JP2008176922A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continuously record and reproduce a series of recording signals by selecting a free space large enough in capacity for the transfer rate from among the free spaces scattered over the disk 1 and recording the signals. <P>SOLUTION: When detecting the positions and capacities of all the free spaces in the data areas based on the control data recorded on the disk 1, and recording the signals in the free spaces at a predetermined transfer rate, the system controller 3 checks whether the continuous recording and reproducing is possible or not for a series of recording signals based on the time needed to seek the data areas and the capacity of the first track buffer 10. Then it records the recording signals in the free space decided possible to make continuous recording and reproducing of a series of recording signals. Thus, it is possible to make continuous recording and reproducing for a series of recording signals. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus suitable for being provided in, for example, a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus (DVD: digital video disk or digital versatile disk), an HDD apparatus (HDD: hard disk drive), and the like, and in particular, recording at a plurality of transfer rates is possible. In some cases, continuous recording of a movie or the like is performed by detecting a free area that can be continuously recorded and reproduced for each transfer rate from among free areas scattered on a recording medium and recording a recording signal. The present invention relates to a recording apparatus capable of continuously recording and reproducing information.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording / reproducing apparatus that performs compression / decompression processing on predetermined information such as image information and audio information using MPEG technology and performs recording / reproduction on, for example, a DVD (digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is known.

  In this recording / reproducing apparatus, when one desired angle is selected from several angles, information corresponding to the selected angle recorded on the disc intermittently is intermittently jumped. A multi-angle function for playback is provided.

  The recording / reproducing apparatus is provided with, for example, a high image quality recording mode, an intermediate image quality recording mode, and a normal image quality recording mode, and information can be recorded by selecting each recording mode. Specifically, in the high image quality recording mode, for example, information of a transfer rate of 8 Mbps can be recorded for 2 hours, and in the intermediate image quality recording mode, for example, information of a transfer rate of 4 Mbps can be recorded for 4 hours. ing. In the normal image quality recording mode, information of a transfer rate of 2 Mbps can be recorded for 8 hours.

  A conventional recording / reproducing apparatus is provided with a memory of predetermined bits (hereinafter referred to as a track buffer (TB)), and information is recorded / reproduced through the track buffer to transfer information having different transfer rates. The multi-angle function and recording in each recording mode are realized by absorbing the difference in rate.

  Specifically, for example, a 4 Mbyte DRAM is provided as the track buffer, and information on a transfer rate of 8 Mbps at a variable transfer rate can be stored for about 0.5 seconds. However, today, this 4 Mbyte track buffer is rarely used, and it is common to use a 16 Mbyte or 64 Mbyte track buffer larger than this capacity. The 16 Mbyte track buffer can store 8 Mbps transfer rate information at a variable transfer rate for about 2 seconds, and the 64 Mbyte track buffer can store 8 Mbps transfer rate information at about 8 seconds at a variable transfer rate. Be able to.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-92158 discloses the relationship between seek time required for the apparatus and the capacity of the track buffer in order to maintain the continuity of this intermittently reproduced signal.
JP-A-10-92158

  However, if the disc is a recordable disc, editing such as partially erasing what has been recorded once will cause the free area and recorded area to be scattered randomly, so recording and playback This causes a problem that it is difficult to ensure the continuity of information to be performed by the capacity of the track buffer.

  That is, in the case of the 4 Mbit track buffer, information having a transfer rate of 8 Mbps can be stored for 0.5 sec as described above. However, by recording and erasing a plurality of times, a certain free area on the disk can be stored. Information cannot be recorded / reproduced continuously if there is a gap of 0.5 sec or more between the next empty areas.

  In addition, even if a 64 MB track buffer capable of storing 8 Mbps transfer rate information for 8 seconds is provided when there is a gap of 0.5 sec or more from one free area to the next free area, input is possible. When the transfer rate of the information to be recorded is 8 Mbps and the transfer rate at the time of recording on the disc is 10 Mbps, the ratio of the recording waiting time is (10−8) /10=0.2. That is, if a time corresponding to 20% is required during recording, even if the capacity of the track buffer is increased, the input information cannot be continuously recorded and reproduced.

  In order to continuously record and reproduce information in this way, the transfer rate of input information, the capacity of the track buffer, the transfer rate of information when recording on the medium, the free space of the medium, The seek time for seeking a free area or a recorded area is greatly affected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and can make it possible to continuously record and reproduce predetermined information even when a free area is scattered on a medium by editing or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide such a recording apparatus.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus as means for solving the above-described problems, at least a temporary storage means for absorbing a difference in transfer rate of recording information during recording, and recording information on a recording medium Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position is recorded, and recording information on the recording medium based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means Empty area detecting means for detecting an empty area with respect to the recording area in which is recorded.

  In addition to these means, seek time detection means for detecting a time required to seek from the recording area located before and after each empty area detected by the empty area detection means to the empty area, and recording information When the transfer rate is “B”, the capacity of the temporary storage means is “C”, the time required for the seek is “T”, and when “C / B> T” is satisfied, the free space is continuously recorded. Recordable free space detecting means for detecting free space where information can be recorded and reproduced, and recording information is recorded on the free space detected by the recordable free space detecting means via the temporary storage means. Recording means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention. Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position is recorded, and recording information on the recording medium based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means A free area detecting unit for detecting a free area with respect to a recording area in which is recorded, and a time required to seek from the recording area located before and after each free area detected by the free area detecting unit to the free area And a seek time detecting means for detecting.

  In addition to these means, the recording information transfer rate to the recording medium during recording is “A”, the recording information transfer rate is “B”, and the capacity of the free area detected by the free area detecting means is “m”. When the time required for the seek is “T” and “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)” is satisfied, continuous recording information can be recorded and reproduced in the empty area. A recordable free area detecting means for detecting a recordable free area, and a recording means for recording record information on the free area detected by the recordable free area detecting means via the temporary storage means. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention. Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position is recorded, and recording information on the recording medium based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means A free area detecting unit for detecting a free area with respect to a recording area in which is recorded, and a time required to seek from the recording area located before and after each free area detected by the free area detecting unit to the free area And a seek time detecting means for detecting.

