Patent ID: 7260701

Claim:
An information reproducing apparatus comprising: a memory configured to temporarily store management information representing data recording in each of a plurality of data areas divided in a recording region of an information recording medium, the management information being recorded in a predetermined management information area and updated every time data recording has been completed, said management information including track information regarding tracks existing in the corresponding data area and data area information about all preceding data areas, where said track information exists only in the management information of the corresponding data area; a receiving unit configured to receive a management information obtaining request, together with designation of a prescribed management information area corresponding to one of the data areas; a management information obtaining unit configured to acquire the requested management information from the memory if it is stored in the memory, and to acquire the requested management information from the information recording medium based on the designation of the management information area if the requested management information is not stored in the memory; and a reproducing unit configured to reproduce the data recorded in the information recording medium based on the acquired management information.