HK1116911B

HK1116911B - Method of managing temporary defect list

Info

Publication number: HK1116911B
Application number: HK08111916.0A
Authority: HK
Inventors: 黄盛; 高祯完
Original assignee: 三星电子株式会社
Priority date: 2003-04-30
Filing date: 2006-04-01
Publication date: 2011-02-02

Description

Method for managing temporary defect list

The present application is a divisional application of an invention patent application having an application date of 2004, month 4 and 29, application No. 200480001415.5, entitled "method of recording and/or reproducing temporary defect list, and recording and/or reproducing apparatus".

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a write-once recording medium, and more particularly, to a method of recording a temporary defect list on a write-once recording medium, a method of reproducing a temporary defect list, an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a temporary defect list, and a write-once recording medium.

Background

Defect management involves recording data that has been recorded on a recording medium at a location where a defect is generated, on another location of the recording medium when the data cannot be normally reproduced, thereby preventing data loss caused by the generation of the defect.

Conventionally, defect management is divided into defect management using a linear replacement method and defect management using a slipping replacement method. The linear replacement method is to replace a data area where a defect is generated with a spare area of a data area where no defect is generated. The slipping replacement method does not use a data area where a defect is generated, and slips to and uses a next data area where no defect is generated.

The linear replacement and slipping replacement methods have been mainly applied to discs such as DVD-RAM/RW (digital versatile disc-random access memory/rewritable) on which data can be re-recorded and which allow recording by random access.

Recently, several solutions have been considered to perform defect management using a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus in a write-once recording medium in which data cannot be erased or erased once the data is written.

Defect management of a write-once recording medium using linear replacement will now be described in detail. A data recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which receives a user data recording command and user data from a host, records the user data in units of clusters, which are units of data recording. After the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus performs a verify-after-write (verify-write) operation, if a defect is generated in a cluster of a user data area in which user data is recorded, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus records the user data in a spare area included in the data area.

During a predetermined time interval when data is being recorded, or after a single data recording is completed, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus creates a temporary defect list (hereinafter referred to as TDFL) containing location information of clusters of a user data area where a defect is generated and location information of replacement clusters of a spare area on which user data recorded in the defective cluster is rewritten. Then, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus records the created TDFL in a temporary disc management area (hereinafter referred to as TDMA). In addition, after the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus records the created TDFL in the TDMA, it records pointer information indicating a location where the TDFL is recorded.

When the write-once recording medium is reloaded into the recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus reads out the TDFL from the write-once recording medium and stores the read TDFL in the memory. When additional data is recorded in the write once recording medium, if a new defective cluster is generated, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus rewrites the data recorded in the defective cluster into a replacement cluster of the spare area. Thereafter, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus creates an updated TDFL containing location information of the newly generated defective cluster and location information of a replacement cluster corresponding to the newly generated defective cluster, records the updated TDMA, and records pointer information indicating a location where the updated TDFL is recorded, in addition to the TDFL stored in the memory.

When a write-once recording medium is loaded into the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus in order to reproduce user data, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus first accesses the TDMA, obtains pointer information indicating a location where an updated TDFL is recorded, and obtains the updated TDFL. The data recording and/or reproducing apparatus can then reproduce the user data without error by referring to the updated TDFL.

As described above, since the TDFL is key information for user data reproduction, the TDFL should be recorded with high reliability. Therefore, during recording of the TDFL, the verify-after-write operation is performed in the same manner as during recording of the user data. Accordingly, if a defective cluster is generated, data recorded in the defective cluster is rewritten in another cluster of the TDMA.

According to the related art, if the size of the TDFL corresponds to at least two clusters and the TDFL is recorded in the at least two clusters, a verify-after-write operation is performed, and if a defective cluster is generated, the TDFL is rewritten in other clusters. However, the TDMA is smaller than the data area, and the amount of data that can be stored in the TDMA is not large. Therefore, the TDMA is quickly exhausted when defect management is performed on the TDFL according to the related art.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical solution

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for recording a TDFL in a write-once recording medium with high reliability and improved utilization of an area allocated for recording the TDFL.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for reproducing a TDFL recorded on a write-once recording medium with high reliability and improved utilization of an area allocated for recording of the TDFL.

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a write-once recording medium storing a TDFL with high reliability and improved utilization of an area allocated for recording of the TDFL.

