Digital signal reproducing method

• US 6,233,649 B1
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Consumer Electronics Company Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hirayama, Hiroshi, Nagai, Yutaka, Takeuchi, Toshifumi, Kawamae, Osamu, Hirabayashi, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US09/342,045
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 711/1, 711/4, 711/111-114, 711/202-207, 711/209, 711/154, 360/48-50, 360/70, 360/71, 360/72.1, 360/18, 360/32, 360/39, 369/59
• US Class Current: 711/4
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/12 by sensing distinguishing features of or on records, e.g. diameter end mark
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1252 for discontinuous data, e.g. digital information signals, computer programme data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2007/0013 for carriers having multiple discrete layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1229 lead-in area
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1232 sector, i.e. the minimal addressable physical data unit
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1267 Address data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1295 wherein the focus is on the read access speed
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/237 having exactly two recording layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0045 Recording G11B7/006, G11B7/0065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/00745 Sectoring or header formats within a track formats in general G11B20/12

Abstract

A method of reproducing digital signals recorded on a disk having first and second recording surfaces. The digital signals are in the form of a data frame including a lead-in block and n data blocks. The lead-in block has a same format as the n data blocks. n block addresses are assigned to the n data blocks. Information identifying an area on the disk in which the n data blocks is recorded is assigned to the n data blocks. m data blocks (0<m<n) are recorded on the first recording surface, and remaining (n−m) data blocks are recorded on the second recording surface. The lead-in block is recorded at the head of the data frame, and includes recording area identifying information identifying an area on the disk in which the lead-in block is recorded, and disk information identifying (1) a number of recording surfaces, (2) the block address of one of the m data blocks recorded last on the first recording surface, and (3) the block address of a last one of the n data blocks in the data frame. The method includes the steps of detecting and reproducing the lead-in block using the recording area identification included in the lead-in block, detecting the disk information included in the lead-in block, accessing and reproducing the data blocks, detecting the block addresses of the data blocks, and controlling the accessing and reproducing step based on the detected disk information and the detected block addresses.

Claims

1. A method of reproducing digital signals recorded on a disk,

the disk having at least a first recording surface and a second recording surface,

the digital signals being in the form of a data frame,

the data frame including at least a lead-in block and n data blocks (n is a natural number),

the lead-in block having a same format as the n data blocks,

n block addresses being assigned to respective ones of the n data blocks,

information identifying an area on the disk in which a respective one of the n data blocks is recorded being assigned to each of the n data blocks,

m data blocks (m is a natural number, 0<

m<

n) of the n data blocks being recorded on the first recording surface of the disk,

remaining (n−

m) data blocks of the n data blocks being recorded on the second recording surface of the disk,

the lead-in block being recorded at the head of the data frame, the lead-in block including

recording area identifying information identifying an area on the disk in which the lead-in block is recorded, and

disk information identifying (1) a number of recording surfaces, (2) the block address of one of the m data blocks recorded last on the first recording surface, and (3) the block address of a last one of the n data blocks in the data frame,

the method comprising the steps of;

detecting and reproducing the lead-in block recorded on the disk using the recording area identification included in the lead-in block;

detecting the disk information included in the reproduced lead-in block;

accessing and reproducing the data blocks recorded on the disk;

detecting the block addresses of the reproduced data blocks; and

controlling the accessing and reproducing step based on the detected disk information included in the reproduced lead-in block and the detected block addresses of the reproduced data blocks.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the m data blocks are recorded on the first recording surface of the disk in a first radial direction of the disk;

and

wherein the remaining (n−

m) data blocks are recorded on the second recording surface of the disk in a second radial direction of the disk opposite to the first radial direction of the disk.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first recording surface and the second recording surface are both readable from a same side of the disk by a single optical pickup.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the accessing and reproducing step is further based on the information identifying an area on the disk in which a respective one of the n data blocks is recorded assigned to each of the n data blocks.