JP2590844B2 - Information recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in the following order.

A Industrial field B Outline of the invention C Conventional technology D Problems to be solved by the invention E Means for solving the problems (FIGS. 1 to 5) F operation (FIGS. 1 to 5) Fig. G Example (G1) First Example (FIGS. 1 to 3) (G2) Second Example (FIG. 4) (G3) Third Example (FIG. 5) (G4) Other Examples Embodiment H Effect of the Invention A Industrial Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information recording apparatus, and is particularly suitable for application to a case where information is recorded at a high density on a recording medium.

B. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides an information recording apparatus for recording information on a recording track formed on a recording medium, by recording a tracking guide pattern only in a range where a recording track is formed. It is possible to realize a simple information recording device that does not need to write a tracking guide pattern as needed.

C Prior Art In a conventional information recording apparatus, for example, an optical disk apparatus, a guide groove (called a pre-groove) is previously formed as tracking scanning information on a recording surface on which optical information is to be recorded when a disc-shaped recording medium is manufactured. When optical information is recorded on the disk-shaped recording medium, a new recording track is sequentially formed along the pre-loop by controlling the optical head to track the pre-blue. Has been made.

D. Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, as described above, before recording information on a recording medium, if tracking scanning information such as a pre-blue is recorded over the entire recording area, it is not actually used at the time of recording. Since the tracking scanning information must be formed on the assumption that the recording area is also used, there is a problem that the manufacturing process of this part is wasted.

As a method for solving this problem, it is conceivable to directly record the information on the recording medium without recording the tracking scanning information on the recording surface in advance.However, the information can be minimized by selecting the tracking pitch as narrow as possible. In order to perform high-density recording, the positioning accuracy of the recording head in the recording mode is strictly required. If this requirement cannot be satisfied, a new recording track is recorded so as to overlap the already formed recording track. Such inconvenience may occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is an information recording apparatus capable of effectively preventing the possibility that recording tracks overlap each other without wastingly recording tracking scanning information. It is intended to propose.

E. Means for Solving the Problem In order to solve such a problem, according to the present invention, an information recording apparatus for recording information on a recording medium 2, 21 traveling in a predetermined traveling direction in a scanning direction crossing the traveling direction. , A tracking guide pattern recording means 11 for recording a tracking guide pattern PT1 in a direction crossing the running direction with respect to the recording media 2 and 21, and a tracking guide pattern recorded on the recording media 2 and 21 by a recording head.
An information recording means 5 for recording information on the recording media 2 and 21 while tracking the PT1, and a tracking guide pattern recording so as to form a tracking guide pattern only in an area for recording information on the recording media 2 and 21; means
And a pattern recording control means 13 for controlling the control unit 11.

F function Prior to forming the recording track TR on the recording media 2 and 21, the tracking guide pattern PT1 is recorded, and a new recording track TR is recorded while the recording head is being tracked on the tracking guide pattern PT1.
Is formed.

By doing so, of the recording media 2 and 21,
By not recording the tracking guide pattern PT1 in the area where the recording track TR is not formed, the recording track TR can be formed simply and reliably as a whole. It can be recorded in density.

G Example Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(G1) First Embodiment In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an information recording / reproducing apparatus, and a tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 is used as a recording medium.

The tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 is moved from the supply side reel 3 by an arrow a.
And the tracking scanning information writing section 4,
It is wound on the winding reel 6 through the recording / reproducing unit 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tracking scanning information writing section 4 includes a tracking guide pattern writing section 11, an index pattern writing / reading section 12, a tracking guide pattern writing section 11, and an index pattern writing section. Reading section
And a pattern recording control circuit 13 for controlling the same.

The tracking guide pattern writing unit 11, Yotsute the control signals S ₁ of the optical information recording mode pattern recording control circuit 13, the laser light LA1 emitted from the semiconductor laser 11A, the linear light beam which in the cylindrical lens 11B After shaping into LA2, it is irradiated onto the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2.

