Optical recording medium and information recording method

Abstract

An optical recording medium has a multi-layer structure recording layer structure recording layer portion including plural recording layers provided with tracks for guiding a recording light and being adapted to record data, where recording condition information and recording layer identification information for the recording layers are recorded on the tracks as information signals. Test writing is conducted on a recording layer that is subject to recording to derive a suitable recording condition based on recording condition information that is recorded on the recording layer, and direct recording is conducted according to a direct recording condition.

1 . An optical recording medium comprising: 
 a plurality of recording layers having tracks for guiding recording light that are arranged into a multi-layer structure, the recording layers being adapted to record user data;    wherein recording power and recording pulse form information for the recording layers is provided on the recording layers as track information signals.    
   
   
       2 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information is preformatted on the tracks.  
   
   
       3 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the multi-layer structure recording layers alternate between a groove track and a land track as recording positions according to a layering order of the recording layers.  
   
   
       4 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information is preformatted as pits or grooves that form the tracks.  
   
   
       5 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information is preformatted on the tracks through phase modulation.  
   
   
       6 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the recording power information includes information pertaining to at least one of an intensity condition for the recording light and a light emission waveform condition for the recording light.  
   
   
       7 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information includes information that directly designates a recording condition.  
   
   
       8 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information is positioned away from a data region of the tracks.  
   
   
       9 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the respective recording power and recording pulse form information for the recording layers are arranged to be recorded on the corresponding recording layers.  
   
   
       10 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 information that directly designates a recording condition is recorded as recording condition information on a first recording layer of the recording layers on which a recording is to be conducted first; and    information that designates a condition for deriving a recording condition based on the recording condition of the first recording layer is recorded as recording condition information on a remaining second recording layer of the recording layers.    
   
   
       11 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the recording power and recording pulse form information for all the recording layers are recorded on a first recording layer of the recording layers on which a recording is to be conducted first.  
   
   
       12 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a first recording layer of the recording layers on which a recording is to be conducted first corresponds to a recording layer of the recording layers that is positioned closest to a recording light incidence side.  
   
   
       13 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a first recording layer of the recording layers on which a recording is to be conducted first corresponds to a recording layer of the recording layers that is positioned farthest from a recording light incidence side.  
   
   
       14 . An information recording method for recording information on an optical recording medium including a plurality of recording layers having tracks for guiding recording light that are arranged into a multi-layer structure, the recording layers being adapted to record user data, and recording power and recording pulse form information for the recording layers being provided on the recording layers as track information signals, the method comprising: 
 a condition reading step of reading recording power and recording pulse form information provided as track information in the optical recording medium;    a recording condition setting step of setting a recording condition for a recording layer that is subject to recording based on the recording power and recording pulse form information for said recording layer that are read in the condition reading step; and    a recording operation execution step of executing a recording operation on the recording layer that is subject to recording according to the recording condition set in the recording condition setting step.    
   
   
       15 . An optical recording medium, comprising: 
 a multi-layer structure recording layer portion including a plurality of recording layers having tracks for guiding recording light and being adapted to record data;    wherein recording power and recording pulse form information for the recording layers are recorded as information signals on the tracks of the recording layers.    
   
   
       16 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the information signals are preformatted as pits or grooves that form the tracks.  
   
   
       17 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the information signals are preformatted on the tracks through phase modulation.  
   
   
       18 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 15 , that has a disk configuration, wherein the information signals are recorded on an inner diameter region or an outer diameter region of the disk configuration.  
   
   
       19 . The optical recording medium as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein an information signal that is recorded on a first recording layer of the recording layers on which data are to be recorded first includes the recording condition information for all the recording layers.  
   
   
       20 . A recording method for recording data on an optical recording medium having a multi-layer structure recording layer portion that includes a plurality of recording layers having tracks for guiding a recording light and being adapted to record data, where recording power and recording pulse form information for the recording layers are recorded as information signals on the tracks of the recording layers, the recording method comprising the steps of: 
 reading at least one of the information signals from the optical recording medium;    setting a recording condition for a recording layer that is subject to recording based on the read information signal; and    recording data on the recording layer that is subject to recording according to the set recording condition.    
   
   
       21 . The recording method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein: the optical recording medium has a disk configuration; and the step of setting the recording condition includes conducting test writing on an inner diameter region or an outer diameter region of the disk configuration.  
   
   
       22 . The recording method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the step of setting the recording power and recording pulse form includes conducting test writing on the recording layer subject to recording using the recording power and recording pulse form information of the information signals recorded on said recording layer, and deriving an optimal recording condition for said recording layer based on a result of the test writing.