US4958314A — Information recording/reproducing apparatus

Claim 1

Independent Claim 327 words

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an information storage medium having a plurality of tracks divided into a plurality of sectors of first and second types, a first type sector having a sector identification section, a read/write data section and a read-only data section, and a second type sector having a sector identification section and a read/write data section, said sector identification section of each type sector including a sector type identification flag for identification of the respective sector type and a record state identification flag for identification of record state of the respective type sector as a "not-updated" state or as an "already-updated" state; reproducing means for reproducing information from said first and second type sectors; recording means for recording information into said first and second type sectors; and control means for controlling said reproducing means in an information reproducing mode so that: (a) information is reproduced from said read-only data section of a selected said first type sector when a selected first type sector is detected as having a "not-updated" state, (b) information is reproduced from said read-only data data section of a selected second type sector when a selected first type sector is detected as having an "already-updated" state, and (c) information is reproduced from said read-only data data section of a selected second type sector when said second type sector is detected; said control means controlling said recording means in an information recording mode so as to change information in said sector identification section of a selected first type sector into information representing a "first type sector" and an "already-updated" state and to record information into said read/write data section of a selected first type sector when the information in the sector identification section thereof represents the "first type sector", and to record information into said read/write data section in a selected second type sector when the information in said sector identification section of a selected second type sector represents the "second type sector".

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 327 words

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an information storage medium having a plurality of tracks divided into a plurality of sectors of first and second types, a first type sector having a sector identification section, a read/write data section and a read-only data section, and a second type sector having a sector identification section and a read/write data section, said sector identification section of each type sector including a sector type identification flag for identification of the respective sector type and a record state identification flag for identification of record state of the respective type sector as a "not-updated" state or as an "already-updated" state; reproducing means for reproducing information from said first and second type sectors; recording means for recording information into said first and second type sectors; and control means for controlling said reproducing means in an information reproducing mode so that: (a) information is reproduced from said read-only data section of a selected said first type sector when a selected first type sector is detected as having a "not-updated" state, (b) information is reproduced from said read-only data data section of a selected second type sector when a selected first type sector is detected as having an "already-updated" state, and (c) information is reproduced from said read-only data data section of a selected second type sector when said second type sector is detected; said control means controlling said recording means in an information recording mode so as to change information in said sector identification section of a selected first type sector into information representing a "first type sector" and an "already-updated" state and to record information into said read/write data section of a selected first type sector when the information in the sector identification section thereof represents the "first type sector", and to record information into said read/write data section in a selected second type sector when the information in said sector identification section of a selected second type sector represents the "second type sector".

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 265 words

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an information storage medium having a recording material thereon, said storage medium being provided with a plurality of tracks, each divided into a plurality of sectors, said plurality of sectors including a plurality of sectors of a first type which have a read only data section having information pre-recorded therein and a read/write data section for updating data contained in said read only data section; reproducing means for reproducing sector data from information recorded on said read only data section and said read/write data section in said plurality of sectors of said first type; recording means for recording information into said read/write data section of said plurality of sectors of said first type; and control means for controlling the reproduction of information from, or the recording of information into, a selected on of said first type sectors based on whether a selected sector is in a "not-updated" state or an "already-updated" state, said control means checking a state of a selected sector and controlling said reproducing means and said recording means such that: (a) information is reproduced only from said read-only section of a selected sector if said selected sector is in a "not-updated" state, and information is reproduced from only said read/write data section, or from said read/write data section and said read only data section of said selected sector if said selected sector is in an "already-updated" state; and (b) information for updating the data in said read only data section is recorded into said read/write section of said selected sector at the time of updating the information.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 265 words

An information recording/reproducing apparatus comprising: an information storage medium having a recording material thereon, said storage medium being provided with a plurality of tracks, each divided into a plurality of sectors, said plurality of sectors including a plurality of sectors of a first type which have a read only data section having information pre-recorded therein and a read/write data section for updating data contained in said read only data section; reproducing means for reproducing sector data from information recorded on said read only data section and said read/write data section in said plurality of sectors of said first type; recording means for recording information into said read/write data section of said plurality of sectors of said first type; and control means for controlling the reproduction of information from, or the recording of information into, a selected on of said first type sectors based on whether a selected sector is in a "not-updated" state or an "already-updated" state, said control means checking a state of a selected sector and controlling said reproducing means and said recording means such that: (a) information is reproduced only from said read-only section of a selected sector if said selected sector is in a "not-updated" state, and information is reproduced from only said read/write data section, or from said read/write data section and said read only data section of said selected sector if said selected sector is in an "already-updated" state; and (b) information for updating the data in said read only data section is recorded into said read/write section of said selected sector at the time of updating the information.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 216 words

