Information recording medium, recording/reproducing apparatus, and recording/reproducing method

A recording apparatus for use in transferring data in recording blocks with respect to an information recording medium comprising a user data area being divided into R-zones for recording user data, the R-zones being uniquely associated with corresponding different groups, the apparatus comprising:

• a writing unit writing the data to the information recording medium;
• and
• a controller which uniquely associates each of the R-zones with a corresponding one of the groups, and which controls the writing unit to
• determine that a replacement recording block is to replace an original recording block previously recorded in the user data area, and
• write the replacement recording block in one of the R-zones disposed in an unrecorded area of the user data area and having an indicated one of the groups which the controller has determined is the same as an R-zone having the original recording block.

A reproducing apparatus which transfers data in recording blocks with respect to an information recording medium that comprises a user data area for recording user data, the user data area being divided into R-zones uniquely associated with corresponding different groups, the apparatus comprising:

• a reading unit which reads data from the information recording medium in the recording blocks;
• and
• a controller controlling the reading unit to read a replacement recording block from one of the R-zones which the controller determines is associated with a same group associated with one of the R-zones having the original recording block,
• wherein the replacement recording block replaces the original recording block and is recorded in an area of the user data area which was previously an unrecorded area.

A method of managing data of different types on an information recording medium, comprising:

• establishing a first area associated with a first group and a second area associated with a second group, the first group corresponding to a first type of the data previously recorded on the information recording medium and the second group corresponding to a second type of the data previously recorded on the information recording medium;
• classifying new data to be recorded on the information recording medium according to whether the new data corresponds to the first type or the second type of previously recorded data;
• if the new data corresponds to the first type of the previously recorded data, including the new data in the first group and recording the new data in the first area;
• and
• if the new data corresponds to the second type of the previously recorded data, including the new data in the second group and recording the new data in the second area.

An information recording medium with respect to which a recording and/or reproducing unit transfers data in recording blocks, the medium comprising:

• a data area being divided into first zones uniquely associated with a first group and second zones uniquely associated with a second group other than the first group,
• wherein:
• a first type of data associated with the first group is transferred with respect to the first zones and not with respect to the second zones,
• a second type of data associated with the second group is transferred with respect to the second zones and not with respect to the first zones, and
• group information on the information recording medium which distinguishes the first and second zones is used by the apparatus to determine with respect to which of the first and second zones the data is to be transferred.

A method of managing data of different types on an information recording medium having a first area associated with a first group and a second area associated with a second group, the first group corresponding to a first type of the data previously recorded on information recording medium and the second group corresponding to a second type of the data previously recorded on the information recording medium, the method comprising:

• detecting first group information in a first recording block and classifying the first recording block in an indicated one of the first and second groups according to the first group information;
• detecting second group information in a second recording block and classifying the second recording block in an indicated one of the first and second groups according to the second group information;
• if the second group information indicates that the second recording block replaces the first recording block, recording management information indicating that the second recording block replaces the first recording block, and
• if the second group information indicates that the second recording block does not replace the first recording block, recording management information indicating that the second recording block is in addition to the first recording block.