Information recording medium, information recording apparatus and method, information reproducing apparatus and method, and computer program

An information recording apparatus for recording record data onto an information recording medium, at least comprising:

• a first recording layer in which a first portion of the record data can be recorded and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of a recording area corresponds to a first frequency;
• and a second recording layer in which a second portion of the record data can be recorded by using laser light transmitted through the first recording layer and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of the recording area corresponds to a second frequency, which is greater than the first frequency, wherein one portion of control information, (i) whose number of rewriting times is relatively high out of the record information and (ii) which controls a recording order or reproduction order of the record data, can be recorded into the second recording layer, said information recording apparatus comprising:
• an obtaining device for obtaining the control information;
• a recording device for recording the record data or the control information;
• and
• a controlling device for (iii) controlling said recording device to record the record data on the basis of the obtained control information and (iv) controlling said recording device to record the control information in order to update the control information on the basis of the recording of the record data.

An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing record data from an information recording medium, at least comprising:

• a first recording layer in which a first portion of the record data can be recorded and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of a recording area corresponds to a first frequency;
• and a second recording layer in which a second portion of the record data can be recorded by using laser light transmitted through the first recording layer and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of the recording area corresponds to a second frequency, which is greater than the first frequency, wherein one portion of control information, (i) whose number of rewriting times is relatively high out of the record information and (ii) which controls a recording order or reproduction order of the record data, can be recorded into the second recording layer, said information reproducing apparatus comprising:
• an obtaining device for obtaining the control information;
• a reproducing device for reproducing the record data or the control information;
• and
• a controlling device for (iii) controlling said reproducing device to reproduce the record data on the basis of the obtained control information

An information recording method in an information recording apparatus comprising a recording device for recording record data or control information onto an information recording medium, at least comprising:

• a first recording layer in which a first portion of the record data can be recorded and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of a recording area corresponds to a first frequency;
• and a second recording layer in which a second portion of the record data can be recorded by using laser light transmitted through the first recording layer and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of the recording area corresponds to a second frequency, which is greater than the first frequency, wherein one portion of the control information, (i) whose number of rewriting times is relatively high out of the record information and (ii) which controls a recording order or reproduction order of the record data, can be recorded into the second recording layer, said information recording method comprising:
• an obtaining process of obtaining the control information;
• and
• a controlling process of (iii) controlling said recording device to record the record data on the basis of the obtained control information and (iv) controlling said recording device to record the control information in order to update the control information on the basis of the recording of the record data.

An information reproducing method in an information reproducing apparatus comprising a reproducing device for reproducing record data or control information from an information recording medium, at least comprising:

• a first recording layer in which a first portion of the record data can be recorded and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of a recording area corresponds to a first frequency;
• and a second recording layer in which a second portion of the record data can be recorded by using laser light transmitted through the first recording layer and which has such a property that a limit frequency of rewriting the record data per unit area of the recording area corresponds to a second frequency, which is greater than the first frequency, wherein one portion of the control information, (i) whose number of rewriting times is relatively high out of the record information and (ii) which controls a recording order or reproduction order of the record data, can be recorded into the second recording layer, said information reproducing method comprising:
• an obtaining process of obtaining the control information;
• and
• a controlling process of (iii) controlling said reproducing device to reproduce the record data on the basis of the obtained control information