Method and apparatus for recording MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data on a disk

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of recording data on an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, said method comprising the steps of: providing user information including MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data for recording in a plurality of sectors in user tracks; providing table of contents (TOC) information for recording in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track, said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors, each identifying a start sector of a respective user track; encoding both said user information including MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data and said TOC information in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols; modulating the encoded user and TOC information; recording the modulated, encoded TOC information as embossed pits in said at least one TOC track in said lead-in area; and recording the modulated, encoded user information as embossed pits in said user tracks in said program area with a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of said steps of recording is operative to record said embossed pits with a linear density in the range between 0.237 .mu.m per bit and 0.378 .mu.m per bit.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recording at least one additional TOC region containing duplicate TOC information in said lead-in area.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recording application table of contents (ATOC) information in an application TOC region in said program area identifying predetermined parameters of the MPEG-compressed video data and the compressed audio data recorded in respective user tracks.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the MPEG-compressed video data is provided in a selected one of plural video compression formats, and the compressed audio data is provided in a selected one of plural audio formats, and said step of recording ATOC information includes recording plural format identifier data for identifying the video compression and audio formats recorded in each user track.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of recording a parameter section in said application TOC region containing a plurality of parameter fields, each parameter field containing a format ID code identifying one of a video compression format or an audio format, and recording plural track sections in said application TOC region, each track section being associated with a respective user track and recording in each track section at least one parameter field pointer to designate the parameter field containing the format ID code which identifies the video compression format or audio format of the user information recorded in the associated user track.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein plural parameter field pointers are recorded in at least one track section in said application TOC region to designate a corresponding number of parameter fields, thereby identifying the video compression format and the audio format of the user information recorded in the user track associated with said track section.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of recording application table of contents (ATOC) information in an application TOC region in said program area identifying as entry points particular sectors in each user track that contain a selected type of MPEG-compressed video data.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said MPEG-compressed video data is selectively comprised of intraframe encoded picture data or predictively encoded picture data; and said ATOC information identifies entry point sectors in each user track containing intraframe encoded picture data.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of recording in an entry point section a plurality of entry point fields of said application TOC region, each entry point field having recorded therein a sector address representing a sector in a user track containing a beginning portion of intraframe encoded picture data, and recording plural track sections in said application TOC region, each being associated with a respective user track and each having recorded therein at least one entry point field pointer to identify the entry point field containing the sector address which represents the sector in which said beginning portion of intraframe encoded picture data is recorded.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of recording in said application TOC region data representing the number of entry point sectors recorded on said disk.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of recording said MPEG-compressed video data and said compressed audio data as chapters of user information; and recording a plurality of chapter sections in an application TOC region, having recorded therein information representing respective chapter identification, predetermined parameters of the MPEG-compressed video data and the compressed audio data recorded in said respective chapter, and entry point data identifying entry point sectors in said respective chapter in which selected MPEG-compressed video data are recorded.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of recording in said application TOC region a chapter name section containing a plurality of name fields; and recording in a chapter section, as information representing chapter identification, at least one name pointer to identify a name field in which the name of said respective chapter is recorded.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said information in a chapter section representing chapter identification includes track number data for identifying the user track in which said respective chapter is recorded.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said information in a chapter section representing chapter identification further includes chapter number data for identifying the number of said respective chapter.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein said information in a chapter section representing chapter identification includes category data for identifying a category type of said respective chapter.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each sector in at least said user tracks includes a sector header at a leading portion thereof; and said step of recording user information includes recording in said sector header, a sector sync pattern, a sector address, an error detection code, and subcode data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said subcode data in a given sector includes a subcode identifier and subcode information of a type identified by said subcode identifier.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said subcode identifier is a subcode address.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said user information is picture information representing a respective picture; and said step of recording comprises recording said picture information in at least one sector in said user tracks, and recording as subcode information first distance information representing the distance from said given sector to the sector in which picture information representing a next preceding picture is recorded and second distance information representing the distance from said given sector to the sector in which picture information representing a next following picture is recorded.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of encoding said user information comprises compressing a predetermined display sequence of picture data in accordance with a selected one of different compression-encoding techniques and said subcode information includes type identifying information for identifying the type of compression-encoding technique that is used to compress the data recorded in said given sector and sequence information for identifying the location in said display sequence of the picture represented by the compressed picture data that is recorded in said given sector.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said user information is variable over time, and said subcode information includes time code data representing time information at which said user information is recorded.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said TOC information is representative of record/playback characteristics, diameter, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said optical disk.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of recording said TOC information includes the steps of recording TOC identification data for identifying a location of said at least one TOC track, recording a data configuration of said at least one TOC track, and recording a sector configuration of each of said plurality of sectors.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said TOC information includes data representative of disk size.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said TOC information includes data representative of a time code associated with said user information.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said user information is reproducible at a selected one of plural playback speeds; and said step of recording said TOC information includes the step of recording data representative of said selected playback speed.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of encoding information in said long distance error correction code is comprised of receiving said user and TOC information as input data; inserting C2 and C1 hold sections at predetermined locations in said input data and thereby forming preliminary C1 words comprised of plural data symbols; generating C2 parity symbols in response to a predetermined number of data symbols of the same number of preliminary C1 words and replacing a C2 hold section in a preliminary C1 word with said C2 parity symbols to form a precursory C1 word, generating C1 parity symbols in response to a precursory C1 word and inserting said C1 parity symbols into a C1 hold section to form a C1 code word, and using a pre-established number of said C1 code words as said long distance error correction encoded data.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein said step of recording comprises recording the symbols of the C1 code words in a symbol sequence different from the symbol sequence of said preliminary C1 words.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein a preliminary C1 code word is comprised of odd and even symbols and wherein said step of recording records the odd symbols together in an odd group and records the even symbols together in an even group.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein each C1 code word is formed of m symbols including m-n C1 parity symbols, where m and n are integers; and wherein:

k=m.times.i+2.times.j-m, when j<m/2

k=m.times.i+2.times.j-(m-1), when j>m/2,

where i is the sequential order of the preliminary C1 words of input data, j is the sequential order of the m symbols in each preliminary C1 code word, and k is the order in which the m symbols are recorded on the disk.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of encoding comprises encoding said user and TOC information in a convolution code.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of modulating comprises supplying said TOC and user information as n-bit bytes, reading from a selected one of plural storage tables a 2n-bit symbol in response to a supplied n-bit byte, and selecting said one storage table as a function of the preceding 2n-bit symbol that had been read.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein successive 2n-bit symbols are run length limited.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein different 2n-bit symbols are stored respectively in at least two of said storage tables for the same n-bit byte.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the 2n-bit symbols stored in a first of said two storage tables exhibit positive digital sum value (DSV) and the 2n-bit symbols stored in a second of said two storage tables exhibit negative DSV.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the step of selecting said one storage table is determined as a function of the number of "0" bits in which the preceding 2n-bit symbol terminates and accumulated DSV of a predetermined number of preceding 2n-bit symbols.

38. Apparatus for recording data on an optical disk having a diameter less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm and a recording area divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out area, said apparatus comprising: input means for providing user information including MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data for recording in a plurality of sectors in user tracks and table of contents (TOC) information for recording in a plurality of sectors in at least one TOC track, said TOC information including addresses of respective start sectors, each identifying a start sector of a respective user track; encoding means for encoding both said user information including MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data and said TOC information in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols; modulator means for modulating the encoded user and TOC information; and recording means for recording the modulated, encoded TOC information as embossed pits in said at least one TOC track in said lead-in area and for recording the modulated, encoded user information as embossed pits in said user tracks in said program area with a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said recording means is operative to record said embossed pits with a linear density in the range between 0.237 .mu.m per bit and 0.378 .mu.m per bit.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said recording means is operative to record at least one additional TOC region containing duplicate TOC information in said lead-in area.

41. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said input means further provides application table of contents (ATOC) information identifying predetermined parameters of the MPEG-compressed video data and the compressed audio data recorded in respective user tracks, and said recording means is further operative to record said ATOC information in an application TOC region in said program area.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the MPEG-compressed video data is provided in a selected one of plural video compression formats, and the compressed audio data is provided in a selected one of plural audio formats, and said ATOC information provided by said input means includes plural format identifier data for identifying the video compression and audio formats recorded in each user track.

43. The apparatus of claim 42 wherein said recording means is operative to record a parameter section in said application TOC region containing a plurality of parameter fields, each parameter field containing a format ID code identifying one of a video compression format or an audio format, and said input means further provides plural track sections for recording by said recording means in said application TOC region, each track section being associated with a respective user track and each track section containing at least one parameter field pointer to designate the parameter field containing the format ID code which identifies the video compression format or audio format of the user information recorded in the associated user track.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein said recording means records plural parameter field pointers in at least one track section in said application TOC region to designate a corresponding member of parameter fields, thereby identifying the video compression format and the audio format of the user information recorded in the user track associated with said track section.

45. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said input means further provides application table of contents (ATOC) information identifying as entry points particular sectors in each user track that contain a selected type of MPEG-compressed video data, and said recording means is further operative to record said ATOC information in an application TOC region in said program area.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein said MPEG-compressed video data is selectively comprised of intraframe encoded picture data or predictively encoded picture data; and said ATOC information identifies entry point sectors in each user track containing intraframe encoded picture data.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein said recording means is further operative to record a plurality of entry point fields in an entry point section of said application TOC region, and to record plural track sections in said application TOC region, each track section being associated with a respective user track, and said input means is operative to provide each entry point field with a sector address representing a sector in a user track containing a beginning portion of intraframe encoded picture data, and to provide at least one entry point field pointer for recording in a track section to identify the entry point field containing the sector address which represents the sector in which said beginning portion of intraframe encoded picture data is recorded.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 wherein said input means further provides data representing the number of entry point sectors recorded on said disk and said recording means is operative to record said data in said application TOC region.

49. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said recording means records said MPEG-compressed video data and said compressed audio data as chapters of user information and is operative to record a plurality of chapter sections in an application TOC region; and said input means provides for recording in said application TOC region information representing respective chapter identification, predetermined parameters of the MPEG-compressed video data and the compressed audio data recorded in said respective chapter, and entry point data identifying entry point sectors in said respective chapter in which selected MPEG-compressed video data are recorded.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said recording means is further operative to record in said application TOC region a chapter name section containing a plurality of name fields; and said input means is operative to provide for recording in a chapter section, as information representing chapter identification, at least one name pointer to identify a name field in which the name of said respective chapter is recorded.

51. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said input means further provides, as said information representing chapter identification, track number data for identifying the user track in which said respective chapter is recorded.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein said input means further provides chapter number data for identifying the number of said respective chapter.

53. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein said input means provides, as said information representing chapter identification, category data for identifying a category type of said respective chapter.

54. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein each sector in at least said user tracks includes a sector header at a leading portion thereof; and said recording means is operative to record in said sector header, a sector sync pattern, a sector address, an error detection code, and subcode data.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 wherein said subcode data in a given sector includes a subcode identifier and subcode information of a type identified by said subcode identifier.

56. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said subcode identifier is a subcode address.

57. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said user information is picture information representing a respective picture; and said recording means is operative to record said picture information in at least one sector in said user tracks, and to record as subcode information first distance information representing the distance from said given sector to the sector in which picture information representing a next preceding picture is recorded and second distance information representing the distance from said given sector to the sector in which picture information representing a next following picture is recorded.

58. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said encoding means comprises means for compressing a predetermined display sequence of picture data in accordance with a selected one of different compression-encoding techniques, and said subcode information includes type identifying information for identifying the type of compression-encoding technique that is used to compress the data recorded in said given sector and sequence information for identifying the location in said display sequence of the picture represented by the compressed picture data that is recorded in said given sector.

59. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein said user information is variable over time, and said subcode information includes time code data representing time information at which said user information is recorded.

60. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said TOC information is representative of record/playback characteristics, diameter, recording capacity and number of record tracks of said optical disk.

61. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said TOC information includes TOC identification data for identifying a location of said at least one TOC track and configuration data for identifying a data configuration of said at least one TOC track and a sector configuration of each of said plurality of sectors.

62. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said TOC information includes data representative of disk size.

63. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said TOC information includes data representative of a time code associated with said user information.

64. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said user information is reproducible at a selected one of plural playback speeds; and said TOC information includes data representative of said selected playback speed.

65. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said encoding means is comprised of means for receiving said user and TOC information as input data; means for inserting C2 and C1 hold sections at predetermined locations in said input data to thereby form preliminary C1 words comprised of plural data symbols; means for generating C2 parity symbols in response to a predetermined number of data symbols of the same number of preliminary C1 words; means for replacing a C2 hold section in a preliminary C1 word with said C2 parity symbols to form a precursory C1 word; means for generating C1 parity symbols in response to a precursory C1 word; and means for inserting said C1 parity symbols into a C1 hold section to form a C1 code word, with a pre-established number of said C1 code words constituting said long distance error correction encoded data.

66. The apparatus of claim 65 wherein said recording means further includes means for recording the symbols of the C1 code words in a symbol sequence different from the symbol sequence of said preliminary C1 words.

67. The apparatus of claim 66 wherein a preliminary C1 code word is comprised of odd and even symbols and wherein said means for recording is operative to record the odd symbols together in an odd group and the even symbols together in an even group.

68. The apparatus of claim 67 wherein each C1 code word is formed of m symbols including m-n C1 parity symbols, where m and n are integers; and wherein:

k=m.times.i+2.times.j-m, when j<m/2

k=m.times.i+2.times.j-(m-1), when j>m/2,

where i is the sequential order of the preliminary C1 words of input data, j is the sequential order of the m symbols in each preliminary C1 code word, and k is the order in which the m symbols are recorded on the disk.

69. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said encoding comprises a convolution code encoder.

70. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein said modulator means comprises an n-to-2n modulator in which said TOC and user information are supplied as n-bit bytes, including plural storage tables, each for storing 2n-bit symbols corresponding to respective n-bit bytes; means for reading from a selected one storage table a 2n-bit symbol in response to a supplied n-bit byte; and means for selecting said storage table as a function of the preceding 2n-bit symbol that had been read.

71. The apparatus of claim 70, wherein successive 2n-bit symbols are run length limited.

72. The apparatus of claim 71 wherein at least two of said storage tables store different 2n-bit symbols for the same n-bit byte.

73. The apparatus of claim 72 wherein the 2n-bit symbols stored in a first of said two storage tables exhibit positive digital sum value (DSV) and the 2n-bit symbols stored in a second of said two storage tables exhibit negative DSV.

74. The apparatus of claim 73 wherein said means for selecting said one storage table includes means for sensing the number of "0" bits in which the preceding 2n-bit symbol terminates, means for determining the accumulated DSV of a predetermined number of preceding 2n-bit symbols and means for selecting the storage table as a function of the sensed number of "0" bits and the accumulated DSV.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a novel optical disk and, more particularly, to that disk, -to a method of recording and reading information on the disk and to apparatus for carrying out that method.

Optical disks have been used as mass storage devices for computer applications, and such optical disks are known as CD-ROMs. The disk which is used as the CD-ROM is modeled after the standard compact disk (CD) that has been developed for audio applications and is basically an audio CD with various improvements and refinements particularly adapted for computer applications. Using such a CD as a standard, the CD-ROM has a data storage capacity of about 600 Mbytes. By using audio CD technology as its basis, the, CD-ROM and its disk drive have become relatively inexpensive and are quite popular.