  In addition to these means, the recording information transfer rate to the recording medium during recording is “A”, the recording information transfer rate is “B”, the capacity of the temporary storage means is “C”, and the free space detecting means “C / B> T” and “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)”, where “m” is the capacity of the free area detected in step S, and “T” is the time required for the seek. When satisfied, the free space is detected as a free space in which continuous recording information can be recorded and reproduced, and the free space detected by the recordable free space detection means. And recording means for recording recording information via the temporary storage means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus according to the present invention, wherein, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the recordable free area detecting means is provided for a free area having a capacity equal to or greater than a capacity corresponding to a transfer rate of a recording signal. In order to determine whether or not continuous recording / recording of information can be performed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus according to the present invention, as means for solving the above-described problem, at least a temporary storage means for absorbing a difference in transfer rate of recording information during recording, and recording information on the recording medium Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position is recorded, and recording information on the recording medium based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means Has an empty area detecting means for detecting an empty area with respect to a recording area in which is recorded, and an information amount detecting means for detecting an information amount of recording information to be recorded on the recording medium.

In addition to these means, if the information amount of the recorded information detected by the information amount detecting means is less than or equal to the information amount corresponding to the predetermined transfer rate, the information amount of the recorded information is set to the predetermined transfer rate. The dummy information forming means for forming dummy information for setting the corresponding information amount, and the dummy information formed by the dummy information forming means are added to the recording information, thereby reducing the information amount of the recording information to a predetermined transfer rate. Recording means for recording in the empty area detected by the empty area detecting means as the amount of information corresponding to.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus according to the present invention, as means for solving the above-mentioned problems, corresponding to the capacity of the free space corresponding to the transfer rate of the record information and / or the transfer rate of the record information. Display means for displaying at least a substantial recordable time.

In the recording apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the recordable free space detecting means requires a recording information transfer rate of “B”, the capacity of the temporary storage means is “C”, and seeks the recording area. Since a free area having a capacity equal to or larger than the capacity of “C / B> T” is detected as a free area where continuous recording / recording of information can be performed with time as “T”, the recording information is transferred according to the transfer rate of the recording information. Free space can be detected. For this reason, recording / reproduction of recording information is selectively performed on the empty area, thereby enabling continuous recording / reproduction according to the transfer rate of the recording information.
In the recording apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, the recordable free area detecting means sets the transfer rate of recording information to the recording medium during recording as “A”, the transfer rate of recording information as “B”, and the free space The capacity of the free area detected by the area detection means is “m”, the time required for seeking the recording area is “T”, and the capacity is not less than “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)”. Since a free area having a capacity of 2 is detected as a free area in which continuous recording / recording of recording information can be performed, a free area corresponding to the transfer rate of the recording information can be detected. For this reason, recording / reproduction of recording information is selectively performed on the empty area, thereby enabling continuous recording / reproduction according to the transfer rate of the recording information.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the present invention, the recordable free area detecting means sets the transfer rate of the record information to the recording medium at the time of recording and reproduction, and sets the transfer rate of the record information to “B”. “C / B> T” where “C” is the capacity of the temporary storage means, “m” is the capacity of the free area detected by the free area detecting means, and “T” is the time required for seeking the recording area. ”And“ m> (A × B × T) / (A−B) ”or more are detected as free regions where continuous recording information can be recorded and reproduced. It is possible to more accurately detect the free space corresponding to the transfer rate. For this reason, it is possible to reliably perform continuous recording / reproduction according to the transfer rate of the recorded information by selectively recording / reproducing the recorded information on the empty area.
In the recording apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the recordable free area detecting means records continuous recording information only in a free area having a capacity equal to or larger than the capacity corresponding to the transfer rate of the recording signal. Since it is determined whether or not playback is possible, the corresponding free area can be searched at a higher speed than when this determination is made for all free areas, and the time required for recording the record information can be reduced. Shortening can be achieved.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the recording apparatus according to the present invention uses the dummy information formed by the dummy information forming means as the recording information when the information amount of the recording information is equal to or less than the information amount corresponding to the predetermined transfer rate. In addition, the information amount of the recording information is set to an information amount corresponding to a predetermined transfer rate, and then recorded on the recording medium. For this reason, when the recorded information is deleted, an empty area having a capacity of information corresponding to the predetermined transfer rate is formed. Therefore, recording information can be recorded without detecting the capacity of the free area, and the time required for recording the recording information can be shortened.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the recording apparatus according to the present invention, the display means can record substantially the space corresponding to the recording information transfer rate and / or the capacity of the free space corresponding to the recording information transfer rate. By displaying at least the time, it is possible to provide a user with a judgment material for recording information. For this reason, the user can effectively use the free space on the recording medium by appropriately selecting the transfer rate of the recording information.

  The recording apparatus according to the present invention can be applied to a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus as shown in FIG. The DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention has a video for a recordable DVD-RW disc 1 (DVD rewritable disc: hereinafter simply referred to as disc 1) formed of a phase change material. Predetermined information such as information and audio information is recorded and reproduced at a constant linear velocity (CLV).

  The data amount for one circumference of the disk 1 is about 2 ECC blocks on the inner circumference of the disk (one ECC block is composed of 16 sectors in error correction processing units), and about 4 ECC blocks on the outer circumference of the disk. The rotation period of the disk 1 is about 40 msec on the inner circumference of the disk and about 80 msec on the outer circumference of the disk.

  In such a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus, for example, when recording / reproduction is designated from the operation unit 2 such as an operation panel or a remote controller (remote controller), the system controller 3 detects this, and the driver 5 and the spindle motor 9 are turned on. The disk 1 is driven to rotate at a constant linear velocity, and the actuator of the optical pickup 6 is driven via the servo control circuit 4 and the driver 5 to control the movement of the optical pickup 6 to the designated recording track.

  The optical pickup 6 forms a reproduction signal (RF signal), a tracking error signal, a focus error signal, and control data based on the reflected light obtained by irradiating the disk 1 with a laser beam. The preamplifier 7 feeds back the tracking error signal, focus error signal, and control data to the servo control circuit 4. Based on the feedback control data, the servo control circuit 4 controls the movement of the pickup by driving the actuator so as to reproduce the sector of the target track. The servo control circuit 4 controls the optical pickup 6 via the driver 5 based on the tracking error signal and the focus error signal so that the tracking error and the focus error become zero (feedback control).

