Optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus for performing a formatting process as a background process and a method for formatting an optical disc by a background process

Abstract

An optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus can record data, which is provided in a packet having a fixed length, on an optical disc without waiting for a long time for a completion of a formatting operation. The optical disc is formatted by a formatting process performed as a background process so that another process is acceptable after a start of the formatting process. The formatting process is performed so as to fill at least a predetermined part of a recording area of said optical disc by packets having a fixed length.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention generally relates to an optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to an optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus which records information on a rewritable optical disc such as a CD-RW.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]A minimum unit for reproduction of information recorded on a recording area of a compact disc (CD), a recordable optical disc (CD-R) or a rewritable optical disc (CD-RW) is defined as a block of a recording area. Each block can contain information of about 2,048 to 2,352 bytes.[0005]A minimum unit for recording information on an optical disc such as a CD-R or a CD-RW is defined as a packet. Each packet comprises at least one user data block, five link blocks preceding the user data block and two link blocks subsequent to the user data block. The five link blocks preceding the user data block include one link block and four run-in block...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0017]It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful optical disc recording and reproducing apparatus in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.

[0019]Another object of the present invention is to provide a formatting method for formatting a rewritable optical disc without delaying a recording operation or a reproducing operation performed on the optical disc.

Problems solved by technology

However, when the above-mentioned formatting operation is performed, it takes a long time to fill the entire recording area or the designated area of the CD-RW by the packets.

Thus, there is a problem in that a recording or reproducing operation cannot be performed and completion of the formatting operation data must be waited for when the formatting operation is being performed.

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