Data recording apparatus and system having sustained high transfer rates

• US 7,835,617 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Yamashita, Kazuya, Fujita, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Huy T
• Application Number:
  US10/938,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/52, 386/95, 386/112, 386/125, 386/126
• US Class Current: 386/279
• 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 method for recording video data and/or audio data with a data recording apparatus, comprising:

receiving a continuous stream of video and/or audio data;

providing a recording medium having a first recording area and a second recording area distinct from the first recording area;

storing the video and/or audio data in the first recording area in access units having a predetermined number of sectors;

specifying a range of access units within the first recording area as transfer data; and

copying the transfer data to the second recording area, wherein the second recording area comprises access units having a smaller size than access units in the first storage area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording medium comprises a disk-like recording medium, and wherein the first recording area and the second recording area are divided in a radial direction on the disk-like recording medium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording medium comprises a hard disk recording unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the video and/or audio data in the first recording area and copying the transfer data to the second recording area are performed in a time-sharing manner.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection request;

specifying the transfer data based on the selection request; and

copying the transfer data to the second recording area in parallel with storing the video and/or audio data in the first recording area.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating management information of the second recording area with information about the transfer data such that data in the second recording area can be accessed in random fashion.