Data recording apparatus and system having sustained high transfer rates

• US 7,903,930 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• 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:
  US10/939,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20050031319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,371 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/95, 386/98, 386/112, 386/125, 386/126
• US Class Current: 386/240
• 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 data recording apparatus for recording video data, audio data, or both on a disk-type recording medium, the data recording apparatus comprising:

a data recorder operative to record a first digital file including at least one of audio and video data of a specified file size sequentially in a first area of said recording medium, wherein the first digital file being requiring sequential recording in order to ensure a minimum sustained transfer rate., and further operative to record a second digital file including at least one of audio and video data randomly in a second area of said recording medium by copying the at least one of audio and video data from the first digital file from said first area,

wherein each of said first and second areas on said recording medium comprise a plurality of recording blocks, and

wherein said data recorder is further operative to record said first digital file in said recording blocks in an order of address in said first area and further operative to record said second digital file in said recording blocks in a random order in said second area.

2. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second areas is disposed radially on said disk-type recording medium.

3. A data recording apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a area setting circuit operable to set up a third area in addition to said first and second areas, and said data recorder records management information in said third area relating to data that is recorded in said first area.

4. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said first, second, and third areas is disposed radially on said disk-type recording medium.

5. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said areas comprises a plurality of recording blocks, wherein said data recorder records said data in said first area in consecutive recording blocks and records in said third area addresses of said consecutive recording blocks.

6. A data recording apparatus according to claim 5 wherein a minimum recording unit for said first area and a minimum recording unit for said second area are of different sizes.

7. A data recording apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a detecting circuit for detecting a faulty recording block on said disk-type recording medium, wherein said data recorder records location information of said faulty recording block in said third block.

8. A data recording apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said disk-type recording medium is a recordable optical disk.

9. A data recording apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said disk-type recording medium is a recordable optical disk.

10. A data recording method for recording video data, audio data, or both on a disk-type recording medium, the data recording apparatus comprising:

fist recording step to record a first digital file including at least one of audio and video data of at least a specified file size sequentially in a first area of said recording medium, wherein the first digital file being requiring sequential recording in order to ensure a minimum sustained transfer rate;

second recording step to record a second digital file including at least one of audio and video data randomly in a second area of said recording medium by copying the at least one of audio and video data from the first digital file from said first area;

wherein each of said fist and second areas on said recording medium comprises a plurality of recording blocks;

wherein, in said first recording step, recording said first digital file in said recording blocks in an order of address in said fist area; and

wherein, in said second recording step, recording said second digital file in said recording blocks in a random order in said second area.