Information recording/reproducing method and apparatus using EPRML connection processing system

An information recording/reproducing method in an information recording/reproducing apparatus including a plurality of data demodulators which perform the data demodulation of an input signal, the method comprising:

• a step of generating first demodulation data and reliability information of said first demodulation data by a data demodulator in a first stage of said plurality of data demodulators;
• a step of supplying said first demodulation data and said reliability information of said first demodulation data to the data demodulators in the next stage;
• a step of controlling the operations of the data demodulators in said next stage on the basis of control information having different thresholds for said reliability information of said first demodulation data;
• and
• a step of selecting second demodulation data from the data demodulators in said next stage.

An information recording/reproducing method in an information recording/reproducing apparatus including a plurality of data demodulators which perform the data demodulation of an input signal, the method comprising:

• a step of supplying said input signal to said plurality of data demodulators, said plurality of data demodulators having different data discriminating capabilities;
• a step of deciding a demodulation performance from reliability information for demodulation data generated by a first data demodulator which is one of said plurality of data demodulators;
• a step of controlling the operations of the others of said plurality of data demodulators on the basis of the result of decision;
• and
• a step of selecting outputs of said plurality of data demodulators on the basis of said result of decision.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of data demodulators each of which performs the data demodulation of an input signal;
• means for generating operation control information from at least one of reliability information for error information and/or demodulation data generated by a first data demodulator which is any one of said plurality of data demodulators;
• and
• means for controlling the operation of a second data demodulator on the basis of said operation control information, said second data demodulator being one of said plurality of data demodulators other than said first data demodulator.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of data demodulators which perform the data demodulation of an input signal and have different data discriminating capabilities;
• means for generating operation control information from at least one of reliability information for error information and/or demodulation data generated by a first data demodulator of said plurality of data demodulators which has a lower data discriminating capability;
• and
• means for controlling the operation of a second data demodulator on the basis of said operation control information, said second data demodulator being one of said plurality of data demodulators which has a data discriminating capability higher than that of said first data demodulator.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• first and second data demodulators which perform the data demodulation of an input signal with different data discriminating capabilities, respectively, the data discriminating capability of said first data demodulator being lower than that of said second data demodulator;
• a control circuit connected between said first and second data demodulators for controlling the operation of said second data demodulator on the basis of reliability information of error information and/or demodulation data generated by said first data demodulator;
• and
• a circuit for synthesizing demodulation data of said first and second data demodulators.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a first data demodulator for receiving an input signal to generate demodulation data and reliability information of the demodulation data;
• a plurality of second data demodulators connected to the rear stage of said first data demodulator for receiving said demodulation data and said reliability information of the demodulation data;
• and
• a circuit for synthesizing demodulation data of said plurality of second data demodulators.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of data demodulators which have different data discriminating capabilities and receive the same input signal;
• a first multiplexer connected to said plurality of data demodulators for selecting reliability information for demodulation data respectively generated by said data demodulators;
• a decision circuit connected to said first multiplexer for deciding the demodulation performance of a selected data demodulator;
• and
• a second multiplexer connected to said plurality of data demodulators for selecting demodulation data from said plurality of data demodulators in accordance with a signal from said decision circuit.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a first data demodulator which performs the data demodulation of an input signal;
• a second data demodulator which has a data discriminating capability higher than that of said first data demodulator and performs the data demodulation of said input signal;
• a control circuit for deciding a reliability for demodulation data generated by said first data demodulator to operate said second data demodulator having the higher data discriminating capability when said reliability is deteriorated;
• and
• a circuit for replacing demodulation data of said first data demodulator by demodulation data of said second data demodulator during a period of time when said reliability is deteriorated.

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a first data demodulator which performs the data demodulation of an input signal;
• a second data demodulator which performs the data demodulation of said input signal with a power consumption larger than that of said first data demodulator;
• a control circuit for deciding a reliability for demodulation data generated by said first data demodulator to operate said second data demodulator when said reliability is deteriorated;
• and
• a circuit for replacing demodulation data of said first data demodulator by demodulation data of said second data demodulator during a period of time when said reliability is deteriorated.