JPH06266602A - Information recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To securely record the directory of final data which is recorded last even if the recording area of a data part in an information recording medium is used up. CONSTITUTION:In an information recording method for recording file data in the data part provided in the information recording medium and for recording directory information for managing file data in the directory part of the recording medium so as to record information, a difference between the recording unit of data which is to be recorded next and a recording unit by which a final directory is recorded is compared with a first prescribed value which is previously decided in the case of recording file data. When the value of the difference becomes smaller than the first prescribed value, the recording area of the data part is judged to be used up. In the case of recording directory information of file data, the difference between the recording unit by which final data is recorded and the recording unit of the directory which is to be recorded next is compared with a second prescribed value which is set to be smaller than the first prescribed value and the presence or absence of the remaining recording area in the directory part is judged.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information recording method for recording information on an information recording medium such as an optical card.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various types of recording media such as a disc, a card, and a tape have been known as a form of a recording medium for optically recording information or reading recorded information. Among them, a card-shaped recording medium (hereinafter referred to as an optical card) is small and lightweight, convenient to carry, and has a large recording capacity. Therefore, a large demand is expected for the write-once recording medium in the future. FIG. 3 shows the recording surface of the optical card. Reference numeral 1 is an optical card, and 2 is an information recording area. In the information recording area 2, a large number of tracking tracks 3 _{1 to} 3 _{n + 1} are arranged in parallel, and information tracks 4 ₁ to 4 _n for recording information are provided between the tracking tracks. Physical track numbers 5 _{1 to} 5 _n for identifying the information tracks are recorded at both ends of each information track.

By the way, such an optical card, particularly a write-once type optical card in which information cannot be erased, has a recording capacity of a large capacity even though it has a size of a credit card. For example, the size of the optical card is 85m
Assuming m × 55 mm, information track pitch of 20 μm and 1-bit recording length of 5 μm, the number of tracks of the optical card is 2750, and the bit capacity per track is 17,000.
The bit and byte capacity is 2125 bytes. When managing data in such a large-capacity memory, an information management method using a directory is usually adopted, but since the optical card as described above also has a large capacity, file management by a directory is also common. Normally, a directory is composed of information necessary for file management such as a file name, file length, and head data track number as shown in FIG. Such directory information is written in a part of the recording medium for each file, and the file is managed based on the directory when recording or reproducing data.

The optical card shown in FIG. 3 has an information recording area 2 for managing files by the above directories.
Is divided into a data section 10 for recording file data and a directory section 20 for recording a directory. In the data section 10, one information track is configured as one sector, and data 10 ₁ , 10 ₂ , ..., 10 _m are recorded in order from the head information track 4 _n . On the other hand, in the directory section 20, one information track is configured as 4 sectors, and the directories 20 ₁ , 20 ₂ , ... 20 _n are recorded in order from the information track 4 ₁ on the side opposite to the data section 10.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a method of recording file data when the file management by the directory is adopted. In FIG. 5, when file data is additionally recorded on the optical card 1, a directory for managing the file data is recorded after the data is recorded. Since the directory is recorded in the sector next to the final directory (EOD) of the directory section 20, if the recording position of the final directory is unknown, the process of searching the final directory is performed. Further, since the file data is also recorded from the sector next to the final data (EOS) of the data section 10, the final data is searched when the recording position of the final data is not known in advance. Therefore, it is first determined whether or not the final directory has been detected (S1), and if not detected, the directory section 20 of the optical card 1 is searched to detect the final directory (S2). Next, it is judged whether or not the recording position of the final data is detected (S3), and if not detected, the data section 10 is searched to perform the final data detection process (S4). A method for detecting such final directory and final data is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-4384.
As proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4, there is a method of detecting the data as the final data when a predetermined number of tracks in which the data is not recorded continuously from the track in which the data is recorded.

