INFORMATION RECORDING SYSTEM

Abstract: An information recording method and system for writing information onto a recording medium. If an error area is detected in a check of the information read out of the medium after writing, the information is rewritten onto an alternative area on the recording medium using a buffer memory (34), while the information in the error area is kept valid. Loss time for accessing the alternative area is eliminated until the error checking and correction in the error checking and correction circuit (38) is not available for the information read out of the error area through a reading circuit (31, 32).

Description: The present invention relates to an information recording method and system according to the precharacterizing parts of the claims 1, 3 and 5. A magnetic tape apparatus and a magnetic disk apparatus are representative ones of auxiliary storage apparatus in a computer system. In the magnetic tape apparatus, recorded information is checked by a read-after-write method when the information is written, and if a record error is detected, the recorded information in the record error area is erased and the information is rewritten starting from an area following to the record error area. On the other hand, in the magnetic disk apparatus, if a record error is detected by the read check immediately after the write operation, the information is rewritten into an alternative area associated with the record error area. The data in the record error area is invalidated and if the readout of the data in the record error area is subsequently requested, the alternative area is accessed. Recently, an optical disk which utilizes a laser beam has been developed as a large capacity information storage apparatus. The optical disk apparatus uses a rotary disk having a metal film on a surface thereof as an information storage medium, and in a write operation, a laser beam modulated with the information is irradiated to form pits in the metal film, and in a read operation, a laser beam which is not so strong to fuse the metal film is irradiated and the presence or absence of the pit is determined based on the magnitude of the reflected light. Accordingly, in the optical disk apparatus, unlike the magnetic storage apparatus, it is not possible to rewrite the information in the previously recorded area. Further, since the information is recorded by forming the pits in the metal film by irradiating the laser beam, a variation easily occurs in the pits in the metal film depending on recording time point due to factors such as degradation of a laser beam source, a change of a condition of a recording medium by a temperature and a change of a condition of the metal film. For example, a record area which can be correctly read by one apparatus may not always be correctly read by the same apparatus because of an aging of the apparatus or by another apparatus. Accordingly, in the optical disk apparatus, in order to secure a margin to a variation of a reproducing condition, a severer discrimination criterion than that of a conventional read operation is applied to the read check for the recorded information, and if a record error area which does not meet the criterion is detected, correct information must be rewritten into an alternative area. However, if the access method of the conventional magnetic disk apparatus in which the error area is invalidated and the alternative area is to be accessed is employed in the optical disk apparatus, a frequency of access from the normal record area to the alternative area is high and a long access time is required. The IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin Vol. 18 No. 5 of October 1975, page 1577 discloses a tape defect bypass mechanism, wherein an original block is selected when it is correctly read by error correction in read-back check, or otherwise the rewritten block is selected. The operation described in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin is also conducted in the read-after-write mode. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information recording and reproducing system which is effective to an information recording medium like an optical disk in which a read error is apt to occur intermittently. The above object is, according to the invention, solved by a method characterized in claim 1. A system which solves the above object in accordance with the invention is characterized by the features of claim 3. The dependent claims characterize advantageous developments thereof. The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 illustrates record areas on an optical disk; Fig. 2 shows a track on the optical disk; Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a control unit in one embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a read circuit 6 shown in Fig. 3; and Figs. 5A and 5B illustrate occurrence of error areas in an information write mode and a subsequent read mode in accordance with the present invention. One embodiment of the present invention is now explained in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 schematically shows an information record format of an optical disk. 1024 concentric or spiral tracks are formed on each surface of an optical disk D. In Fig. 1, the tracks are spiral and track numbers T₀ - T₁₀₂₃ are designated thereto form the outermost one to the innermost one. Fig. 2 shows a record format in one track. Each track comprises m blocks B₀ - B m-1 corresponding to sectors and each block