Here, the length of the linear light beam LA2 has substantially the same length as the track length of the recording track to be formed in the recording / reproducing section 5, and its irradiation position is in the traveling direction with respect to the recording track to be formed. It is selected to extend side by side while maintaining a predetermined interval. Thus a linear light beam
LA2 forms a tracking guide pattern PT1 on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 at a stroke. Thus, in the case of this embodiment, the tracking guide patterns PT1 are arranged so as to extend in the direction crossing the running direction b of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 and to maintain a predetermined interval in the direction along the running direction b.

In the case of this embodiment, in the optical information recording mode, the recording / reproducing section 5 reproduces and scans the tracking guide pattern PT1 from one end to the other end, and almost in parallel with the optical information recording head (not shown). The optical information from is recorded.

Indenyl try pattern write and read unit 12, Yotsute the control signal S ₂ of the pattern recording control circuit 13, the side edges of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 on the imaginary line L1 passing through the tracking guide pattern PT1, for tracking Guide pattern PT
Index pattern P while maintaining a one-to-one relationship with 1
Write T2. Thus, in the optical information recording mode, the index pattern PT2 is stored in the index pattern writing / reading unit 1.
2, the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 is read.
The recording position of the tracking guide pattern PT1 recorded above can be confirmed.

The index pattern writing / reading unit 12 transmits a laser beam LA11 emitted from a semiconductor laser 12A as a light source to a beam splitter 12B, a λ / 4 plate 12C, a collimation lens 12B.
D, irradiating the light through the objective lens 12E onto the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2, thus recording the index pattern PT2.

The writing of the tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index pattern PT2 is performed so as to correspond to the recording track when the recording / reproducing section 5 forms the recording track, and forms the recording pattern of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2. When the area is not to be changed, the tracking guide pattern writing unit 11 and the index pattern writing / reading unit 12 are controlled to be in an operation stop state.

Thus, only in the area where the recording pattern is formed in the recording / reproducing section 5, the tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index pattern PT2 together with the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 are used.
Written on.

By the way, when rewriting the recording information of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 on which the recording pattern has been formed once, for the area where the recording pattern was not formed in the previous recording mode, the recording pattern portion previously recorded in the current recording mode is rewritten. In addition, when a new recording pattern is formed so as to be continuous with this, it is necessary to rewrite the optical information of the recording pattern while using the already written tracking guide pattern PT1 and index pattern PT2 as they are. Therefore, the index pattern writing / reading unit 12 confirms the existence of the index pattern PT2 while reading the already written index pattern PT2. Then, when the index pattern PT2 is moved to the area where the index pattern PT2 has not been written, this is detected by the index pattern writing / reading unit 12, and a new tracking guide pattern PT1 and new index pattern PT2 are written. I have.

As described above, to determine the area where the index pattern PT2 has already been written, the index pattern writing / reading unit 12 emits light from the semiconductor laser 12A when the index pattern PT2 is in the area of the already written index pattern PT2. The light energy of the laser beam LA11 is reduced to such an extent that a pattern cannot be written on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2, and the beam splitter 12B, the λ / 4 plate 12C, the collimation lens 12
D, irradiate the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 via the objective lens 12E, and reflect the reflected light LA12 to the photodetector 12F through the objective lens 12E, the collimation lens 12D, the λ / 4 plate 12C, and the beam splitter 12B. Pull out.

Thus, the change in the light energy of the reflected light LA12 in the area where the index pattern PT2 has already been recorded and the change in the light energy of the reflected light LA12 in the area where the index pattern PT2 has not been recorded are detected by the photodetector 12F. detected as a change in S _3, and the tracking guide pattern writing unit 11 and indenyl try pattern write and read unit 12 is operated in a write mode on the basis of the detection result, the tracking guide pattern PT1 and indenyl try pattern PT2 Record.