  In addition, the preamplifier 7 optimizes the frequency characteristics by performing a predetermined equalizing process on the reproduction signal, performs phase control by a PLL circuit, and supplies it to the signal processing circuit 8. Further, the preamplifier 7 forms a jitter value by comparing the bit clock of the PLL circuit with the time axis of the reproduction signal by the jitter generation circuit, and supplies the jitter value to the system controller 3. The system controller 3 detects the jitter value, and performs waveform correction control during recording based on the detected jitter value.

  When the reproduction signal is data compression-encoded at the MPEG variable transfer rate, the signal processing circuit 8 temporarily stores the reproduction signal in the first track buffer 10 (for example, DRAM) of 64 Mbytes, for example. By reading, the time fluctuation of the variable transfer rate of the reproduction signal is absorbed. Then, the reproduction signal read from the first track buffer 10 is digitized to detect synchronization, and the reproduction signal which is an EFM + signal (8-16 modulation signal) is converted into NRZ data (NRZ: Non Return to Zero). ) And error correction processing is performed on the NRZ data, and this is supplied to the AV encoding / decoding unit 11.

  The AV encoding / decoding unit 11 compresses and encodes the reproduction signal supplied from the signal processing circuit 8 based on MPEG technology while controlling writing and reading of the reproduction signal to, for example, the second track buffer 12 of 64 Mbytes. The reproduction signal in which audio data and video data are multiplexed is separated into compressed audio data and compressed video data, and each is subjected to decompression decoding processing based on MPEG technology.

  Then, the audio data subjected to the decompression decoding process is converted into analog data and supplied to, for example, the speaker unit 13 of the television receiver. Thereby, an acoustic output corresponding to the audio data recorded on the disc 1 can be obtained. Further, the AV encoding / decoding unit 11 supplies the video data subjected to the decompression decoding process to the display control unit 14. The display control unit 14 converts the video data into, for example, an NTSC television signal and supplies it to the display unit 15 of the television receiver. Thereby, a video output corresponding to the video data recorded on the disc 1 can be obtained.

  The overall operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment has been described above, although it is simple. Hereinafter, description will be made separately on “operation during recording” and “operation during reproduction”.

  First, regarding the “recording operation”, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the embodiment is capable of recording an image for 2 hours at a transfer rate of 8 Mbps, for example, when recording an image. Three recording modes are provided: an intermediate image quality recording mode capable of recording an image for 4 hours at a transfer rate of 4 Mbps, and a normal image quality recording mode capable of recording an image for 8 hours at a transfer rate of 2 Mbps. The user selects a desired recording mode from these three recording modes, and inputs this by operating the operation unit 2.

  When the system controller 3 detects the recording mode input by the user, the system controller 3 sets a transfer rate corresponding to the recording mode in the AV encoding / decoding unit 11, and the spindle motor via the servo control circuit 3 and the driver 5. 9 is rotationally controlled at a constant linear velocity, and the optical pickup 6 is driven and controlled to irradiate the disk 1 with a laser spot. The optical pickup 6 is controlled to move to the target sector on the basis of the address signal recorded in advance on the signal track.

  In this example, the disk 1 is controlled to have a constant linear velocity (CLV), but this may be controlled by a constant angular velocity (CAV), zone CAV, or the like. In the case of the zone CAV, even when the linear velocity of the inner circumference and the outer circumference is changed to about 30 zones, the angular velocity is set at each position while the system controller 3 manages the track address position.

  The AV encoding / decoding unit 11 uses MPEG technology while controlling recording and reading of a recording signal (video information, audio information, etc.) supplied via the input terminal 16 with respect to the second track buffer 12. The data is compressed and encoded into a predetermined recording unit and supplied to the signal processing circuit 8.

The system controller 3 detects the compression rate of the recording signal based on the control data. The signal processing circuit 8 sends “FULL” and “EMP” to the first track buffer 10 based on the compression rate detected by the system controller 3.
The value of “TY” is set, and the recording signal compression-encoded by the AV encoding / decoding unit 11 is temporarily stored in the first track buffer 10 and read out. Absorbs time fluctuations.

  Specifically, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the transition of the data occupancy in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 in the normal image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 2 Mbps). As can be seen from the drawing, the recording information is written to the first track buffer 10 at the transfer rate of 2 Mbps between the time t1 and the time t3. As described above, the optical pickup 6 is controlled to be in a standby state while recording information is being written to the first track buffer 10 (between time t1 and time t3).

  In the case of DVD-RW (RW: rewritable), the writing speed to the disc at 1 × speed is 11.08 Mbps or 10.08 Mbps, but in this example, in order to simplify the explanation, at 1 × speed The description will be made assuming that the writing speed to the disk is 10 Mbps, for example.

  In this case, the recording information written in the first track buffer 10 is read out between time t2 and time t4 at a speed of “10 Mbps−2 Mbps = 8 Mbps” because the writing speed to the disk 1 is 10 Mbps. . The optical pickup 6 is controlled to be driven at the timing when the recording information is read from the first track buffer 10. As a result, the recording information is recorded on the disc 1.

  Similarly, FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a change in the occupation amount of the data in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 in the intermediate image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 4 Mbps). As can be seen, recording information is written to the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 4 Mbps between time t1 and time t3. Then, the recording information written in the first track buffer 10 is read and recorded on the disc 1 at time t2 and time t4 at a speed of “10 Mbps−4 Mbps = 6 Mbps”.

  Similarly, FIG. 2C is a diagram showing the transition of the data occupancy in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 in the high image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 8 Mbps). As can be seen, recording information is written to the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 8 Mbps between time t1 and time t3. Then, the recording information written in the first track buffer 10 is read and recorded on the disc 1 at the speed of “10 Mbps−8 Mbps = 2 Mbps” between the time t2 and the time t4.

  Thus, in the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the present embodiment, the transfer rate at the time of recording is set as low as 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps with respect to the transfer rate at 10 Mbps at the time of recording / reproducing the disc. While the optical pickup 6 shown at time t1 or time t3 shown in FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (c) is controlled to be in a standby state, the difference between the transfer rates can be absorbed, and the recorded information can be continuously recorded. Recording can be performed.