includes an identification field (ID field) and a data field. The ID field primarily contains information representing physical positions (track numbers and a block number) of the block and the data field contains, for example, 512-byte data and associated information such as error correction codes. In Fig. 2, the blocks B₀ to B m-4 are original record areas in which normal user data are stored. These blocks are hereinafter referred to as a normal block NB. The four blocks B m-3 to B m-1 following to the block B m-4 are alternative blocks which are used as alternative blocks for erroneous record blocks of the normal block in the track. These blocks are hereinafter referred to as an alternative block AB. Fig. 3 shows a configuration of an optical disk controller which controls writing and reading of information to and from the normal block NB and the alternative block AB. Numeral 1 denotes an interface controller for controlling transmission of signals to and from a higher level unit (CPU channel), numeral 2 denotes a microprocessor for operating elements of the optical disk controller in a predetermined sequence in accordance with commands from the higher level unit, numeral 3 denotes a memory for storing microinstructions which define control operations by the microprocessor 2, numeral 4 denotes a buffer memory having a capacity which is at least one track of data of the optical disk, numeral 5 denotes a write circuit which modulates a data read from the buffer memory 4 and supplies it to an optical head circuit 10, numeral 6 denotes a read circuit which demodulate an output signal S₁₀ from the optical head circuit 10 and transfers it to the buffer memory 4, and numeral 7 denotes a selector for selecting an input/output bus of the buffer memory 4. It selects an interface bus 20, a processor bus 21 or a R/W circuit bus 22 in accordance with a microinstruction 23 supplied from the microprocessor 2 and connects the selected bus to the buffer memory 4. Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of the read circuit 6 shown in Fig. 3. The information recorded on the optical disk D is detected by irradiating a weak laser beam focused at a track position and converting a change in an intensity of a reflected light due to the presence or absence of the pit to an electrical signal. The detected signal is supplied to a variable frequency oscillator (VFO circuit) 31 as an output signal S₁₀ of the optical head circuit 10. The output of the VFO circuit 31 is demodulated by a demodulator 32 and an output thereof is supplied to one of buffer memories 34A and 34B through a selector 33, thence sent out to a signal line 22 or 39 through a selector 36. The buffer memories 34A and 34B each have a memory capacity of one block of data shown in Fig. 2 and they are used as a two-plane buffer for the one-track buffer memory 4, as will be explained later. The output of the demodulator 32 is supplied to the buffer memory 34A (or 34B) and also transferred to an error check and correction (ECC) syndrome generator 37 which generates an ECC syndrome. When one block of data of the optical disk is written into the buffer memory 34A (or 34B), an ECC correction circuit 38 reads in the data and the ECC syndrome from the circuit 37 and corrects the data by ECC as required and rewrites the corrected data into the buffer memory 34A (or 34B) through the selector 33. In the present invention, the ECC correction circuit 38 is operated in one of the following modes depending on a control signal 24A from the microprocessor 2. The first mode is executed in a normal read operation. The ECC correction circuit 38 corrects the data from the buffer memory 34A (or 34B) by the ECC and the corrected data is supplied to the microprocessor 2 through a signal line 24B. In this mode, when the circuit 38 corrects the one block of read data by the ECC and transfers the corrected data to the buffer memory, the signal line 24B assumes a low level, and when the read data contains a large error which cannot be corrected by the ECC and the circuit 38 cannot transfer the correct data to the buffer memory, the signal line 24B assumes a high level. The second mode is executed in a read operation for a write error check. The ECC correction circuit 38 does not correct the data from the buffer memory 34A (or 34B) but supplies the syndrome output to the signal line 24B. In this mode, the signal line 24B again assumes the high level when the data contains an error and assumes the low level when the data contains no error. While the data of one of the buffer memories 34A and 34B, for example, the buffer memory 34A is put out to the signal line 39 and corrected, the new data from the next block on the optical disk is written into the other buffer memory 34B and the previous data of the buffer 34B is outputted to the signal line 22. While the data of the buffer memory 34B is corrected, the data of the next block on the optical disk is sent to the buffer memory 34A and the corrected block data is put out to the signal line 22. As a result, the data read from the optical disk are sent to the one-track buffer memory without interruption. The write operation and the read operation of the information to and from the optical disk are carried out under the control of the above control system in the following manner. [Write Operation] The data is written into the disk D one track at a time by buffering the data received from the higher level unit into the one-track buffer memory 4 through the interface