Optical information medium having multiple layers with management information areas disposed at the same distance from center

An information recording method for recording information on a write-once type information recording medium including at least two recording layers,

• wherein each of the at least two recording layers has a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track being divided into blocks each of which being a minimum unit in which recording is performed,
• the information recording medium includes disc management areas where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded,
• each of the disc management areas of both the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least two recording layers is disposed at a same distance from the center of the information recording medium, and
• the at least two recording layers are sequentially used starting from a position farthest from a surface of the information recording medium to a position closest to the surface of the information recording medium.

An information recording device that records information on a write-once type information recording medium including at least two recording layers,

• the at least two recording layers of the information recording medium having a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track being divided into blocks each of which being a minimum unit in which recording is performed,
• the information recording medium including disc management areas where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded,
• each of the disc management areas of both the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least two recording layers is disposed at a same distance from the center of the information,
• the information recording device comprising:
• an optical pickup that irradiates the information recording medium with a laser beam;
• a mechanical controller that controls the optical pickup;
• and
• a recording part that controls the recording of the management information and the user data,
• wherein the recording part controls the recording of the management information in the disc management area such that the recording is sequentially performed starting from a position farthest from a surface of the information recording medium to a position closest to the surface of the information recording medium with respect to the at least two recording layers.

An information playback method for playing back information from a write-once type information recording medium including at least two recording layers,

• wherein each of the at least two recording layers has a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track is divided into blocks each of which being a minimum unit in which recording is performed,
• the information recording medium includes disc management areas where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded,
• each of the disc management areas of the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least two recording layers is disposed at a same distance from the center of the information recording medium,
• a boundary between a recorded disc management area and a non-recorded disc management area is sequentially searched staring from a position farthest from a surface of the information recording medium to a position closest to the surface of the information recording medium, and the latest management information is acquired from the recorded disc management area adjacent to the boundary.

An information playback device that plays back information from a write-once type information recording medium including at least two recording layers,

• the at least two recording layers of the information recording medium having a spiral shape in which a land track and a groove track are alternately arranged as a recording track, the recording track being divided into blocks each of which being a minimum unit in which recording is performed,
• the information recording medium including disc management areas where management information is recorded and a user data area where user data is recorded,
• each of the disc management areas of both the land track and the groove track on each recording layer of the at least two recording layers being disposed at a same distance from the center of the information recording medium,
• the information playback device comprising:
• an optical pickup that irradiates the information recording medium with a laser beam;
• a mechanical controller that controls the optical pickup;
• and
• a playback part that controls the playback of the management information and the user data,
• wherein the playback part controls the playback of the management information such that a boundary between a recorded disc management area and a non-recorded disc management area is sequentially searched starting from a position farthest from a surface of the information recording medium to a position closest to the surface of the information recording medium, and such that the latest management information is acquired from the recorded disc management area adjacent to the boundary.