Optical disk having a particular format to store user-selected data, such as video data or computer files, including a dedicated TOC region

A method of recording data on an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing user information for recording in a plurality of sectors in user tracks;
• providing table of contents (TOC) information for recording in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track, said TOC information being representative of record/playback characteristics, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said optical disk and said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors, each identifying a start sector of a respective user track;
• encoding both said user information and said TOC information in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols;
• modulating the encoded user and TOC information;
• recording the modulated, encoded TOC information as embossed pits in said at least one TOC track in said lead-in area;
• and recording the modulated, encoded user information as embossed pits in said user tracks in said program area with a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m.

A method of reproducing data from an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, and wherein said data is recorded as embossed pits representing modulated, error-correction encoded user information in sectors in user tracks in said program area and representing modulated, error-correction encoded table of contents (TOC) information in sectors in at least one TOC track in said lead-in area with said TOC information being representative of record/playback characteristics, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said disk and said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors of said user tracks, the tracks having a track pitch in the range of 0.646 .mu.m to 1.05 .mu.m, said method comprising the steps of rotating said disk to obtain a constant linear velocity;

• projecting a pickup light beam through a lens for optically reading the rotating disk, said pickup light beam having a spatial frequency l=.lambda./2NA, where the spatial frequency l is less than the track pitch, .lambda. is the wavelength of the pickup light beam and NA is the numerical aperture of the lens;
• demodulating the data read from said disk;
• error correcting the demodulated data;
• separating the error corrected data into TOC information and user information;
• and using said TOC information to access and read selected user tracks in response to access instructions from a user.

Apparatus for recording data on an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, said apparatus comprising:

• input means for providing user information for recording in a plurality of sectors in user tracks and table of contents (TOC) information for recording in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track, said TOC information being representative of record/playback characteristics, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said optical disk and said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors, each identifying a start sector of a respective user track;
• encoding means for encoding both said user information and said TOC information in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols;
• modulator means for modulating the encoded user and TOC information;
• and recording means for recording the modulated, encoded TOC information as embossed pits in said at least one TOC track in said lead-in area and for recording the modulated, encoded user information as embossed pits in said user tracks in said program area with a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m.

Apparatus for reproducing data from an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, and wherein said data is recorded as embossed pits representing modulated, error-correction encoded user information in sectors in user tracks in said program area and representing modulated, error-correction encoded table of contents (TOC) information in sectors in at least one TOC track in said lead-in area with said TOC information being representative of record/playback characteristics, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said optical disk and said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors of said user tracks, the tracks having a track pitch in the range of 0.646 .mu.m to 1.05 .mu.m, said apparatus comprising means for rotating said disk to obtain a constant linear velocity;

• pickup means for projecting a pickup light beam through a lens to optically read the rotating disk, said pickup light beam having a spatial frequency l=.lambda./2NA, where the spatial frequency l is less than the track pitch, .lambda. is the wavelength of the pickup light beam and NA is the numerical aperture of the lens;
• demodulating means for demodulating the data read from said disk;
• error correcting means for error correcting the demodulated data;
• means for separating the error corrected data into TOC information and user information;
• and control means responsive to said TOC information to access and read selected user tracks in response to access instructions from a user.