Optical recording medium to store and access large volumes of data

• US 5,835,589 A
• Filed: 03/20/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakashima, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Application Number:
  US08/618,721
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.34, 380/3, 380/4, 380/25, 386/45, 364/497.02, 364/497.04, 364/497.07, 369/275.1-275.5, 369/32, 369/274, 395/615, 707/9
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1254 for mixed data, i.e. continuous and discontinuous data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

When recording a large volume of data such as video data, audio data, or the like, it is desirable to delete menus for unnecessary files and thereby enable quick and efficient access to data. An optical recording medium having a data recording medium which is divided into at least a readable/writable first region and a second region used exclusively for data reading. The first region has recorded therein a title management information table in which filenames of software titles are registered in the second region, and a loader for executing or reproducing these software titles, wherein the loader and the software title correspond to each other. The second region has recorded therein at least two types of software titles.

Claims

1. An optical recording medium comprising:

a data recording medium including

a first region having data recorded therein and which is readable, and into which data, including title management information, is writable and

a second region having data recorded therein and which is at least readable, and into which data is non-writable, the recorded data including information regarding initial title management information, so that when the title management information in the first region is altered, the initial title management information is restored from the information in the second region,

wherein at least two software titles are recorded in said second region, and a title management information table for registering a file name of each software title stored in said second region in association with a loader for executing or reproducing said software title is recorded in said first region.

2. An optical recording medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein said title management information table registers the file names of the software titles in an initial state corresponding to all of the software titles recorded in said second region.

3. An optical recording medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data recorded in said first region are in a format different from a CD-ROM logic format and the data recorded in said second region are in the CD-ROM logic format.

4. An optical recording medium as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first region has a CD-ROM emulator for converting an access request to the CD-ROM logic format into an access request to the optical recording medium.

5. An optical recording medium comprising:

a data recording medium including

a first region having data recorded therein and which is readable, and into which data is writable,

a second region having data, including software titles, recorded therein and which is at least; and

an address information table stored in said second region, to register a file name of each software title stored in said second region and to record an address of each software title recorded in said second region in said first region.

6. An optical recording medium as claimed in claim 5, wherein the software titles recorded in said second region comprise real software titles and demonstration software titles for demonstrating the real software titles.

7. An optical recording medium as claimed in claim 6, wherein said address information table registers addresses for the real software titles and addresses for the demonstration software titles in identical values in an initial state.

8. A software reproduction system, comprising:

an optical recording medium having a first region having data recorded therein and which is readable and into which data is writable and a second region having data recorded therein and which is at least readable; and

a software reproduction apparatus for reading software titles recorded in said second region;

wherein

an address information recording means is provided in said first region to register addresses used when accessing the optical recording medium,

demonstration software titles and real software titles corresponding to the demonstration software titles are registered in said second region,

said software reproduction apparatus includes input means for inputting codes, and code-to-address conversion means for converting inputted codes into an address rewrite command for rewriting the addresses recorded in said address information recording means, and

an access to the optical recording medium is changed from the demonstration software titles to the real software titles in response to a specified code being input through said input means.