These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.
The PCA 106 is a test area that allows for an optimizing of the recording power of a laser beam focused on a data recording surface of the optical disc 100. The higher the number of power calibrations, the smaller the size of the PCA 106. Information indicating the number of power calibrations is recorded as count data. If the optical disc is seated in the optical disc 100 to have data recorded thereon, and a user enters a recording command, the optical disc drive first performs the OPC, and determines the optimum recording power. The OPC determines the optimum laser power with consideration given to variations in peripheral environments (e.g., record speed, temperature, and humidity) and a variation (or a difference) in physical characteristics of the optical disc 100.
The information area 108 acts as a specific area in which data to be recorded is actually recorded. If data is recorded in the information area 108, at least one Lead-In area, at least data area, and at least one Lead-Out area are sequentially arranged in the information area 108. If a recording apparatus capable of performing a multi-session process and an optical disc for the multi-session are used, the information area 108 includes a predetermined number of groups, each of which includes “Lead-In area→Data Area→Lead-out area”, proportional to the number of multi-session times.
With reference to the structure of the optical disc 100 shown in
Each of the preceding recording layer 202 and the following recording layer includes successive spiral tracks, each of which may have data recorded thereon. A pickup module 208 to record the data in each recording layer 202 or 204 moves from an inner area 210a to the outer area 210b of the optical disc 100, or moves from the outer area 210b to the inner area 210a, and at the same time applies a laser beam 206 to a track of a corresponding recording layer. The data recording process in the preceding recording layer 202 or the following recording layer 204 is performed according to an OTP (Opposite Track Path) scheme. When recording and/or reproducing data on and/or from the optical disc, including two or more recording layers, the OTP scheme provides that moving directions of the pickup module is opposite to each other.
According to the OTP scheme, the pickup module 208 moves from the inner area 210a of the optical disc 100 to the outer area 210b when data is recorded on the preceding recording layer 202, and from the outer area 210b to the inner area 210a when data is recorded on the following recording layer 204.
During the data recording process, the first OPC recording power P0 of the preceding recording layer 202 is employed at the starting time of the data recording at the preceding recording layer 202, such that the laser power is controlled at the first OPC recording power P0. However, during the data recording process at the preceding recording layer 202, the value of the recording power is continuously updated to maintain an optimum laser power in consideration of a difference in physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 and the optical disc drive (See
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, when the recording of the data on the following recording layer 204 begins after the recording of the data in the preceding recording layer 202, a new starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is determined. In other words, the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is determined in consideration of physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 that are acquired before the recording of the data in the following recording layer 204. To this end, a laser beam having a specific power corresponding to the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is applied to a data recording surface of the following recording layer 204, such that the recording of the data on the following recording layer 204 may begin. If the data recording of the following recording layer 204 begins at the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204, the recording of the data on the following recording layer 204 may begin at a more-optimized starting recording power P1′. Further, the starting recording power P1′ will take into account the actual physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 (as opposed to the recording power P1 of the following recording layer that is acquired during the OPC process prior to the starting of the recording of the data).
While recording data in the following recording layer 204, the value of the recording power is continuously updated so as to maintain the optimum laser power in consideration of a variation in physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 as well as a variation in peripheral environments of the optical disc drive 402. The reference symbol P1” of
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined weight is assigned to the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204, such that the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is determined. When recording data in the preceding recording layer 202, actual physical characteristics information of the preceding recording layer 202 or a difference (or variation) of the aforementioned actual physical characteristics (or recording sensitivity) is acquired, such that the actual physical characteristics information of the preceding recording layer 202 or a variation thereof is reflected in the data recording process of the preceding recording layer 202.
A method of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be represented by the following equations 1, 2, and 3. When determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204, any one of the three equations 1˜3 or a combination of at least two of the three equations may be employed. Needless to say, other methods that are capable of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 with consideration given to physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 that are acquired prior to the recording of data onto the following recording layer 204 or a variation of the physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 may also be used even if these methods do not include the use of any of the three equations.
