Patent Publication Number: US-2011063960-A1

Title: Optical disc apparatus

Description:
This application relates to and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-211243 filed on Sep. 14, 2009, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a technology relating to an optical disc apparatus. 
     As an example of a method for conducting data transfer between an optical disc apparatus and a host apparatus thereof, the following is described in a column of the conventional art of the Patent Document 1 mentioned below: 
     “A hard disk emulator is a high grade memory system having an optical disc apparatus, and a hard disk apparatus having relatively high speed and a capacity equal or less than that of the optical disc or a non-volatile memory as a data cache. From a host computer, it can be seen as a hard disc having the capacity of the optical disc or an optical disc apparatus; however with storing a part or all of data stored on the optical disc within the high speed data cache, temporarily, a high speed data transfer is achieved between the host.” 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Documents 
     [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 7-175602 (1995). 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     With the optical disc, since it accompanies mechanical operations, such as, movement of an optical pickup, etc., for example, when recording or reproducing onto/from an optical disc, and in particular, in the recording and reproducing operations accompanying a random access therewith, there is a drawback that the data transfer speed is lowered down to the optical disc. 
     Also, in case where the optical disc is not loaded into the optical disc apparatus, there is a drawback that a request for reading out data from the optical disc cannot be received, or a request for writing data onto the disc, from the host apparatus of the optical disc apparatus. 
     The present invention, accomplished for dissolving the drawback mentioned above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical disc improved in a random access speed; thereby being superior in the usability thereof. 
     The object mentioned above can be achieved by the invention described in the pending claims, as an example. 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the random access speed thereof, and thereby to provide an optical disc apparatus being superior in the usability thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       Those and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows an example of an optical disc apparatus, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an example of using a region of a virtual disc; and 
         FIG. 3  shows other example of an optical disc apparatus, according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows an example of an optical disc for implementing the present invention. 
     A reference numeral  101  in  FIG. 1  depicts an optical disc apparatus, and it is constructed with a recording/reproducing means shown by  102  in the same figure, a virtual disc shown by  103  in the same figure, and a system controller means shown by  104  in the same figure. 
     The recording/reproducing means  102  carries out a roll of writing data onto the optical disc and reading out data from the optical disc. 
     The virtual disc shown by  103  is built up with a semiconductor memory, and has a capacity of enabling to store the data of at least one (1) piece of the optical disc thereon. In case where the optical disc apparatus is able to deal with (or compatible with) plural kinds of optical discs, differing in the standard or regulation thereof, the semiconductor memory can be so constructed with that it has the capacity more than the one (1) piece of the optical disc, being large in the capacity thereof. For example, the optical disc apparatus  101  is able to record or reproduce CD, DVD and BD, it is possible to determine or set up the capacity of the semiconductor memory to store the data more than at least one (1) piece of BD. Although no matter if it may be a volatile or non-volatile one, because a large effect can be obtained if determining to be the non-volatile one, it is assumed that the semiconductor memory for building up the virtual disc  103  is a non-volatile memory in the explanation, which will be given below. 
     The system controller means  104  carries out the roll of managing or controlling the operations of the optical disc apparatus as a whole. 
     A reference numeral  105  in the same figure depicts a disc discharge button for accepting an optical disc discharge request from an outside of the optical disc apparatus  101 . 
     A reference numeral  106  in the same figure depicts a host apparatus of the optical disc apparatus  101 . The optical disc apparatus  101  can access to the data, which is recorded on the optical disc, through the optical disc apparatus  101 . 
     Hereinafter, explanation will be given why a random access speed can be increased within the optical disc apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Hereinafter, explanation will be made with pointing out a case where the optical disc  107  shown in  FIG. 1  is inserted therein. However, it is assumed that the optical disc  107  is under such a condition that the data is already recorded thereon and it is reproducible therefrom. 
     When the optical disc  107  is inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , the system controller means  104  secures or maintain a region having the same capacity to that of the optical disc  107  within the virtual disc  103  (the region maintained within the virtual disc  103  will be called, a “virtual disc region”, hereinafter), after reading out the information, such as, a sort or a recording capacity of the disc, for example, from the optical disc  107  through the recording/reproducing means  102 . And, the system controller means  104  reads out the data recorded on the optical disc  107  through the recording/reproducing means  102 , and it transfers the data read out into the region, which is maintained within the virtual disc  103 . Also, the system controller means  104  records the data into the virtual disc  103 , together with management information for managing or controlling the data of the optical disc  107 , which is stored in the virtual disc  103 . 
     With the operations mentioned above, all of the data recorded on the optical disc  107  are stored within the virtual disc  103 , to be managed or controlled thereafter. However, when transferring the data from the optical disc to the virtual disc region, the data is reproduced, sequentially, from the optical disc, by means of sequential access. 