  Next, regarding “operation during reproduction”, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the present embodiment controls the movement of the optical pickup 6 to the position of the track designated for reproduction when the system controller 3 is in reproduction. Based on the control data recorded on the disc 1, the compression rate at the time of recording is detected. Based on the compression rate detected by the system controller 3, the signal processing circuit 8 sets values of “FULL” and “EMPTY” in the first track buffer 10, and plays back the reproduction signal reproduced by the optical pickup 6. Write control is performed on the first track buffer 10.

  The signal processing circuit 8 monitors the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10, and the remaining amount of the first track buffer 10 is reduced by writing the reproduction signal to the first track buffer 10. At a timing exceeding “EMPTY”, reading of the reproduction signal written in the first track buffer 10 is started, and this is supplied to the AV encoding / decoding unit 11.

  As described above, the AV encoding / decoding unit 11 decompresses and decodes the reproduction signal using the MPEG technology while controlling the reproduction and writing of the reproduction signal to and from the second track buffer 12, and the audio signal, the video signal, Are supplied to the speaker unit 13 and the display unit 15, respectively.

  Even when the reproduction signal is being read out, the reproduction signal is still written to the first track buffer 10, but the reproduction signal to the first track buffer 10 will be described below. Since the writing speed is faster than the reading speed, the reproduction signal is written to the first track buffer 10 more than the reading speed. Therefore, even when a reproduction signal is being read from the first track buffer 10, the remaining amount of the first track buffer 10 gradually decreases (the written reproduction signal is gradually accumulated). .

  The system controller 3 controls the optical pickup 6 so that the reproduction is temporarily stopped when the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 becomes “FULL”. At the same time, the signal processing circuit 8 temporarily stops writing of the reproduction signal to the first track buffer 10. As a result, since the reproduction signal written in the first track buffer 10 is only read out by the signal processing circuit 8, the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 gradually increases.

  The system controller 3 controls the optical pickup 6 so as to resume reproduction at the timing when the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 thus increased becomes “EMPTY”. At the same time, the signal processing circuit 8 resumes writing of the reproduction signal to the first track buffer 10.

  Then, the signal processing circuit 8 controls to write the reproduction signal to the first track buffer 10 until the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 becomes “FULL” as described above.

Specifically, FIG. 3A shows the transition of the data occupancy in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 during the reproduction of the recording signal recorded in the normal image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 2 Mbps). In this case, since the recording signal writing speed to the disc is 10 Mbps, the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 after the start of reproduction is shown in FIG. During time t1 until “EMPTY” is reached, a reproduction signal is written to the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 10 Mbps, and the time until the remaining amount becomes “FULL” from “EMPTY”. During t2, time t4, and time t6, the reproduction signal is written to the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of “10 Mbps−2 Mbps = 8 Mbps”. It takes place.

  Further, the remaining amount of the first track buffer 10 is changed from “FULL” to “EMPTY” while the reproduction operation of the optical pickup 6 and the writing operation to the first track buffer 10 are controlled to be paused. During time t3 until time t5, the reproduction signal is read from the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 2 Mbps.

  Similarly, FIG. 3B shows the transition of the data occupancy in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 during the reproduction of the recording signal recorded in the intermediate image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 4 Mbps). Although it is a figure, as can be seen from this figure, during the time t1 from the start of reproduction until the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 reaches “EMPTY”, the first track buffer 10 is entered. Playback signal is written at a transfer rate of 10 Mbps, and “10 Mbps-4 Mbps = 6 Mbps” is transferred between time t2, time t4, and time t6 until the remaining amount becomes “FULL” from “EMPTY”. A reproduction signal is written to the first track buffer 10 at a rate.

  Further, the remaining amount of the first track buffer 10 is changed from “FULL” to “EMPTY” while the reproduction operation of the optical pickup 6 and the writing operation to the first track buffer 10 are controlled to be paused. During the time t3 and the time t5, the reproduction signal is read from the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 4 Mbps.

  Similarly, FIG. 3C shows a transition of the data occupancy in the storage area of the first track buffer 10 during reproduction of a recording signal recorded in the high image quality recording mode (recording mode with a transfer rate of 8 Mbps). Although it is a figure, as can be seen from this figure, during the time t1 from the start of reproduction until the remaining amount of the storage area of the first track buffer 10 reaches “EMPTY”, the first track buffer 10 is entered. Is written at a transfer rate of 10 Mbps, and during time t2, time t4, and time t6 until the remaining amount becomes “FULL” from “EMPTY”, transfer of “10 Mbps−8 Mbps = 2 Mbps” is performed. A reproduction signal is written to the first track buffer 10 at a rate.

  Further, the remaining amount of the first track buffer 10 is changed from “FULL” to “EMPTY” while the reproduction operation of the optical pickup 6 and the writing operation to the first track buffer 10 are controlled to be paused. During time t3 until time t5, the reproduction signal is read from the first track buffer 10 at a transfer rate of 8 Mbps.

  As described above, in the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the present embodiment, the transfer rate at the time of reproduction is set to 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps, which is lower than the transfer rate at 10 Mbps at the time of recording / reproducing the disc. While the optical pickup 6 shown at time t3 or time t5 shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C is controlled to be in a standby state, the difference between the transfer rates can be absorbed, and the recorded information can be continuously recorded. Playback can be performed.

  In other words, even during recording or reproduction, the difference between the transfer rates is the time when recording signals are not recorded on the disk or the time when reproduction is not performed. Can do. Therefore, even if the recording area or the reproducing area on the disc is interrupted, the optical pickup is placed in the next recording area or the reproducing area within the time when the recording is not performed or the time when the reproduction is not performed. 6 can be controlled, and moving pictures and the like can be recorded or reproduced continuously.

Next, the actual recording operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically showing recording signals (audio information, video information, etc.) on the disc recorded by the above-described recording operation. In this example, the recording signal is recorded following the control data. File 1 (File 1) to File 8 (File 8) are recorded on the disc 1, respectively. The side on which the control data is recorded is the inner circumference side of the disc, and the side on which the file 8 (File 8) as one of the recording signals is recorded is the outer circumference side of the disc.