When the final directory and the final data are detected, the track of the data to be recorded next (WDT TR
K) to the final directory track (EOD TR
The value obtained by subtracting K) is compared with a predetermined constant value N (S5). WDT TRK to EOD The value obtained by subtracting TRK indicates the number of remaining unrecorded tracks in which the data section and the directory section in all tracks of the optical card are combined, as is clear from FIG. 3, and N is used to detect the final recording position of the optical card. The numerical value used. The smaller the value of N is, the more information tracks can be used without waste, but normally it is set to a few tracks with a margin. Therefore, WDT
TRK-EOD If TRK ≦ N, it is determined that the recording area is exhausted, the recording of the file data is terminated with an error, and WDT is set. TRK-EOD If TRK> N, the next track of the final data (WDT File data for one sector is recorded in (TRK) (S6).

When the recording of data for one sector is completed,
By recording data for one sector, the final data track EOS TRK and the WDT Each TRK is updated (S7), and it is determined whether or not all data for one file has been recorded (S8). In this way S5-S
By repeating step 8, data is sequentially recorded such that the next information track and the next information track are recorded.
Data for files is recorded. After recording the file data, the recording process of the directory information for managing the file data is performed. First, the final data track EOS WDR which is a track to record a directory next from TRK The value obtained by subtracting TRK is compared with the value of N (S9). EOS TRK to WDR The value obtained by subtracting TRK indicates the total number of remaining unrecorded tracks as described above. If this value is smaller than N, it is determined that there is no recording area, and the processing ends in error. On the contrary, if it is larger than the value of N, the file information such as the file name, the file length and the head data track number of the previously recorded file data is WDR. It is recorded as a directory on the information track indicated by TRK (S10). And 1
EOD by recording one directory TR
K, WDR Each TRK is updated (S11).
However, in this update process, since four directories can be recorded in one information track, one update is performed every time the directory is recorded four times.
This completes the recording process of the series of data files.

[0008]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]
In the conventional information recording method, as shown in FIG.
EOS at the end of data recording TRK is 4K +
N + 1, WDT TRK is 4K + N, EOD TRK
K, WDR EOS when TRK is K + 1 T
RK-WDR TRK = N (S5 in FIG. 5)
There will be no recording area on the touch panel. Also, EOS T
RK-WDR Since TRK = N (S9 in FIG. 5),
In addition, the recording area of the directory part is also lost. This
The remaining capacity of the optical card becomes small like
When recording a file, there are no remaining tracks in the data section
File data is recorded,
Without managing the file data
There was a problem that Li could not be recorded.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide an information recording method capable of surely recording the directory of the last recorded file data even if the recording area of the data portion is exhausted. Especially.

[0010]

An object of the present invention is to record file data in a data section provided on an information recording medium and to store directory information for managing the file data in a directory section of the recording medium. In the information recording method of recording and recording information, when file data is recorded, the difference between the recording unit of the data to be recorded next and the recording unit in which the final directory is recorded and a predetermined first predetermined value When the difference value becomes smaller than the first predetermined value, it is determined that the recording area of the data portion is exhausted, and when the directory information of the file data is recorded, the final data is recorded. The difference between the recording unit of the second recording unit and the recording unit of the directory to be recorded next is compared with the second predetermined value set smaller than the first predetermined value, and the directory is compared. Is achieved by an information recording method characterized by determining whether the remaining recording area of the Li portion.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a configuration example of the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the information recording method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 31 is an information recording / reproducing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as a drive) for recording and reproducing the optical card 1 as an information recording medium, and is connected to a host computer 32, which is a host controller, as an external storage device. .
The MPU 33 in the drive 31 is a microprocessor having a built-in ROM and RAM, and comprehensively controls each unit in the device. For example, the MPU 33 controls the card feeding motor 37 to control the carrying operation of carrying the optical card 1 to a predetermined position in the apparatus or discharging it from the apparatus. When the optical card 1 is conveyed to a predetermined position in the machine, the card feed motor 37 is controlled so that the optical card 1 is rotated at the predetermined position.
Control to reciprocate in the direction. Furthermore, MPU3
3 controls the head feed motor 36 to move an optical head 45, which will be described later, in the track traversing direction of the optical card 1 to control the optical head to access the designated track.