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said plurality of sectors includes a plurality of sectors or a second type which have a read/write data section and no read only data section and a sector type identification section, said sectors of the first type also having a sector type identification section, said sector type identification section of each of said first and second types of sectors containing a sector type identification flag for indicating whether a sector is of the first or second type, said apparatus further comprising: sector type identification flag detecting means for detecting the sector type identification flag; said control means including means responsive to the output of said sector type identification flag detecting means for determining whether said selected sector is of said first type or second type and in response thereto for controlling said reproducing means and said recording means such that in accordance with the type of said selected sector; (a) information is reproduced from said read-only data section of said selected sectors of said first type and information is recorded or reproduced to and from said read/write data section of said selected sector of said first type; and (b) information is recorded or reproduced to ro from said read/write data section of a selected sector of said second type.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 65 words

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the read/write section of each sector of said first type includes a record state identification flat for identifying said recording state as one of a "not-updated" state or an "already-updated" state, said apparatus further comprising: means for detecting the record state identification flag, said control means being responsive to said means for detecting the record state identification flag.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 194 words

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the read/write section of each sector of said first type includes: (a) a sector identification flag area having recorded therein the record state identification flag and (b) a substitutive sector address area having recorded therein an address indicating a sector to be read in substitution for said read only data section of said first type of sector, and wherein said control means includes means for detecting the record state identification flag and controlling said recording and reproducing means such that; (a) information is reproduced from a read only data section of a selected sector of the first type when a "not-updated" state is detected; (b) substitutive sector address is reproduced from said substitutive sector address area and information from substitute sector identified by said substitutive sector address is reproduced when an "already-updated" state is detected for a selected sector of said first type; and (c) a record state identification flag is recorded into said sector identification flag area of a selected sector of said first type and a substitutive sector address is recorded into said substitutive sector address area of a selected sector of said first type.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 165 words

An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said read/write data section of each sector of said first type includes: (a) a sector identification flag area having recorded therein a record state identification flag and (b) a substitutive data area for data substitution for said read only data section thereof, and wherein said control means includes means for detecting said record state identification flag of said first type sector and controlling said recording and reproducing means such that: (a) information is reproduced from the read only data section of a selected sector of the first type when the "not-updated" state is detected; (b) information is reproduced form the substitutive data area of a selected sector of the first type when the "already-updated" state is detected; and (c) the record state identification flag is recorded into said sector identification flag area of a selected sector of the first type and substitutive data is recorded into said substitutive data area of a selected sector of the first type.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 128 words

An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the read/write section of each sector of said first type includes a validity/invalidity identification flag for identification of validity or invalidity of the read-only data section and wherein said control means includes means for detecting said validity/invalidity identification flag in a selected sector of said first type and controlling said recording and reproducing means such that: (a) information is reproduced form the read-only data section of a selected sector of the first type when validity is detected, and is not reproduced form the read-only data section of a selected sector of the first type when invalidity is detected, and (b) the sector data validity/invalidity identification flag is recorded into the read/write data section of a selected sector of said first type.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 223 words

An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the read/write section of each sector of said first type includes a data recording area, a sector identification flag area and a substitutive sector address area, said sector identification flag area having a record state flag for identification of a record state of said substitutive sector address area as one of a "not-updated" or "already updated" state, said substitute sector address area being recorded with an address of a substitutive sector, and wherein said control means includes means for detecting said record state flag and controlling said recording and reproducing means such that: (a) data is recorded into the data recording area of said read/write data section of a selected sector of said second type, (b) information is reproduced from said data recording area of a selected sector of said second type when a "not-updated" state is detected, while information is reproduced from said substitutive sector designated by the address of said substitutive sector address area of a selected sector of the second type when an "already-updated" state is detected, and (c) a said record state flag is recorded into said sector identification flag area of a selected sector of the second type, and the address of said substitutive sector is recorded into said substitutive sector address area of a selected sector of said second type.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 162 words

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said read/write section of each sector of said second type includes a recorded data area and a sector identification flag area for storing a validity/invalidity identification flag for identification of validity or invalidity of data in said recorded data area, and wherein said control means includes means for detecting said validity/invalidity identification flag and controlling said recording and reproducing means such that: (a) information is reproduced in said recorded data area of said read/write data section of a selected sector of the second type, (b) information is reproduced from said recorded data area of a selected sector of the second type when a validity state is detected from said validity/invalidity identification flag and information is not reproduced from said recorded data area when an invalidity state is detected from said validity/invalidity identification flag, and (c) said validity/invalidity identification flag is recorded into said sector identification flag area of a selected sector of the second type.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-09-17	1994-03-19	1994-09-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-09-17	1998-03-19	1998-09-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-09-17	2002-03-19	2002-09-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Information recording/reproducing apparatus

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