CD player capable of playing back partially recorded CD

A recorded information searching method for a CD player comprising the steps of:

• moving a pickup in a first direction through a sequence of jumps, each of the jumps skipping a predetermined number of tracks, of a CD loaded in the CD player to search for a last piece of recorded information in a program area of the CD;
• reading and sequentially storing sub codes read at positions of the jumps;
• when a reading failure occurs in said reading step, moving the pickup back in a second direction towards a jump position read prior to occurrence of the reading failure;
• again moving the pickup in the first direction through track jumps skipping a number of tracks that is equal to or less than a predetermined number of tracks corresponding to a shortest possible program, while reading and sequentially storing the subcodes read at the jump positions;
• and
• detecting the last piece of recorded information by registering the sub code read out at a jump position immediately previous to re-occurrence of reading failure.

A method for detecting a recording end position of a recordable compact disk which has been only partially filled with program information, comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring, storing, and updating an address corresponding to a current read position, to provide a latest current address corresponding to a last read position;
• (b) ascertaining whether a mirror-finished portion of the compact disk has been detected;
• (c) if said ascertaining step is affirmative, attempting a first setup operation a predetermined number of times at substantially the last read position, and determining whether the first setup operation is successful;
• (d) if the first setup operation is determined to have been unsuccessful, performing a second setup operation at a reference setup position and determining whether the second setup operation is successful;
• (e) if the second setup operation is successful, again ascertaining whether a mirror-finished portion of the compact disk is detected at the last read position;
• and
• (f) if said step of again ascertaining is affirmative, determining that the recording end position of the recordable compact disk has been reached.

A method for updating stored information, indicative of a previously determined last track number, summarizing programming recorded on a recordable compact disk, comprising the steps of:

• moving a pickup in a first direction through a sequence of jumps, each of the jumps skipping a predetermined number of tracks of the compact disk, to search for a last piece of recorded information in a program area of the compact disk;
• reading and sequentially storing sub codes read at positions of the jumps;
• while reading the disk, monitoring information, indicative of an actual track number of a program currently being read, from a sub code stored on the disk;
• comparing the monitored information with the stored information and determining whether the actual track number exceeds the previously determined last track number;
• if the actual track number exceeds the previously determined last track number, substituting the actual track number for the previously determined last track number as the stored information;
• when a reading failure occurs in said reading step, moving the pickup back in a second direction towards a jump position read prior to occurrence of the reading failure;
• again moving the pickup in the first direction through track jumps, skipping a number of tracks that is equal to or less than a predetermined number of tracks corresponding to a shortest possible program, while reading and sequentially storing the sub codes read at the jump position;
• and
• detecting the last piece of recorded information, as the previously determined last track number, by registering that sub code read out at a jump position immediately previous to re-occurrence of the reading failure.