording medium, characterized in that a plastic material or a window is used as the see-through portion. Further, according to the present invention, in an information recording / reproducing apparatus capable of recording / reproducing information on / from an information recording medium that records information by irradiating light, information indicating the amount of use of a recording area on the information recording medium is displayed. Provided is an optical information recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that, in the heat-sensitive section to be recorded, data corresponding to the amount of use of the recording area is recorded in the heat-sensitive section according to the amount of information recorded. .

Further, according to the present invention, the optical information recording / reproducing apparatus is characterized in that the reflectance is changed by irradiating the area of the heat sensitive portion with light according to the amount of information recorded on the medium at the end of information recording. Will be provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the area for indicating the usage amount has a certain area, and the length on the circumference of the circle as the reflectance change represents the usage amount. A device is provided.

[0014]

According to the above-mentioned solution means of the present invention, the remaining amount of the general recording area can be determined by visually observing the information recording medium or the cartridge containing this medium. Therefore, the conventional cassette tape or 8 m video tape is used. Similarly to the above, it is possible to make a judgment immediately without inserting it into the device, simplify the management of the medium, etc., and even if it is desired to record at once, it is possible to start recording without missing a chance.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an optical disc device as an optical information recording / reproducing device to which the present invention is applied.

This optical disc apparatus uses an optical disc 1 such as a magneto-optical disc having a recording film for changing the material such as the magnetization direction as an optical information recording medium by using a magnetic field from a magnet 2 and converged light from an optical head 3 for information. The recording, reproducing, or erasing operation is performed.

Grooves (recording tracks) are spirally formed on the surface of the optical disk 1.
Is rotated at a constant speed, for example, by a spindle motor 4 fixed on a base (not shown) as a fixed portion.

The spindle motor 4 is controlled by a spindle motor control circuit 5. Optical disc 1
Recording, reproduction, and erasing of information with respect to the optical disc 1 are performed by the optical head 3 provided below the optical disc 1.

The optical head 3 comprises a moving optical system 6 and a fixed optical system 7 fixed on the base. The moving optical system 6 is a movable part of the linear motor 8, and the movement is controlled by the linear motor control circuit 9.

The moving optical system 6 is provided so as to be movable in the radial direction of the optical disc 1. A position detector 10 is connected to the linear motor control circuit 9. The position detector 10 outputs a position signal corresponding to the position of the moving optical system 6.

As a result, the linear motor control circuit 9
The moving optical system 6 of the optical head 3, that is, the objective lens 11 is moved in the x direction by energizing the linear motor 8 with a current according to a position signal from the position detector 10 and a target moving position from the CPU 24 described later. Move to.

The moving optical system 6 of the optical head 3 comprises an objective lens 11, focusing coils 12 and 13, and a rising mirror 14. Fixed optical system 7 of optical head 3
Is a laser diode 1 as a semiconductor laser oscillator.
6, a collimator lens (not shown), beam splitters 17 and 18, photodetectors PD1 and PD2, a galvanometer mirror 19, and a rotating unit 2 that rotates and moves the galvanometer mirror 19.
It is composed of 0 etc.

The collimator lens is the laser diode 1
The laser beam from the laser diode 16 is placed immediately after the laser beam 6 and is collimated. Beam splitter 1
Reference numeral 7 guides the laser beam from the collimator lens to the galvanometer mirror 19 and also guides the laser beam from the moving optical system 6 guided by the galvanometer mirror 19 to the beam splitter 18.

The beam splitter 18 guides the laser beam guided from the beam splitter 17 to the photodetector PD1 or the photodetector PD2. The photodetector PD1 is composed of, for example, two elements (photoelectric conversion elements such as photodiodes), and each element has the same size and shape.

The photodetector PD2 is also the photodetector PD1.
Similarly, is composed of two elements (photoelectric conversion elements such as photodiodes), each element having a size,
The shapes are the same.

The photodetectors PD1 and PD2 are used for tracking, focusing, information reproduction and rotation angle detection of the galvano mirror 19. In this embodiment, the photodetector PD1 is used for focusing, information reproduction, and tracking, and the photodetector PD2 is used for detecting the rotation angle of the galvano mirror 19.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the structure of the optical head 3 described above, and the optical path of the laser beam will be described with reference to this drawing. In the optical head 3, the laser beam RO generated from the laser diode 16 is collimated by a collimator lens (not shown) and sequentially transmitted through the beam splitter 17, galvanometer mirror 19 and half mirror 15 to be guided to the moving optical system 6. Has become.

At this time, a part of the laser beam RO is reflected by the half mirror 15, is guided to the galvanometer mirror 19, and is reflected again there, and the beam splitters 17 and 18 are then reflected.
The light guided to the photodetector PD2 via is used for detecting the rotation angle of the galvanometer mirror 19 described later.

The optical path of the laser beam RO emitted from the fixed optical system 7 is changed by 90 ° by the raising mirror 14, and the objective lens 11 is in a state where the intensity center of the laser beam RO and the center of the objective lens 11 substantially coincide with each other. Incident on.

