Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Antonius P G E Janssen

Cornelis Teunissen

Arnoldus Jeroen Niessen

Franz H U Frank

Gusbert J Van Der Enden

Gusbert J Van Den Enden

Franz Hu Frank

Gijsbert J Van Der Enden

Reading a partly written writable record carrier having a track structure for positioning the write head above unwritten areas of the track pattern by means of a reading device which positions the read head on the basis of written marks, yields problems when an isolated information block after an unwritten area must be read. A system is disclosed for writing and reading information blocks on a record carrier of a writable type such as a CD-RW or a DVD-RAM. The writing device is provided with status means for generating status information which is indicative of the fact that at least one area of the record carrier has been written, while the status information comprises initial-area information which is indicative of an uninterrupted written initial area which extends from the start of a track pattern area intended for writing information blocks. The status information can be fixed on the record carrier. A reading device is also described, in which the positioning is dependent on the status information. Reading instructions with addresses outside the initial area can be rejected or translated via an address translation table into addresses in the initial area.

Writing device, record carrier and method of writing information blocks, and reading device for reading information blocks

A system writes and reads information blocks on a record carrier and generates status information which is indicative of the fact that at least one area of the record carrier has been written. The status information includes initial-area information which is indicative of an uninterrupted written initial area which extends from the start of a track pattern area intended for writing information blocks. The status information may be fixed on the record carrier.

Reading and writing of information blocks

A record carrier includes write status information indicating whether at least one area of the record carrier has been written, initial area status information indicating the extent of an uninterrupted initial area contiguously written from the start of a track pattern area intended for writing information blocks, and/or conformance status information indicating whether the record carrier is written to fully comply with the requirements of a standard that specifies requirements of reading devices or only partially complies with the standard for reading devices.

Method for reading and writing an incompletely recordable optical disk

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Antonius P G E Janssen