Optical disk recording/reproducing method and apparatus in which recording properties of the disk are detected when recording speed is changed

• US 7,184,379 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanamoto, Yasushi, Tanaka, Toru, Tsukihashi, Akira, Imamura, Yutaka, Hiroshima, Toshihiko, Seki, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wellington; Andrea
• Assistant Examiner(s): BATTAGLIA, MICHAEL V
• Application Number:
  US10/080,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20020150011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,833 Days
• Field of Search: 369/47.11, 369/47.43, 369/47.33, 369/189, 369/190, 369/239, 369/267
• US Class Current: 369/47.43
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10685 input interface, i.e. the way data enter the buffer, e.g. by informing the sender that the buffer is busy
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10703 processing rate of the buffer, e.g. by accelerating the data output
• 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

Abstract

An operation for recording a recording signal onto a disk (1) is interrupted, when an amount of signal data stored in a buffer RAM (11) for temporarily storing the recording signal is less than an interruption setting value during performing of the recording operation. Moreover, when the amount of signal data stored in the buffer RAM (11) increases and indicates a resumption setting value, the signal recorded on the disk (1) before interruption is reproduced, and the recording operation is resumed based on the reproduced signal. Moreover, recording properties are detected by the signal reproduced before resumption of recording.

Claims

1. An optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus, the apparatus comprising interruption means for interrupting a recording operation for recording onto a disk, reproducing means for reproducing a signal recorded on the disk before the recording operation is interrupted, comparing means for comparing the reproduced signal and a signal stored in a buffer RAM for temporarily storing a recording signal, resuming means for resuming the recording operation when the compared signals are determined to be identical to each other, wherein recording properties are detected based on a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed, to set the recording linear speed for resuming the recording operation, depending on whether the detected recording properties are determined to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and detection means for detecting a change in recording properties through comparison between recording property data detected based on a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed and recording property data detected at a previous point of change of the recording linear speed, to thereby determine whether or not the recording properties have become better.

2. An optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the recording properties of a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed are detected without changing the recording linear speed, the recording/reproducing apparatus includes means for causing the recording operation to terminate when it is determined based on the detected recording properties that recording quality is insufficient to allow a signal to be reproduced.

3. A method for recording/reproducing comprising:

interrupting a recording operation for recording onto a disk when a recording linear speed is to be changed;

reproducing a signal recorded on the disk before interrupting a recording operation;

comparing the reproduced signal and a signal stored in a buffer RAM for temporarily storing a recording signal; and

resuming the recording operation when the compared signals are determined to be identical to each other;

wherein recording properties are detected based on a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed to set the recording linear speed for resuming the recording operation, depending on whether the detected recording properties are determined to be satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and further including detecting a change in recording properties through comparison between recording property data detected based on a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed and detecting recording property data at a previous point of change of the recording linear speed, to thereby determine whether or not the recording properties have become better.

4. The recording/reproducing method according to claim 3, further including, when the recording properties of a signal reproduced before the recording operation is resumed are detected without changing the recording linear speed, terminating the recording operation by the recording/reproducing apparatus when it is determined based on the detected recording properties that recording quality is insufficient to allow a signal to be reproduced.