Patent ID: 7640464
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: G11B,G11C

Abstract:
1. A defect management method for a recording medium comprising a data area comprising a first spare area, a user data area and a second spare area, the defect management method comprising: enlarging the second spare area during use of the recording medium; reading a defect list from the recording medium, the defect list comprising location information regarding a defective block which has been formerly in the user data area prior to the enlargement of the second spare area and is placed with an enlarged second spare area due to the enlargement of the second spare area, and a predetermined information designating that the defective block placed in the enlarged second spare area should not be used to replace another defective block detected in the user data area; and performing defect management of the recording medium by using a plurality of blocks in the first spare area and the enlarged second spare area as blocks to replace defective blocks based on the defect list, wherein the first spare area is at a front of the data area, the second spare area is at a rear of the data area, and the user data area is between and connecting the first and second spare areas.