controller 1. (1) The one track of data stored in the buffer memory 4 is supplied to the optical head circuit 10 through the write circuit 5, one block at a time, and sequentially written into the normal block NB on a predetermined track of the optical disk D. (2) The ECC correction circuit 38 is set to the second mode by the control signal 24A and the data on the normal block NB written in the step (1) is sequentially read. The ECC correction circuit 38 sets the signal line 24B to the high level when an error is detected in one of the blocks. (3) The microprocessor 2 detects the write error block from the status of the signal line 24B and stores the position of error block. After the read operation of one track data; the microprocessor 2 supplies the data for the erroneous write block to the write circuit 5 to sequentially write it into the alternative block AB of the disk. (4) The control signal 24A selects the second mode and the data of the alternative block AB written in the step (3) is sequentially read. (5) If an error block is detected by the signal line 24B in the step (4), the microprocessor 2 repeats the steps (3) and (4) and rewrites the alternative data in a vacant area of the alternative block. Through those steps, one track of correct data is written into the normal block NB or the alternative block AB. In this case, the writing of the data into the alternative block is effected based on the error decision mode when the ECC correction circuit 38 is operated in the second mode and the data of the normal block for the erroneous block is not erased but retained in the optical disk. Accordingly, the normal block which was determined as the erroneous block and the alternative block of which was set has possibility to be correctly read by the ECC correction in the next read operation. Taking this possibility into consideration, the normal information read operation from the optical disk is carried out in the following manner. [Read Operation] (1) The ECC correction circuit 38 is set to the first mode by the control signal 24A, and the data is read from a specified track on the optical disk and stored in the one-track buffer memory 4. (2) For the block which caused the signal line 24B to assume the high level in the step (1), the corresponding alternative block is searched from the buffer memory 4 and it is transferred to the higher level unit in place of the erroneous block. The write operation and the read operation are diagrammatically shown in Figs. 5A and 5B. In Fig. 5A, it is assumed that the data is written into the blocks B₀ - B n-4 in one track. It is assumed that erroneous blocks are detected as shown in Fig. 5A in the read-after-write check. Symbols x indicate the erroneous blocks and symbols o indicate normal blocks. In the write operation of the present invention, alternative areas are allotted to those erroneous blocks and the data are rewritten into the alternative areas. In the illustrated example, a copy of the block B₁ is rewritten into the alternative block B m-3 , a copy of the block B₂ is rewritten into the block B m-2 , and a copy of the block B₄ is rewritten into the block B m-1 . Since the error check is made in the second mode, a possibility remains that some of the blocks B₁, B₂ and B₄ which were determined as the erroneous blocks and the copies of which were rewritten in the alternative areas may be correctly read by the ECC. The read operation for the same track is explained. It is assumed that the erroneous block is detected in the read operation as shown in Fig. 5B. In the read operation, the control line 24A is set in the first mode and the erroneous blocks are corrected by the ECC. Accordingly, the blocks B₁ and B₄ in Fig. 5B are now indicated by symbols o because they are corrected by the ECC or they were incidentally determined as the error blocks in the previous read-after-write check. Anyway, the blocks B₁ and B₄ now read can be used as they are and the substitution by the alternative areas B m-3 and B m-1 is not necessary. Accordingly, only the block B₂ which is still the error block after the ECC correction is substituted by the corresponding alternative block B m-2 . So long as the blocks B₁ and B₂ can be read, the alternative blocks B m-3 and B m-1 are not used and will be used when the blocks B₁ and B₂ can no longer be read by aging. In the above embodiment the erroneous areas are rewritten into the alternative areas block by block and substituted by the alternative areas block by block. However, from the spirit of the present invention, it is not essential to use the alternative areas block by block and the data may be used in a smaller unit (for example, an ECC block unit). While several blocks at the end of the track are allotted to the alternative areas in the above embodiment, the present invention is also applicable to a system in which alternative areas are allotted to a different track from the original track, or a system in which alternative areas are allotted to the end of the original track until data overflows the alternative areas and after the overflow, other alternative areas are allotted to a different track from the original track. In this type of storage apparatus, the advantage of the present invention that the reliability of the data is assured without increasing the access time is further enhanced. In the above embodiment, when the alternative area is set, a flag indicating the presence of the alternative area may be set at the beginning of the corresponding normal