WO2011034279A1

WO2011034279A1 - Recording medium, data recording method, and data recording apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2011034279A1
Application number: PCT/KR2010/004783
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong Cheol Park; Jung Kyun Jung; Sung Hoon Kim
Original assignee: Lg Electronics Inc.
Priority date: 2009-09-15
Filing date: 2010-07-21
Publication date: 2011-03-24
Also published as: KR20110029307A

Abstract

A recording medium, a data recording method and a data recording apparatus are disclosed. A recording medium includes at least one recording layer comprising an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area assigned to the recording layer continuously, wherein the inner zone comprises a first test area configured to calculate a recording power in the recording layer and the first test area included in each recording layer is arranged in an independent position. According to the present invention, a recording power for each recording layer may be calculated in the recording medium efficiently.

Description

RECORDING MEDIUM, DATA RECORDING METHOD, AND DATA RECORDING APPARATUS

The present invention relates to a recording medium, data recording method and data recording apparatus, more specifically, to a recording medium, data recording method and data recording apparatus, which can record data in a plurality of recording layers.

With rapid increase of information possessed by individuals, demands for a recording medium having a high density have been increasing accordingly. Examples of methods of increasing the recoding capacity include providing a plurality of recoding layers with a recoding medium. Conventionally, a dual-layer recoding medium configured of two recoding layers has been used and development of a recoding medium having three or more recoding layers has been progressed currently.

If data is recorded in the recoding medium having the plurality of the recording layers by using optical pickup, an optical recording power configured to write data has to be set for each of the recoding layers appropriately. If the optical recording power is set weakly, wished data fail to be recoded in the recoding layers and if the optical recording power is set strongly, the recoding medium may damage because of degradation.

As a result, an efficient method for a recoding medium to search a suitable recording power for each of the recoding layers is required and a recoding medium having an area capable of performing the method of searing the suitable recording power of each recording layer has been required accordingly.

To solve the problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method of calculating a recording power in each of recording layer and a recording medium which is suitable to perform the recording power calculating process efficiently.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a recording medium includes at least one recording layer comprising an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area assigned to the recording layer continuously, wherein the inner zone may include a first test area configured to calculate a recording power in the recording layer and the first test area included in each recording layer may be arranged in an independent position.

The recording medium may include at least four recording layers, wherein a half part of the first area included in the fourth recording layer may be overlapped with the first test area included in the second recording layer.

The inner zone may include a temporary dist management area (TDMA) configured to record management information of the recording medium, and the temporary disc management area included in the first recording layer may be adjacent to an outer circumstance of the first test area, and the temporary disc management areas included in odd number recording layers may be arranged in physically identical positions to the temporary disc management area included in the first recording layer, and the temporary disc management areas included in even number recording layers may be provided in physically identical positions to the first test area included in the first recording layer.

A use direction of the first test area may be opposite to a data recording direction for the recording medium.

A use direction of the first test area may be a direction having a physical sector number of the recording medium to get increasing.

The recording layer may further include an outer zone, configured to record management information of the recording medium, arranged next to the data area continuously, and the outer zone may include a second test area configured to perform a process of calculating a recording power.

The second test area of each recording layer may be arranged in physically identical position.

In another aspect of the present invention, a data recording method for recording data in a recording medium including at least one recording layer having an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area continuously assigned to the recording layer, the method includes steps of: performing a process of calculating a recording power in a first test area included in the inner zone of the recording layer; and recording the data in the recording medium by using the recording power, wherein the first test area included in each recording layer may be arranged in an independent position.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a data recording apparatus configured to record data in a recording medium including at least one recording layer having an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area continuously assigned to the recording layer, the data recording/reproducing apparatus includes a pick-up configured to record the data in the recording medium; and a controller configured to perform a process of calculating a recording power in a first test area included in the inner zone of the recording layer and to control the pick-up to record the data in the recording medium by using the recording power, wherein the first test area included in each recording layer is arranged in a physically identical position.

The present invention has following advantageous effects.

According to the recording medium, data recording method and data recording apparatus, the recording power for each of the recording layers may be figured out in the recording medium efficiently.

Furthermore, even when recording data at a high speed, the data recording apparatus may perform the process of calculating the recording power efficiently.