  Here, it is assumed that the user deletes file 2, file 4, file 6, and file 8 from all the files (file 1 to file 8) recorded on the disk 1 by operating the operation unit 2. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4B, four divided empty areas are formed on the disk 1.

  The system controller 3 performs the calculation described below, and records a series of recording signals continuously in each empty area by dividing a new recording signal into each empty area based on the calculation result. In addition, each recording signal recorded by being divided into each empty area can be continuously reproduced.

  FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of recording control executed by the system controller 3. This flowchart starts when the main power supply of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus is turned on, and the system controller 3 starts executing the routines from Step S1 to Step S7.

  First, in step S1, the system controller 3 controls the optical pickup 6 to reproduce the control data (see FIG. 4A) recorded on the inner periphery of the disc, and this is stored in the first track buffer 10. Once stored, the process proceeds to step S2.

  In step S2, the system controller 3 positions the start address and end address of data such as a video file recorded in the data area, which is recorded in the control data stored in the first track buffer 10. Then, the start address and end address of a part or all of the free areas on the disk 1 are detected, the capacity of each free area is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the system controller 3 calculates the size of each data area existing between the free area and the next free area, and detects the seek time that is the time required for seeking each data area. Proceed to S4.

  This seek time is calculated by calculating an address difference between the end address of the free area and the start address of the next free area because the disk 1 is CLV controlled, and the seek table stored in the ROM in the system controller 3 , The number of track movements is obtained, and based on this number of track movements, a predetermined coefficient calculation described later is performed.

  Next, in step S4, the system controller 3 performs the first time during the seek time of each data area based on, for example, a transfer rate of 8 Mbps determined in advance as a standard from among transfer rates of 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps. It is determined for each empty area whether or not the track buffer 10 becomes “Full” (whether or not it is an empty area capable of continuous recording and reproduction), and the process proceeds to step S5.

  In this example, based on the transfer rate of 8 Mbps, it is determined whether or not the free area is suitable for continuous recording. However, this can be arbitrarily changed by the user using the operation unit 3. For example, when a transfer rate of 2 Mbps is selected as the transfer rate, based on the transfer rate of 2 Mbps, when the transfer rate of 4 Mbps is selected, the system controller 3 operates based on the transfer rate of 4 Mbps. The calculation is performed.

  Next, in step S5, the system controller 3 determines the recording order based on each empty area (empty area that enables continuous reproduction) excluding the empty area that is not suitable for continuous reproduction. The recordable time is calculated by multiplying the capacity of the entire free space by the transfer rate, and is displayed on the display unit 15 shown in FIG. 1, and the process proceeds to step S6.

That is,
A (Mbps) for the transfer rate of recording / playback to the disc 1
The transfer rate after compression of the input signal is B (Mbps),
The capacity of the first track buffer 10 is C (Mb),
The predetermined seek time is T (msec),
The recording time of a predetermined area is Tw (msec),
The recording capacity of a given area is m (Mb)
The calculation operation in steps S2 to S5 will be described in more detail. First, when the recording capacity of the first empty area shown in FIG. 6 is m, it is necessary to record a recording signal in the first empty area. The time (recording time Tw) is “Tw = m / A”.

  Here, in order to prevent the first track buffer 10 from being “Full” while seeking the recorded area, the time during which the capacity C of the first track buffer 10 is recorded at the transfer rate B of the input signal is set to BR>. Rather than the seek time T (C / B> T). The seek time T is a time including a time for moving the track and a rotation waiting time.

  Next, in order to record a recording signal continuous to the recording signal recorded in the first empty area shown in FIG. 6 in the second empty area, this empty area is recorded as the capacity m1 of the second empty area. A predetermined capacity or more is required so that the first track buffer 10 is in the vicinity of “EMPTY”. This is because if the capacity of the second free area is not greater than a predetermined amount, the remaining capacity of the storage capacity of the first track buffer 10 does not decrease, and the first track buffer 10 overflows during the next seek. Because.

In this case, the capacity that the second free area should have is
“(A−B) / A> T / (m / A + T)”,
“M> (A × B × T) / (A−B)”.

  That is, the capacity of the first track buffer 10 corresponding to the difference in the transfer rate must not exceed the capacity of the transfer rate B at the seek time T. As described above, since the seek time T changes according to the transfer rate of the input signal, the capacity of the free area necessary for recording varies depending on the transfer rate B when recording is actually performed.

  Specifically, for example, if the maximum seek time T from the outer periphery to the inner periphery is 3 sec, the transfer rate B after compression of the input signal is 2 Mbps, and the transfer rate A for recording / reproducing on the disk 1 is 10 Mbps, the free space m If the seek time T is 3 sec, the transfer rate B after compression of the input signal is 8 Mbps, and the transfer rate A for recording / playback to the disk 1 is 10 Mbps, the free space is required. The capacity of m is required to be 120 MB or more.

  Further, if the value of “Full” is set to the upper limit value of the capacity of the first track buffer 10, there is a possibility that continuous data may be lost if an overflow occurs during seeking. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, “Full2” is set in the first track buffer 10 as, for example, approximately 2/3 of the capacity of the first track buffer 10, and the value of “Full2” is set. Also, “Full1” is set to a lower value of approximately ３. The value of “Full1” is the normal work area of the first track buffer 10, and the capacity between “Full1” and “Full2” is secured so as not to cause an overflow during seek. This is a capacity C of one track buffer 10 and a storage capacity for a margin.

  Specifically, for example, when the standard maximum seek time T is 3 sec and the standard transfer rate B during reproduction is 8 Mbps, the data to be written to the first track buffer 10 during the maximum seek time T The amount of data is 24 Mb. For this reason, when the capacity up to “Full 1” is 24 Mb, the capacity of the first track buffer 10 is 48 Mb as the capacity up to “Full 2”. If 18 Mb is used for error correction processing, a system work area, or the like, the entire first track buffer 10 requires a capacity of 64 Mb. A DRAM having a capacity of 64 Mb is currently available at a low cost, and is optimal as a temporary storage memory. Therefore, by using this 64 Mb DRAM, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus can be manufactured at low cost and can be provided to the user at low cost.