The laser beam RO is guided to the objective lens 11 and converged, and then is irradiated onto the optical disc 1 as a spot. The light beam of the laser beam R1 which is reflected by the optical disc 1 and contains the information signal and the error signal travels in the reverse direction on the above optical path and reaches the galvanometer mirror 19.

The luminous flux of the laser beam R1 guided to the galvanometer mirror 19 is guided to the beam splitter 18 via the beam splitter 17, where the luminous flux at that time is divided into about half, and the light change detector PD1, Enter PD2, focus, tracking, information reproduction,
It is converted into a detection signal (electrical signal) for detecting the rotation angle of the galvano mirror 19 and output to each unit.

The detection signal of the photodetector PD1 is output to the focusing control circuit 21, the information signal control circuit 22 and the tracking control circuit 23, and the detection signal of the photodetector PD2 is output to the tracking control circuit 23. To be done.

The focusing control circuit 21 generates a signal related to the focus point of the laser beam, that is, a focusing signal in response to the detection signal from the photodetector PD1, and outputs an output signal (current) corresponding to this focusing signal to the focusing coil 12. , 13 are supplied.

As a result, the objective lens 11 is moved in the y direction, and the spot of the laser beam formed by the objective lens 11 is controlled so that it is always in perfect focus on the optical disc 1.

The information signal processing circuit 22 includes a photodetector PD1.
Signal from which the magnetization direction (recording information) recorded on the optical disc 1 is reflected by the detection signal from
An information signal is generated, and a reproduction signal reproduced by being demodulated into image information from the information signal is output.

The tracking control circuit 23 includes a photodetector P.
A signal related to the tracking point of the laser beam, that is, a tracking error signal is generated by the detection signal from D1.

The tracking error signal is
The low-frequency component and the high-frequency component are band-separated, and an output signal corresponding to the high-frequency component is supplied to the rotating unit 20 of the galvanometer mirror 19 to rotate the galvanometer mirror 19.

As a result, the spot of the laser beam formed by the objective lens 1 slightly moves on the optical disc 1 so that tracking control can be performed. The low frequency region component of the tracking error signal is sent to the linear motor control circuit 9, and the linear motor 8 performs tracking control by the low frequency region component, that is, relatively large movement control.

The CPU 24 performs a predetermined operation according to the programs and information stored in the memory 25 and controls the entire apparatus, and is connected to the bus 26.
Motor control circuit 5, focusing control circuit 21, information signal processing circuit 22, tracking control circuit 23, linear motor control circuit 9, laser control circuit 27 (described later), D /
The A converter 28 (described later) and the A / D converter 29 (described later) are
It is adapted to be controlled by the CPU 24 via the bus 26.

The laser control circuit 27 causes the laser diode 16 to generate a laser beam having a light amount corresponding to each operation of reproducing, recording, and erasing information according to an instruction from the CPU 24.

For example, when reproducing information, the CPU
When information is recorded by causing the laser diode 16 to generate a laser beam corresponding to the reproduction light amount in accordance with the switching signal from 24, an information signal obtained by modulating a recording information signal supplied from an interface circuit 27 (described later). In response to the,
The laser diode 16 is driven to generate a laser beam having a recording light amount.

The D / A converter 28 and the A / D converter 29 are
Information is transmitted and received between the CPU 24 and the focusing control circuit 21 and the tracking control circuit 23.

When the CPU 24 reads the information previously stored in the memory 25, it outputs it to the D / A converter 28. The D / A converter 28 converts digital information into analog information, and the focusing control circuit 2 is converted via the bus 26.
1 and the tracking control circuit 23.

The focusing control circuit 21 outputs the focusing signal to the A / D converter 29. The A / D converter 29 converts the focusing signal from analog to digital and outputs it to the CPU 24 via the bus 26.

An optical disk control device 31 is connected to the interface circuit 30. The interface circuit 30 is connected to a bus 26, and exchanges information signals and reproduction signals with the optical disk control device 31 under the control of the CPU 24. Is.

When the interface circuit 30 receives the reproduction information from the information signal processing circuit 22, it performs error correction processing and the like and then outputs it to the optical disk control device 31.
Further, the interface circuit 30 supplies the recording information from the optical disc control device 31 to the laser control circuit 27 via the bus 26.

Further, the CPU 24 is the optical disk control device 3
1. The information amount of the record information given through the interface circuit 30 and the bus line 26 is managed, and the emitted light corresponding to the record information amount is emitted from the optical disc 1 through the laser control circuit 27 and the optical head 3 to be described later. Such a recorded information amount display area is recorded so as to be visually observable with a thermal change.

FIG. 3 shows an external view of the optical disc 1 of the first embodiment used in the above optical disc device. That is, this optical disc 1 has a hub 1a, a label 1b, and an information recording area 1c, as well as a normal one, and a recording information amount display area 1e by a heat sensitive portion is provided in a part of the label 1b.

Note that the label 1b is provided with a scale of 0, 10, 20, ... 90% on the basis of the 0 sector position 1d so as to face the recording information display area 1e by the heat sensitive portion. The recording information amount display area 1e is made of, for example, thermal paper, and the laser emission light corresponding to the recording information amount is emitted from the optical head 3 to
The area and length of the display data 1f are changed.