The method of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is represented by the above-mentioned Equation 1. A variation between the starting recording power of the preceding recording layer 202 (i.e., OPC recording power P0) and the ending recording power P0′ is calculated as a specific value that is associated with the following recording layer 204, such that the specific value denoted by
is acquired. A weight is applied to the value
such that the resultant weight is assigned to the OPC recording powering P1 of the following recording layer 204.
While recording data in the preceding recording layer 202 of the optical disc 100, the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 is continuously changed according to a variation in temperature of a laser diode or a variation in physical characteristics (e.g., a tilt), and the recording power of the preceding recording layer 202 is also continuously changed in a specific direction to compensate for the variation of the recording sensitivity simultaneously with the acquiring of the optimum recording sensitivity. Therefore, the process of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 does not depend on the OPC result (i.e., OPC recording powers P0 and P1) of the PCA 106, and assigns a weight to the OPC recording power P1 with consideration given to the ending recording power P0′ of the preceding recording layer 202, in which the variation of actual recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 is reflected, such that a more-optimized starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 may be determined as denoted by the following Equation 2:
The method of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is represented by Equation 2. The determination method of Equation 2 additionally calculates a difference A in recording sensitivities of the preceding and following recording layers 202 and 204, respectively, and applies the difference A to the Equation 1. In more detail, a variation between the OPC recording power P0 and the ending recording power P0′ of the preceding recording layer 202 is calculated as a specific value associated with the following recording layer 204, and a difference between the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 and the recording sensitivity of the following recording layer 204 is acquired, such that a weight may be applied to the calculated specific value and the difference between recording sensitivities of the preceding recording layer 202 and the following recording layer 204. The resultant weight is assigned to the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204. When recording data at the same laser power, if the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 is different from that of the following recording layer 204, the size of each pit formed in the preceding recording layer 202 may be different from that of each pit formed in the following recording layer 204, such that the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is determined in a specific direction in which the difference between the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 and the recording sensitivity of the following recording layer 204 is corrected.
With reference to Equation 2, the reference character “A” is indicative of the difference between the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 and the recording sensitivity of the following recording layer 204. For example, the reference character “A” may be indicative of a difference (i.e., A=P0−P1) between the OPC recording power P0 of the preceding recording layer 202 and the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204, or may be indicative of a difference (i.e., A=P0′−P1) between the ending recording power P0′ of the preceding recording layer 202 and the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204. As another example, the reference character “A” may also use another value that is capable of representing the difference between the recording sensitivity of the preceding recording layer 202 and the recording sensitivity of the following recording layer 204.
P1′=P1+B [Equation 3]
The method of determining the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is represented by the above-mentioned Equation 3. As shown, the determination method calculates a difference B in other recording sensitivities of the preceding and following recording layers 202 and 204, and reflects the difference B in the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204. The difference B in the recording sensitivity of the preceding and following recording layers 202 and 204 is caused by a difference in thicknesses of recording layers formed on data recording surfaces. The above-mentioned thickness difference is indicative of a difference between a recording layer thickness of the inner area and a recording layer thickness of the outer area. In the case of CD-R or DVD±R, the above-mentioned recording layer corresponds to an organic dye layer. In the case of CD-RW, DVD±RW, or DVD-RAM, the above-mentioned recording layer corresponds to a phase change alloy.
However, a specific time to determine the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is provided before data is recorded in the following recording layer 204, such that recognizing a difference in thickness of the inner and outer areas of the following recording layer 204 may be impossible or unlikely. Therefore, the above-mentioned recording-sensitivity difference caused by the recording-layer thickness of the inner and outer areas of the preceding recording layer 202 is used to determine the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204.
The pickup module 208 includes a laser diode, and applies a laser beam having a specific recording power to a recording surface of the optical disc 100 via the laser diode, such that data is recorded in the optical disc 100. The laser beam, having a specific power equal to a recording power is applied to the optical disc 100, such that the data recorded in the optical disc 100 may thereafter be reproduced or read.
When recording data in the optical disc 100, the recorded data is encoded by the encoder 428, and is then applied to the laser diode drive 414. The controller 418 transmits a drive signal to record the encoded data on the data recording surface of the optical disc 100 to the laser diode drive 141, such that the recording power of the laser diode is changed. Indeed, a control operation of the recording power based on the OPC is achieved by a control signal applied to the laser diode 414.