In the above configuration, the tracking guide pattern
When recording a recording track by the recording / reproducing unit 5 in a state in which the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 on which the PT1 and the index pattern PT2 are not written is mounted between the supply reel 3 and the take-up reel 6. the detection signal S ₃ to Yotsute pattern recording control circuit 13 of the tracking scan information writing unit 4 of the indenyl try pattern write and read unit 12, indenyl try pattern PT2 on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 is not recorded By reading this, the pattern recording control circuit 13 performs the writing operation of the tracking guide pattern writing section 11 and the index pattern writing / reading section 12 by the control signals S ₁ and S ₂ , thereby obtaining the tracking guide pattern. PT1 and index pattern PT2 are recorded on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2. The tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index pattern PT2 are recorded in advance only in a range where the recording track TR needs to be formed in the recording / reproducing section 5.

Thus, in the tracking scanning information writing section 4, when the area on which the tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index pattern PT2 are written is sent to the recording / reproducing section 5, the recording / reproducing section 5 performs the tracking as shown in FIG. While following the scanning guide pattern PT1 in the direction of the scanning direction c, a modulated light beam emitted from an optical information recording head (not shown) is applied to a position keeping a predetermined distance from the tracking guide pattern PT1. As a result, optical information is recorded on the recording track TR.

Eventually when all of the tracking guide pattern PT1 recording track TR is formed which pattern recording control circuit 13 by connexion to confirm the detection signal S ₃ of the indenyl try pattern write and read unit 12, thereby recording and reproducing unit 5, the recording track TR is not formed in the area of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 where the tracking guide pattern PT1 is not recorded, and the tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index are not recorded. The tux pattern PT2 is also left unrecorded.

In this way, the tracking guide pattern PT1
Is written immediately before the recording track TR is formed only in the area to be recorded in the recording / reproducing unit 5, so that useless guide pattern recording can be prevented.

Next, the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 partially formed with the recording track TR as described above is mounted between the supply-side reel 3 and the take-up reel 6, so that the recording track TR is formed.
When the recording track TR is to be formed in the area subsequent to the already written tracking guide pattern PT1 as well as by re-recording the contents, the tracking scanning information writing section 4 sequentially sends the recording track TR. By reading the index pattern PT2 on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 by the index pattern writing / reading unit 12,
The pattern recording control circuit 13 does not switch the tracking guide pattern writing unit 11 and the index pattern writing / reading unit 12 to the write mode, and records the already written tracking guide pattern PT1 without rewriting. Send it to the playback unit 5.

Here, the recording / reproducing section 5 uses the tracking guide pattern PT1 that has not been rewritten to record the recording track TR.
The optical information is recorded on the recording track TR, and the content of the optical information to be recorded on the recording track TR is recorded again.

Eventually, when an area of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 where the tracking guide pattern PT1 is not written arrives at the tracking scanning information writing unit 4, the index pattern writing / reading unit 12 writes the index pattern PT2. Lead to detecting no area.

At this time, the pattern recording control circuit 13 switches the tracking guide pattern writing section 11 and the index pattern writing / reading section 12 to the write mode, and forms the recording track TR on which the tracking guide pattern PT1 and the index pattern PT2 are to be formed. After writing the number corresponding to the number, the area is sent to the recording / reproducing unit 5.

At this time, the recording / reproducing unit 5 forms the recording track TR only in an area where a new tracking guide pattern PT1 formed following the already recorded tracking guide pattern PT1 is written.

Thus, also in this case, the tracking guide pattern PT1 can be written immediately before forming the recording track only in the area where the recording track TR is to be formed, so that the area where the recording track TR is not formed is wasted. It is possible to prevent unnecessary processing such as writing the tracking guide pattern PT1 in the process.

In this way, by forming the recording track TR based on the tracking guide pattern PT1 formed in advance on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2, optical information can be densely written on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2. Can be recorded.

(G2) Second Embodiment FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. Is different from the case of FIG.

