Sony Corporation

Seiji Ohbi

Masato Hattori

Takashi Kawakami

Manabu Kii

Makoto Yamada

Masahiro Shigenobu

Chiaki Nonaka

Shiro Morotomi

Toshiya Kaihoko

Tomoyo Kashimoto

An information processing apparatus is provided which includes a transmission unit for transmitting a query request for querying another device for a count value held by such other device, a reception unit for receiving a return of the count value from such other device, a correction unit for performing, at a predetermined period, correction processing for synchronizing sampling frequency with such other device based on the received count value, and a reproduction unit for reproducing content in synchronization with such other device based on the sampling frequency. The correction unit corrects by taking into account a Round Trip Time between the transmission of the query request and the reception of the return and residual difference occurred at a previous correction time.

Information processing apparatus, synchronization correction method and computer program

A recording method including searching for at least one of a plurality of free areas on a storage medium, said storage medium including a file that is stored according to a file system; generating a track descriptor; generating a part descriptor; recording data encrypted with an encryption key in at least one free area; connecting the free area where the encrypted data is recorded to an end of the file managed by the file system; recording in the part descriptor the part pointer information that points to the free area where the encrypted data is recorded; recording in the track descriptor a decryption key so as to enable later decryption of the encrypted data, and pointer information that points to the part descriptor; and recording a track number that points to the track descriptor in a play order table having a play order of a plurality of tracks.

Reproducing method, reproducing apparatus, recording method, and recording apparatus

The present invention allows the compatibility with general-purpose data recording/reproducing by use of conventional media systems, and at the same time, allows the construction of a recording/reproducing system which satisfies the demands for the increase in storage capacity, the construction of a proper management system, the compatibility with special information recording, and the solving of problems with conventional models (recording/reproducing apparatuses). The audio track and data track in the data area are managed by the second management data in the management area on the recording medium and the data track records data and the first management data for managing the se data. In addition, the audio track and the second management data are modulated by the first modulating scheme and the data track is modulated by the second modulating scheme before being recorded.

Recording medium having different areas recorded with different modulation methods, recording apparatus, reproducing apparatus, recording method, and reproducing method

A storage medium initializing method includes steps of recording on a storage medium a management table configured to manage a replacement area for a defect area in a data area in the storage medium; recording a unique identification on the storage medium; and recording management data in the data area. The step of recording a unique identification includes recording the unique identification on the storage medium, but outside an area managed by the management data. The method optional includes initialization and cancellation steps.

Storage medium initialization and cancellation method

A reproducing method, reproducing apparatus, recording method and recording apparatus provide read/record data in an efficient way to a storage medium. The reproducing method includes the steps of selecting one of a plurality of tracks described in a play order table designating an order of reproduction of the tracks; reading track information corresponding to the selected track from a track information table which includes a coding system and a decryption key corresponding to each track, and a plurality of items of track information each of which has pointer information pointing to one of a plurality of items of part information within a part information table; reading the part information corresponding to the pointer information within the read track information, each of the plurality of items of part information having part pointer information pointing to part of a single audio file; reading that part of the audio file which corresponds to the part pointer information within the read part information; and decrypting the read part of the audio file based on the decryption key and the coding system.

A recording method includes the steps of causing a first management system retained in a first apparatus to manage a storage medium loaded in a second apparatus when the first apparatus and the second apparatus are connected to one another; and recording the data to the storage medium based on a second management system which is retained in the second apparatus and which limits consecution of data recording segments when it is determined that data transferred from the first apparatus to the second apparatus are to be recorded to the storage medium. A recording apparatus and editing method and apparatus also manage data storage and editing between first and second apparatuses.

Recording method and apparatus, and editing method apparatus

A recording method includes the steps of detecting whether unique information is recorded in a storage medium outside a predetermined area managed by a management data that manages data in a data area on a storage medium; generating unique information when in the detecting step no unique information is detected as being recorded in the storage medium; and recording the unique information when generated in the generating step to the storage medium outside the area managed by the management data.

Recording method for recording data on a storage medium

The track information table has: decrypting information corresponding to each track; file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers; and index information showing positions in the files. A function for adding the header to the track of the index information is provided. The decrypting information corresponding to the selected track, the file pointer information, and the index information are read out from the track information table. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information. Position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. The latter half data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and added to the track in which coupling has been instructed, thereby newly forming a file with a header.

Management method and apparatus for a mini disc having recorded index audio data

A recording method includes the steps of reading a management table for managing whether data are recorded on a recording medium in units of a first recording segment; detecting whether the first recording segment is associated with a second recording segment smaller than the first recording segment according to a designation of data recording in units of the second recording segment into the recording medium; discriminating from data in the management table whether it is possible to read data of the first recording segment; reading the data in units of the first recording segment and temporarily recording the data to a memory when in the discriminating step it is determined that it is possible to read data in units of the first recording segment; recording data to a part of the first recording segment recorded in the memory in units of the second recording segment; and recording data of the first recording segment that was temporarily recorded in the memory to the storage medium.

Reproducing method, reproducing apparatus, recording method, recording apparatus, and method for generating a management table

A reproducing apparatus for reading, or a recording apparatus for writing, data from or to a disc having pre-formed thereon a pair of concentrical or spiral tracks adjacent to each other and to which a common address is given, is adapted to control the time at which a read or write head is moved from one to the other of the pair of tracks or vice versa.

Recording apparatus and method, and reproducing apparatus and method

Decrypting information corresponding to a selected track, file pointer information, and index information are read out from a track information table having the decrypting information corresponding to each track, the file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers, and the index information showing a position in the file. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information and position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. A part of data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and the read-out data is decrypted on the basis of the decrypting information.

Reproduction method and apparatus, and recording method and apparatus

A track management method includes steps of obtaining track information from a play order table having track information entries arranged in a predetermined play order, the track information corresponds to a track to be deleted and points to a track descriptor in a track information table; obtaining the track descriptor, the track descriptor including a decryption key corresponding to the track to be deleted and pointer information that points to one of a plurality of part descriptors in a part information table; advancing the predetermined play order for a subset of the plurality of track information entries that follow the track to be deleted in the predetermined play order; reading the one of a plurality of part descriptors; separating in a file system a data block that is a part of a file specified by part pointer information in the part descriptor from the file managed by the file system and freeing the data block on the file system, the part pointer information pointing to a part of the file that includes a plurality of data blocks; freeing the part descriptor on the file system; and freeing the track descriptor on the file system.

Track management method and apparatus for managing tracks on a storage medium

A recording and/or reproduction apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data onto and/or from a storage medium is disclosed. The recording and/or reproduction apparatus includes a recording and/or reproduction section for recording and/or reproducing data onto and/or from the storage medium, a communication section for communicating with an external apparatus, a memory for storing operation screen information corresponding to the recording and/or reproduction section, a transmission controller for controlling the communication section to transmit the operation screen information to the external apparatus, and a controller operable when the communication section receives operation information to the operation screen information displayed on the external apparatus for controlling the recording and/or reproduction section in accordance with the operation information.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Seiji Ohbi