Optical disc, information recording/reproducing method and information recording/reproducin apparatus using the same

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc, wherein the optical disc has a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated on a substrate, each of the first to the n-th layers having data regions segmented into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, the method comprising the steps of: a) recording/reproducing information in/from data zone groups from a j-th data zone group of a first recording layer to a j-th data zone group of an n-th recording layer; and b) repeating step a) for j=1, 2, . . . , m.

1 . A method for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc, wherein 
 the optical disc has a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated on a substrate, each of the first to the n-th recording layers having data regions segmented into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, the method comprising the steps of:    a) recording/reproducing information in/from data zone groups from a j-th data zone group of a first recording layer to a j-th data zone group of an n-th recording layer; and    b) repeating step a) for j=1, 2, . . . , m.    
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are the same.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are opposite.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=3, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer, the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer, and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the third recording layer are the same.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=3, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the third recording layer are the same, and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are opposite.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=4, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the third recording layer are the same, the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the fourth recording layer are the same, and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are opposite.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and the data zones are allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are the same.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and the data zones are allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are opposite.  
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are the same, and a distance between the second recording layer and the substrate is larger than a distance between the first recording layer and the substrate.  
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein n=2, and each of the first to the m-th data zone groups includes a single data zone, the data zones being allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction, in which the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the first recording layer and the incremental direction of the physical addresses in the data zones of the second recording layer are opposite, and a distance between the second recording layer and the substrate is larger than a distance between the first recording layer and the substrate.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein control information is recorded on an optical disc surface, and the method further comprising the step of reading the control information, the information being recorded/reproduced based on the control information in the step (a).  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for recording/reproducing information on/from an optical disc, wherein 
 the optical disc has a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated on a substrate, each of the first to the n-th recording layers having data regions segmented into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, the apparatus comprising:    light receiving means for receiving an optical beam reflected off the optical disc;    shift means for shifting a position of a focal point of the optical beam along a direction of lamination of the first to the n-th recording layers of the optical disc; and    control means for performing focus control by controlling the shift means in accordance with the output from the light receiving means such that a distance between the focal point of the optical beam and a selected recording layer from the first to the n-th recording layers is within a predetermined error range,    the control means releasing the focus control and controlling the shift means such that the focal point of the optical beam jumps from a j-th data zone group (j=1, 2, . . . , m) of the selected recording layer to a j-th data zone group of the recording layer adjacent to the selected recording layer.    
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the control means controls the shift means such that a distance between the focal point of the optical beam and a predetermined region in a predetermined recording layer of the first to the n-th recording layers is within a predetermined error range, and then controls the shift means such that the focal point of the optical beam jumps to an arbitrary data zone group of an arbitrary recording layer of the first to the n-th recording layers.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the control means controls the shift means such that a distance between the focal point of the optical beam and a j-th data zone group in a selected recording layer from the first to the n-th recording layers is within a predetermined error range, and then controls the shift means such that the focal point of the optical beam jumps to a j-th data zone group of the recording layer adjacent to the selected recording layer from the first to the n-th recording layers.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the control means controls the shift means such that the position of the focal point of the optical beam is corrected in accordance with an output from the light receiving means.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein one of the first to the n-th recording layers is always in a predetermined distance from a surface of the optical disc.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein focusing zone is provided on a surface of a recording layer which is furthest from the substrate among the first to the n-th recording layers, and the control means controls the shift means such that a distance between the focal point of the optical beam and the focusing zone is within a predetermined error range and performs learning for optimizing the focal point of the optical beam in the focusing zones.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the selected recording layer from the first to the n-th recording layers is the recording layer furthest from the substrate.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the optical disc includes tracks in a spiral state or concentric circle forms, and the control means controls the shift means such that the focal point of the optical beam skips every other track or every other circle of the tracks.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein AV information and code information for PC are alternately recorded in every other track or every other circle of the tracks.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the predetermined recording layer is the recording layer furthest from the substrate, and the predetermined region is a control information zone in which control information of the optical disc is stored.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the control information includes copyright information and registration information.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 the data zones are allocated with physical addresses incremented along a predetermined direction; and    the control means measures position error of corresponding physical addresses between the first to the n-th recording layers, the control means is controlled to add new control information to the control information of the optical disc based on the position error.    
     
     
         24 . An optical disc comprising a substrate and a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated onto the substrate, wherein each of the first to the n-th recording layers include data regions separated into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, control information being recorded on a surface of the optical disc.  
     
     
         25 . An optical disc comprising a substrate and a first to an n-th recording layers (n is an integer of 2 or greater) laminated onto the substrate, wherein each of the first to the n-th recording layers include data regions separated into a first to an m-th data zone groups (m is an integer of 2 or greater) along a radial direction of the optical disc, each of the first to the m-th data zone groups including at least one data zone, ROM information for reproduction of the optical disc being recorded on a surface of the optical disc.