Method and apparatus for recording digital data by controlling the location of the edge of recording pits through modulation of a laser

Claim 3

The method for recording digital data according to claim 1, wherein: the recording pit comprises a bias pit part having a definite length and a modulation pit part added to both the front end and the rear end of the bias pit part; and a distance between the centers of the bias pit part in each recording pit is equal.

Claim 4

The method for recording digital data according to claim 1, wherein the recording signal is generated so as to have a pulse width shorter than that of the modulation-signal in terms of time.

Claim 7

The method for recording digital data according to claim 1, wherein: the recording medium comprises a servo area being previously recorded control data used for recording user data and a data area being recorded with the user data.

Claim 8

The method for recording digital data according to claim 5, wherein: the servo area is an area where a plurality of education pit representing all the combinations that either the front end edge or the rear end edge in the recording pit may have is previously recorded.

Claim 9

A digital data recording apparatus, comprising: means for generating a recording basic clock synchronized with a reference clock pit previously recorded on a phase-change optical recording medium, and having the same frequency as a basic clock of user data that is to be recorded; means for dividing the user data to be recorded into a predetermined unit, shifting the timing of an edge of the recording basic clock by an amount corresponding to the predetermined unit of user data and thus generating a modulation signal; means for generating a recording signal for controlling laser beam irradiation, the recording signal being synchronized with the modulation signal; and means for recording the user data on the phase-change optical recording medium by irradiating laser beam modulated in accordance with the recording signal to the phase-change optical recording medium so as to form a recording pit, wherein a location of an edge of the recording pit is determined by the modulation of the laser beam.

Claim 10

A digital data recording apparatus, comprising: means for generating a recording basic clock synchronized with a reference clock pit previously recorded on a phase-change optical recording medium, and having the same frequency as a basic clock of user data that is to be recorded; means for dividing the user data to be recorded into a predetermined unit, shifting the timing of an edge of the recording basic clock by an amount corresponding to the predetermined unit of user data and thus generating a modulation signal; means for generating a recording signal for controlling laser beam irradiation, the recording signal being synchronized with the modulation signal; and means for recording the user data on the phase-change optical recording medium by irradiating laser beam modulated in accordance with the recording signal to the phase-change optical recording medium so as to form a recording pit, wherein a location of an edge of the recording pit is determined by the modulation of the laser beam.

Claim 11

A digital data recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising: means for generating a recording basic clock synchronized with a reference clock pit previously recorded on a phase-change optical recording medium, and having the same frequency as a basic clock of user data that is to be recorded; means for dividing the user data to be recorded into a predetermined unit, shifting the timing of an edge of the recording basic clock by an amount corresponding to the predetermined unit of user data and thus generating a modulation signal; means for generating a recording signal for controlling laser beam irradiation, the recording signal being synchronized with the modulation signal; means for recording the user data on the phase-change optical recording medium by irradiating laser beam modulated in accordance with the recording signal to the phase-change optical recording medium so as to form a recording pit, wherein a location of an edge of the recording pit is determined by modulation of the laser beam; means for reading data from the phase-change optical recording medium in which the user data is recorded, and generating a reproducing signal; means for detecting an amount of shift in the location of the edge of the recording pit from the reproducing signal; and means for decoding the user data from the amount of shift.

Claim 12

A digital data recording/reproducing apparatus, comprising: means for generating a recording basic clock synchronized with a reference clock pit previously recorded on a phase-change optical recording medium, and having the same frequency as a basic clock of user data that is to be recorded; means for dividing the user data to be recorded into a predetermined unit, shifting the timing of an edge of the recording basic clock by an amount corresponding to the predetermined unit of user data and thus generating a modulation signal; means for generating a recording signal for controlling laser beam irradiation, the recording signal being synchronized with the modulation signal; means for recording the user data on the phase-change optical recording medium by irradiating laser beam modulated in accordance with the recording signal to the phase-change optical recording medium so as to form a recording pit, wherein a location of an edge of the recording pit is determined by modulation of the laser beam; means for reading data from the phase-change optical recording medium in which the user data is recorded, and generating a reproducing signal; means for detecting an amount of shift in the location of the edge of the recording pit from the reproducing signal; and means for decoding the user data from the amount of shift.

Claim 13

A digital data recording apparatus for recording digital data on a phase-change recording medium, the apparatus comprising: a laser for forming pits on the recording medium; generation means for generating a recording signal so that the location of edges in the recording signal relative to the location of edges in a recording basic clock represent user data to be recorded on the recording medium; and means for controlling the laser to form pits on the recording medium modulated according to the recording signal, so that locations of edges of the pits correspond to the user data.

Claim 14

A digital data recording apparatus for recording digital data on a phase-change recording medium, the apparatus comprising: a laser for forming pits on the recording medium; generation means for generating a recording signal so that the location of edges in the recording signal relative to the location of edges in a recording basic clock represent user data to be recorded on the recording medium; and means for controlling the laser to form pits on the recording medium modulated according to the recording signal, so that locations of edges of the pits correspond to the user data.