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a recording medium according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams illustrating a structure of an inner zone including OPC zone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a use direction of the OPC zone according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of an outer zone including a DCZ according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a data recoding apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

The terms used in the present invention are selected from generally known and used terms considering their functions in the present invention. However, in special case, the terms mentioned in the description of the present invention may be selected by the applicant at his or her discretion, the detailed meanings of which are described in relevant parts of the description herein. Accordingly, the terms used herein should be understood not simply by the actual terms used but by the meaning lying within and the description disclosed herein.

In the present invention, a recording medium means every medium where data are recorded or can be recorded. For example, the recording medium is a comprehensive term of all media regardless of recording type, such as disc and magnetic tape. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, disc, especially, Blu-ray disc (BD) will be described as a recording medium. However, it will be apparent that technical spirits of the present invention are applicable to other recording media.

Also, in the present invention, among Blu-ray discs (BD), a one-time recordable type (BD-R) recording medium or a re-recordable type (BD-RE) recording medium will be described. However, it will be apparent that technical spirits of the present invention are applicable to other type recording media.

Furthermore, Optimum power control (hereinafter, OPC) used in the present specification means a process of calculating an optimum recording power used to record data in the recoding medium (e.g. BD-R, BD-RE and the like). An optimum power control (hereafter, OPC) zone means an assigned zone configured to perform OPC in the recoding medium.

Specifically, when a disc is loaded in a data recording apparatus, the data recording apparatus writes a signal in an OPC zone provided in the disc by way of a predetermined recording power and it performs reproducing of the signal repeatedly, to calculate an optimum recording power required to secure a desired reproducing quality. The data recording apparatus uses the optimum recording power determined through this process in recording data in a corresponding disc.

Still further, a drive calibration zone (hereafter, DCZ) used in the present specification is an area utilized by a data recording apparatus (or Drive) in the recording medium and the DCZ includes OPC to perform diver tests required for the data recording apparatus.

Here, the OPC zone and DCZ can be utilized for the OPC process. As a result, the OPC zone and DCZ will be combinedly referenced to as “Test Area” and the performance of the OPC process in the OPC zone may be applicable to the DCZ.

Furthermore, the recording medium of the present invention is configured in a certain unit. For example, the recording medium can include a unit called cluster. The cluster can include a data frame which is a lower unit. For example, one cluster may include 32 data frames. However, name of each unit and the number of units may be varied depending on types of the recording medium.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a structure of a recording medium 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a quadruple layer recording medium 10 configured of four layers L0, L1, L2, and L3. However, the present invention is not limited to the quadruple layer recording medium but applicable to every recording medium 10 having two layers or more as well as a single layer. Since the respective layers can be configured in the same structure, the first layer L0 will be described herein.

The recording medium 10 of the present invention includes an inner zone 210, an outer zone 230, and a data zone 220.

The inner zone 210 is located at the inner circumference of the recording medium 10, and the outer zone 230 is located at the outer circumference of the recording medium 10, wherein various kinds of information for controlling the recording medium 10 is stored in the outer zone 230. For example, the inner zone 210 and the outer zone 230 include a test area configured of an OPC zone or DCZ to perform the OPC process.

Data desired by a user are stored in the data zone 220. A part surrounded by the inner zone 210 and the outer zone 230 on the recording medium 10 becomes the zone in which data are actually recorded.

The data zone 220 can include an inner spare area (ISA) 221, an outer spare area (OSA) 223, and a user data area 222. Additional information and defective replacement information of the recording medium 10 are recorded in the

spare areas

221 and 223.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a structure of the inner zone 210 including the OPC zone according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the structure of the inner zone 210 provided in a recording medium 10 including three recording layers (L0, L1 and L2) and FIG. 3 illustrates the structure of the inner zone 210 provided in a recording medium 10 including four recording layers (L0, L1, L2 and L3).

Although the drawings show a structure of re-recordable type disc (BD-RE), it is obvious that the present invention may be applicable to a one-time recordable type recording medium (BD-R).

According to the structure of the inner zone 210 according to the present invention, the inner zone 210 includes permanent information & control data (PIC) zone, information (Info) zone, OPC zone, temporary disc management (TDMA), protection zone and reserved area.

Management information of the recording medium 10 is recorded in the PIC zone as embossed high frequency modulated (HFM) signal.

Management information of the recording medium 10, for example, DMA and the like is recorded in the info-zone and the inner zone 210 includes two info-zones (INFO1 and INFO2).

The OPC zone is used as test area configured to perform the OPC.