Advantageous effects

According to the present invention, it is possible to more efficiently use an area of the write-once recording medium and to more reliably record and reproduce the TDFL. Specifically, a verify-after-write process is performed during recording of the TDFL, and if a defective cluster is generated, the TDFL is rewritten in another cluster. Therefore, the TDFL can be recorded with high reliability. Here, when a defect is generated during recording of the TDFL, data recorded in the defective cluster is rewritten to a replacement cluster instead of re-recording the entire TDFL, pointer information indicating a location of a cluster in which the TDFL is normally recorded is included in the TDDS, and the TDSS is recorded in the TDMA. Therefore, the space of the TDMA is not rapidly exhausted.

Drawings

Fig. 1 illustrates a structure of a write-once recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a block diagram of a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of recording a TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining in detail the creation of the TDFL according to the verify-after-write process;

fig. 5 shows an exemplary TDFL;

fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining a TDFL post-recording verification process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a TDFL post-recording verification process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 illustrates exemplary pointer information indicating the location of the TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of reproducing the TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Best mode for carrying out the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of recording a temporary defect list for defect management in a write once recording medium, the method including: recording a temporary defect list, which is created when data is recorded on the write once recording medium, in at least one cluster of the write once recording medium, and verifying whether a defect is generated in the at least one cluster; data recorded in the defective cluster is recorded in another cluster, and pointer information indicating a location of the at least one cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded on the write-once recording medium.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

According to an aspect of the invention, the temporary defect list includes location information of the defective cluster and location information of a replacement cluster for replacing the defective cluster.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information includes location information of the other cluster than the defective cluster.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information is included in a temporary disc definition structure. The temporary defect list and the temporary disc definition structure may be recorded in a temporary disc management area provided on the write-once recording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for recording and/or reproducing data, the apparatus including: a recording/reading unit for recording data on or reading data from the write-once recording medium; and a control unit for controlling the recording/reading unit to record a temporary defect list for defect management, which is created when data is recorded on the write once recording medium, in at least one cluster of the write once recording medium. The control unit further verifies whether a defect is generated in the at least one cluster, controls the recording/reading unit to record data recorded in the defective cluster in another cluster, and controls the recording/reading unit to record pointer information indicating a location of the at least one cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded on the write-once recording medium.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information is included in a temporary disc definition structure.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a temporary defect list and a temporary disc definition structure are recorded in a temporary disc management area provided on a write-once recording medium.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reading a temporary defect list for defect management recorded on a write once recording medium, the method including: obtaining pointer information indicating a location where the temporary defect list is recorded from the write-once recording medium; and accessing at least one cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded and reading the temporary defect list according to the pointer information.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information indicates a location of at least one cluster where the temporary defect list is recorded.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information indicates a location of each of the at least one cluster.

According to an aspect of the present invention, during recording of the temporary defect list, if a defect is generated in at least one cluster and data is recorded in another cluster, the pointer information may include location information of the other cluster that is not the defective cluster.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for reproducing data, the apparatus including: a reading unit for reading data recorded on the write-once recording medium; and a control unit; for controlling a reading unit to read pointer information indicating a position where a temporary defect list for defect management is recorded from a one-time recording medium, access at least one cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded according to the pointer information, and read the temporary defect list.

According to an aspect of the invention, the pointer information indicates a location of the at least one cluster where the temporary defect list is recorded. The pointer information may indicate a location of each of the at least one cluster.

According to an aspect of the invention, during recording the temporary defect list, if a defect is generated in at least one cluster and data is recorded in another cluster, the pointer information includes location information of the other cluster that is not the defective cluster.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the temporary defect list may include location information of the defective cluster and location information of a replacement cluster for replacing the defective cluster.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a write-once recording medium including: at least one user data area for recording user data; at least one spare area for replacement when a defect is generated in the user data area; and at least one temporary disc management area for recording a temporary defect list for defect management and pointer information indicating a location of at least one cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded.

According to an aspect of the invention, the temporary defect list includes location information of a defective cluster of the user data area where the defect is generated and location information of a replacement cluster of the spare area for replacing the defective cluster.

According to an aspect of the invention, when the temporary defect list is recorded in at least one cluster of the temporary disc management area, if a defect is generated in the at least one cluster and data is recorded in another cluster, the pointer information includes location information of the another cluster that is not the defective cluster. Pointer information may be included in the temporary disc definition structure.