     After doing as was mentioned above, when data reproduction of the optical disc  107  is requested from the host apparatus  106 , the data read out from the virtual disc  103  is transferred to the host apparatus  106 , without reading out the data from the optical disc  107 . 
     For example, when a request is made from the host apparatus  106 , for reproducing the data for 100 blocks, starting from a head, an address No. 100 on the optical disc  107 , the data for 100 blocks from the addresses on the virtual disc region within the virtual disc  103  corresponding to the address No. 100 on the optical disc  107 , and is transferred to the host apparatus  106 . 
     As was explained, previously, since the virtual disc  103  is constructed with the semiconductor memory, no mechanical operation is accompanied with, such as, moving operation of the optical pickup, etc., for example, when reading out the data. Accordingly, with doing as was mentioned above, comparing to the conventional optical disc apparatus, it is possible to obtain an effect of supplying the data to the host apparatus at a high speed and with silence. Also, since it is superior also in random accessibility, there can be obtained an effect for enabling to deal with, even a data transfer request, which needs random accessing from the host apparatus, without falling down the speed (this effect is called a first effect, hereinafter). 
     Next, other effect of the optical disc apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with picking up the case where the optical disc  107 , which was explained in the above, is discharged from the optical disc. 
     When the discharge button  105  is pushed down shown in  FIG. 1 , the request for discharging the disc is transferred to the system controller means  104 . The system controller means  104 , upon receipt of the disc discharge request, instructs the recording/reproducing means  102  to discharge the disc therefrom. With this, although the optical disc  107  is discharged from the optical disc apparatus  101 , however at this time, the system controller means  104  operates to hold the data of the disc  107 , which is stored within the virtual disc  103 , continuously. With this, since it can be said that, all of the data of the optical disc  107  exist within the optical disc apparatus, continuously, there can be obtained an effect for enabling to transfer the data of the optical disc to the host apparatus  106 , continuously (this effect is called a second effect, hereinafter), even under the condition that there is no disc within the optical disc apparatus. 
     Further, explanation will be given on other effect of the optical disc apparatus, according to the present invention, with picking up the case where an optical disc  108  shown in  FIG. 1  is inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , after discharging the optical disc  107  therefrom. However, it is assumed that the optical disc  108  is under such a condition that the data is already recorded thereon and it is reproducible therefrom. 
     When the optical disc  108  is inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , the system controller means  104  reads out the information, such as, a sort or a recording capacity of the disc, for example, from the optical disc  108  through the recording/reproducing means  102 . And, separating from the virtual disc region on the optical disc  107 , which was already kept, a virtual disc region corresponding to the optical disc  108  is kept within the virtual disc  103 . And, the system controller means  104  reads out the data, which is recorded on the optical disc  108  through the recording/reproducing means  102 , and transfers the data read out to the virtual disc region, which is maintained within the virtual disc  103 . Also, the system controller means  104  records the data into the virtual disc  103 , together with management information for managing or controlling the data of the optical disc  108 , which is stored in the virtual disc  103 . 
     With the operations mentioned above, all of the data recorded on the optical discs  107  and  108  are stored within the virtual disc  103 , to be managed or controlled thereafter. With this, the optical disc apparatus  101  is in such a condition that it can transfer the data of both to the host apparatus  106 . If doing so, as far as the capacity of the virtual disc  103  is permissible, it is possible to keep the virtual disc regions corresponding to the plural numbers of optical discs. Further, since also the management information for each optical disc is recorded on the virtual disc  103 , it is possible to determine on whether the virtual disc region is kept or not for the optical disc, which is inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 . Accordingly, even if the same optical disc is inserted and discharged, repetitively, only one ( 1 ) virtual disc region is kept corresponding to that optical disc. 
     In this manner, in case where the virtual disc regions exist within the virtual disc  103 , corresponding to the plural numbers of optical discs, it is also possible to read out the data only from the virtual disc region corresponding to the optical disc, which is inserted into the optical disc apparatus more recently. 
     If the optical discs are inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , in such an order, i.e., the optical disc  107 , the optical disc  108  and the optical disc  107 , for example, since the optical disc  107  is the optical disc, which is inserted more recently, then the data is read out only from the virtual disc region corresponding to the optical disc  107 . Also, after this, if the optical disc is discharged from, then during the time-period until when the optical disc is inserted newly, the data is readout only from the virtual disc region of the optical disc  107 . Further, thereafter, if the optical disc  108  is inserted, the data is read out only from the virtual disc region of the optical disc  108 . 
     Further, regarding an optical disc, with which reading-out of the data from the virtual disc region becomes a matter under the condition where no optical disc is within the optical disc apparatus, from a viewpoint of the copyright protection, for example, it is preferable to read the data from the corresponding virtual disc region, as far as the optical disc lies within the optical disc apparatus. Also, in case where the data recorded on the optical disc is encrypted, it is preferable to bring the data to be stored in the virtual disc region into the same condition thereto, i.e., being encrypted, too. 
