Method and apparatus for discriminating type of disks positioned on a CD player

Claim 2

A determination method for determining whether or not a disk, positioned for playback in a CD player, is a partially recorded CD in which recording or formatting have not been finalized, said method comprising the steps of: searching for a lead-in area of the disk using a pickup of the CD player to scan across a surface of the disk a predetermined number of times; in response to said searching step, interpreting a predetermined number of runaways of a servo system of the CD player as an affirmative detection of a mirror-finished portion of the disk; and determining from the affirmative detection of the mirror-finished portion that the disk is a partially-recorded CD.

Claim 3

The determination method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said searching step comprises three scans across the surface of the disk; and said interpreting step comprises counting runaways of the servo system in response to said searching step, and interpreting a count of three runaways of the servo system as the affirmative detection of the mirror-finished portion of the disk.

Claim 4

A determination method for determining which type of disk is positioned for playback in a CD player, wherein the disk types include a recordable CD and a pre-recorded disk, said method comprising the steps of: searching for a lead-in area of the disk using a pickup of the CD player to scan across a surface of the disk a predetermined number of times; in response to said searching step, counting runaways of a servo system of the CD player, and comparing the counted runaways to a predetermined number of runaways, wherein a first comparison result constitutes an affirmative detection of a mirror-finished portion of the disk, and a second comparison result constitutes a failure to detect the mirror-finished portion of the disk; determining from the affirmative detection of the mirror-finished portion that the disk is a recordable CD; in response to the failure to detect the mirror-finished portion, conducting, for a first predetermined period of time, a further search for the lead-in area of the disk using the pickup of the CD player; if, in said conducting step, the lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk; if, in said conducting step, no lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined period of time, performing, for a second predetermined period of time, a reading step to read table of contents information from the disk; if, in said reading step, the table of contents information is successfully read during the second predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk; and if, in said reading step, no table of contents information is read during the second predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a recordable CD.

Claim 5

A determination method for determining which type of disk is positioned for playback in a CD player, wherein the disk types include a recordable CD and a pre-recorded disk, said method comprising the steps of: searching for a lead-in area of the disk using a pickup of the CD player to scan across a surface of the disk a predetermined number of times; in response to said searching step, counting runaways of a servo system of the CD player, and comparing the counted runaways to a predetermined number of runaways, wherein a first comparison result constitutes an affirmative detection of a mirror-finished portion of the disk, and a second comparison result constitutes a failure to detect the mirror-finished portion of the disk; determining from the affirmative detection of the mirror-finished portion that the disk is a recordable CD; in response to the failure to detect the mirror-finished portion, conducting, for a first predetermined period of time, a further search for the lead-in area of the disk using the pickup of the CD player; if, in said conducting step, the lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk; if, in said conducting step, no lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined period of time, performing, for a second predetermined period of time, a reading step to read table of contents information from the disk; if, in said reading step, the table of contents information is successfully read during the second predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk; and if, in said reading step, no table of contents information is read during the second predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a recordable CD.

Claim 6

The determination method according to claim 3, wherein said step of determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk if the lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined period of time comprises the steps of: performing, for a third predetermined period of time, a further reading step to read table of contents information from the disk; if, in said further reading step, the table of contents information is successfully read during the third predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk with table of contents information; and if, in said further reading step, no table of contents information is read during the third predetermined period of time, determining that the disk is a pre-recorded disk without table of contents information.

Claim 7

The determination method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of: storing information representative of the type of disk determined as disk discrimination information; and controlling playback of the disk based on the stored disk discrimination information.

Claim 8

A CD player capable of discriminating between recordable and pre-recorded CDs, comprising: a carriage provided with a pickup for reading a disk positioned for playback in the CD player; a servo unit connected to said carriage over a signal path, for driving said carriage; a system controller connected to said carriage and said servo unit over respective signal paths in a feedback arrangement, wherein said system controller outputs output signals to said servo unit and receives input signals from said carriage; wherein said system controller a) controls said servo unit, via first ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across a surface of the disk a predetermined number of times and to search for a lead-in area of the disk; b) counts runaways of said servo system via first ones of the input signals; c) compares the counted runaways to a predetermined number of runaways stored in said system controller; d) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a recordable CD if the comparison yields a first comparison result; e) controls said servo unit, via second ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across the surface of the disk for a first predetermined amount of time and to search again for the lead-in area of the disk if the comparison yields a second comparison result; f) receives second ones of the input signals indicating whether or not the lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined amount of time; g) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a pre-recorded CD if the lead-in area is detected within the first predetermined amount of time; h) controls said servo unit, via third ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across the surface of the disk for a second predetermined amount of time and to read for table of contents information stored on the disk if the lead-in area fails to be detected within the first predetermined amount of time; i) receives third ones of the input signals indicating whether or not the table of contents information is detected during the second predetermined amount of time; j) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a pre-recorded CD if the table of contents information is detected within the second predetermined amount of time; and k) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a recordable CD if the table of contents information fails to be detected within the second predetermined amount of time.

Claim 9

A CD player capable of discriminating between recordable and pre-recorded CDs, comprising: a carriage provided with a pickup for reading a disk positioned for playback in the CD player; a servo unit connected to said carriage over a signal path, for driving said carriage; a system controller connected to said carriage and said servo unit over respective signal paths in a feedback arrangement, wherein said system controller outputs output signals to said servo unit and receives input signals from said carriage; wherein said system controller a) controls said servo unit, via first ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across a surface of the disk a predetermined number of times and to search for a lead-in area of the disk; b) counts runaways of said servo system via first ones of the input signals; c) compares the counted runaways to a predetermined number of runaways stored in said system controller; d) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a recordable CD if the comparison yields a first comparison result; e) controls said servo unit, via second ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across the surface of the disk for a first predetermined amount of time and to search again for the lead-in area of the disk if the comparison yields a second comparison result; f) receives second ones of the input signals indicating whether or not the lead-in area is detected during the first predetermined amount of time; g) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a pre-recorded CD if the lead-in area is detected within the first predetermined amount of time; h) controls said servo unit, via third ones of the output signals, to move said carriage and pickup across the surface of the disk for a second predetermined amount of time and to read for table of contents information stored on the disk if the lead-in area fails to be detected within the first predetermined amount of time; i) receives third ones of the input signals indicating whether or not the table of contents information is detected during the second predetermined amount of time; j) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a pre-recorded CD if the table of contents information is detected within the second predetermined amount of time; and k) stores disk discrimination information identifying the disk as a recordable CD if the table of contents information fails to be detected within the second predetermined amount of time.