Modes for carrying out the invention

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

Fig. 1 illustrates a structure of a write-once recording medium 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The write-once recording medium 100 shown in fig. 1 has a single recording layer including a lead-in area, a data area, and a lead-out area.

In the lead-in area, a disc management area 1(DMA 1), a disc management area 2(DMA 2), a main Temporary Disc Management Area (TDMA), a write condition test area, and a drive information area are provided. In the data area, spare areas 1 and 2 for replacing defective clusters generated in the user data area, a secondary TDMA, and a user data area are disposed. In the lead-out area, a disc management area 3(DMA 3) and a disc management area 4(DMA 4) are provided.

A TDFL and a temporary disc definition structure (hereinafter, referred to as TDDS) are recorded in the primary TDMA and the secondary TDMA. The TDDS includes recordable position information of the write condition test area, write protection information, and position and/or size information of the spare areas 1 and 2 allocated to the data area. Specifically, in an aspect of the present embodiment, the TDDS includes pointer information indicating the location of the TDFL. The TDDS and pointer information indicating the location of the TDFL will be described in detail later.

The TDFL and the TDDS are first recorded in the main TDMA. After the primary TDMA is completely exhausted, the TDFL and the TDDS are recorded in the secondary TDMA. The secondary TDMA included in the data area may or may not be allocated according to a user command or a command from the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus, so as to enable a user or a producer of the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus to more effectively use the write-once recording medium.

When the write-once recording medium 100 is loaded into the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus as shown in fig. 2, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus performs initialization to use the write-once recording medium 100. In other words, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus reads information recorded in the lead-in area and/or the lead-out area and determines how to manage the write-once recording medium 100 and how to record data on the write-once recording medium 100 or how to reproduce data from the write-once recording medium 100. When the amount of data recorded in the lead-in area and/or the lead-out area increases, the time required for the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus to prepare a recording or reproducing process after the write-once recording medium 100 is loaded also increases. To address this and/or other issues, the concepts of TDDS and TDFL were introduced.

In other words, the TDFL and the TDDS are updated and recorded in the TDMA before the write once recording medium 100 is finalized. After the write once recording medium 100 is finalized, a meaningfully updated TDFL and TDDS are recorded as a defect list (DFL) and a Defect Definition Structure (DDS) in one of the DMAs 1 to 4. In addition, the write-once recording medium 100 can be reproduced in an apparatus for reproducing the rewritable medium 100 by recording a meaningfully updated TDFL and TDDS in the DMAs 1 to 4.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a data recording and/or reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 2, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus includes a recording/reading unit 1, a control unit 2, and a memory 3. The write-once recording medium 100 has the same structure as the write-once recording medium having a single recording layer shown in fig. 1.

The recording/reading unit 1 records data on the write-once recording medium 100 and/or reproduces data from the write-once recording medium 100 according to the control of the control unit 2. During data recording, the recorded data is read out in order to verify the recorded data.

The control unit 2 controls the overall operation of the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus. In addition, when data is recorded on the write once recording medium 100 and/or reproduced from the write once recording medium 100, the control unit 2 creates an updated TDFL, records the updated TDFL on the write once recording medium 100, and records a TDDS containing pointer information indicating the location of the updated TDFL in a TDMA, thereby performing defect management. When not required, it should be understood that the control unit 2 may be a general purpose or special purpose computer.

When the write once recording medium 100 is initialized for use, the updated TDFL and TDDS read out from the write once recording medium 100 are stored in the memory 3. Thereafter, if new user data is recorded, defect management is performed again, the control unit 2 creates a new updated TDFL including location information of a new defective cluster and location information of a replacement cluster corresponding to the new defective cluster in the TDFL stored in the memory 3, records the updated TDFL in the TDMA, and records pointer information indicating a location where the updated TDFL is recorded in the TDMA.

A method of recording a TDFL on the write-once recording medium 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is performed by the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus shown in fig. 2, will now be described with reference to fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of recording a TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Although not shown in fig. 3, when the write-once recording medium 100 is loaded into the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus, initialization is performed to use the write-once recording medium 100. In other words, the control unit 2 reads the updated TDFL and TDDS from the write once recording medium 100 and stores the read TDFL and TDDS in the memory 3.