block. Thus, if an error is detected in the read operation at a normal block having no such flag set, a time loss to search the alternative area is eliminated and an overhead is reduced. When the alternative areas are set in the different track, the access time can be reduced by referring the flag. In the above embodiment, the data is checked immediately after the write operation and the alternative area is allocated. Alternatively, the read check and the allocation of the alternative area may be separated from the write operation. For example, after a considerable time has elapsed since the data was written so that the data is degraded such that it can be read after several times of trial, the alternative area may be set. As described hereinabove, in accordance with the information recording system of the present invention, the write error check is conducted under a severe criterion and the alternative area is set, and in the read operation, the possibility is left that the information may be read from the area which was determined as the erroneous area and for which the alternative area was set. Accordingly, when a recording medium is used in which the read error intermittently occurs, the frequency of the access to the alternative area is reduced.

Claims: An information recording and reproducing method comprising the following steps: recording information blocks within a track of a recording medium which has a plurality of tracks each divided into a plurality of block areas; reading each information block stored in a track in a successive write error check operation; checking whether the respective information has been correctly recorded in a block area and otherwise rewriting the information to be recorded in an alternative block area; keeping valid the information in the original block area which has been detected to contain an error; and selecting in a normal read mode whether the respective retained original information block or the corresponding duplicated information block in the alternative block area is handled as valid read information, characterized by following steps: checking in the write error check mode by use of an error check and correction code (ECC-code) whether a respective data block contains errors; rewriting the data block in the alternative area every time an error is detected without performing error correction with the ECC-code; and reading a block of data in the normal read mode and performing an error correction with the ECC-code thereby recognizing some of the original blocks which did not pass the error check performed in the write error check operation to be valid read information when the error correction is successful. An information recording method according to claim 1, characterized in that an indicia for indicating the presence of the alternative area is recorded in said erroneous original block area when the information is rewritten into said alternative area. A system for recording and reproducing information to and from an optical disk having a plurality of tracks each divided into a plurality of block areas being divided into a first group for normally recording information and an alternative group for recording information blocks when the block areas of the first group include errors, comprising: write means (5) for writing the information blocks together with an error check and correction code (ECC-code) on each track of the optical disk; read means (6) for reading the recorded information blocks; and error check and correction means (37, 38) for checking the information blocks read by said read means (6) to determine whether an error exists in the block information, wherein the read means carry out a write error check by reading each information block stored in the track; and the write means are rewriting the information into the alternative block areas when the error check and correction means detect an erroneous information block in said first group of block areas while keeping valid the information in the respective erroneous block area, characterized in that said error check and correction means (37, 38) are checking by use of the ECC-code whether a respective data block contains errors the write means (5) are rewriting the data block in an alternative area every time an error is detected without performing error correction with the ECC-code; and said read means (6) read a block of data in the normal read mode, wherein the error check and correction means (37, 38) are carrying out error correction by ECC-code, thereby recognizing some of the original blocks which did not pass the error check performed in the write error check operation to be valid read information; memory means (34A, 34B) are provided for storing block by block the information as it is read out by said read means from the track and the information corrected with the use of the ECC-code by the error check and correction means; and output means are outputting the information block corrected by the ECC-code from the memory means when the conserved information read out from the first group of block areas is correctable by the error check and correction means and output from the memory means the information read out from the alternative block areas as valid information when the conserved block information is not correctable.

Inventors: DOI, TAKASHI, MIYAZAKI, MICHIO, MORI, MASAHITO, OGATA, MIKITO, OKA, TAKAFUMI
Applicants: HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1984
Main classification: G11B7
IPC codes: G11B20