Audio recording medium, methods of recording data on and reproducing data from the recording medium, and recording and reproducing apparatuses therefor

Abstract

An audio recording medium, methods for recording data on and reproducing data from the audio recording medium, and recording and reproducing apparatuses therefor. In the audio recording medium, audio data are recorded in a plurality of tracks in predetermined write units, and identification data for indicating the start position of each of the tracks, such as mute data, are recorded in write units segregated from the predetermined write units of the audio data. Thus, if a mute period is unnecessary, the mute data can be easily removed.

1 . An audio recording medium, comprising: 
 a plurality of tracks;    audio data recorded in the plurality of tracks; and    identification data for indicating a start position of each of the tracks recorded in write units segregated from the audio data in the plurality of tracks.    
   
   
       2 . The audio recording medium of  claim 1 , wherein the identification data are recorded in at least one write unit at the start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       3 . The audio recording medium of  claim 2 , wherein the audio data are recorded in at least one write unit, following the identification data recorded in the at least one write unit.  
   
   
       4 . The audio recording medium of  claim 1 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       5 . The audio recording medium of  claim 4 , wherein a mute period for the mute data is equal to or shorter than the duration of a single one of the AOBUs.  
   
   
       6 . The audio recording medium of  claim 4 , further comprising a reproduction control information area in which information on the mute period is recorded.  
   
   
       7 . The audio recording medium of  claim 4 , wherein the mute data are indexed with Index 0.  
   
   
       8 . A method of recording data in a plurality of tracks of a recording medium, and reproducing data from the recording medium, the method comprising: 
 recording identification data indicating a start position of each of the tracks in predetermined write units in the plurality of tracks; and    recording audio data in write units segregated from the predetermined write units of the identification data in the plurality of tracks.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 reading and reproducing the identification data recorded in the predetermined write units; and    reading and reproducing the audio data recorded in the write units segregated from the predetermined write units of the identification data.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the recording of the identification data comprises recording the identification data in at least one write unit at a start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a mute period for the mute data is equal to or shorter than a duration of a single one of the AOBUs.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising recording information on the mute period in a reproduction control information area.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising indexing the mute data with Index 0.  
   
   
       15 . A method of reproducing data recorded in a plurality of tracks of a recording medium, the method comprising: 
 reading and reproducing identification data indicating a start position of each of the tracks, the identification data having been recorded in write units in the tracks of the recording medium; and    reading and reproducing audio data having been recorded in write units segregated from the write units of the identification data in the tracks of the recording medium.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the identification data have been recorded in at least one write unit at a start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising performing a mute operation for a mute period, wherein the mute period for the mute data is equal to or shorter than a duration of a single AOBUs.  
   
   
       19 . A method of reproducing data recorded in a plurality of tracks of a recording medium in which identification data for indicating the start position of each of the tracks are recorded in write units in each track, and audio data are recorded in write units segregated from the write units of the identification data in each track, the method comprising: 
 once a reproduction command for one of the tracks is input, searching for the write units with audio data in the one track; and    reading and reproducing the audio data from the found write units.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the identification are recorded in at least one write unit at a start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       22 . An apparatus for recording data in a plurality of tracks of a recording medium, in which identification data indicating a start position of each of the tracks are recorded in write units in each of the tracks, and audio data are recorded in write units segregated from the write units of the identification data in each of the tracks.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the apparatus records the identification data in the at least one write unit at a start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the apparatus records the audio data in the at least one write unit, following the at least one write unit with the identification data.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , comprising: 
 a write unit generator generating the at least one write unit audio data, and the at least one write unit with the identification data;    a write portion writing each of the at least one write unit with the audio data and the at least one write unit with the identification data in the corresponding tracks; and    a controller outputting a command to the write operation to instruct generation of the at least one write unit with the identification data to the write portion.    
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein: 
 the controller outputs a track start point to the writing portion, the track start point allowing a mute period for the mute data to be equal to or shorter than a duration of a single one of the AOBUs with the mute data; and    the write portion writes the track start point from the controller in a reproduction control information area of the recording medium.    
   
