Information recording and reproducing apparatus, disc apparatus and defect area replacement method

Abstract

An information recording and reproducing apparatus, a disc apparatus and a defect area replacement method are disclosed for accurately detecting a defect area for each small area of a recording area of an information recording medium and replacing the defect area per small area. The information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information in an information recording medium having a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a plurality of small areas includes a verification execution part iteratively executing a verification operation on small areas of a recording area and a small area replacement part replacing a small area determined as a defect area greater than or equal to a predefined number of times during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution part.

1 . An information recording and reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing information in an information recording medium having a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a data area and a spare area, with each data area being formed of multiple packets, and with each packet having a plurality of small areas, comprising: 
 a verification execution part iteratively executing a verification operation on at least one of the small areas of at least one of said recording areas; and    a small area replacement part replacing a small area determined as a defect area greater than or equal to a predefined number of times during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution part.    
   
   
       2 - 3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The information recording and reproducing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising: an entire small area replacement part, when the number of small areas determined as defect areas greater than or equal to a predefined number of times during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution part is greater than or equal to a predefined value, replacing all small areas of the respective packet.  
   
   
       5 . A disc apparatus for allocating a spare area of a disc having at least one user data recording area including a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a data area and a spare area, with each data area being formed of multiple packets, and with each packet having a plurality of small areas and at least one spare area to replace a defect area in the user data recording area, comprising: 
 a verification execution part iteratively executing a verification operation on at least some of the small areas of at least one of said recording areas;    a defect detection count part counting how many times an error is detected for each small area of the recording area during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution part; and    a spare area allocation part, when the number of error detection times counted for a small area by the defect detection count part is greater than or equal to a predefined value, allocating an available one of the at least one spare area to the small area.    
   
   
       6 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 . The disc apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising: a small area count part counting how many small areas the at least one spare area should be allocated to.  
   
   
       10 . The disc apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the spare area allocation part further comprises: a spare area to entire small area allocation part, when the number of small areas counted by the small area count part is greater than or equal to a predefined value, allocating available ones of the at least one spare area to all small areas of the respective packet.  
   
   
       11 . (canceled)  
   
   
       12 . A computer readable recording medium for storing a program to cause a computer to implement functions wherein the computer is used for a disc apparatus for allocating a spare area of a disc having at least one user data recording area including a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a data area and a spare area, with each data area being formed of multiple packets, and with each packet having a plurality of small areas and at least one spare area to replace a defect area in the user data recording area, the functions comprising: 
 a verification execution function iteratively executing a verification operation on at least some of the small areas of at least some of said recording areas;    a defect detection count function counting how many times an error is detected for each small area of the recording area during iterative execution of the verification operation by the verification execution function; and    a spare area allocation function, when the number of error detection times counted for a small area by the defect detection count function is greater than or equal to a predefined value, allocating an available one of the at least one spare area to the small area.    
   
   
       13 . A defect area replacement method of allocating a spare area of a disc having at least one user data recording area including a plurality of recording areas each of which includes a data area and a spare area, with each data area being formed of multiple packets, and with each packet having a plurality of small areas and at least one spare area to replace a defect area in the user data recording area, the method comprising the steps of: 
 iteratively executing a verification operation on at least one of the small areas of at least one of said recording areas;    counting how many times an error is detected for each small area of the recording area during iterative execution of the verification operation; and    allocating, when the number of error detection times counted for a small area is greater than or equal to a predefined value, an available one of the at least one spare area to the small area.    
   
   
       14 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . The defect area replacement method as claimed in  claim 13 , further comprising the step of: counting how many small areas the at least one spare area should be allocated to.  
   
   
       18 . The defect area replacement method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the step of allocating an available spare area further comprises the step of: allocating, when the number of small areas counted is greater than or equal to a predefined value, available ones of the at least one spare area to all small areas of the respective packet.