However, since conventional audio CDs with their inherent format and storage capacity have been adapted for CD-ROMS, it has heretofore been difficult to improve the data storage capacity. In typical computer applications, a capacity of 600 Mbytes has been found to be insufficient.

Also, the data transfer rate that can be obtained from audio CDs generally is less than 1.4 Mbits/sec (Mbps). However, computer applications generally require a transfer rate far in excess of 1.4 Mbps; but it is difficult to attain a faster transfer rate with conventional CD-ROMS.

Yet another disadvantage associated with conventional CD-ROMs, and which is due to the fact that the audio CD format has been adapted for computer applications, is the relatively long access time associated with accessing a particular location on the disk. Typically, relatively long strings of data are read from audio CDs, whereas computer applications often require accessing an arbitrary location to read a relatively small amount of data therefrom. For example, accessing a particular sector may take too much time for the CD controller to identify which sector is being read by the optical pick-up.

A still further difficulty associated with CD-ROMs, and which also is attributed to the fact that such CD-ROMs are based upon audio CD technology, is the error correcting ability thereof. When audio data is reproduced from an audio CD, errors that cannot be corrected nevertheless can be concealed by using interpolation based upon the high correlation of the audio information that is played back. However, in computer applications, interpolation often cannot be used to conceal errors because of the low correlation of such data. Hence, the data that is recorded on a CD-ROM must be encoded and modulated in a form exhibiting high error correcting ability. Heretofore, data has been recorded on a CD-ROM in a conventional cross interleave Reed-Solomon code (CIRC) plus a so-called block completion error correction code. However, the block completion code generally takes a relatively long amount of time to decode the data, and more importantly, its error correction ability is believed to be insufficient in the event that multiple errors are present in a block. Since two error correction code (ECC) techniques are used for a CD-ROM, whereas only one ECC technique is used for an audio CD (namely, the CIRC technique), a greater amount of non-data information must be recorded on the CD-ROM to effect such error correction, and this non-data information is referred to as "redundant" data. In an attempt to improve the error correction ability of a CD-ROM, the amount of redundancy that must be recorded is substantially increased.

Also, it is desirable to provide a standardized optical disk with the additional capability of having digital video information recorded thereon in a data-compressed format, such as MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data (or PCM audio data) that can be used as a digital video disk (DVD). But there currently are different MPEG compression techniques, or formats, available and more may be developed in the future. It is difficult to play back a video program from a DVD if the MPEG format that had been used to record that video program is not readily determined; and this problem is compounded if one DVD has recorded thereon different video programs exhibiting different MPEG formats as well as different audio formats.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Therefor, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved optical disk having particular use as a DVD or CD-ROM which overcomes the aforenoted difficulties and disadvantages associated with CD-ROMs for which similar uses have been attempted heretofore.

Another object of this invention is to provide an optical disk which exhibits a higher access speed, thereby permitting quick access of arbitrary locations, such as sectors, to be accessed quickly.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved optical disk having a higher transfer rate than the transfer rate associated with CD-ROMs heretofore used.

A further object of this invention is to improve the accessibility of different segments of video information, such as chapters, recorded on an optical disk, thereby making it more advantageous for use as a CD-ROM or as a DVD.

An additional object is to provide an improved optical disk which stores data with reduced redundancy.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved recording format for an optical disk which enhances the ability to identify and access the video information recorded thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide an optical disk having a substantially improved recording density, thereby facilitating use of the disk as a CD-ROM or a DVD.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved optical disk having video and audio data recorded in chapters, with each chapter being uniquely identified for quick access thereto and with the particular format of the recorded data being identified to permit compatible data recovery.