Thereafter, if user data and a user data recording command are input to the write-once recording medium 100 from a host (not shown), the control unit 2 records the user data on the write-once recording medium 100 in predetermined units and performs a verify-after-write operation to verify the recorded data.

During a predetermined time interval when data is being recorded, or after completion of single data recording, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus creates a new updated TDFL containing position information of a new defective cluster and position information of a replacement cluster corresponding to the new defective cluster, records the updated TDFL in the TDMA, and records a TDDS including pointer information indicating a position where the updated TDFL is recorded in the TDMA.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining in detail the creation of the TDFL according to the verify-after-write process. Here, data is processed in units of sectors or clusters. A sector is the smallest unit of data that can be managed by a file system or an application of a computer. A cluster is the smallest unit of data that can be physically recorded on a disc at once. Typically, at least one sector constitutes a cluster.

The sectors are subdivided into physical sectors and logical sectors. A physical sector is a space of a disc in which data corresponding to the sector is recorded. The address used to find a physical sector is called a Physical Sector Number (PSN). The logical sector is a sector unit for managing data in a file system or an application. Also, a Logical Sector Number (LSN) is assigned to the logical sector.

The data recording and/or reproducing apparatus finds a location of data to be recorded on the write-once recording medium 100 or reproduced on the write-once recording medium 100 using the PSN, manages all data in units of logical sectors in a computer or application for recording or reproducing data, and finds a location of data using the LSN. The relationship between the LSN and the PSN is mapped by the control unit 2 according to defect generation and the position of the start of recording data.

Referring to fig. 4, a denotes a user data area and B denotes a spare area. In the user data area a and the spare area B, there are a plurality of physical sectors (not shown) to which PSNs are sequentially allocated. The LSN is allocated to at least one physical sector unit. However, LSNs are allocated to the replacement areas of the spare area B, except for the defective areas of the user data area a where defects are generated. As a result, although the physical sector and the logical sector are the same in size, if a defective area is generated, the PSN and the LSN become different.

User data is recorded in the user data area a according to a continuous recording mode or a random recording mode. In the continuous recording mode, user data is sequentially and continuously recorded. In the random recording mode, user data is not necessarily continuously recorded, but is randomly recorded. Phi to phi indicate unit areas in which a verify-after-write operation is performed.

The data recording and/or reproducing apparatus records user data in the unit area (r), returns to the start of the unit area (r) and checks whether the user data is normally recorded or a defect is generated. If a cluster in which a defect is generated is found, the cluster is identified as a defective cluster and designated as a defective area, i.e., defect #1, as shown in fig. 4.

In addition, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus rewrites the user data recorded in the defect #1 into the spare area B. A portion of the spare area B in which user data is rewritten is designated as replacement # 1. Next, after recording the user data in the unit area (c), the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus returns to the start of the unit area (c) and checks whether the user data is normally recorded or whether a defect is generated. If at least one cluster in which a defect is generated is found, the at least one cluster is designated as a defect. In the same manner as described above, replacement #2 corresponding to defect #2 is designated. In addition, in the unit area c, defective areas, i.e., defect #3 and replacement #3 corresponding to defect #3, are designated. In the unit area (r), no defect is found and no defective area exists.

After the recording and verifying are completed up to the unit area (r), if it is desired to terminate the recording operation (1) (for example, if the user presses an eject button or the recording of user data assigned to the recording operation (1) is completed), the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus creates a TDFL #1 in the previous TDFL stored in the memory 3, and the position information of the defects #1 to #3 generated in the unit areas (r) to (r) in the TDFL #1 and the position information of the replacements #1 to #3 corresponding to the defects #1 to #3 are updated.

When the write-once recording medium 100 is loaded into the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus again, the control unit 2 reads the previously recorded TDFL #1 from the write-once recording medium 100 and stores the read TDFL #1 in the memory 3. Thereafter, once the recording operation #2 is started, data is recorded and defect management is performed in the same manner as in the recording operation # 1.

In other words, in the recording operation #2, verification after recording user data is performed from the unit areas (c) to (c), and thus defects #4 and #5 and corresponding replacements #4 and #5 are designated. After the recording operation #2 is terminated, the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus creates a TDFL #2 in the previous TDFL #1 stored in the memory 3, and the location information of the defects #4 and #5 and the location information of the replacements #4 and #5 in the TDFL #2 are updated.

