Patent ID: 7248775

Claim:
An image recording apparatus which records image signals in a compressed state into a recording medium on which a plurality of unit recording zones each of which has a first size are formed, comprising: an inputter for inputting the image signals; a compressor for compressing each of the image signals inputted by said inputter into a second size which is equal to or smaller than 1/N(N:integer) of the first size; a recorder for respectively recording compressed image signals generated by the compressor into the unit recording zones, wherein said recorder includes a searcher for searching unit recording zones each of which is in a vacant state, a writer for writing the compressed image signals into the unit recording zones discovered by said searcher, and a creator for creating link information indicating a link state of the unit recording zones in which the compressed image signals are written; an assigner for assigning a successive identifying number to each of the compressed image signals; an acceptor for accepting a restoring instruction of said link information; and a restorer for restoring said link information on the basis of said identifying number in accepting said restoring instruction.