Information representing a temporary disc definition structure (TDDS), temporary defect list (TDFL) and a recording status of a user data zone is recorded in the TDMA.

The protection zone is for disc protection. Especially, a protection zone provided in an inner-most part of the inner zone 210 is referenced to as a first protection zone (Protection Zone 1) and a protection zone located between the PIC zone and the second info-zone (INFO2) is referenced to as second protection zone (Protection Zone 2). Especially, the second protection zone is used as a kind of buffer zone for changeover from HFM zone into recordable zone.

The reserved area is a preliminary area for poster-usage. Related to this, the recording medium 10 having plural recording layers includes the OPC zone located in each of the corresponding recording layers. The OPC zone for each recording layer is used to calculate an optimum recording power for the corresponding recording layer. However, various powers are used to figure out the optimum recording power. If there is an OPC zone nearby, interference of a beam will occur possibly and the calculation of the optimum recording power will be interfered with.

Because of that, the OPC zones provided in the recording layers may not be arranged in physically identical locations with respect to each other. In other words, the OPC zones of the recording layers may not arranged in vertically identical positions.

According to the inner zone 210 of the recording medium 10 including three recording layers (L0, L1 and L2), an OPC0 zone 211 provided in the LO recording layer is located next to INFO1 and TDMA0 from the outer circumstance of the inner zone 210. The OPC1 zone 222 provided in the L1 recording layer is next to the first protection zone and the reserved zone from the inner circumstance of the inner zone 210. The OPC2 zone 223 provided in the L2 recording layer is located next to the first protection zone and the reserved zone from the inner circumstance of the inner zone 210. A buffer zone is provided next to the OPC2 zone 223. As shown in FIG. 2, a reserved zone and a buffer zone located adjacent to the OPC2 zone 223 of the L2 recording layer may be configured of identical sizes. The sizes of the reserved zone, OPC2 zone 223 and buffer zone located in the inner circumstance of the L2 recording layer may be identical to the size of the reserved zone located in the inner circumstance of the L1 recording layer.

For example, each of the OPC0 zone 221, OPC1 zone 222 and OPC2 zone 223 may have a size of 2408 cluster and as shown in FIG. 2, they may not be arranged in physically identical locations. That is, they may not be arranged in vertically identical locations.

According to the inner zone 210 of the recording medium 10 including four recording layers L0, L1, L2, and L3, the structure of each recording layer (L0, L1 and L2) is identical to that of each recording layer mentioned above in reference to FIG. 2.

An OPC3 zone 224 provided in the L3 recording layer is located next to a first zone and a reserved zone from an inner circumstance of the inner zone 210. A half part of the OPC3 zone 224 according to the present invention is vertically overlapped with a half part of the OPC1 zone 221. That is, an outer half part of the OPC1 zone 222 is located in a physically identical position to an inner half part of the OPC3 zone 224.

If the OPC3 zone 224 is located in a more inner circumstantial part of the inner zone 210 than the OPC2 zone 223, a data zone 220 in which data is recorded actually may be distant farther and thus usage of a pick-up 70 configured to perform actual recording of data and the OPC process, which will be described later, may be inefficient. This is because the area configured to perform the OPC may be distant from the area configured to recording actual data. As will be described in reference to FIG. 4 later, a usage direction of the OPC zone is opposite to a data recording direction and thus the OPC3 zone 224 is used from an inner circumstantial direction to an outer circumstantial direction with respect to the inner zone 210. When the OPC3 zone 224 is located in the inner circumstantial part of the inner zone 210 in this case, the pick-up has to move toward a start point at the inner circumstance of the OPC3 zone 224, such that the usage of the pick-up 70 may be inefficient.

Moreover, if the OPC3 zone 224 is located in the physically identical position to the OPC1 zone 222 as mentioned above, there will be more possibility of beam interference which will interfere with the calculation of the optimum recording power performed in the corresponding recording layer.

Because of that, the OPC3 zone 224 has the half part overlapped with the half of the OPC1 222 to solve the problems.

According to arrangement of each recording layer with respect to the TDMA of the present invention, a TDMA0 arranged in the first recording layer is adjacent to the outer circumstance of the OPC0 and the TDMA0 and TDMA2 provided in odd number recording layers may be located in physically identical positions to the TDMA0 and the TDMA1 and TDMA3 provided in even number recording layers are located in identical positions to the OPC0 zone.