     As was mentioned above, if maintaining the virtual disc regions corresponding to the plural numbers of optical discs within the virtual disc  103 , with any one of the optical discs, the virtual disc regions of which are kept therein, it is possible to read out the data, immediately, from the virtual disc region corresponding thereto. Thus, regarding the plural numbers of optical discs, there can be obtained the first and second effects mentioned above. 
     In the above mentioned is shown the effects when reproducing the data from the optical disc (s); however, the present invention is also useful when recording data on the optical disc(s). 
     Hereinafter, explanation will be made on an effect when recoding data on the optical disc, with picking up an example of recording data on an optical disc  109 , which was shown in  FIG. 1 . However, herein, it is assumed that the optical disc  109  is an optical disc under a non-recorded condition, i.e., no data is recorded thereon. 
     When the optical disc  109  is inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , the system controller means  104 , after reading out the information, such as, the sort of a disc, the recording capacity thereof, etc., for example, from the optical disc  109 , through the recording means  102 , keeps a virtual disc region, having the same capacity to that of the optical disc  109 , within the virtual disc  103 , and also records the management information about the optical disc  109  into the virtual disc  103 . 
     With doing this, all of the data to be recorded on the optical disc  109 , which are transferred from the host apparatus  106 , are stored within the virtual disc region corresponding to the optical disc  109 . For example, in case where the host apparatus  106  makes a request for recording the data for 100 blocks, starting from a head, the address No. 100 on the optical disc  109 , the data is written into a region for 100 blocks from an address on the virtual disc region corresponding to the address No. 100 of the optical disc  109 . 
     Recording of data on the substance of the optical disc  109  is executed when the data to be recorded on the optical disc  109  is determined. For example, firstly when a request for discharging the optical disc  109  is made from the host apparatus  106 , the data, which is written into the virtual disc region, is recorded on the optical disc  109 . When recording the data on the optical disc  109 , irrespective of the order of writing of the data into the virtual disc region, mainly is executed a sequential access recording. Thus, even if it is a random access recording when recording the data into the virtual disc region, the data is read out from the virtual disc region, one by one, through a sequential access, when recording it on the optical disc  109 , and then it is recorded on the optical disc in this order through the sequential access. And, after completing the recording of all the data, the optical disc  109  is discharged from. 
     As was explained previously, since the virtual disc  103  is built up with the semiconductor memory, it accompanies no mechanical operation, such as, movement of the optical pickup, etc., for example, when it records the data therein. Accordingly, it is possible to respond the recording of data needing the random access to the request from the host apparatus, without falling down the speed thereof. Also, when recording the data on the optical disc, since the sequential access recording is executed, mainly, there can be obtained an effect that this can be executed with a relatively high speed. 
     Also, since the virtual disc  103  is rewritable, therefore even if the optical disc is a disc, on which the data can be written only once, the virtual disc region corresponding to that optical disc can be rewritten by any number of times. Accordingly, during the time when the host apparatus determines the data to be written on the optical disc, there can be obtained an effect that the data can be written into the region of the same address by any number of times. 
     Also, the virtual disc region is maintained when discharging the optical disc, and thereafter, when an optical disc, which is the same sort and unrecorded, is inserted into the optical disc apparatus, then correspondence may be made between it and the virtual disc region maintained, without maintaining the virtual disc region newly. And, without reception of an instruction from the host apparatus, the data on the virtual disc region may be recorded on the optical disc. With doing this, there can be obtained an effect that copying of the optical discs having the same contents can be made by a single body of the optical disc apparatus. When doing such an operation, the optical disc apparatus may discharge the optical disc, automatically, when completing the recording of data on the optical disc, without receiving an instruction from the host apparatus. Also, with doing this, since the data can be recorded on the optical disc without transfer of the data from the host apparatus, there can be obtained an effect that the recording of data can be made on the optical disc by a single body of the optical disc apparatus, even under the condition where the data transfer cannot be made from the host apparatus. 
     In the above, although the explanation was med on the effects of the present invention, with picking up the case where the optical disc  107 , the optical disc  108  and the optical disc  110  are inserted into the optical disc apparatus, heretofore, however an example will be shown in  FIG. 2 , utilizing the region of the virtual disc  103 , for the purpose of obtaining those effects. 