That is, the tracking guide pattern writing unit 11 in the case of FIG. 4 irradiates the laser beam LA1 emitted from the semiconductor laser 11A as a light source onto the mask 11C.

The mask 11C is provided so as to cover the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2, and has a mask pattern 11D formed of notches extending obliquely in the width direction of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2.

In the case of this embodiment, the mask pattern 11D has a configuration in which two notches 11D1 and 11D2 extending in a direction crossing the running direction b of the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 are provided. In addition, two rows of tracking guidelines PT11 and PT12 can be written in the width direction.

According to the configuration of FIG. 4, the mask pattern 1 of the mask 11C
By irradiating the laser beam LA1 of the semiconductor laser 11A through 1D, the tracking guide patterns PT11 and PT12 can be formed on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2, thus obtaining the same effect as described above with reference to FIG. be able to.

(G3) Third Embodiment FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a card-shaped optical recording medium 21 is used as an optical recording medium.

In this case, when the card-shaped optical recording medium 21 travels in the traveling direction b as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The recording guide TR1 is recorded in the recording / reproducing unit 5 based on the guide pattern PT1 for recording and the index pattern PT2.

Even with the configuration as shown in FIG. 5, the same effects as in the case where the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 is used as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 can be obtained.

(G4) Other Embodiments (1) Although not particularly described in the above-described embodiment, the recording track in the reproduction mode of the recording / reproducing unit 5 is not used.
For tracking the reproduction head on the TR, the TR may be tracked using a tracking guide pattern PT1 formed on the tape-shaped optical recording medium 2 or the card-shaped optical recording medium 21, or alternatively, the recording track may be recorded. Tracking control may be performed based on a tracking error for the TR.

(2) Further, in the above-described embodiment, after the tracking guide pattern PT1 is once written in the area where the recording track TR is to be formed using the index pattern PT2 in the recording mode, the area where the recording track TR is not formed is written. Although it is determined not to newly write the tracking guide pattern PT1, this index pattern PT2 can be omitted as necessary.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, a case has been described where the recording track TR is formed at a position shifted by a predetermined interval from the tracking guide pattern PT1, but instead, the recording track TR is used for tracking. The same effect as in the above-described case can be obtained by overwriting on the guide pattern PT1.

(4) In the above embodiment, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an information recording / reproducing apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is applicable to an information recording apparatus having no reproducing function. The same effect as described above can be obtained.

(5) In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the optical recording apparatus has been described. However, the information recording means is not limited to light, but may be magnetic or other means. Can obtain the same effect as the above case.

H Advantageous Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, just before forming a recording track on a recording medium, the tracking guide pattern is written only in the area where the recording track is to be formed, which is not possible. Unnecessary operations such as writing a tracking guide pattern as necessary can be omitted. Thus, since the recording tracks can be formed simply and reliably as a whole so as not to overlap with each other, information can be easily recorded on the recording medium with higher density.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an embodiment of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a detailed configuration of a tracking running information writing section, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third embodiment of the present invention. It is. 1. Information recording / reproducing device 2. Tape optical recording medium
4 ... Tracking scanning information writing unit, 11 ... Tracking guide pattern writing unit, 12 ... Index pattern writing / reading unit, 13 ... Pattern recording control circuit, PT1 ...
Guide pattern for tracking, PT2 ... Index pattern, TR ... Recording track.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A recording medium traveling in a predetermined traveling direction,
An information recording apparatus for recording information in a scanning direction transverse to the running direction, a tracking guide pattern recording means for recording a tracking guide pattern on the recording medium in a direction transverse to the traveling direction, and a recording head for recording the information. Information recording means for recording information on the recording medium while tracking the tracking guide pattern recorded on the medium; and forming the tracking guide pattern only in an area for recording information on the recording medium. An information recording apparatus comprising: a pattern recording control unit that controls the tracking guide pattern recording unit.