That is, the thermal information is displayed on the recording information amount display area 1e by such a heat sensitive portion by a laser beam irradiated corresponding to the recording information amount, and the change length (recording time from 0 sector) is the recording information amount. Is used as the display data 1f.

In this case, since the same data is recorded on a plurality of tracks, the display data 1f is reflected in the recording information display area 1e as shown by hatching in the state where the optical disk 1 is taken out from the optical disk device. It becomes visible as a change in the rate.

By reading this in association with the scale attached to the label 1b, the recorded information amount or the unrecorded remaining amount of the disc 1 can be immediately known.

The display data 1f corresponding to the recording information amount for the recording information amount display area 1e is as follows.
Under the control of the CPU 24, it is updated every time information is recorded on the disc 1 (including recording of certain unit data), or is updated at once just before the optical disc 1 is ejected from the optical disc device. There is.

As described above, without loading the optical disc 1 into the optical disc device, the recorded information amount of the optical disc 1 (the unrecorded remaining amount) can be simply and simply by visually observing the display data 1f of the recorded information amount display area 1e. You will be able to know.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the case where the optical disk 1 is housed in the cartridge case 100. That is, in this case, in the cartridge case 100, at least the portion facing the recorded information amount display area 1e is formed of a transparent material such as plastic or a transparent portion 1
Since the optical disc 1 is formed as No. 02, even when the optical disc 1 is housed in the cartridge case 100, the display data 1f of the recording information amount display area 1e is visually observed from the outside through the see-through part 102 to record the optical disc 1 The amount of information (unrecorded remaining amount) can be easily known.

In this case, the scale is the cartridge case 10.
0, the transparent portion 102, the shutter 101 and the like. In the above description, the recorded information amount display area 1e provided on the optical disc 1 may be any area other than the information recording area 1c, and may be not only the inner peripheral portion but also the outer peripheral portion,
Further, it is not limited to one round, and may be a part of the arcuate portion.

The information recording area 1c is provided by providing a plurality of recording information amount display areas 1e by the heat-sensitive section.
It is possible to deal with the case where there is a significant rewriting or data reduction in.

[0058]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the optical information recording medium and the cartridge case for the optical information recording medium can easily and visually know the recorded information amount (unrecorded remaining amount) of the information recording medium. Thus, it becomes possible to provide an optical information recording / reproducing apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an optical disc device to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the optical head of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the outer appearance of an optical disc to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the outer appearance of an optical disc cartridge to which a modification of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Optical disc, 6 ... Moving optical system, 7 ... Fixed optical system, 8
... Linear motor, 9 ... Linear motor control circuit, 16 ... Laser diode, PD1, PD2 ... Photodetector, 19 ... Carbano mirror, 20 ... Rotating part, 23 ... Tracking control circuit, 1a ... Hub, 1b ... Label, 1c ... Information Recording area, 1d ... 0 sector position, 1e ... Recording information amount display area, 1f ... Display data, 100 ... Cartridge case,
101 ... Shutter, 102 ... Transparent part.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An information recording medium capable of recording information by irradiating light, wherein a non-information recording area has a heat sensitive portion for recording information indicating the amount of use of the recording area on the information recording medium. A characteristic optical information recording medium. 2. The heat-sensitive portion is arranged on the inner or outer circumference side of a recording area on an information recording medium, and is irradiated with light in order to indicate the amount of use from the 0 sector position which is the recording reference, depending on the recording length. The optical information recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the reflectance is changed upon reception. 3. The optical information recording device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-sensitive portion is provided on a label of the medium in a circumferential shape in association with a scale indicating a standard of usage amount. Medium. 4. A thermosensitive part for recording information according to the amount of use of an information recording area in a cartridge case accommodating an optical information recording medium capable of recording information by irradiating light. Is provided in a non-information recording area, and a see-through part is used in at least a part of the cartridge case so that at least a part of the heat-sensitive part can be seen. 5. The optical information recording medium according to claim 4, wherein a transparent portion is formed in the vicinity of the center of the cartridge case, and the transparent portion is also used in a part of the cartridge case shutter. Cartridge case. 6. The cartridge case for the optical information recording medium according to claim 4, wherein a plastic material or a window is used as the see-through portion. 7. An information recording / reproducing apparatus capable of recording / reproducing information on / from an information recording medium which records information by irradiating light, and records information indicating a used amount of a recording area on the information recording medium. An optical information recording / reproducing apparatus characterized in that data corresponding to the usage amount of the recording area is recorded in the heat sensitive portion according to the amount of information recorded in the heat sensitive portion. 8. The optical information recording according to claim 7, wherein the area of the heat-sensitive portion is irradiated with light to change the reflectance according to the amount of information recorded on the medium at the end of information recording. Playback device. 9. The optical system according to claim 7, wherein the area representing the usage amount has a certain area, and the length on the circumference as the reflectance change represents the usage amount. Information recording / reproducing apparatus.