Fig. 5 shows an exemplary TDFL. Referring to fig. 5, location information of all defective clusters on the write-once recording medium 100 is included in a first column of the TDFL, and location information of replacement clusters corresponding to the defective clusters is included in a second column of the TDFL. In an aspect of the embodiment, the location of the defective cluster or the replacement cluster is indicated using the PSN of the respective first sector of the defective cluster or the replacement cluster. However, according to aspects of the present invention, the location of the defective cluster or the replacement cluster may be indicated using the PSN of the respective last sectors of the defective cluster or the replacement cluster or using an index indicating the defective cluster or the replacement cluster.

Referring back to fig. 3, once the TDFL is created as described above, the control unit 2 records the created TDFL in at least one cluster of the TDMA and verifies the recorded TDFL (operation S510). According to the result of the verification, if a defective cluster is generated among the clusters in which the TDFL is recorded, the control unit 2 rewrites the data recorded in the defective cluster into another cluster of the TDMA (operation S530).

Two exemplary embodiments of the TDFL post-recording verification will now be described.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of a TDFL post-recording verification according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, when a TDFL, the size of which is equal to that of a plurality of clusters, is recorded in the TDMA, the entire TDFL is recorded and then verified.

Referring to fig. 6, the size of the TDFL is three clusters including a first cluster 210, a second cluster 230, and a third cluster 250, and the TDFL is recorded in the three clusters and then verified. Based on the result of the inspection, it is determined that a defect is generated in the second cluster 230. Accordingly, data recorded in the second cluster 230 is rewritten in the cluster 270 immediately following the third cluster 250. After the examination of the cluster 270, if it is determined that a defect is not generated in the cluster 270, the recording of the TDFL is terminated, and pointer information indicating a location of the cluster in which the TDFL is recorded is included in the TDDS, and the TDDS is recorded in the TDMA. At this time, the pointer information includes pointers indicating the positions of the first and third clusters 210 and 250 where no defect is generated during initial recording and the position of the cluster 270 replacing the defective second cluster 230.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining a TDFL post-recording verification according to another embodiment of the present invention. According to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the TDFL has a size of three clusters. The TDFL is recorded in the first cluster 310 and then verified. According to the result of the inspection, it is determined that no defect is generated in the first cluster 310. The TDFL is recorded in the second cluster 330 and verified. It is determined that a defect is generated in the second cluster 330 according to the result of the inspection. Accordingly, the TDFL recorded in the second cluster 330 is rewritten to the cluster 350 immediately following the defective second cluster 330. After the inspection of the cluster 350, if it is determined that no defect is generated in the cluster 350, the TDFL is recorded in the third cluster 370 and inspected. After verifying the third cluster 370, if it is determined that no defect is generated, the recording of the TDFL is terminated, and pointer information indicating a location of a cluster in which the TDFL is recorded in the TDDS, and the TDDS is recorded in the TDMA. As in the embodiment of fig. 6, the pointer information includes pointers indicating the positions of the first and third clusters 310 and 370 where no defect is generated during initial recording and the position of the cluster 350 replacing the defective second cluster 330.

Fig. 8 illustrates exemplary pointer information indicating a location of a TDFL according to an aspect of the present invention. The pointer information shown in fig. 8 includes k pointers 410, 430, and 450. The data recording and/or reproducing apparatus sequentially records the TDFL in k clusters by reproducing the pointer information shown in fig. 8, and the positions of the k clusters can be seen.

In the present embodiment, the nth cluster pointer (n is an integer ranging from 1 to k) of the TDFL has a size of 4 bytes. In addition, pointer information is included in the TDDS. In other words, the TDDS includes pointer information indicating the location of the TDFL, information regarding the recordable location of the write condition test area, write protection information, and location and/or size information of a spare area allocated to the data area.

Since the TDDS should include pointer information indicating the location of the TDFL, the TDDS should always be recorded after the TDFL is recorded.

As described above, according to the method and apparatus for recording the TDFL, the TDFL can be recorded with high reliability by performing post-write verification during recording of the TDFL and rewriting the TDFL in another cluster if a defective cluster is generated. In addition, when a defect is generated during recording of the TDFL, only data recorded in the defective cluster is recorded in the replacement cluster, instead of re-recording the entire TDFL. Referring to fig. 3, pointer information indicating a location of a cluster in which the TDFL is normally recorded is included in the TDDS, and the TDDS is recorded in the TDMA in operation S550. Therefore, the memory space in the TDMA can be saved.

