Data recording apparatus and system having sustained high transfer rates

• US 20050031319A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Yamashita, Kazuya, Fujita, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,903,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/240
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1251 for continuous data, e.g. digitised analog information signals, pulse code modulated [PCM] data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/001 Controlling recording characteristics of record carriers or transducing characteristics of transducers by means not being part of their structure
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10944 Real-time recording or reproducing, e.g. for ensuring seamless playback of AV data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/012 Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic disks G11B17/00, G11B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

According to the invention, techniques for recording data onto recording media at relatively high transfer rates for relatively long periods of time. Embodiments according to the present invention include systems and apparatus capable of an improved sustained rate of data recording onto disk type-recording media, for example. Many embodiments can remove the upper limits of both recording capacity and the number of media that can be used. Select embodiments can be used with different kinds of recording media as well. In a specific embodiment, the area on a hard disk is divided into three areas. A first area can be suitable for sequential recording of continuous data. A second area can be suitable for random recording of discontinuous data. A third area can be used for recording logical sector numbers, coupling logical sector numbers, and file information that are used for marking each of the first and second areas, so that continuous data can be recorded on the hard disk at a high data rate.

Claims

1. A data recording apparatus for recording data on a disk-type recording medium, comprising:

an area setting circuit for setting up a first area and a second area on said disk-type recording medium; and

a data recorder for recording data in ascending order of address in said first area and in random order in said second area.

2. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second areas is disposed radially on said disk-type recording medium.

3. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said area setting circuit is operable to set up a third area in addition to said first and second areas, and said data recorder records management information in said third area relating to data that is recorded in said first area.

4. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said first, second, and third areas is disposed radially on said disk-type recording medium.

5. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second areas comprises a plurality of recording blocks, and said data recorder records data in said first area in sequential recording blocks.

6. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said area setting circuit sets sizes of said first and second areas respectively.

7. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said areas comprises a plurality of recording blocks, wherein said data recorder records said data in said first area in consecutive recording blocks and records in said third area addresses of said consecutive recording blocks.

8. A data recording apparatus according to claim 7 wherein a minimum recording unit for said first area and a minimum recording unit for said second area are of different sizes.

9. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a detecting circuit for detecting a faulty recording block on said disk-type recording medium, wherein said data recorder records location information of said faulty recording block in said third block.

10. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising:

a buffering circuit for buffering data; and

a buffer capacity detecting circuit for detecting that data is buffered up to a predetermined capacity in said buffering circuit,

wherein said data recorder records said data in a plurality of recording blocks disposed in tracks of said disk-type recording medium according to a result of detection by said buffering capacity detection circuit.

11. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said data recorded in said second area is video data and/or audio data.

12. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said data recorded in said second area is video data and/or audio data.

13. A data recording apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said disk-type recording medium is a recordable optical disk.

14. A data recording apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said disk-type recording medium is a recordable optical disk.

15. A disk-type recording medium for recording data, said disk-type recording medium having a first area and a second area, said data being recorded in ascending order of address in said first area and in random order in said second area.

16. A disk-type recording media according to claim 15 wherein said disk-type recording medium has a third area in addition to said first and second areas, wherein management information for data recorded in said first area is recorded in said third area.

17. A disk-type recording medium according to claim 15 wherein said data to be recorded in said first area is recorded endlessly in a predetermined location in said first area.

18. A disk-type recording medium according to claim 16 wherein each of said areas comprises of a plurality of recording blocks, said data to be recorded in said first area is recorded sequentially in first recording blocks thereof and stored in continuous fashion in said first area, and addresses of said first recording blocks being recorded in said third area.

19. A disk-type recording medium according to claim 16 wherein recording block in said first area and recording block in said second area are of different sizes.

20. A disk-type recording medium according to claim 15 wherein said data is video data and/or audio data.

21. A disk-type recording medium according to claim 16 wherein said data is video data and/or audio data.