     A reference numeral  201  in  FIG. 2  depicts a management information region for recording therein the management information for managing or controlling the data of the optical disc, which is recorded into the virtual disc  103 . Reference numerals  202 ,  203  and  204  in the same figure depict the virtual disc regions, corresponding to the optical disc  107 , the optical disc  108  and the optical disc  109 , respectively. A reference numeral  203  depicts a vacant or empty region, to which the virtual disc region is not yet assigned; however, when storing data on the optical disc newly, a virtual disc region is maintained within this vacant region  203 . As is shown in  FIG. 2 , it is possible to maintain plural numbers of virtual disc regions within the virtual disc, but a size or volume of each virtual disc region may be determined depending on the optical disc; there is no necessity of brining all of them into a same size or volume. Also, since the capacity of the virtual disc is not infinite, there is a limitation in a number of the virtual disc regions that can be maintained. If there is generated a necessity of maintaining a new virtual disc region, assumingly, under the condition that no vacancy is in the virtual disc, then it is possible to maintain that new virtual disc region therein, while cancelling the oldest virtual disc region therefrom. Also, if the virtual disc is built up with the non-volatile semiconductor memory, for example, since the data stored in that virtual disc can be maintained even under the condition of no power is supplied thereto, then there can be obtained an effect that the usability thereof can be increased. 
     Further, the virtual disc  103  of the optical disc apparatus  101  shown in  FIG. 1  may be made in the form of a semiconductor memory card to be removable or detachable, as is shown in  FIG. 3 . In this  FIG. 3 , a reference numeral  301  depicts the virtual disc. This virtual disc  301  can be removed from the optical disc apparatus  101 , and it is the non-volatile semiconductor memory. With adopting the optical disc apparatus in such structure, since plural numbers of virtual discs can be replace with, therefore it is possible to escape from a problem of shortage of the vacant capacity of the virtual disc. Also, when the semiconductor card as the virtual disc is not inserted into the optical disc apparatus  101 , the data read out from the optical disc is transferred, not through the virtual disc, but directly to the host apparatus, or the data transferred to the host apparatus may be recorded directly on the optical disc; i.e., in the similar manner to that of the conventional optical disc apparatus. Or, the removable semiconductor memory may be constructed, in such that it can be used when it is installed into other optical disc apparatus, or may make a protection so that the use thereof is inhibited or limited within other optical disc apparatus. 
     However, herein is shown the example of building up the virtual disc  103  in the form of the removable semiconductor memory cart; however, the removable semiconductor memory may be made so that it can be added to the virtual disc  103  already existing there. Thus, it can be so constructed that the shortage of the vacant capacity of the virtual disc is filled up with the removable semiconductor memory card. 
     As was explained in the above, the optical disc apparatus according to the present invention is able to receive a request for reading out the data from the optical disc or a request for writing the data on the optical disc, which is made from the host apparatus of the optical disc apparatus, even in the case where no optical disc is inserted into the optical disc apparatus. 
     With the optical disc apparatus according to the present embodiment, since it executes rewriting of data on the virtual disc, even when rewriting of data occurs frequency, therefore it is possible to dispose the data, optimally, when recording it on the optical disc  109 . Therefore, it is possible to record the data more effectively comparing to the case when recording the data directly on the optical disc  109 . Processing for optimally aligning the data to be recorded on the optical disc  109  can be executed, for example, when there is no request of recording or reproduction from a host apparatus; however, it should not be limited to this. 
     Also, when the optical disc  109  is installed into the optical disc apparatus, thereby to record the data, which is recorded on the optical disc  109  onto the virtual disc  103 , the data may be recorded on the virtual disc, after being coded. When the data recorded on the optical disc  109  can be copied, freely, without the copyright thereof, the data may be remained on the virtual disc  103  even after the optical disc  109  is discharged from the optical disc apparatus. 
     Also, the data may be deleted in connection with discharge of the optical disc  109  from the optical disc apparatus, or may be controlled as if being deleted, from the host apparatus, but not deleted, actually. 
     Also, when the virtual disc  103  is conducted with a detachable semiconductor memory card for wide purposes, the data may be coded or protected so that it cannot be read out from the semiconductor memory card with using other reproducing apparatuses. 
     Further, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments mentioned above, but it may include various kinds of variations thereof. For example, the embodiments mentioned above are explained in the details thereof, for the purpose of explaining the present invention to be understood easily, and it should not always be restricted to that including all the constituent elements explained in the above. Also, it is possible to replace a part of the constituent elements of a certain embodiment with the constituent element(s) of other embodiment, and also to add the constituent element(s) of other embodiment to those of a certain embodiment. Or, regarding a part of the structures of each embodiment, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace other constituent element(s). 
     Also, with each of the structures mentioned above, a part or all of those may be constructed with hardware, or may be so constructed that it can be achieved by executing by a program with an aid of a processor. Also, control lines and information lines are shown, which can be considered necessary for the explanation; however, it is not always true that all of the control lines and the information lines necessary for the product are shown. Actually, it can be considered that almost of all the constituent elements are connected with one another. 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential feature or characteristics thereof. The present embodiment(s) is/are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the forgoing description and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraces therein.