Write-once optical disc, and method and apparatus for recording/reproducing management information on/from optical disc

• US 7,911,905 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2009
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Yong Cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindi; Nabil Z
• Application Number:
  US12/506,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20100020652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 369/53.12, 369/53.13, 369/53.14, 369/53.15, 369/53.17, 369/275.3, 369/47.27, 369/53.1
• US Class Current: 369/53.17
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1883 Methods for assignment of alternate areas for defective areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1873 Temporary defect structures for write-once discs, e.g. TDDS, TDMA or TDFL
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers

Abstract

A write-once optical disc and a method and apparatus for recording management information on the optical disc are provided. The optical disc includes at least one recording layer and a plurality of temporary defect management areas (TDMAs) on the at least one recording layer. At least one of the TDMAs includes an indicator indicating which one of the TDMAs has an in-use status.

Claims

1. A system for recording management information on a recording medium, the recording medium including at least one temporary management area for storing management information before the recording medium is finalized, the at least one temporary management areas being used in a designated order, the system comprising:

a recording device adapted to record data on the recording medium, the recording device including;

a pickup unit adapted to record management information in each of the at least one temporary management areas, and to create at least one access indicator indicating which of the at least one temporary management areas is currently available for use, and

a microcomputer coupled to the pickup unit and configured to control the pickup unit to create an access indicator in one of the at least one temporary management areas when temporary management areas become available; and

a host device, operatively coupled to the recording device via an interface, configured to transmit to the recording device a write command for recording data onto the recording medium.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer is configured to control the pickup unit to create the at least one access indicator in a lead-in area of the recording medium.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer is configured to control the pickup unit to create the at least one access indicator in a head side of the one temporary management area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one access indicators corresponds to a respective one of the at least one temporary management areas except a first used temporary management area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcomputer is configured to control the pickup unit to record data on the access indicator when temporary management areas become available.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one access indicators comprises one cluster.

7. A system for reproducing management information from a recording medium, the recording medium including at least one temporary management area for storing management information before the recording medium is finalized, the at least one temporary management areas being used in a designated order, the system comprising:

a reproducing device adapted to reproduce data from the recording medium, the reproducing device including;

a pickup unit adapted to directly read data from the recording medium, and

a microcomputer configured to determine which of the least one temporary management areas is currently available for use based on at least one access indicator located in one of the at least one temporary management areas, the microcomputer coupled to the pickup unit and configured to control the pickup unit to read the management information from the determined temporary management area and to control the pickup unit to reproduce data from the recording medium based on the read management information; and

a host device, operatively coupled to the reproducing device via an interface, configured to transmit to the reproducing device a reproducing command for reproducing data from the recording medium.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one access indicator is located in a head portion of the one temporary management area.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the microcomputer is configured to determine which temporary management area is currently available for use by checking whether or not each of the at least one access indicators has recorded data.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one access indicators comprises one cluster.

11. A system for recording management information on a recording medium, the recording medium including a plurality of temporary management areas for storing management information before the recording medium is finalized, the at least one temporary management areas being used in a designated order, the system comprising a recording device including:

a pickup unit adapted to directly record data on the recording medium; and

a microcomputer coupled to the pickup unit and configured to control the pickup unit to record data onto an access indicator located in one of the at least one temporary management areas when temporary management areas becomes available so as to indicate which of the at least one temporary management areas is currently available for use.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one temporary management area includes one or more access indicators corresponding respectively to each of the at least one temporary management areas, except a first used temporary management area, so as to indicate which of the temporary management areas is currently available for use.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the microcomputer is configured to create the one temporary management area is located in a lead-in area of the recording medium.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the microcomputer is configured to control the pickup unit to create the one or more access indicators at a head side of the one temporary management area.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one temporary management area is the first temporary management area.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the one or more access indicators comprises one cluster.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the recording device comprises:

a data processor configured to modulate a signal into an appropriate recording signal;

a servo configured to control the pickup to record the recording signal on the recording medium; and

a memory configured to temporarily store management information of the recording medium,

wherein the microcomputer is further configured to control operations of the data processor, the servo and the memory.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a host device, operatively coupled to the recording device via an interface, configured to transmit to the recording device a write command for recording data onto the recording medium.

19. A system for recording management information on a recording medium, the recording medium including a plurality of temporary management areas for storing management information before the recording medium is finalized, the plurality of temporary management areas being used in a designated order, the system comprising a recording device including:

a pickup unit adapted to directly record data on the recording medium; and

a microcomputer coupled to the pickup unit and configured to control the pickup unit, wherein the microcomputer is further configured to

determine which temporary management area is currently available for use based on one or more access indicators located in one of the plurality of temporary management areas,

control the pickup unit to read management information from a temporary management area determined currently available for use, and

control the pickup unit to reproduce data from the recording medium based on the read management information.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more access indicators corresponds to a respective one of the plurality of temporary management areas except for a first used temporary management area.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more access indicators are located in a head portion of the one temporary management area.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the microcomputer is configured to determine which of the plurality of temporary management areas is currently available for use by checking whether or not each of the one or more access indicators has recorded data.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more access indicators comprises one cluster.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the reproducing device comprises:

a data processor configured to convert a reproduction signal received from the pickup unit into an appropriate signal value;

a servo configured to control the pickup to precisely read the reproduction signal from the recording medium; and

a memory configured to temporarily store management information of the recording medium, wherein the microcomputer is configured to control operations of the data processor, the servo and the memory.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

a host device, operatively coupled to the reproducing device via an interface, configured to transmit to the reproducing device a reproducing command for reproducing data from the recording medium.