FIG. 4 illustrates a usage direction of the OPC zone according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the usage direction of the OPC zone means a direction configured to allow a data recording apparatus to perform the OPC process in the OPC zone. That is, the usage direction of the OPC zone is a direction in which the recording apparatus records and reproduces a signal in the OPC zone by way of a predetermined recording power to calculate the optimum recording power. First of all, the data recording apparatus performs tracking in a direction having an increasing physical section number (PSN) of the recording medium 10. That is, the physical sector number (PSN) of sectors provided in the recording medium 10 is increasing along the tracking direction and the direction in which the physical sector number is increasing is a tracking direction of each recording layer.

The data recording apparatus records data in the recording medium 10 in a direction having the physical sector number such as the above tracking direction. As a result, a data recording direction is identical to the tracking direction. As shown in FIG. 4, a direction in which a data recording direction, tracking direction or physical sector number increasing direction is toward the outer circumstantial direction from the inner circumstantial direction with respect toe the recording medium 10 in the odd number recording layer (L0 and L2) and it is toward the inner circumstantial direction from the outer circumstantial direction of the recording medium 10 in the even number recording layers (L1 and L3). The usage direction of the OPC zone according to the present invention is opposite to the data recording direction. That is, the usage direction of the OPC zone is from a large physical sector number direction to a small physical sector number direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the usage direction of the OPC zone is from the outer circumstance to the inner circumstance of the recording medium 10 in the odd number recording layer (L0 and L2) and it is from the inner circumstance to the outer circumstance of the recording medium 10 in the even number recording layers (L1 and L3). As a result, the data recording apparatus sets the usage direction of the OPC zone in opposite to the data recording direction.

Since the OPC zone is used in an opposite order of the physical sector number, the closest one of 2408 clusters to the TDMA0 is used first to perform the OPC in the OPC0 zone 221 of the L0 recording layer and the others are used sequentially. In contrast, the farthest one of 2408 clusters from the buffer zone is used first to perform the OPC in the OPC1 zone 222.

After performing the OPC in the OPC zone, the data recording/reproducing apparatus erase data recorded in the area used for the OPC.

FIG. 5 illustrates a structure of the outer zone 230 including the DCZ 231 according to the embodiment of the present invention. For convenience sake, the structure of the one-time recordable recording medium (BR-R) having three recording layers is presented to embody the present invention and it is obvious to apply the present invention to the recording medium including four or more recording layers or re-recordable recording medium (BR-RE).

The outer zone 230 according to the present invention may have an identical structure for each recording layer. The outer zone 230 of each recording layer may include a third info-zone (INFO3), angular buffer zone, fourth info-zone (INFO4), DCZ 231 (DCZ0~2) and third protection zone (Protection Zone 3) from the inner circumstance of the recording medium 10.

The two INFO-zones (INFO3 and INFO4), protection zone and buffer zone are used for identical functions identical to functions of the INFO zone, protection zone and buffer zone located in the inner zone 210 mentioned above.

The DCZ 231 (DCZ~2) is located between the INFO4 zone and the third protection zone (Protection Zone 3) and it is an area for drive calibration.

Different from the OPC zone, the DCZ 231 is arranged in a physically identical position for each recording layer.

As mentioned above, the DCZ 231 is a kind of test area configured to allow the data recording apparatus to perform a test of the recording medium 10 on diverse purposes. Same as the OPC zone which is the other test area, it is possible to perform the OPC process in the DCZ 231. Here, it is obvious that other kinds of tests rather than the OPC process may be performed in the DCZ 231 and the present invention is not limited thereto.

Like in the OPC zone, the data recording apparatus may erase the data recorded in the area used for the OPC process after performing the OPC process in the DCZ 231.

Since the DCZ 231 is provided in the outer zone 230 of the recording medium 10, the data recording apparatus may perform the OPC process in the DCZ 231 of the outer zone 230 as well as in the OPC zone of the inner zone 210. As a result, the data recording apparatus may perform the OPC process efficiently when recording data in the recording medium 10 at a high speed.

The DCZ areas 231 in the recording layers may be referenced to as a DCZ0 area in the L0 recording layer, DCZ1 area in the L1 recording layer and DCZ2 area in the l2 recording layer. Like the usage direction of the above OPC zone mentioned above, the data recording apparatus may set a use direction of the DCZ area 231 in opposite to a data recording direction, in other words, a tracking direction.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a data recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

According to an overall configuration of the data recording apparatus, a pick-up 70 may include a laser diode to record data in a surface of the recording medium 10 or to read a signal reflected from the recording medium 10.

