Information recording media, optical disc and playback system

Claim 2

An information recording medium which has a record surface, and which records information in terms of pit patterns formed on a plurality of tracks of the record surface and corresponding to data to-be-recorded; comprising: at least two areas which are provided on said record surface, and in which at least two sorts of pit patterns corresponding to either of at least two sorts of data and data patterns, and exhibiting average optical reflectances different from each other to a visually perceptible extent are concentratedly formed, respectively, in order that either of a character pattern or a graphic pattern having a visible size may be presented in a pattern displaying area provided on said record surface, wherein either of said character pattern or said graphic pattern is visible on the basis of the difference between said average optical reflectances.

Claim 3

An information recording medium as defined in claim 1, wherein said either of said character pattern or said graphic pattern is a member selected from the group consisting of a pattern which expresses a content of a copyright concerning the information recorded on said information recording medium, a trademark which is given to either of said information recording medium and the data recorded thereon, and a pattern which expresses a content of any other right concerning either of said information recording medium or said data recorded thereon.

Claim 4

An information recording medium as defined in claim 2, wherein said either of said character pattern or said graphic pattern is a member selected from the group consisting of a pattern which expresses a content of a copyright concerning the information recorded on said information recording medium, a trademark which is given to either of said information recording medium or the data recorded thereon, and a pattern which expresses a content of any other right concerning either of said information recording medium or said data recorded thereon.

Claim 5

An optical disc which has a record surface, and which records information in terms of pit patterns formed on a plurality of tracks of the record surface and corresponding to data to-be-recorded; comprising: at least one area which is provided on said record surface, and in which a specified pit pattern corresponding to either of specified data or a specified data pattern is concentratedly formed in order that either of a character pattern or a graphic pattern having a visible size may be presented in a pattern displaying area provided on said record surface; an average optical reflectance of said specified pit pattern differing from that of surroundings of said at least one area to a visually perceptible extent, wherein either of said character pattern and said graphic pattern is visible on the basis of a difference between said average optical reflectances.

Claim 6

An optical disc which has a record surface, and which records information in terms of pit patterns formed on a plurality of tracks of the record surface and corresponding to data to-be-recorded; comprising: at least two areas which are provided on said record surface, and in which at least two sorts of pit patterns corresponding to either of at least two sorts of data and data patterns and exhibiting average optical reflectances different from each other to a visually perceptible extent are concentratedly formed, respectively, in order that either of a character pattern or a graphic pattern having a visible size may be presented in a pattern displaying area provided on said record surface, wherein either of said character pattern or said graphic pattern is visible on the basis of the difference between said average optical reflectances.

Claim 7

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein said either of said character pattern or said graphic pattern is a member selected from the group consisting of a pattern which expresses a content of a copyright concerning the information recorded on said optical disc, a trademark which is given to either of said optical disc or the data recorded thereon, and a pattern which expresses a content of any other right concerning either of said optical disc or said data recorded thereon.

Claim 8

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein all the pit patterns formed in said record surface of said optical disc, including said pit patterns formed in said pattern displaying area, are formed in accordance with a CLV (constant linear velocity) system in which a tracking linear velocity of said tracks is held constant.

Claim 9

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein said pit patterns formed in said pattern displaying area are formed in accordance with a CAV (constant angular velocity) system in which a rotational velocity of said optical disc is held constant, and the pit patterns formed in any areas of said record surface except said pattern displaying area are formed in accordance with a CLV (constant linear velocity) system in which a tracking linear velocity of said tracks is held constant.

Claim 10

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein said pit patterns formed in said pattern displaying area are formed in accordance with a CLV (constant linear velocity) system in which a tracking linear velocity of said tracks is held constant, and the pit patterns formed in any areas of said record surface except said pattern displaying area are formed in accordance with a CAV (constant angular velocity) system in which a rotational velocity of said optical disc is held constant.

Claim 11

An optical disc as defined in claim 9, wherein: a plurality of said pattern displaying areas are provided on said record surface of said optical disc; and among the tracks included in the areas formed with the pit patterns in accordance with said CAV system, those adjoining the areas formed with the pit patterns in accordance with said CLV system have their pits formed in a unit length which is substantially equal to that of pits formed in the adjacent areas.

Claim 12

An optical disc as defined in claim 10, wherein: a plurality of said pattern displaying areas are provided on said record surface of said optical disc; and among the tracks included in the areas formed with the pit patterns in accordance with said CAV system, those adjoining the areas formed with the pit patterns in accordance with said CLV system have their pits formed in a unit length which is substantially equal to that of pits formed in the adjacent areas.