A method and apparatus for reproducing the TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described.

The apparatus for reproducing the TDFL uses the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus shown in fig. 2. However, if the apparatus for reproducing the TDFL is a reproduction-only apparatus, the recording/reading unit 1 and the control unit 2 may perform only data reading.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of reproducing the TDFL according to an embodiment of the present invention. Although not shown in the drawings, when the write once recording medium 100 in which user data, a TDFL, and a TDDS are recorded according to the above-described method is loaded into the data recording and/or reproducing apparatus, the control unit 2 performs initialization to use the write once recording medium 100. In other words, basic data required for using and managing the write-once recording medium 100 is read from the write-once recording medium 100.

Specifically, after the updated TDDS is located and read, pointer information indicating the location of the updated TDFL is obtained from the updated TDDS (operation S610). The pointer information indicating the location of the updated TDFL has the structure shown in fig. 8.

Since the control unit 2 can obtain the location of the cluster where the updated TDFL is recorded and the order in which the TDFL is recorded in the cluster from the pointer information, it reads the updated TDFL (operation S630). The control unit 2 stores the updated TDDS and TDFL read from the write once recording medium 100 in the memory 3. The control unit 2 is capable of nondestructively reproducing user data recorded on the write-once recording medium 100 with reference to the TDDS and TDFL stored in the memory 3.

The present invention can also be embodied as computer readable codes in a computer readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored. Such computer-readable recording media are ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage, and transmission via carrier waves such as the internet. In addition, the computer readable recording medium may be distributed among computer systems connected via a network, and computer readable codes may be stored thereon and executed in a decentralized manner.

In addition, it should be understood that the method of the present invention can be used in many types of media in which TDMA is to be stored, including writable optical media (e.g., CD-R, DVD-R), rewritable media (e.g., CD-R/W, DVD-R/W, DVD-RAM), magnetic and magneto-optical media, and next generation DVDs such as Blu-ray disc, Advanced Optical Disc (AOD), E-DVD.

Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in this embodiment without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for managing a temporary defect list of user data stored on a write once recording medium, comprising:

a post-write verification process is performed on the recorded temporary defect list during recording of the temporary defect list in a temporary defect management area of the write-once recording medium on a cluster-by-cluster basis, such that when a defective cluster is generated during recording of the temporary defect list, data recorded in the defective cluster is recorded in a replacement cluster.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a verify-after-write process comprises:

recording a temporary defect list in consecutive clusters of the temporary defect management area; and

the temporary defect list is checked such that when a defect is located in one of the clusters of the temporary defect management area corresponding to a portion of the temporary defect list, the portion of the temporary defect list is stored and checked in a cluster next to the temporary defect management area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

pointer information indicating a location of a cluster in which the temporary defect list is recorded is stored in the temporary defect management area.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pointer information points to only a cluster of the temporary defect management area containing the temporary defect list.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

the pointer information is stored in a temporary disc definition structure stored in the temporary defect management area.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the temporary defect list and the temporary disc definition structure are stored in a secondary temporary defect management area on the write-once recording medium when the temporary defect management area is full.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the write-once recording medium is a write-once optical disc.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the write-once optical disc is a single record layer disc.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a verify-after-write process comprises:

recording temporary defect lists in a plurality of single clusters of the temporary defect management area; and

each single cluster is examined and when a defect is located in a single cluster of the temporary defect management area corresponding to a portion of the temporary defect list, the portion of the temporary defect list is recorded and examined in a cluster next to the temporary defect management area.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pointer information points to only a cluster of the temporary defect management area containing the temporary defect list.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the temporary defect list and the temporary disc definition structure are stored in a secondary temporary defect management area on the write once recording medium when the temporary defect management area is full.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the write-once recording medium is a write-once optical disc.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the write-once optical disc is a single record layer disc.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the locations of the defective cluster and the replacement cluster are indicated by a physical sector number.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical sector numbers correspond to respective first sectors of the defective cluster and the replacement cluster.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the physical sector number corresponds to respective last sectors of the defective cluster and the replacement cluster.