Write once type recording medium, recording device and recording method for write once type recording medium, and reproduction device and reproduction method for write once type recording medium

A write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• a data area to record therein record data;
• a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and
• a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded.

A recording apparatus for recording record data onto a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded,
• said recording apparatus comprising:
• a first recording device for recording the record data into said data area;
• a second recording device for recording the defect management information, into any one of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a status information generating device for generating the status information for indicating the recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a third recording device for recording the status information generated by said status information generating device, into said status information recording area;
• and
• a fourth recording device for recording the defect management information, into said definite defect management area.

A reproducing apparatus for reproducing record data recorded on a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded,
• said reproducing apparatus comprising:
• a first reading device for reading the status information recorded in said status information recording area;
• an area recognizing device for recognizing one temporary defect management area in which the defect management information recorded at last in time is recorded, on the basis of the status information read by said first reading device;
• a second reading device for reading the defect management information recorded in the one temporary defect management area recognized by said area recognizing device;
• and
• a reproducing device for reproducing the record data recorded in said data area, on the basis of the defect management information read by said second reading device.

A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to make the computer function as a recording apparatus for recording record data onto a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded, said recording apparatus comprising:
• a first recording device for recording the record data into said data area;
• a second recording device for recording the defect management information, into any one of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a status information generating device for generating the status information for indicating the recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a third recording device for recording the status information generated by said status information generating device, into said status information recording area;
• and
• a fourth recording device for recording the defect management information, into said definite defect management area.

A computer program product in a computer-readable medium for tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to make the computer function as a reproducing apparatus for reproducing record data recorded on a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed , to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded,
• said reproducing apparatus comprising:
• a first reading device for reading the status information recorded in said status information recording area;
• an area recognizing device for recognizing one temporary defect management area in which the defect management information recorded at last in time is recorded, on the basis of the status information read by said first reading device;
• a second reading device for reading the defect management information recorded in the one temporary defect management area recognized by said area recognizing device;
• and
• a reproducing device for reproducing the record data recorded in said data area, on the basis of the defect management information read by said second reading device.

A recording method of recording record data onto a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded,
• said recording method comprising:
• a first recording process of recording the record data into said data area;
• a defect management information generating process of generating or updating the defect management information;
• a second recording process of recording the defect management information generated or updated in said defect management information generating process, into any one of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a status information generating process of generating the status information for indicating the recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed;
• a third recording process of recording the status information generated in said status information generating process, into said status information recording area;
• a finalizing process of finalizing said write-once-type recording medium;
• and
• a fourth recording process of recording the defect management information generated or updated in said defect management information generating process, into said definite defect management area, if finalizing is performed in said finalizing process.

A reproducing method of reproducing record data recorded on a write-once-type recording medium comprising:

• (i) a data area to record therein the record data;
• (ii) a control information recording area to record therein information for controlling an operation of recording and/or reading in said data area, said control information recording area including a definite defect management area to record therein defect management information of said data area;
• (iii) a plurality of temporary defect management areas, which are discretely placed, to temporarily record therein the defect management information of said data area;
• and (iv) a status information recording area in which status information for indicating a recording status of one portion or each of said plurality of temporary defect management areas discretely placed is to be recorded,
• said reproducing method comprising:
• a finalize detecting process of detecting whether or not said write-once-type recording medium is already finalized;
• a first reading process of reading the defect management information recorded in said definite defect management area, if said write-once-type recording medium is already finalized;
• a second reading process of reading the status information recorded in said status information recording area, if said write-once-type recording medium is not yet finalized;
• an area recognizing process of specifying one temporary defect management area in which the defect management information recorded at last in time is recorded, on the basis of the status information read in said first reading process;
• a third reading process of reading the defect management information recorded in the one temporary defect management area recognized in said area recognizing process;
• and
• a reproducing process of reproducing the record data recorded in said data area, on the basis of the defect management information read in said third reading process.