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  Information recording medium, recording/reproducing method, and recording/reproducing apparatusUSPTO Application #: 20080106989Title: Information recording medium, recording/reproducing method, and recording/reproducing apparatus Abstract: An information recording medium, a method of recording and/or reproducing data to/from the medium, and a recording/reproducing apparatus using the medium, the medium having a data area including a user data area to record user data, and a spare area to record replacement blocks that replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area, wherein defect list entries include status information of the defect blocks and the replacement blocks, and the status information of the defect blocks in the user data area is changed, and the status information of the replacement blocks in the spare area is changed, in response to the spare area being newly allocated to re-initialize the medium. (end of abstract)
Agent: Stein, Mcewen & Bui, LLP - Washington, DC, US Inventors: Sung-hee HWANG, Jung-Wan Ko USPTO Applicaton #: 20080106989 - Class: 369053170 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Dynamic Information Storage Or Retrieval, Condition Indicating, Monitoring, Or Testing, Including Radiation Storage Or Retrieval, Having Abnormal Condition Indicating, Due To Unwanted Operational Condition Of Record Carrier, Defect, Including Storage Or Retrieval Of Auxiliary Signal, The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080106989. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/074,933, filed on Mar. 9, 2005, now pending, which claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-37535, filed on May 25, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a disc, and, more particularly, to an information recording medium, a recording/reproducing method, and a recording/reproducing apparatus for re-initializing the medium. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] The number of defects in a re-writable information storage medium increases due to scratches, fingerprints, or dust existing on the medium during use of the medium. Defect blocks occurring while using the medium are managed by being registered as defect information, and a host or a drive system tries not to allocate data to the defect blocks, but to record data in non-defect blocks. As such, when the medium is continuously used, the number of such defect blocks will increase. Accordingly, a user will desire to re-initialize the medium. [0006] In this case, the defect blocks registered in the defect information after the user has removed the fingerprints or dust from the surface of the medium can be determined to be satisfactory non-defect blocks by disc verification after recording data. As such, when re-initialization of the re-writable information storage medium is required, the drive system determines defect possibilities of blocks in recordable areas of the entire medium, or defect blocks registered in the defect information, through verification after recording. [0007] The recording of the defect blocks that are registered in the defect information or in the entire medium, and then determining whether the blocks are defective through disc verification when re-initializing the re-writable information storage medium, can be inconvenient for users because it takes too much time to re-initialize the medium. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention provides an information recording medium, a recording/reproducing method, and a recording/reproducing apparatus to quickly re-initialize the medium. [0009] Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. [0010] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium including a data area, wherein the data area comprises a user data area to record user data, and a spare area to record replacement blocks that replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area; defect list entries include status information of the defect blocks and the replacement blocks; and the status information of defect blocks which remain in the user data area after newly allocating the spare area during re-initialization is changed to indicate the defect blocks remaining in the user data area have been re-initialized and have a possible defect. [0011] The defect blocks occurring in the user data area before newly allocating the spare area may include at least one of a defect block with a replacement block, a defect block without a replacement block, a possible defective block, or a combination thereof. [0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium including a data area, wherein the data area comprises a user data area to record user data, and a spare area to record replacement blocks that replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area; defect list entries include status information of the defect blocks and the replacement blocks; and the status information of defect blocks which are located in a newly allocated spare area after allocating the newly allocated spare area during re-initialization is changed to indicate the defect blocks located in the newly allocated spare area have been re-initialized and are unusable as the replacement blocks. [0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium including a data area, wherein the data area comprises a user data area to record user data, and a spare area to record replacement blocks that replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area; defect list entries include status information of the defect blocks and the replacement blocks; and the status information of replacement blocks that are unusable to replace the defect blocks is changed to indicate defect blocks that have been re-initialized and have a possible defect in response to the unusable replacement blocks, which are located in the spare area before newly allocating the spare area, being located in the user data area after re-initialization of the medium. [0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information recording medium including a data area, wherein the data area comprises a user data area to record user data, and a spare area to record replacement blocks that replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area; defect list entries include status information of the defect blocks and the replacement blocks; and the status information of the defect blocks in the user data area is changed, and the status information of the replacement blocks in the spare area is changed, in response to the spare area being newly allocated to re-initialize the information recording medium. [0015] The defect list entries may include physical address information of the defect blocks or the replacement blocks, first status information indicating whether the replacement blocks are usable or unusable or a defect status of the defect blocks, and second status information indicating whether the information recording medium has been re-initialized. [0016] The defect list entries regarding defect blocks which remain in the user data area after the spare area is newly allocated during re-initialization may be changed to include first status information indicating the defect blocks remaining in the user data area have a possible defect, and second status information indicating the defect blocks remaining in the user data area have been re-initialized. [0017] The defect list entries regarding defect blocks which are located in a newly allocated spare area after allocating the newly allocated spare area during re-initialization may be changed to include first status information indicating the defect blocks located in the newly allocated spare area are unusable as the replacement blocks, and second status information indicating the defect blocks located in the newly allocated spare area have been re-initialized. [0018] The defect list entries of replacement blocks that are unusable to replace the defect blocks may be changed to include first status information indicating defect blocks that have a possible defect, and second status information indicating the defect blocks having a possible defect have been re-initialized, in response to the replacement blocks that are unusable to replace the defect blocks, which are located in the spare area before newly allocating the spare area, being located in the user data area after re-initialization. [0019] Verification of sequential blocks may be performed in response to a sequential defect list entry existing regarding the sequential blocks which comprise at least two possible defective blocks continuously disposed, and a length of the sequential blocks not being known, before allocating a new spare area; the sequential defect list entry may be registered to include first status information indicating a verification result, and second status information indicating re-initialization, in response to the sequential blocks remaining in the user data area after re-initialization; and the sequential defect list entry may be registered to include first status information indicating the sequential blocks are usable or unusable to replace the defect blocks, and second status information indicating re-initialization, in response to the sequential blocks being located in the newly allocated spare area after the re-initialization. [0020] A sequential defect list entry may be maintained in response to the sequential defect list entry existing regarding sequential blocks comprising at least two possible defective blocks continuously disposed, and a length of the sequential blocks not being known, before allocating a new spare area, and a first block included in the sequential blocks, which was included in the sequential blocks before newly allocating the spare area, being located in the user data area after re-initialization; and the sequential defect list entry may be registered to include first status information indicating the sequential blocks are usable or unusable to replace the defect blocks according to verification of the sequential blocks, and second status information indicating re-initialization, in response to the sequential blocks being located in the newly allocated spare area after the re-initialization. [0021] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording/reproducing method comprising newly allocating a spare area while re-initializing an information recording medium in which a user data area to record user data, and the spare area to record replacement blocks to replace defect blocks occurring in the user data area, are arranged, wherein defect list entries include status information regarding the defect blocks and replacement blocks; and changing status information of defect blocks which remain in the user data area after newly allocating the spare area to indicate the defect blocks remaining in the user data area have been re-initialized and have a possible defect. Continue reading... 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