Optical disc apparatus

• US 7,057,987 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2003
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDI, NABIL Z
• Application Number:
  US10/678,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 369/47.33, 369/47.34, 369/47.42, 369/47.44, 369/47.19, 369/47.31, 369/47.27, 369/47.32
• US Class Current: 369/47.32
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/20 Driving; Starting; Stopping; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/28 Speed controlling, regulating, or indicating G11B19/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1403 characterised by the use of two levels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10694 output interface, i.e. the way data leave the buffer, e.g. by adjusting the clock rate
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10731 wherein the buffer I/O can be temporarily suspended, e.g. by refusing to accept further data to be buffered
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1074 involving a specific threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10814 involving specific measures to prevent a buffer underrun
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1225 frame, i.e. a subunit of a sector containing user data, e.g. a sync frame
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1235 session, i.e. a contiguous area having its own lead-in area, program area and lead-out area
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1277 for managing gaps between two recordings, e.g. control data in linking areas, run-in or run-out fields, guard or buffer zones
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3063 Subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0037 with discs

Abstract

An optical disc apparatus includes a pause circuit for pausing data encoders upon receiving a pause signal so that a write operation may be paused without writing dummy data, thereby maintaining data succession. The optical disc apparatus also includes a circuit for accurately determining a write start location by referring to previously written data. A processor generates a pause signal when the amount of data in the optical drive apparatus data buffer is low, and removes the pause signal when additional data from a host is received. The processor may also automatically reduce the write speed of the optical disc apparatus upon a pause condition, thereby preventing the necessity for excessive pausing.

Claims

1. A method of recording data on an optical data recording media, comprising:

encoding first data to be recorded to produce encoded data;

storing said encoded data in a device;

pausing a recording operation;

during said pausing, receiving second data to be recorded from a host, and storing said second data to be recorded in a memory before encoding, while maintaining said encoded data in said device; and

after said pausing, using said maintained encoded data to resume said recording operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said device is a memory.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said memory is a buffer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein data succession is maintained between an end position where said recording operation is paused and a start position where said recording operation is resumed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said optical data recording media is a CD-R disc or a CD-RW disc.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said pausing is performed when an input buffer contains less data than a threshold, and wherein said second data to be recorded is stored in said input buffer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said resuming is performed after said input buffer contains more data than a threshold.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a writing start point for said resuming of said recording operation by taking timing from the end of previously written data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said resuming step includes the step of taking timing from previously written data.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said pausing step includes the step of using a pause signal to mask a clock signal to an encoding device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said resuming step includes the step of discontinuing said pause signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said encoded data is maintained in said device by masking a clock signal during said pausing.

6. A method of recording data on an optical data recording media that comprises either a CD-R disc or a CD-RW disc, the method comprising:

encoding first data to be recorded to produce encoded data;

storing said encoded data in a device;

pausing a recording operation;

during said pausing, receiving second data to be recorded from a host, and storing said second data to be recorded in a memory before encoding, while maintaining said encoded data in said device; and

after said pausing, using said maintained encoded data to resume said recording operation, wherein said pausing does not write a run-out block on said media.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said resuming does not write a run-in block on said media.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said encoding step produces CIRC encoded data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said encoding step produces CD-ROM encoded data.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of selecting a writing start point for said resuming step by taking timing from data written on said media.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said pausing step includes the step of using a pause signal to mask a clock signal to an encoding device, and wherein said resuming includes the step of subsequently applying said clock signal to said encoding device.