# US 7,613,892 B2 · Recording device, recording method, recording medium, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,613,892 B2 - Document ID: US7613892B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/521,056 - Filed: 2003-07-02 - Published: 2006-06-15 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2002-08-13 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Toshichika Urushibara; Yoshihiro Uchiumi; Teruhiko Mochizuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613892B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0607: {by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device} - G06F 3/0643: {Management of files} - G06F 3/0676: {Magnetic disk device} - G06F 3/0677: {Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD} - G11B 20/10: Digital recording or reproducing - G11B 20/12: Formatting, e.g. arrangement of data block or words on the record carriers {(within interface between computers and data recorders G06F3/06)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 A recording apparatus, method, recording medium, and program for recording data files, according to a FAT system, on an information-recording medium, regardless of the capacity of the information-recording medium. A FAT block of a size corresponding to the capacity of a FAT-block SDRAM is sequentially copied from the top of a FAT recorded in the information-recording medium to the FAT-block SDRAM. A block number is recorded in control data created in response to the FAT block in the FAT-block SDRAM. The number of free clusters is counted. If free clusters are available, the number and total capacity of the free clusters are recorded, the cluster address of the first free cluster is recorded, and a loadable/unloadable flag set to loadable is recorded. The present invention is applicable to video cameras. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A recording apparatus for recording data files on a FAT-formatted information-recording medium, comprising: creating means for dividing a FAT in the information-recording medium into a plurality of segment tables of a predetermined size and creating control information corresponding to each of the segment tables; reading means for reading a segment table from the information-recording medium according to the control information created by the creating means; maintaining means for maintaining the segment table read by the reading means; recording means for referring to the segment table maintained by the maintaining means to detect free unit recording areas in the information-recording medium, and recording the data files in the detected unit recording areas; updating means for updating the segment table maintained by the maintaining means, in response to the process of the recording means; and overwriting means for partially overwriting the FAT in the information-recording medium with the updated segment table, wherein the control information includes information for identifying the corresponding segment table, the number of the free unit recording areas indicated by the segment table, the total capacity of the free unit areas, the address of the first free unit recording area indicated by the segment table, and a flag for specifying whether or not the corresponding segment table is to be read at the time of recording the data files. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information-recording medium is removable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information-recording medium is a microdrive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the size of the segment table is determined according to the capacity of the maintaining means. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the overwriting means writes the entire updated segment table, including non-updated sections, over the corresponding part of the FAT recorded in the information-recording medium. ### Claim 6 A recording method of a recording apparatus for recording data files on a FAT-formatted information-recording medium, the recording method comprising: a creating step of dividing a FAT in the information-recording medium into a plurality of segment tables of a predetermined size and creating control information corresponding to each of the segment tables; a reading step of reading a segment table from the information-recording medium according to the control information created in the creating step; a maintaining step of maintaining the segment table read in the reading step; a recording step of referring to the segment table maintained in the maintaining step to detect free unit recording areas in the information-recording medium, and recording the data files in the detected unit recording areas; an updating step of updating the segment table maintained in the maintaining step, in response to the recording step; and an overwriting step of partially overwriting the FAT in the information-recording medium with the updated segment table, wherein the control information includes information for identifying the corresponding segment table, the number of the free unit recording areas indicated by the segment table, the total capacity of the free unit areas, the address of the first free unit recording area indicated by the segment table, and a flag for specifying whether or not the corresponding segment table is to be read at the time of recording the data files. ### Claim 7 A computer-readable medium storing an executable program that, when executed, causes a computer to control a recording apparatus for recording data files on a FAT-formatted information-recording medium, the program comprising: a creating step of dividing a FAT in the information-recording medium into a plurality of segment tables of a predetermined size and creating control information corresponding to each of the segment tables; a reading step of reading a segment table from the information-recording medium according to the control information created in the creating step; a maintaining step of maintaining the segment table read in the reading step; a recording step of referring to the segment table maintained in the maintaining step to detect free unit recording areas in the information-recording medium, and recording the data files in the detected unit recording areas; an updating step of updating the segment table maintained in the maintaining step, in response to the recording step; and an overwriting step of partially overwriting the FAT in the information-recording medium with the updated segment table, wherein the control information includes information for identifying the corresponding segment table, the number of the free unit recording areas indicated by the segment table, the total capacity of the free unit areas, the address of the first free unit recording area indicated by the segment table, and a flag for specifying whether or not the corresponding segment table is to be read at the time of recording the data files.