Control information recording method and apparatus, information recording method and apparatus, and information record medium

An apparatus for recording, onto a guide track of an information record medium, control information to control at least one of recording and reproducing operations of record information on said information record medium, said apparatus comprising:

• a generating unit for generating a control information timing signal one after another at an interval corresponding to a length of a control information unit equal to an N (N:
• predetermined integer not less than 2) multiple of a length of a record information unit of the record information;
• and
• a recording unit for recording the control information onto the guide track of said information record medium, on the basis of a timing corresponding to the control information timing signal.

An information record medium comprising:

• a substrate having an information record surface;
• an information record track formed on said information record surface in a spiral or coaxial shape, for recording record information;
• a guide track formed on said information record surface in parallel to said information record track, for guiding a light beam, which is to perform at least one of recording and reproducing operations of the record information, to said information record track;
• and
• a control information for controlling at least one of the recording and reproducing operations, recorded on said guide track at an interval corresponding to a length of a control information unit equal to an N (N:
• predetermined integer not less than 2) multiple of a length of a record information unit of the record information.

A method of recording record information onto information record medium, said information record medium comprising:

• a substrate having an information record surface;
• an information record track formed on said information record surface in a spiral or coaxial shape, for recording the record information;
• a guide track formed on said information record surface in parallel to said information record track, for guiding a light beam, which is to perform at least one of recording and reproducing operations of the record information, to said information record track;
• and a control information for controlling at least one of the recording and reproducing operations, recorded on said guide track at an interval corresponding to a length of a control information unit equal to an N (N:
• predetermined integer not less than 2) multiple of a length of a record information unit of the record information, said method comprising the steps of:
• detecting the control information from said information record medium;
• generating the record information on the basis of a record signal inputted from the external such that a synchronization signal is added to each record information unit in correspondence with the detected control information;
• and
• recording the generated record information onto the information record track.

An apparatus for recording record information onto information record medium, said information record medium comprising:

• a substrate having an information record surface;
• an information record track formed on said information record surface in a spiral or coaxial shape, for recording the record information;
• a guide track formed on said information record surface in parallel to said information record track, for guiding a light beam, which is to perform at lease one of recording and reproducing operations of the record information, to said information record track;
• and a control information for controlling at least one of the recording and reproducing operations, recorded on said guide track at an interval corresponding to a length of a control information unit equal to an N (N:
• predetermined integer not less than 2) multiple of a length of a record information unit of the record information, said apparatus comprising:
• a detecting unit for detecting the control information from said information record medium;
• a record information generating unit for generating the record information on the basis of a record signal inputted from the external such that a synchronization signal is added to each record information unit in correspondence with the detected control information;
• and
• a recording unit for recording the generated record information onto the information record track.