Patent ID: 7656767

Claim:
An information storage medium for use with a recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the information storage medium comprising: an additional data area comprising: a first additional data frame comprising first sync data; and a second additional data frame comprising second sync data; and a data area comprising a data frame comprising third sync data; wherein: the data area does not comprise any data frame comprising the first sync data; the data area does not comprise any data frame comprising the second sync data; the first sync data is different from the second sync data; the third sync data is different from the first sync data and the second sync data to enable the apparatus to identify the additional data area from the data area when the information storage medium is used with the apparatus; each of the first sync data, the second sync data, and the third sync data comprises a sync ID and a sync body; the sync body does not satisfy a run-length-limited (RLL) (d, k) code having a minimum constraint of d and a maximum constraint of k; and the additional data area provides compatibility among information storage media having different formats for use with the apparatus.