Claim 13

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein a plurality of said pattern displaying areas are provided on said record surface of said optical disc.

Claim 14

An optical disc as defined in claim 11, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of annular areas which are separated from each other.

Claim 15

An optical disc as defined in claim 12, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of annular areas which are separated from each other.

Claim 16

An optical disc as defined in claim 11, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of annular areas which adjoin in succession.

Claim 17

An optical disc as defined in claim 12, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of annular areas which adjoin in succession.

Claim 18

An optical disc as defined in claim 11, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of areas which are obtained by dividing an annular record area circumferentially of said optical disc, said annular record area being provided on said record surface of said optical disc.

Claim 19

An optical disc as defined in claim 12, wherein said plurality of pattern displaying areas are a plurality of areas which are obtained by dividing an annular record area circumferentially of said optical disc, said annular record area being provided on said record surface of said optical disc.

Claim 20

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein said pattern displaying area is provided on, at least, either of an outer peripheral side of a lead-out area which indicates an end position of a data recording area included in said record surface, or an inner peripheral side of a lead-in area which indicates a start position of said data recording area.

Claim 21

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein: said pattern displaying area is provided on an outer peripheral side of a lead-out area which indicates an end position of a data recording area included in said record surface; and a specular area in which no pits exist is interposed between said pattern displaying area and said lead-out area.

Claim 22

An optical disc as defined in claim 5, wherein: said pattern displaying area is provided on an inner peripheral side of a lead-in area which indicates a start position of a data recording area included in said record surface; and a specular area in which no pits exist is interposed between said pattern displaying area and said lead-in area.

Claim 23

A playback system for playing back an optical disc as defined in claim 5, comprising: a memory for storing therein positional information which specifies a position of said pattern displaying area of said optical disc; reproduction means for reproducing the data recorded on the mounted optical disc; control means for reproducing the data from a specified area of said record surface of said mounted optical disc through said reproduction means, said specified area being specified by said positional information stored in said memory; and reproduction inhibition means for suspending subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc on condition that the reproduction of said data from said either of said area and said areas as specified by said positional information has failed.

Claim 24

A playback system for playing back an optical disc as defined in claim 9, comprising: rotation means for rotating the mounted optical disc; an optical pickup for tracing said tracks of said optical disc and detecting said pit patterns formed on said tracks; rotation control means for controlling a rotational velocity of said rotation means so as to hold a detection frequency for said pit patterns constant; rotational velocity detection means for detecting said rotational velocity of said rotation means; a memory for storing therein positional information which specifies a position of said pattern displaying area of said optical disc; access means for accessing at least two of the tracks on an specified area of said record surface of said mounted optical disc, said specified area being specified by said positional information stored in said memory; and reproduction inhibition means for deciding if said pit patterns are formed in accordance with said CAV system in said specified area, on the basis of the rotational velocities of said rotation means during the accesses to said at least two tracks as detected by said rotational velocity detection means, and for suspending subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc on condition that said pit patterns are not formed in accordance with CAV.

Claim 25

A playback system for playing back an optical disc as defined in claim 5, comprising: a memory for storing therein positional information which specifies a position of said pattern displaying area of said optical disc, and predetermined data for collation; reproduction means for reproducing the data recorded on the mounted optical disc; control means for reproducing the data from a specified area of said record surface of said mounted optical disc through said reproduction means, said specified area being specified by said positional information stored in said memory; and reproduction inhibition means for collating the reproduced data with the collating data stored in said memory, and for suspending subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc on condition that the two data do not agree.

Claim 26

A playback system as defined in claim 23, wherein: said memory stores a predetermined password for collation therein; and said reproduction inhibition means determines the suspension of the subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc when a password stored in a predetermined area of said mounted optical disc and reproduced therefrom does not agree with the collating password stored in said memory.

Claim 27

A playback system as defined in claim 24, wherein: said memory stores a predetermined password for collation therein; and said reproduction inhibition means determines the suspension of the subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc when a password stored in a predetermined area of said mounted optical disc and reproduced therefrom does not agree with the collating password stored in said memory.

Claim 28

A playback system as defined in claim 25, wherein: said memory stores a predetermined password for collation therein; and said reproduction inhibition means determines the suspension of the subsequent playback of said mounted optical disc when a password stored in a predetermined area of said mounted optical disc and reproduced therefrom does not agree with the collating password stored in said memory.