Information recording apparatus capable of avoiding erroneous recording of information in the event of external disturbances due to movement

• US 6,335,910 B1
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics Corporation (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Shinohara, Jun, Yoshizawa, Osamu, Iijima, Takayuki, Shibasaki, Hiroaki, Yoshio, Junichi, Yamanoi, Katsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Huber, Paul W.
• Application Number:
  US09/323,403
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 369/44.32, 369/44.33, 369/53.18, 369/53.12, 369/53.13, 369/53.14, 369/53.15, 369/53.3, 369/53.42, 360/75
• US Class Current: 369/53.18
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

An information recording apparatus includes recording means for recording information onto a recording medium; detection means for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus; and recording control means for prohibiting or suspending recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detection means.

Claims

1. An information recording apparatus mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

recording means for recording information onto a recording medium;

detection means for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus and whether or not the vehicle is in a drivable state; and

recording control means for prohibiting or suspending the recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detection means and when the detection means detects that the vehicle is in the drivable state.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects a state of a parking brake of the vehicle, and

wherein the recording control means permits the recording of the information onto the recording medium when the detection means detects that the parking brake is applied, and prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium when the detection means detects that the parking brake is released.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects an amount of vibrations applied to the apparatus, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the amount of vibrations detected by the detection means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detection means includes an acceleration sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection means detects an error signal with respect to a relative position of the recording means to the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the error signal detected by the detection means.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium comprises a management information area in which management information indicating a reproduction order of information is recorded on the medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends recording of the management information onto the management information area of the recording medium in accordance with the detection result of the detection means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium is a disc for recording information from an inner periphery towards an outer periphery, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits movement of the recording means towards the inner periphery on the basis of the detection result by the detection means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information is recorded either in a continuous area or discrete areas of the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits recording of the information in the discrete areas of the recording medium based on the detection result by the detection means.

9. An information recording apparatus mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

recording means for recording information onto a recording medium;

detection means for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus and whether the vehicle is in motion or at halt; and

recording control means for permitting the recording of the information onto the recording medium when the detection means detects that the vehicle is at halt, and prohibiting or suspending the recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detection means and when the detection means detects that the vehicle is in motion.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the detection means detects an amount of vibrations applied to the apparatus, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the amount of vibrations detected by the detection means.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the detection means includes an acceleration sensor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the detection means detects an error signal with respect to a relative position of the recording means to the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the error signal detected by the detection means.

13. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording medium comprises a management information area in which management information indicating a reproduction order of information is recorded on the medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends recording of the management information onto the management information area of the recording medium in accordance with the detection result of the detection means.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording medium is a disc for recording information from an inner periphery towards an outer periphery, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits movement of the recording means towards the inner periphery on the basis of the detection result by the detection means.

15. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein information is recorded either in a continuous area or discrete areas of the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits recording of the information in the discrete areas of the recording medium based on the detection result by the detection means.

16. An information recording apparatus mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

recording means for recording information onto a recording medium;

detection means for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus and a speed of the vehicle; and

recording control means for prohibiting or suspending the recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detection means and based on the speed of the vehicle detected by the detection means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the detection means also detects a road condition, and the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the speed of the vehicle and the road condition.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium either partially or completely based on the speed of the vehicle detected by the detection means.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the detection means detects an amount of vibrations applied to the apparatus, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the amount of vibrations detected by the detection means.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the detection means includes an acceleration sensor.

21. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the detection means detects an error signal with respect to a relative position of the recording means to the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the error signal detected by the detection means.

22. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the recording medium comprises a management information area in which management information indicating a reproduction order of information is recorded on the medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends recording of the management information onto the management information area of the recording medium in accordance with the detection result of the detection means.

23. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the recording medium is a disc for recording information from an inner periphery towards an outer periphery, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits movement of the recording means towards the inner periphery on the basis of the detection result by the detection means.

24. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein information is recorded either in a continuous area or discrete areas of the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits recording of the information in the discrete areas of the recording medium based on the detection result by the detection means.

25. An information recording apparatus comprising:

recording means for recording information onto a recording medium;

detection means for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus;

recording control means for prohibiting or suspending recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detection means; and

manual control means for manually releasing or activating the prohibition or suspension of the recording of the information regardless of the detection result of the detection means.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the detection means detects an amount of vibrations applied to the apparatus, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the amount of vibrations detected by the detection means.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the detection means includes an acceleration sensor.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the detection means detects an error signal with respect to a relative position of the recording means to the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends the recording of the information onto the recording medium based on the error signal detected by the detection means.

29. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the recording medium comprises a management information area in which management information indicating a reproduction order of information is recorded on the medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits or suspends recording of the management information onto the management information area of the recording medium in accordance with the detection result of the detection means.

30. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the recording medium is a disc for recording information from an inner periphery towards an outer periphery, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits movement of the recording means towards the inner periphery on the basis of the detection result by the detection means.

31. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein information is recorded either in a continuous area or discrete areas of the recording medium, and

wherein the recording control means prohibits recording of the information in the discrete areas of the recording medium based on the detection result by the detection means.

32. An information recording apparatus mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

a recording unit for recording information onto the recording medium;

a detector for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the recording apparatus and at least one of a state of a parking brake of the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, an error signal with respect to a relative position of the recording unit to the recording medium, a road condition, and an acceleration status of the vehicle; and

a controller for suspending recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with the detection result of the detector.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the recording unit includes an optical pickup for emitting a laser beam onto the recording medium and a writing head for supplying a magnetic signal to the recording medium.

34. An information recording apparatus, comprising:

a recording unit for recording information onto the recording medium;

a detector for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus; and

a controller for suspending recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detector, wherein the controller suspends the recording of a first portion of the information onto the recording medium and enables the recording of a second portion of the information onto the recording medium based on the detection result of the detector, the first portion of the information requiring a higher reliability when compared to the second portion of the information.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the first portion of the information includes management information indicating a reproduction order of recorded information on the recording medium, and the second portion of the information includes regular program information.

36. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the recording unit includes an optical pickup for emitting a laser beam onto the recording medium and a writing head for supplying a magnetic signal to the recording medium.

37. An information recording apparatus, comprising:

a recording unit for recording information onto the recording medium;

a detector for detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the apparatus; and

a controller for suspending recording of the information onto the recording medium in accordance with a detection result of the detector; and

a manual unit for a user to manually control the controller regardless of the detection result of the detector, thus suspending or activating recording of the information onto the recording medium.

38. The apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the recording unit includes an optical pickup for emitting a laser beam onto the recording medium and a writing head for supplying a magnetic signal to the recording medium.

39. A method of recording information onto a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

detecting vibrations or possibilities of vibrations of the recording medium;

suspending recording of a first portion of the information onto the recording medium if vibrations or possibilities of vibrations are detected in the detecting step;

enabling the recording of a second portion of the information onto the recording medium, wherein the first portion of the information requires a higher reliability to be recorded compared to the second portion of the information; and

recording the information onto the recording medium if no vibrations or possibilities of vibrations are detected in the detecting step.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the detecting step includes detecting whether the recording medium is in motion.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the detecting step includes detecting an amount of error signals related to vibrations of the recording medium.