Method of recording data onto an optical card having a plurality of tracks containing at least one ID section, error correcting code or directory pointer area and method of reproducing data therefrom

A data recording method for an optical card on which a plurality of tracks are formed, said method comprising the steps of:

• preparing a record data comprised of a series of data bits;
• dividing said record data into a plurality of groups comprised of a predetermined number of bits;
• producing error correcting codes for said respective groups;
• adding said correcting codes to said respective groups to constitute unit data blocks;
• and
• extracting a unit data block from said unit data blocks one by one according to a predetermined order and in sequence storing the extracted block in said tracks.

A data recording method for an optical card on which a plurality of tracks are formed, said method sequentially comprising the steps of:

• (a) defining on said optical card at least three areas comprising a directory pointer area, a directory area, and a data area;
• (b) writing data labelled a predetermined file name onto an unrecorded track of said data area;
• (c) writing a number of a track onto which writing has been conducted in step (b) onto an unrecorded track of said directory area together with said file name thereof;
• and
• (d) writing, as a directory pointer, a number of a track onto which writing has been conducted in step (c) onto an unrecorded portion on tracks of said directory pointer area.

A data reproducing method for an optical card on which a plurality of tracks are formed, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) recognizing three areas of a directory pointer area, a directory area, and a data area, which are defined on said optical card;
• (b) reading a track number recorded as a directory pointer in said directory pointer area;
• (c) reading a track in said directory area corresponding to said track number having been read in step (b), thus obtaining information having been read;
• and
• (d) reading data in said data area on the basis of said information.