  Note that the above-described calculation of the seek time and the calculation of the free space capacity may be simplified as appropriate. Further, for example, calculation results calculated in advance in a ROM may be stored in a table, and a seek time, a capacity of a free area, and the like may be obtained by referring to the calculation results during recording and reproduction.

  When the system controller 3 detects the capacity of all the free areas by such calculation, the system controller 3 calculates the recordable time by multiplying the capacity of each free area by the transfer rate (8 Mbps in this case). The display unit 15 controls display of the capacity of all free areas, the recordable time and the effective free capacity when the transfer rate is 8 Mbps. In this case, since the transfer rate serving as the reference for the calculation is 8 Mbps, the recordable time and the effective free space at the transfer rate of 8 Mbps are controlled to be displayed on the display unit 15. When the transfer rate of 4 Mbps or the transfer rate of 2 Mbps is selected, the recordable time and the effective free capacity when the transfer rate is 4 Mbps or 2 Mbps are displayed on the display unit 15.

  Next, in step S6 shown in FIG. 5, the system controller 3 detects the presence or absence of a recording start instruction from the user. Then, by repeating step S6 until a recording start instruction is issued from the user, the recording standby state is entered, and the process proceeds to step S7 at the timing when the recording start instruction is issued.

  In step S7, the system controller 3 controls recording of the recording signal supplied via the input terminal 16 shown in FIG. 1 according to the recording order determined in step S5. Then, the execution of all the routines shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 ends at the timing when the recording stop is designated by the user.

  When the recording of the recording signal is completed, the system controller 3 controls writing of the recorded recording signal and information on the recording position in the control area (see FIG. 4A) of the disk 1 as a control signal.

  The specific recording form of the recording signal is as shown in FIGS. FIG. 4C shows a recording form when the transfer rate is 2 Mbps, FIG. 4D shows a recording form when the transfer rate is 4 Mbps, and FIG. 4E shows a recording form when the transfer rate is 8 Mbps. Yes.

  First, in the example shown in FIG. 4C when the transfer rate is 2 Mbps, the capacity of each free area formed by erasing the recording signals of file 2, file 4, file 6, and file 8 increases in order ( Capacity: file 2 <file 4 <file 6 <file 8), the total distance of file 5 is shorter than that of file 3, and the total distance of file 7 is shorter than that of file 5. The fact that the total distance of the file 5 is shorter than that of the file 3 means that the seek time of the file 5 is shorter than the seek time of the file 3 (seek time: file 3> file 5). Also, the fact that the total distance of file 7 is shorter than that of file 5 means that the seek time of file 7 is shorter than the seek time of file 5 (seek time: file 5> file 7).

  In such a free space situation, if the first track buffer 10 does not become full while seeking a data file located in the preceding stage of the free space, a recording signal may be recorded in the free space. Continuous playback is possible. For this reason, when the transfer rate is 2 Mbps, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), first, the data area of file 1 is jumped by seeking and the file 2 is deleted in the free area formed by erasing file 2. 11 recording signals are recorded, the data area of the file 3 is jumped by seeking, and the recording signal of the file 12 is recorded in the empty area formed by erasing the file 4. Also, the recording signal of the file 13 is recorded in the empty area formed by seeking the data area of the file 5 and erasing the file 6, and the data area of the file 7 is seeked and the file 8 is erased. The recording signal of the file 14 is recorded in the vacant area.

  Next, in the case where the situation of the free area is the same as the situation shown in FIG. 4C, when the transfer rate is 4 Mbps, the time that can be stored in the first track buffer 10 is shorter than when the transfer rate is 2 Mbps. Thus, for example, if the first track buffer 10 becomes full while jumping the data area of the file 1 by seeking, the file 2 is deleted as shown in FIG. The formed empty area is determined to be inappropriate and is not used for recording a recording signal.

  Then, the recording area of the file 21 is recorded in the empty area formed by jumping the data area of the file 3 by seeking and erasing the file 4. Similarly, the data area of the files 5 and 7 is jumped by seeking. Then, the recording signals of the file 22 and the file 23 are recorded in the empty areas formed by deleting the files 6 and 8, respectively.

  Next, in the case where the situation of the free area is the same as the situation shown in FIG. 4C, when the transfer rate is 8 Mbps, the time that can be stored in the first track buffer 10 is further shorter than when the transfer rate is 4 Mbps. Thus, for example, if the first track buffer 10 becomes full while the data areas of the file 1 and the file 3 are jumped by seeking, the file 2 is stored as shown in FIG. The empty area formed by erasing and the empty area formed by erasing the file 4 are determined to be inappropriate and are not used for recording the recording signal.

  Then, the recording area of the file 31 is recorded in the empty area formed by jumping the data area of the file 5 by seeking and erasing the file 6, and the data area of the file 7 is jumped by seeking and the file 8 is recorded. The recording signal of the file 32 is recorded in the empty area formed by erasing.

As is clear from the above description, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the first embodiment is
The transfer rate after compression of the input signal is B (Mbps),
The capacity of the first track buffer 10 is C (Mb),
The predetermined seek time is T (msec)
When “C / B> T”, the vacant area is determined as a vacant area where continuous signal recording / reproduction is possible, and the recording signal is recorded.

Also,
The transfer rate of recording / playback to disk 1 is A (Mbps),
The transfer rate after compression of the input signal is B (Mbps),
The recording capacity of a given area is m (Mb)
The predetermined seek time is T (msec),
When “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)”, it is determined that the empty area is an empty area where continuous signal recording / reproduction is possible, and recording of the recording signal is performed.

  As a result, continuous signals such as moving images can be recorded and reproduced without breaks even when free space is scattered on the disk 1 due to editing or the like.

  Further, by displaying the capacity of all free areas and the recordable time (and effective free capacity) at a predetermined transfer rate (in this case, 8 Mbps), the user can be determined to use the free areas of the disk 1 effectively. Material can be provided. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the free area of the disk 1 that is wasted by recording.

  In the description of the first embodiment, when both “C / B> T” and “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)” are satisfied, the free space is determined. Although it is determined that the free area is capable of continuous recording / reproduction of signals, this is either “C / B> T” or “m> (A × B × T) / (AB)”. However, you may make it judge.

