Method of constructing and recording list of recorded data in postscript type optical disk

Claim 1

In an optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus having means for seeking to a predetermined position on a postscript type optical disk, means for reading recorded data from said disk at said predetermined position, said recorded data comprising at least the data number of a datum recorded on said disk, and means for manifesting time code data corresponding to said predetermined position, a method of recording a time table, in a memory of said optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus, said time table composed of a list of recorded data stored on said optical disk, comprising the steps of: detecting a predetermined position on said optical disk corresponding to the ending position of all data recorded on said disk; reading time code data corresponding to said ending position; calculating the starting time of the last recorded datum on said disk by subtracting the recording duration time of said last recorded data from the time code data corresponding to the said ending position; storing said calculated time value in said time table at a position corresponding to the said data number of the last recorded datum on said disk; initializing a pointer with a value derived from said data number; reading out the starting time of the data number represented by said pointer from said time table; storing, in a register, a value equal to said calculated time value reduced by a predetermined offset; seeking the predetermined location on said disk corresponding to said value stored in said register; effecting compensation for the said value stored in said register when the data number of a datum recorded on said optical disk at the position corresponding to said stored value does not correspond with the value of said pointer, so as to obtain a stored value corresponding to the position of starting of the recorded datum on said optical disk corresponding to said pointer; storing said stored value in said time table at a location corresponding to the data number represented by the value of said pointer when the data number coincides with the pointer; and repeating said seeking operation to obtain the starting time point for each datum recorded on said optical disk so as to complete said list with starting times for all data recorded on said optical disk; and recording said list in a list area of said optical disk.