Decoding method and apparatus therefor

A method of decoding data which has been encoded, the method comprising:

• performing error correction on code words of an error correcting code block in a row direction;
• indicating in error flags code words having uncorrectable errors;
• performing error correction on code words of the error correcting code block in a column direction based on the error flags;
• indicating in error flags remaining code words except at least some from the code words having the uncorrectable errors obtained in the performing error correction on code words of an error correcting code block in a row direction;
• and
• performing error correction on the code words of the error correcting code block in the column direction based on the error flags of obtained by the indicating in error flags the remaining code words except at least some code words from code words having uncorrectable errors.

An apparatus comprising:

• a reader, which reads data from an information storage medium;
• a modulator, which performs channel demodulation on the read data and outputs demodulated data;
• and
• a decoder, which generates an error correcting code block from the demodulated data, performs error correction on code words of the error correcting code block in one direction of row and column directions, indicates in error flags a remaining code word/words except at least some code words from code words having uncorrectable errors, and performs error correction on code words in the other direction based on the error flags.

An apparatus comprising:

• an error correcting code (ECC) block generator, which generates an ECC block having code words;
• an error corrector, which performs error correction on the code words of the ECC block in a row direction, indicates in error flags code words having uncorrectable errors, performs error correction on code words of the error correcting code block in a column direction based on the error flags, and performs error correction again on the code words of the error correcting code block in the column direction based on error flags resulting from error flag management;
• and
• a flag managing unit, which indicates in error flags remaining code words except at least some from the code words having the uncorrectable errors resulting from the error correction performed on the code words in the row direction.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

• reading data from an information storage medium;
• performing channel demodulation on the data;
• generating, from the data demodulated, an error correcting code block having code words;
• performing error correction on the code words in one of a row direction and a column direction;
• generating error flags based on occurrence of uncorrectable errors;
• and
• performing error correction in the other direction based on the error flags,
• wherein the generating error flags comprises generating error flags in remaining code words except at least some code words from code words having uncorrectable errors.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

• generating an error correcting code (ECC) block having code words;
• performing error correction on code words of the ECC block in a row direction;
• indicating in error flags code words having uncorrectable errors;
• performing error correction on code words of the error correcting code block in a column direction based on the error flags;
• performing error correction again on the code words of the error correcting code block in the column direction based on error flags resulting from error flag management;
• and
• performing error flag management by indicating in error flags remaining code words except at least some from the code words having the uncorrectable errors resulting from the error correction performed on the code words in the row direction.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

• generating an error correcting code (ECC) block having code words;
• performing error correction on code words of the ECC block in a column direction;
• indicating in error flags code words having uncorrectable errors;
• performing error correction on code words of the error correcting code block in a column direction based on the error flags;
• performing error correction again on the code words of the error correcting code block in the row direction based on error flags resulting from error flag management;
• and
• performing error flag management by indicating in error flags remaining code words except at least some from the code words having the uncorrectable errors resulting from the error correction performed on the code words in the column direction.

A method of decoding data which has been encoded, the method comprising:

• performing error correction on code words of an error correcting code block in one direction selected from a row direction and a column direction;
• indicating in error flags remaining code words except at least some code words from code words having uncorrectable errors by ignoring uncorrectable errors that occur non-consecutively in at least three sequential code words, and when uncorrectable errors consecutively occur in at least three sequential code words, by ignoring uncorrectable errors occurring in a top code word and a bottom code word of the at least three sequential code words and indicating at least one remaining code word in an error flag;
• and
• performing error correction on code words in the other direction based on the error flags.