# US 5,706,271 A · Method for recording information on an erasable optical recording medium

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- Number: US 5,706,271 A
- Document ID: US5706271A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/648,571
- Filed: 1996-05-16
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1995-06-01
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Hirokuni Hashimoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706271A

## CPC

- G11B 7/126: Circuits, methods or arrangements for laser control or stabilisation
- G11B 7/0055: Erasing (G11B7/006, G11B7/0065 take precedence)
- G11B 2220/216: Rewritable discs
- G11B 2220/218: Write-once discs
- G11B 2220/2545: CDs
- G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R)

## Abstract

There is provided an optical information recording method which can manage a number of recordings which can be performed on each of several partitions in a test area. The recording method uses an erasable recording medium on which information is recordable a plurality of times in the same area by a laser beam. The erasable recording medium includes a data area in which the information is recorded and a test area divided into a plurality of partitions each of which is provided for testing a recording power of the laser beam. In the method, the laser beam is projected onto one of the partitions so as to perform a test recording. The recording power of the laser beam is calibrated so as to adjust the recording power to an appropriate level before recording the information in the data area of the erasable recording medium. Then, the number of test recordings is recorded in a predetermined area of the erasable recording medium. Accordingly, the format of the erasable recording medium is compatible with a conventional optical recording medium such as a recordable compact disc (CD-R).

## Claims

### Claim 1

An optical information recording method for use with an erasable recording medium on which information is recordable a plurality of times in the same area by means of a laser beam, said erasable recording medium comprising a data area in which the information is recorded and a test area divided into a plurality of first partitions, each of which is provided for testing recording power of said laser beam, said optical information recording method comprising the steps of:
a) projecting said laser beam onto one of said first partitions so as to perform a test recording;
b) calibrating the recording power of said laser beam based on said test recording so as to adjust the recording power to an appropriate level before recording the information in said data area of said erasable recording medium; and
c) recording in a predetermined area of said erasable recording medium the total number of test recordings which have been performed on said one of said first partitions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said erasable recording medium further comprises a count area divided into a plurality of second partitions each of which corresponds to a respective one of said first partitions, and further comprising the step of:
d) recording in one of said second partitions which corresponds to said one of said first partitions the total number of the test recordings which have been performed in said one of said first partitions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:
e) searching another one of said first partitions when the total number of recordings which have been performed in said one of said first partitions is unreadable, said another one of said first partitions being previously unused; and
f) performing the test recording on said another one of said first partitions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the step of:
r) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step b) is outside of an allowable range.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:
g) determining whether the total number of the test recordings which have been performed in said another one of said first partitions has reached a maximum allowable number of recordings; and
h) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said another one of said first partitions.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said maximum allowable number of recordings is determined based on characteristics of said erasable recording medium.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising the step of:
i) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said another one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step h) is outside of an allowable range.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:
j) recording the total number of the test recordings which have been performed in said one of said first partitions by performing the test recording by recording information representing the total number of the test recordings which have been performed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:
k) searching another one of said first partitions when the total number of recordings which have been performed in said one of said first partitions is unreadable, said another one of said first partitions being previously unused; and
l) performing the test recording on said another one of said first partitions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the step of:
s) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step b) is outside of an allowable range.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of:
m) determining whether or not the total number of test recordings which have been performed in said another one of said first partitions has reached a maximum number of allowable recordings; and
n) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said another one of said first partitions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said maximum number of allowable recordings is determined based on characteristics of said erasable recording medium.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising the step of:
o) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said another one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step n) is outside of an allowable range.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said erasable recording medium is a disc-like optical recording medium.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:
q) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step b) is outside of an allowable range.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
p) determining whether the total number of the test recordings which have been performed in said one of said first partitions has reached a maximum number of allowable recordings; and
q) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said one of said first partitions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said maximum number of allowable recordings is determined based on characteristics of said erasable recording medium.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The optical information recording method as claimed in claim 17, further comprises the step of:
r) performing the test recording on one of said first partitions other than said one of said first partitions when the recording power obtained by the test recording in step q) is outside of an allowable range.