When reproducing data from the optical disc 100, the laser beam having a specific power equal to a playback power is generated from the laser diode of the pickup module 208, and is then applied to the data recording surface of the optical disc 100. If the laser beam is reflected from the data recording surface of the optical disc 100, the RF signal detector 404 receives the reflected laser beam, amplifies the RF signal, and converts the amplified RF signal into a binary signal. The binary signal received from the RF signal detector 404 is restored to digital data by the signal processor (DSP) 406. The restored digital data is encoded, such that the decoder 408 decodes the encoded digital data to digital data created prior to the encoding.
The signal processor (DSP) 406 calculates a variety of values (i.e., β, α, a peak value, a bottom value, and an average value, etc.) from the RF signal, and provides the calculated values to the controller 418. The RF signal is then provided to the servo controller 416, which generates a tracking-error signal and a focusing-error signal from the RF signal, and controls the tracking- or focusing-operation of the pickup module 208 by referring to the tracking-error signal and the focusing-error signal, respectively.
The linear-velocity detector 412 detects a linear velocity of the optical disc 100 during the data recording, and provides the controller 418 with the detected linear velocity.
The controller 418 controls overall operations of the optical disc drive 402. The controller 418 includes a memory 420 to store information required to control operations of the optical disc drive 402 or data created in the control process. The controller 418 controls a rotation speed of the optical disc 100 by controlling the spindle motor 410. The controller 418 performs the OPC process by referring to the writing strategy, X-speed (e.g., 2× or 3×-speed), sensitivity of a photo-diode to receive the reflected laser beam, and peak-, bottom-, and average-values of the signal detected by the signal processor 406, such that the controller 418 is able to determine the OPC recording power.
If the starting recording power P1′ of the following recording layer 204 is determined by any one of the Equations 1, 2, and 3, the controller 418 controls the laser-diode drive 414 to generate a laser beam having the determined recording power P1′.
In this way, if the OPC recording power P1 of the following recording layer 204 and the OPC recording power P0 of the preceding recording layer 202 are determined, the OPC recording power P0 of the preceding recording layer 202 is used as the starting recording power, such that data begins to be recorded in the information area 108 of the preceding recording layer 202 at the OPC recording power P0 at operation 506. When recording data in the information area 108 of the preceding recording layer 202, variations in the physical characteristics of the optical disc 100 and peripheral environments of the optical disc drive 402 are considered, and the recording power value is updated to an optimum recording power value to always maintain the optimum laser power, such that data is recorded at the optimum recording power all over the preceding recording layer 202 at operation 508. If the data recording of the preceding recording layer 202 is completed at the optimum recording power at operation 510, the ending recording power P0′ of the preceding recording layer 202 (i.e., the last data recording power of the preceding recording layer 202) is stored in the memory 420 at operation 512.
As shown in
The following Table 1 shows recording qualities measured by recording data in the recordable optical disc.
With reference to Table 1, has aspects of the present invention have data recording qualities (e.g., D-D jitter and asymmetry of RF signal used as a standard to estimate the recording quality) superior to those of the conventional art.
The lower the jitter and the asymmetry of the RF signal, the higher the data recording and/or reproducing qualities of the optical disc. Specifically, an absolute value of an asymmetric characteristic value is adapted to determine the recording and/or reproducing qualities based on the asymmetry, without considering a code of the asymmetric characteristics value. As can be seen from Table 1, the absolute value 12.3% of the conventional asymmetric characteristic value −12.3% is adapted to determine the data recording/reproducing qualities.
As is apparent from the above description, the method of recording data in the optical disc according to aspects of the present invention determine an optimum starting recording power required to record data in the following recording layer of the optical disc including a plurality of recording layers. Data is recorded in the following recording layer at a laser power equal to the optimum starting recording power, and the recording power is continuously updated to new recording power during the data recording of the following recording layer, such that the optimized recording power may be used to record data on the optical disc. As a result, the above-mentioned optimized data recording of the optical disc increases the data recording quality of the optical disc drive, resulting in increased reliability of performance of the optical disc drive.
Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-66492 | Jul 2006 | KR | national |