The light beam irradiation optical system 38 is composed of a semiconductor laser as a light source and an objective lens for narrowing the laser beam into a minute light spot, and irradiates the recording surface of the optical card 1 with a recording or reproducing light beam. . The photodetector 39 is a sensor for detecting the reflected light of the light beam from the optical card 1. The AF actuator 40 moves the objective lens in the light beam irradiation optical system 38 in the focusing direction (Z direction).
Further, the AT actuator 41 slightly moves the objective lens in the tracking direction (Y direction), and tracking control and focusing control of the light beam are performed by minute movement of the objective lens in both directions. The above light beam irradiation optical system 38, photodetector 39, AF and A
The T actuators 40 and 41 are integrated as an optical head 45. The optical head 45 is usually fixed, while the optical card 1 reciprocates, so that the light beam relatively scans the information track of the optical card 1 to record or reproduce information.

The AT / AF control circuit 34 generates a tracking error signal and a focusing error signal based on the detection signal of the photodetector 39, and controls the AT actuator 41 and the AF actuator 40 based on them.
As a result, tracking control and focusing control of the light beam emitted from the light beam irradiation optical system 38 to the optical card are performed, and the light beam scans the information track while focusing on the recording surface. The modulation / demodulation circuit 35 intensity-modulates the light beam of the semiconductor laser of the light beam irradiation optical system 38 in accordance with the information signal sent from the MPU 33, and scans this modulated light beam on the information track, so that a series of tracks are formed on the track. Information is recorded. Further, in the modulation / demodulation circuit 35, when reproducing information, information is reproduced based on the output signal of the photodetector 39, and further demodulation processing is performed to generate reproduced data. The obtained reproduction data is transferred to the host computer 32 under the control of the MPU 33. At the time of recording and reproducing information, the host computer 32 not only issues recording and reproducing commands and transfers recorded data, but also gives an instruction for each sector of the reproduction position and further records directory information for each file data. , Instruct playback,
The drive 31 executes the recording / reproducing operation based on it.

Next, an embodiment of the information recording method of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In FIG. 1, when recording information first, the host computer 32
A recording command is issued from the drive 31 to the drive 31, and the recording data is transferred to the drive 31. The recording command and the recording data are received by the MPU 33 of the drive 31, and when the MPU 33 receives the recording command, the final directory (EOD) and the final data (EDS) are detected as described in FIG. 5 (S1 to S4). . When the final directory and the final data are detected, for example, as proposed in JP-A-1-43844, when a predetermined number of unrecorded tracks continue from a track on which the directory or data is recorded. , The directory and the data are detected as the final directory and the final data.

When the final directory and the final data are detected, the MPU 33 tracks the track WDT of the data to be recorded next. EOD which is the track of the final directory from TRK A value obtained by subtracting TRK is compared with a predetermined value N ₁ (S5). This N ₁ is a numerical value used for detecting the recording position of the final data of the optical card, and is set to a value different from the numerical value N ₂ for detecting the recording position of the final directory which will be described later. In the present embodiment, N ₁ is set to about several and N ₂ is set to a value smaller than this, and N ₁ > N
Each value is determined to be ₂ . on the other hand,
WDT TRK to EOD The value obtained by subtracting TRK represents the number of remaining tracks in the data part and the directory part in all tracks of the optical card, and this number of remaining tracks is compared with N ₁ described above.

When the number of remaining tracks is smaller than N ₁ , the MPU 33 judges that the recording area of the data section is exhausted, notifies the host computer 32 of that, and terminates the recording process in error. On the other hand, when the number of remaining tracks is larger than N ₁ , the MPU 33 controls each unit, and FIG.
WDT of the data section 10 of the optical card shown in Data for one sector is recorded on the information track indicated by TRK (S6). Then, by recording the data of one sector, the WDT TRK, EOS The TRKs are respectively updated (S7), and it is determined whether the data of one file is recorded (S8). If there is any unrecorded data, the process returns to S5 and the same process is performed. Then, by repeating the processes of S5 to S8, the file data transferred from the host computer 32 is recorded on the information track of the optical card sector by sector.