   
       28 . An apparatus for reproducing data recorded in a plurality of tracks of a recording medium, in which identification data recorded in predetermined write units to indicate a start position of each of the tracks are read from each of the tracks and reproduced, and audio data recorded in write units segregated from the write units of the identification data are read from each of the tracks and reproduced.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein the apparatus reads and reproduces the identification data recorded in at least one of the write units at the start of each of the tracks.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the apparatus reads and reproduces the audio data recorded following the identification data in at least one of the write units segregated from the at least one write unit of the identification data.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , comprising: 
 a controller outputting a command to instruct reading of the identification data or the audio data recorded in the corresponding at least one write unit;    a reading portion reading the identification data or the audio data recorded in the corresponding at least one write unit, according to the command from the controller; and    a reproduction portion receiving and reproducing the identification data or the audio data from the reading portion.    
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein each write unit includes an audio object unit (AOBU), and the identification data includes mute data.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein: 
 the controller outputs reproduction control information corresponding to an input from a user to the reading portion; and    the reading portion searches for the AOBU having a track start point in a corresponding track, finds a location of the track start point in the found AOBU, read data from the track start point in the corresponding track, and outputs the read data to the reproduction portion.    
   
   
       34 . An audio recording medium comprising: 
 a plurality of tracks, each track comprising audio data recorded in at least one write unit, and identification data indicating a start position of the track and recorded in at least one write unit segregated from the audio data in the track.    
   
   
       35 . The audio recording medium of  claim 34 , wherein the identification data comprises mute data, and a number of the at least one write unit of the mute data is such that a sum of a duration of each of the at least one write unit of the mute data is at least as long as a mute period between the tracks in a reproduction mode.  
   
   
       36 . The audio recording medium of  claim 35 , further comprising a reproduction control information area in which the mute period is recorded.  
   
   
       37 . The audio recording medium of  claim 36 , wherein the mute period is assigned Index 0 to the mute period from a start point of one of the tracks to a start point of the at least one write unit of audio data.  
   
   
       38 . A method of recording data on an audio recording medium having a plurality of tracks, comprising: 
 recording mute data in at least one write unit in each of the tracks; and    recording audio data in at least one write unit in each of the tracks so as to be segregated from the at least one write unit of the mute data.    
   
   
       39 . A method of reproducing audio data from an audio recording medium in a reproducing apparatus and having a plurality of tracks in which at least one write unit of mute data and at least one write unit of the audio data segregated from the at least one write unit of the mute data are recorded in each of the tracks, the method comprising: 
 reading the mute data recorded in the at least one write unit from one of the tracks;    muting an output of the reproducing apparatus for a mute period of the mute data; and    reading the audio data recorded in the at least one write unit, and reproducing the audio in the at least one write unit after an end of the mute period.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the audio recording medium includes a reproduction control information area having the mute period, and the reading of the mute data comprises: 
 searching for one of the write units of the mute data having a track start point corresponding to an input from a user in the one track; and    reading the at least one write unit of the mute data from the track start point.    
   
   
       41 . A recording apparatus for recording audio data on an audio recording medium having a plurality of tracks, the recording apparatus comprising: 
 a processor which generates at least one write unit of identification data indicating a start position for each of the tracks and at least one write unit of the audio data segregated from the at least one write unit of the identification data in each of the tracks; and    a recording portion which records the at least one write unit of the identification data and then the at least one write unit of the audio data in said each track.    
   
   
       42 . The recording apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the identification data comprises mute data, and a number of the at least one write unit of the mute data is such that a sum of a duration of each of the at least one write unit of the mute data is at least as long as a mute period between the tracks in a reproduction mode.  
   
   
       43 . A reproducing apparatus for reproducing audio data from an audio recording medium in a reproducing apparatus and having a plurality of tracks in which at least one write unit of mute data indicating a starting point of each track and at least one write unit of the audio data segregated from the at least one write unit of the mute data are recorded in each of the tracks, the reproducing apparatus comprising: 
 a reproducing portion reading the mute data recorded in the at least one write unit from one of the tracks and reading the audio data recorded in the at least one write unit from the one track; and    a processor muting an output of the reproducing portion for a mute period of the mute data, and reproducing the audio data recorded in the at least one write unit after an end of the mute period.    
   
   
       44 . The reproducing apparatus of  claim 43 , wherein the audio recording medium includes a reproduction control information area having the mute period, and the reproducing portion searches for one of the write units of the mute data having a track start point corresponding to an input from a user in the one track, and reads the at least one write unit of the mute data from the track start point.  
   
   
       45 . A medium, comprising: 
 audio data recorded in a track; and    identification data for indicating a start position of the track, recorded in write units segregated from the audio data.