Optical disc having plurality of recording layers, and method and apparatus for recording data thereon

Abstract

Provided are an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers, and a method and apparatus for recording data thereon. The optical disc has a plurality of recording layers, each recording layer including: a data area; a connecting area; and a remaining area. The data, connecting, and remaining areas are respectively disposed in a direction from an inner circumference of the optical disc to an outer circumference. An outer boundary of each of the data areas is determined according to an amount of data to be recorded. Locations of the connecting areas and the remaining areas are determined by a recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the determination of the outer boundary of each of the data areas.

1 . An optical disc having a plurality of recording layers, each recording layer comprising: 
 a data area;    a connecting area; and    a remaining area,    wherein the data, connecting, and remaining areas are respectively disposed in a direction from an inner circumference of the optical disc to an outer circumference,    wherein an outer boundary of each of the data areas is determined according to an amount of data to be recorded, and    wherein locations of the connecting areas and the remaining areas are determined by a recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to the determination of the outer boundary of each of the data areas.    
   
   
       2 . The optical disc of  claim 1 , wherein each recording layer comprises an exclusive area for a specified purpose, the exclusive area being in the remaining area of each recording layer when the size of the remaining area is larger than a specified size.  
   
   
       3 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein data indicating that the exclusive areas have been allocated is recorded on a specified area of the optical disc.  
   
   
       4 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein an end position of each of the exclusive areas varies on the basis of a using direction of the exclusive areas.  
   
   
       5 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein respective usage directions of exclusive areas allocated to two adjacent recording layers among the plurality of recording layers are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       6 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein each recording layer comprises an unused area at a position corresponding to the location of an exclusive area allocated to an adjacent recording layer.  
   
   
       7 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein the remaining area of each recording layer includes a buffer area to compensate for an influence of eccentricity of the optical disc and a beam focused on another recording layer.  
   
   
       8 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein respective usage directions of the data area and the exclusive area allocated to each recording layer are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       9 . The optical disc of  claim 2 , wherein the exclusive area is a test area usable to determine optimum recording conditions.  
   
   
       10 . An apparatus for recording/reproducing data, comprising: 
 a write/read unit which transfers data with respect to an optical disc having a plurality of recording layers; and    a controller which determines an outer boundary of a data area of each recording layer according to an amount of data to be recorded and which determines corresponding locations of a connecting area and a remaining area of each recording layer according to the determination of the outer boundary of each of the data areas.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the controller allocates an exclusive area for a specified purpose to the remaining area of each recording layer when the size of the remaining area is larger than a specified size.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the write/read unit to record data indicating that the exclusive area has been allocated on a specified area of the optical disc.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller uses the exclusive area from a beginning position of the exclusive area and determines an ending position of the exclusive area.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein, when data is recorded on the exclusive areas allocated to two adjacent recording layers among the plurality of recording layers, the respective recording directions are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein each recording layer includes an unused area at a position corresponding to the location of an exclusive area allocated to an adjacent recording layer.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the remaining area of each recording layer includes a buffer area to compensate for an influence of eccentricity of the optical disc and a beam focused on another recording layer.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls the usage directions of the data area and the exclusive area allocated to each recording layer so that the usage directions are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the exclusive area is a test area usable to determine optimum recording conditions.  
   
   
       19 . A method of recording data on a plurality of recording layers, comprising: 
 determining an outer boundary of a data area of each recording layer according to an amount of data to be recorded; and    determining locations of a connecting area and a remaining area of each recording layer according to the determining of the outer boundary of each of the data areas.    
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 allocating an exclusive area for a specified purpose to the remaining area of each recording layer, when the size of the remaining area is larger than a specified size.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein allocating the exclusive area includes recording data indicating that the exclusive area has been allocated on a specified area of the optical disc.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 using the exclusive area from a beginning position of the exclusive area according to a specified purpose and determining an ending position of the exclusive area.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein respective usage directions of exclusive areas allocated to two adjacent recording layers among the plurality of recording layers are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein an area of a recording layer at a location corresponding to an exclusive area allocated to an adjacent recording layer is not used.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein respective usage directions of the data area and the exclusive area allocated to each recording layer are opposite to each other.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the exclusive area is a test area usable to determine optimum recording conditions.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein data having a specified pattern indicating the end of the data area is recorded in the connecting area of each recording layer.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the data having the specified pattern includes a lead-out attribute.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the specified purpose is as a test area to determine for an optimum power control (OPC) or to record data indicating the time of recording and the type of data recording/reproducing apparatus used.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein, when an amount of user data to be recorded is less than a total recordable capacity of the optical disc, and when an amount of user data to be recorded is known in advance, a size of each of the data areas is determined and equal amounts of user data are recorded on each of the plurality of recording layers.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a size of each of the exclusive areas is determined based on a usage frequency of the exclusive area.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the specified size is 3% of the total amount of data recordable on one recording layer of the optical disc.  
   
   
       33 . A computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer readable program implemented by a computer for performing a method of recording data on a plurality of recording layers, the method comprising: 
 determining an outer boundary of a data area of each recording layer according to an amount of data to be recorded; and    determining locations of a connecting area and a remaining area of each recording layer according to the determination of the outer boundary of each of the data areas.