When the recording of the file data is completed, the MP
In U33, the EOS of the track of the last directory detected earlier Track WDR of the directory to be recorded next from TRK A value obtained by subtracting TRK and a predetermined value N ₂
Are compared (S9). N ₂ is a value used to detect the recording position of the final directory of the optical card as described above, and is used to detect the recording position of the final data.
It is a number that is set smaller than ₁ . Also, EOS
TRK to WDR The value obtained by subtracting TRK represents the number of remaining tracks in the data section and the directory section in all tracks of the optical card. Here, when the number of remaining tracks is compared with N ₂ , the comparison result is always EOS because N ₁ > N ₂ is set. TRK-WDR Since TRK> N ₂ , the recording area for recording the directory will not be exhausted. Next, a directory for managing the previously recorded file data, that is, file management information such as the file name and file length shown in FIG. 4 is recorded in the directory section 20 of the optical card shown in FIG. 3 (S1).
0). Also, by recording the directory, WDR
TRK and EOD TRKs are updated respectively (S1
1). As shown in FIG. 3, the updating process of this track is as follows.
Since four directories are recorded in one track,
It is performed every time the directory is recorded four times. This completes the recording process of the series of file data, and the drive 31
Then, the host computer 32 is notified that the recording has been normally completed, and the host computer 32 enters a standby state for the next command.

In this embodiment, when file data is recorded, when the difference between the track of the data to be recorded next and the track of the final directory becomes smaller than a predetermined N ₁ , the recording area of the data section is recorded. When it is judged that the data has disappeared and the directory is recorded, N and
By comparing N ₂ set to be smaller than ₁ to determine the presence or absence of a recording area in the directory portion, when recording a directory, the difference between the track of the final data and the track of the directory to be recorded next is less than N ₁ . Does not become smaller, and the track of the directory part can be surely secured. Therefore, when the file data can be recorded normally, the directory of the file data can always be recorded. That is, even if the file data is sequentially recorded on the optical card and the recording area of the data portion is lost, the area of N ₁ -N ₂ is secured as a track for recording the final directory. As described above, the file data is recorded, but the directory cannot be recorded, and the directory of the last recorded file data can be recorded without fail.

In the above embodiment, one track has one sector and the directory section has four tracks as the data section, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the data section and the directory on the optical card are not limited to this. The arrangement of parts is also shown in Figure 3.
It is not limited to Furthermore, although the recording unit of data or directory has been described in track units, it may be in sector units or the like, and an optical card is taken as an example of the information recording medium, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, even when file data is recorded on the information recording medium and the recording area of the data portion is lost, the recording area of the directory portion is not lost unlike the conventional case. The directory of the last recorded file data can be surely recorded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of an information recording method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration example of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the information recording method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement of information tracks and a data section and a directory section on a recording surface of an optical card.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the contents of directory information.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a conventional information recording method.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a problem of a conventional information recording method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Optical Card 2 Information Recording Area 10 Data Section 20 Directory Section 31 Information Recording / Reproducing Device (Drive) 32 Host Computer 33 MPU

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Information recording for recording file data in a data section provided on an information recording medium and recording directory information for managing the file data in a directory section of the recording medium for recording information. In the method, when file data is recorded, the difference between the recording unit of the data to be recorded next and the recording unit in which the final directory is recorded is compared with a predetermined first predetermined value, and the difference value becomes When it becomes smaller than the predetermined value of 1, it is judged that the recording area of the data portion is exhausted, and when the directory information of the file data is recorded, the recording unit in which the final data is recorded and the directory to be recorded next are recorded. The presence or absence of the remaining recording area of the directory portion is determined by comparing the difference between the recording units and the second predetermined value that is set smaller than the first predetermined value. A method of recording information, characterized by declining. 2. The information recording method according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is a track or a sector.