Moreover, the pick-up 70 performs the OPC process based on control of an OPC controller which will be described later. A servo 90 controls tracking and focusing of the pick-up 70 and operation of a spindle motor 110.

An R/F part 80 generates a focus error signal and tracking error signal configured to detect focus-off and track-off of a laser beam by using the signal outputted from the pick-up 70.

A spindle motor 110 rotates a disc mounted in the data recording apparatus. A motor driver 100 drives the pick-up 70 and the spindle motor 110 based on the control of the servo 90.

A signal processor 40 restores a RF signal received from the R/F part 80 to be a desired reproducing signal value or modulates a data signal which will be recorded into a recordable format recordable in the recording medium 10 to output the modulated format.

A bit encoder 50 transforms a recording signal outputted from the signal processor 40 into a bit stream and the pick-up driver 60 transforms the bit stream generated by the bit encoder 50 into an optical signal which will be stored in the recording medium 10.

A memory 150 temporarily stores information related to the recording medium 10, for example, defect information of the recording medium 10 or performs a buffer function to temporarily store data which will be recorded or reproduced in the recording medium 10.

A microcomputer 120 configured to control the signal processor 40, the servo 90 and the memory 150 controls a driver including these components to record or reproduce data.

The OPC controller 130 controls the pick-up 70 to perform the OPC process in the OPC zones (221~224) provided in the inner zone 210 of the recording medium 10 or the OPC process in the DCZ area 231 provided in the outer zone 230. that is, the OPC controller 130 controls the pick-up 70 to record a signal in the OPC zones 221~224 or the DCZ 231 by using a predetermined recording power and to reproduce the signal repeatedly until an optimum recording power required to secure a desired reproducing quality is calculated. The microcomputer 120 uses the optimum recording power calculated through the OPC process in recording data in the corresponding recording medium 10.

Here, the recording medium 10 according to the present invention includes the OPC zones 221~224 configured to perform the OPC process in the recording layers, respectively. the OPC controller 130 performs the OPC process in each of the OPC zones 221~224 provided in each of the recording layers, to calculate the optimum recording power required for the reproducing quality desired by each recording layer.

The recording medium 10 according to the present invention includes the DCZ 231 configured to perform the OPC process in the outer zone 230 provided in each of the recording layers. As a result, the data recording apparatus may perform the OPC process in the DCZ as well as the OPC zones when recording data in the recording medium at a high speed, only to perform the OPC process efficiently.

Moreover, the OPC controller 130 may set the use directions of the OPC zones 221~224 and the DCZ 231 in opposite to the data recording direction, that is, tracking direction. The OPC controller 130 is shown to be a single configuration component in the drawings and the present invention is not limited thereto. Several configuration components may perform the function of the OPC controller 130, in communication with each other. The OPC controller 130 may be embodied as integral with the microcomputer 120 and/or a host 140. also, the OPC controller 130 may be additionally connected with the drive including the signal processor 40, the bit encoder 50, the pick-up driver 60, the pick-up 70, the servo 90, the motor driver 100, the spindle motor 110, the microcomputer 120 and the memory 150, such that the OPC controller can be updated.

The host 140 is configured to control the overall components of the data recording apparatus and it compose interface with the user to control recording or reproducing of the recording medium 10. Specifically, the host 40 transmits a command to the microcomputer 120 to command the data recording apparatus according to the present invention to perform a predetermined function. The microcomputer 120 controls the components of the data recording apparatus configured to communicate with each other based on the command.

Related with this, the microcomputer 120 and the host 140 may be independently provided to operate. Alternatively, the functions of the microcomputer 120, the OPC controller 130 and the host may be integrally configured to operate as a single control unit.

The host 140 may be a main controller of a computer, server, audio or video device. That is, the data recording apparatus according to the present invention may be an optical drive provided in a personal computer (PC) and the like and it may be a player not mounted in a PC and the like.

As a result, the data recording apparatus according to the present invention may be applicable to an optical drive mounted in a PC and the like and to a player used as single device.

