Patent ID: 7336207

Claim:
A modulation table for converting data with a basic data length of m bits into a variable length code (d,k;m,n;r) (a maximum constraint length r>1) with a basic code word length of n bits, a minimum run of which is d (d>0) and a maximum run of which is k, the modulation table comprising: a basic table for converting data patterns including basic data with a basic data length of m bits into code patterns including a basic code of a variable length code with a basic code word length of n bits; and a replacement table for replacing data patterns including replacement data with code patterns including a replacement code, wherein the replacement table includes minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting data patterns, which serve as the data patterns, for limiting the number of times of successive occurrences of the minimum run to N (N>1) or less and minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting code patterns, which serves as the code patterns, corresponding to the minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting data patterns, wherein at least one of the minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting code patterns includes an undetermined code, a value of which is determined according to an immediately-preceding or immediately-following code word string, and wherein a condition for determining whether the minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting code pattern including the undetermined code is converted as a whole or divided and converted individually is defined by a data bit immediately following the minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting data pattern corresponding to the minimum-run-successive-occurrence limiting code pattern including the undetermined code.