Next, a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment described above, a free area that allows continuous recording and reproduction is searched based on a predetermined transfer rate (for example, 8 Mbps), and the recordable time and the like are displayed on the display unit 15. In the second embodiment, a search is made for a free area that allows continuous recording and reproduction based on the transfer rates of 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps, and the recordable time for each transfer rate is displayed on the display unit 15. It is intended to be displayed.

  FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of recording control executed by the system controller 3 of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the second embodiment. In the description of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, the same step number as the routine of the flowchart shown in FIG. Omitted.

  That is, in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the system controller 3 of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the second embodiment executes the routines of Steps S1 to S3 to thereby execute all the free areas on the disk 1 and each free area. When the seek time of the data area is calculated as described above, the process proceeds to step S11.

  In step S11, the system controller 3 detects free areas that can be continuously recorded and reproduced for each transfer rate (each recording mode) at 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps, and determines the recording order for each transfer rate. At the same time, based on this result, the recordable time and effective free capacity for each transfer rate are calculated, and the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the system controller 3 controls the display unit 15 to display the capacity of all free areas on the disk 1 and the recordable time (and effective free capacity) for each transfer rate as shown in FIG. Proceed to S13. Thus, by displaying the recordable time (and effective free space) for each transfer rate on the display unit 15, the user can select a desired transfer rate. The selection of the transfer rate is performed via the operation unit 2 shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, the capacity of the total free space is 2 GB, but the execution free space is as small as 1.0 GB, 1.5 GB, etc. This is recorded as described later. This is because the recording area is recorded by using only the empty area determined to be suitable for recording without using the empty area (insufficient capacity area) determined to be inappropriate.

  In step S13, the system controller 3 determines whether or not the user has selected a desired transfer rate. If the desired transfer rate has not been selected (if No), the process waits for transfer rate input, and repeats step S13. If the desired transfer rate has been selected (Yes) If yes) go to step S14.

  In step S14, the system controller 3 detects an empty area capable of continuous recording and reproduction corresponding to the transfer rate selected by the user, determines the recording order, and proceeds to step S15. In step S15, the system controller 3 determines whether or not a recording signal to be recorded has been input via the input terminal 16 shown in FIG. 1, and when no recording signal is input (in the case of No). The routine of step S15 is repeatedly executed until the recording signal is input. If the recording signal is input, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the recording signals are sequentially recorded in the empty area that can be continuously recorded and reproduced as described above, and all the routines in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 are completed.

As is clear from the above description, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the second embodiment searches for a free area that can be continuously recorded / reproduced for each transfer rate, and the recordable time for each transfer rate, etc. Is displayed on the display unit 15, it is possible to provide a user with a judgment material for selecting a transfer rate (recording mode), and it is possible to reduce generation of useless empty areas. The same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Next, a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment described above, an empty area that can be continuously recorded / reproduced is searched for each transfer rate. However, the third embodiment has a minimum of empty areas that can be continuously recorded / reproduced. The capacity is determined in advance for each transfer rate, and for the free area below the minimum capacity, the capacity detection calculation is omitted, so that the search time for the free area that can be continuously recorded and reproduced for each transfer rate is reduced. This is a shortening.

  FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of recording control executed by the system controller 3 of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the third embodiment. In the description of the flowchart shown in FIG. 9, the same step number as the routine of the flowchart shown in FIG. Omitted.

  That is, in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the third embodiment performs steps when the system controller 3 detects the position and capacity of each free area on the disk as described above in steps S1 and S2. Proceed to S21.

  In step S21, the system controller 3 calculates the capacity of each free area, and among the free areas, the free area whose capacity is equal to or smaller than a predetermined capacity is determined to be unrecordable, and the process proceeds to step S22.

  Specifically, when the transfer rate is 8 Mbps, the system controller 3 determines that an empty area with a capacity of 8 MB or less is unrecordable, and when the transfer rate is 4 Mbps, determines that an empty area with a capacity of 4 MB or less is unrecordable. However, when the transfer rate is 2 Mbps, it is determined that a free area having a capacity of 2 MB or less cannot be recorded. Alternatively, it may be determined that a free area having a capacity of 8 MB or less cannot be recorded regardless of the transfer rate.

  Next, in step S22, the system controller 3 calculates the seek time between the free areas determined to be recordable in step S21, and at the same time, the transfer rate in each recording mode, the capacity of the first track buffer 10, and the Based on the calculated seek time, a free area capable of continuous recording and reproduction for each transfer rate is detected. Then, the recording order for the vacant areas that can be continuously recorded and reproduced is determined, the recordable time for each transfer rate is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the system controller 3 controls the display unit 15 to display the recordable time and the like for each transfer rate together with the capacity of the entire free space on the disc as described with reference to FIG. In step S13 to step S15 and step S7, the recording signal is recorded at the transfer rate selected by the user, and all the routines shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9 are completed.

  As is clear from the above description, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the third embodiment predetermines a minimum capacity of a free area that can be continuously recorded and reproduced for each transfer rate, and this minimum capacity. By omitting the capacity detection calculation for the following free space areas, it is possible to shorten the search time for free space that can be continuously recorded and reproduced for each transfer rate. The same effect as the form can be obtained.

  Next, a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In each of the above-described embodiments, the data amount of the recording signal to be recorded is not limited, and it is determined for each empty area whether or not it has a recordable capacity at the time of recording. In this embodiment, by setting the data amount of the recording signal to be recorded to be equal to or larger than the predetermined data amount, the capacity of the free area formed when the data is deleted is also equal to or larger than the predetermined capacity. The recording signal can be recorded as it is without calculation.

  FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of recording control executed by the system controller 3 of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the fourth embodiment. In the flowchart of FIG. 10, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the fourth embodiment fetches the control data recorded on the disc 1 in step S30, and proceeds to step S31. In step S31, the system controller 3 detects the position and capacity of each empty area by detecting the capacity between the data areas based on the fetched control data, and proceeds to step S32.

  As will be described below, in the fourth embodiment, the capacity of the free space detected in step S32 is a capacity that allows continuous recording and reproduction regardless of the transfer rate at which recording is performed. .