Various other objects, advantageous and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the ensuing detailed description, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention, an optical disk, a method and apparatus for recording that disk and a method and apparatus for reading data from that disk are provided. The disk has a diameter of less than 140 mm, a thickness of 1.2 mm.+-.0.1 mm, and a plurality of record tracks exhibiting a track pitch in the range between 0.646 .mu.m and 1.05 .mu.m with data recorded in those tracks as embossed pits. The tracks are divided into a lead-in area, a program area and a lead-out are, with table of content (TOC) information being recorded in at least one TOC track in the lead-in area and user information recorded in a plurality of user tracks in the program area. The user data preferably comprises MPEG-compressed video data and compressed audio data, encoded in any one of different MPEG formats and audio formats (such as PCM audio), and, advantageously, each track contains a chapter of user information. Application table of contents (ATOC) information is recorded in the program area to identify various parameters of the chapters of user information for accessing and using that information. The data (TOC, ATOC and user information) is encoded in a long distance error correction code having at least eight parity symbols, the encoded data being modulated and recorded on the disk. Preferably, the data is modulated as run length limited (RLL) data.

In the preferred embodiment, the data is recorded with a linear density in the range between 0.237 .mu.m per bit and 0.378 .mu.m per bit.

As one aspect of this invention, the ATOC information comprises fields of chapter data, each field being associated with a respective chapter and including information used to identify the location of that chapter, its name, the different formats of MPEG and audio compression exhibited by the video and audio data recorded in that chapter, and the locations in that chapter at which representative video pictures (useful for quick display) are recorded.

The error correction code used with the present invention preferably is a long distance code having at least eight parity symbols. ECC techniques which have been used heretofore have relied upon so-called short distance codes in which a block of data is divided into two sub-blocks, each sub-block being associated with a number of parity symbols, such as 4 parity symbols. It is known, however, that 4 parity symbols may be used to correct 4 data symbols, and if 4 data symbols in each sub-block are erroneous, the total number of 8 erroneous data symbols can be corrected. But, if one sub-block contains 5 erroneous data symbols, whereas the other sub-block contains 3 erroneous data symbols, use of the short distance code may be effective to correct only 4 data symbols in the one sub-block, thus permitting a total error correction of 7 data symbols. But, in the long distance code, the block of data is not sub-divided; and as a result, all 8 erroneous data symbols, if present in the long distance coded data, can be corrected.

As another feature, the RLL code that is used preferably converts 8 bits of input data into 16 bits of data for recording (referred to as 16 channel bits) with no margin bits provided between successive 16-bit symbols. In RLL codes used heretofore, 8 data bits are converted into 14 channel bits and three margin bits are inserted between successive 14-bit symbols. Thus, the present invention achieves a reduction in redundancy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following detailed description, given by way of example and not intended to limit the present invention solely thereto, will best understood in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the preferred technique by which optical disks are made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of apparatus incorporated in the present invention for reproducing data from the optical disk that has been made in accordance with the technique+shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the recording areas for the disk made by the technique shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic representations showing the recording areas of FIG. 3 in greater detail;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of another format of the recording areas;

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of still another format of the recording areas;

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of yet another format of the recording areas;

FIG. 8 is a tabular representation of a portion of the information recorded in the TOC region of the disk;

FIG. 9 is a tabular representation of another portion of the data recorded in the TOC region;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic representations of a sector of data recorded on the disk;

FIGS. 11A-11E are tabular representations of different types of subcode data that may be recorded in a sector;

FIG. 12 is a tabular representation of copyright data that may be recorded as subcode information in a sector;

FIG. 13 is a tabular representation of application ID information that may be recorded as the subcode information in a sector;

FIG. 14 is a tabular representation of time-code data that may be recorded as the subcode information in a sector;

FIG. 15 is a tabular representation of picture-type data that may be recorded as the subcode information in a sector;

FIG. 16 is a tabular representation of ECC type data that may be included in the TOC information recorded in the TOC regions;

FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of one frame of error correction encoded data, identified as a C1 code word;

FIG. 18 is a schematic representation of the long distance error correction code format used with the present inventio