An AV encoder 20 encodes an input signal into a predetermined format which is recordable in the recording medium 10, to record data in the recording medium 10. After that, the AV encoder 20 transmits the encoded format to the signal processor 40. For example, the AV encoder 20 may encode an input signal into a MPEG format signal. the signal processor 40 adds an error correcting code to the encoded signal of the encoder 20 modulate the encoded signal into a format recordable in the recording medium 10 and it transmits the modulated format to the bit encoder 50.

An AV decoder 20 finally decodes a reproducing signal of the recording medium 10 which is transmitted from the signal processor 40, to provide the user with output data of a video or audio signal.

The configuration components of the data recording apparatus according to the present invention as mentioned above may be embodied as software or hardware to perform functions thereof, or as software and hardware in communication with each other.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail in the best mode for invention.

The present invention has an industrial applicability.

Claims

A recording medium comprising:

at least one recording layer comprising an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area assigned to the recording layer continuously,

wherein the inner zone comprises a first test area configured to calculate a recording power in the recording layer and the first test area included in each recording layer is arranged in an independent position.
The recording medium of claim 1, comprising at least four recording layers, wherein a half part of the first area included in the fourth recording layer is overlapped with the first test area included in the second recording layer.
The recording medium of claim 1, wherein the inner zone comprises a temporary dist management area (TDMA) configured to record management information of the recording medium, and

the temporary disc management area included in the first recording layer is adjacent to an outer circumstance of the first test area, and

the temporary disc management areas included in odd number recording layers are arranged in physically identical positions to the temporary disc management area included in the first recording layer, and

the temporary disc management areas included in even number recording layers are provided in physically identical positions to the first test area included in the first recording layer.
The recording medium of claim 1, wherein a use direction of the first test area is opposite to a data recording direction for the recording medium.
The recording medium of claim 4, wherein a use direction of the first test area is a direction having a physical sector number of the recording medium to get increasing.
The recording medium of claim 1, wherein the recording layer further comprises an outer zone, configured to record management information of the recording medium, arranged next to the data area continuously, and

the outer zone comprises a second test area configured to perform a process of calculating a recording power.
The recording medium of claim 6, wherein the second test area of each recording layer is arranged in physically identical position.
A data recording method for recording data in a recording medium, the recording medium comprising at least one recording layer having an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area continuously assigned to the recording layer, the method comprising steps of:

performing a process of calculating a recording power in a first test area included in the inner zone of the recording layer; and

recording data in the recording medium by using the recording power,

wherein the first test area included in each recording layer is arranged in an independent position.
The data recording method of claim 8, wherein the recording medium comprises at least four recording layers and a half part of the first test area included in the fourth recording layer is overlapped with the first test area included in the second recording layer.
The data recording method of claim 8, wherein the step of performing the recording power calculating process uses the first test area in an opposite direction to a data recording direction for the recording medium.
The data recording method of claim 10, wherein a use direction of the first test area is a direction having a physical sector number of the recording medium to get increasing.
The data recording method of claim 8, wherein the recording layer further comprises an outer zone, configured to record management information of the recording medium, arranged next to the data area continuously, and

the step of performing the recording power calculating process is performed in a second test area included in the outer zone.
The data recording method of claim 12, wherein the second test area of each recording layer is arranged in a physically identical position.
A data recording apparatus configured to record data in a recording medium, the recording medium comprising at least one recording layer having an inner zone configured to record management information of the recording medium and a data area configured to record user data, the inner zone and the data area continuously assigned to the recording layer, the data recording apparatus comprising:

a recording unit configured to record data in the recording medium; and

a controller configured to:

perform a process of calculating a recording power in a first test area included in the inner zone of the recording layer, and

control the recording unit to record data in the recording medium by using the recording power,

wherein the first test area included in each recording layer is arranged in a physically identical position.
The data recording apparatus of claim 14, wherein the recording medium comprises at least four recording layers and a half part of the first test area included in the fourth recording layer is overlapped with the first test area included in the second recording layer.
The data recording apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller sets a use direction of the first test area in opposite to a data recording direction for the recording medium.
The data recording apparatus of claim 16, wherein a use direction of the first test area is a direction having a physical sector number of the recording medium to get increasing.
The data recording apparatus of claim 14, wherein the recording layer further comprises an outer zone, configured to record management information of the recording medium, arranged next to the data area continuously, and

the controller controls the recording unit to perform the recording power calculating process in a second test area included in the outer zone.
The data recording apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second test area of each recording layer is arranged in a physically identical position.