  In step S32, the system controller 3 determines whether or not recording is designated by the user. If recording is not designated (in the case of No), the routine of step S32 is performed until the recording is designated. Is in a standby state in which the process is repeatedly executed, and the process proceeds to step S33 at the timing when the recording is designated.

  In step S33, the system controller 3 records a recording signal in each empty area as described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4E, and proceeds to step S34. However, in this case, the system controller 3 performs recording so that the recording signal is at least 8 MB, for example. If the recording signal to be recorded is less than 8 Mb, the dummy data formed in step S36 described below is added to the recording signal to perform recording with a total data amount of 8 MB.

  In step S34, the system controller 3 determines whether or not the recording of all the recording signals has been completed. If No, the system controller 3 returns to step S33 to continue recording the recording signal. If Yes, the system controller 3 proceeds to step S35. .

  In step S35, whether or not the system controller 3 has recorded a recording signal for the capacity of the empty area, in other words, by recording the recording signal, all the empty areas are recorded signals. Whether it is buried or not is determined. If Yes, all the routines of the flowchart shown in FIG. 10 are terminated, and if No, the process proceeds to Step S36.

  In step S36, since the empty area is not completely filled with the recording signal, the signal processing circuit 8 forms dummy data (for example, null data) for filling the area other than the area where the recording signal of the empty area is recorded. Then, the process returns to step S33. In step S33, as described above, the system controller 3 adds dummy data to the recording signal, thereby recording the recording signal with a data capacity of 8 Mb.

  The system controller 3 records the end position including the dummy data as control data corresponding to the recorded recording signal after the recording is completed.

  As is clear from the above description, the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the fourth embodiment has a minimum capacity of a recording signal to be recorded (8 MB in this example). For this reason, even when the recording signal is deleted by editing or the like, the free space capacity is at least 8 MB. Therefore, recording signals can be recorded at any transfer rate of 2 Mbps, 4 Mbps, and 8 Mbps. Therefore, detection of the capacity of the free area can be omitted, the time required for recording the recording signal can be greatly shortened, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained.

  Finally, the description of each embodiment described above is an example of the present invention. For this reason, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, each of the embodiments described above is an example in which the present invention is applied to a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus that performs recording / reproduction on a DVD. However, the present invention can be applied to other recording media such as a so-called hard disk (HDD). In contrast, the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that performs recording and reproduction. Further, the first track buffer 10 of 64 Mbyte DRAM is used as the temporary storage means, but a recording device such as an HDD may be used for this. Of course, other than the above-described embodiments, various modifications can be made according to design and the like as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of the present invention.

1 is a schematic block diagram of a DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to a first embodiment to which a recording apparatus according to the present invention is applied. It is a figure which shows the transition of the occupation amount of the storage area of the 1st track buffer for each transfer rate at the time of recording of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the transition of the occupation amount of the storage area of the 1st track buffer for each transfer rate at the time of reproduction | regeneration with the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a disk for explaining empty areas scattered on the disk and recording positions of recording signals recorded in the empty areas according to transfer rates. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a recording operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of the occupation amount of the storage area of a said 1st track buffer, and the recording timing of a recording signal. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the recordable time etc. which are calculated and displayed for every transfer rate. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the recording operation of the DVD recording / reproducing apparatus of the 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Disk, 2 ... Operation part, 3 ... System controller, 4 ... Servo control circuit, 5 ... Driver, 6 ... Optical pick-up, 7 ... Preamplifier, 8 ... Signal processing circuit,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 ... Spindle motor, 10 ... 1st track buffer, 11 ... AV encoding / decoding part, 12 ... 2nd track buffer, 13 ... Speaker part, 14 ... Display control part, 15 ... Display part, 16 ... Recording signal Input terminal

Claims (2)

Temporary storage means for absorbing at least a difference in transfer rate of recorded information at the time of recording;
Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position of the recording information on the recording medium is recorded;
Based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means, an empty area detecting means for detecting an empty area for a recording area in which recording information on the recording medium is recorded;
The time required for seeking from the recording area located before and after each empty area detected by the empty area detecting means to the empty area is “T”, and the transfer rate of recording information to the recording medium at the time of recording is “A”. If the transfer rate of the recording information is “B” and the capacity of the free area detected by the free area detecting means is “m”, “m> (A × B × T) / (A−B)” is satisfied. In this case, recordable free space detecting means for detecting the free space as a free space capable of continuous recording / reproducing of record information,
An information amount detecting means for detecting an information amount of recording information to be recorded on the recording medium;
Dummy information forming means for forming dummy information for setting the information amount of the recorded information to a predetermined information amount when the information amount of the recorded information detected by the information amount detecting means is less than or equal to the predetermined information amount; ,
By adding the dummy information formed by the dummy information forming means to the recorded information, the temporary storage means is added to the free area detected by the free area detecting means with the information amount of the recorded information as a predetermined information amount. And an information recording apparatus. Temporary storage means for absorbing at least a difference in transfer rate of recorded information at the time of recording;
Position information reproducing means for reproducing the position information from a management area in which position information indicating at least the recording position of the recording information on the recording medium is recorded;
Based on the position information reproduced by the position information reproducing means, an empty area detecting means for detecting an empty area for a recording area in which recording information on the recording medium is recorded;
The time required for seeking from the recording area located before and after each empty area detected by the empty area detecting means to the empty area is “T”, and the transfer rate of recording information to the recording medium at the time of recording is “A”. “C / B> T” and “C”, where “B” is the transfer rate of the recording information, “C” is the capacity of the temporary storage means, and “m” is the capacity of the free area detected by the free area detecting means. a recordable free space detecting means for detecting the free space as a free space capable of continuous recording / reproduction of recorded information when m> (A × B × T) / (A−B) ”is satisfied; ,
An information amount detecting means for detecting an information amount of recording information to be recorded on the recording medium;
Dummy information forming means for forming dummy information for setting the information amount of the recorded information to a predetermined information amount when the information amount of the recorded information detected by the information amount detecting means is less than or equal to the predetermined information amount; ,
By adding the dummy information formed by the dummy information forming means to the recorded information, the temporary storage means is added to the free area detected by the free area detecting means with the information amount of the recorded information as a predetermined information amount. And an information recording apparatus.

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