Embedded virtual media
View Patent ↗A method and an optical storage medium are provided for storing data to and accessing data from an embedded virtual medium within the optical storage medium. Information describing the embedded virtual medium may be stored on to the optical storage medium. Space for an embedded lead-in area of the embedded virtual medium, as well as user data for the embedded virtual medium, may be allocated within a data zone of the optical medium. A spare sector bitmap may be included in a lead-an area of the optical medium indicating spare sectors within the embedded virtual medium as being unavailable. A spare sector bitmap may be included within the embedded virtual medium indicating available spare sectors of the embedded virtual medium. Physical sector/logical block mapping of the optical storage medium may be modified for accessing data stored on the embedded virtual medium.
1. An optical medium comprising:
a data zone in a written region or a writable region for user data;
an inner zone having a lead-in area, the inner zone being a region separating a physical beginning of a written region or a writable region from a beginning of the data zone;
an outer zone being a region separating an end of the data zone from a physical end of the written region or the writable region; and
an embedded virtual medium included within the data zone for storing embedded user data, wherein either:
the embedded virtual medium includes at least portions of a plurality of layers of the optical medium;
or
the embedded virtual medium is completely included within a single layer of the optical medium, and
the optical medium includes a first session outside of the embedded virtual medium and within the data zone on the single layer, and a second session within the data zone on the single layer, the second session including the embedded virtual medium and metadata having information describing the embedded virtual medium.
2. The optical medium of claim 1 , wherein the embedded virtual medium further comprises:
a second lead-in area having recorded therein first information related to an organization of recorded space of the embedded virtual medium, and
a second data zone adjacent to the second lead-in area, the second data zone being for storing the embedded user data.
3. The optical medium of claim 2 , wherein the embedded virtual medium further comprises:
a lead-out area adjacent to the second data zone and including second information related to the organization of the recorded space of the embedded virtual medium.
4. The optical medium of claim 1 , wherein
the first session includes information with respect to a legacy file system.
5. The optical medium of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of embedded virtual media included within the data zone.
6. The optical medium of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first spare sector bitmap included in the lead-in area, the first spare sector bitmap indicating, as being in use or bad, spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium; and
a second spare sector bitmap indicating available spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium.
7. The optical medium of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first layer; and
a second layer, wherein:
the first layer comprises:
the lead-in area, a first portion of the data zone being adjacent to the lead-in area, and a first portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the first portion of the data zone, and
a first middle area included in an outer zone of the first layer, the first middle area being reserved for layer transitions and being adjacent to the first portion of the data zone; and
the second layer comprises:
a second middle area included in an outer zone of the second layer, the second middle area being reserved for layer transitions,
a second portion of the data zone being adjacent to the second middle area, a second portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the second portion of the data zone, and
a lead-out area being adjacent to the second portion of the data zone.
8. An optical drive comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory operatively connected to the at least one processor and having instructions recorded thereon for the at least one processor, such that the optical drive is configured to read from and write to an embedded virtual medium within an optical medium, the optical medium comprising:
a data zone in a written region or a writable region for user data;
an inner zone having a lead-in area, the inner zone being a region separating a physical beginning of a written region or a writable region from a beginning of the data zone;
an outer zone being a region separating an end of the data zone from a physical end of the written region or the writable region; and
the embedded virtual medium being included within the data zone for storing embedded user data, wherein either:
the embedded virtual medium includes at least portions of a plurality of layers of the optical medium;
or
the embedded virtual medium is completely included within a single layer of the optical medium, and
the optical medium includes a first session outside of the embedded virtual medium and within the data zone on the single layer, and a second session within the data zone on the single layer, the second session including the embedded virtual medium and metadata having information describing the embedded virtual medium.
9. The optical drive of claim 8 , wherein the embedded virtual medium further comprises:
a second lead-in area having recorded therein first information related to an organization of recorded space of the embedded virtual medium, and
a second data zone adjacent to the second lead-in area, the second data zone being for storing the embedded user data.
10. The optical drive of claim 9 , wherein the embedded virtual medium further comprises:
a lead-out area adjacent to the second data zone and including second information related to the organization of the recorded space of the embedded virtual medium.
11. The optical drive of claim 9 , wherein the second lead-in area further comprises power calibration information.
12. The optical drive of claim 9 , wherein the lead-in area further comprises power calibration information.
13. The optical drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical medium further comprises:
a first spare sector bitmap included in the lead-in area, the first spare sector bitmap indicating, as being in use or bad, spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium; and
a second spare sector bitmap indicating available spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium.
14. The optical drive of claim 8 , wherein the optical medium further comprises:
a first layer; and
a second layer, wherein:
the first layer comprises:
the lead-in area, a first portion of the data zone being adjacent to the lead-in area, and a first portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the first portion of the data zone, and
a first middle area included in an outer zone of the first layer, the first middle area being reserved for layer transitions and being adjacent to the first portion of the data zone; and
the second layer comprises:
a second middle area included in an outer zone of the second layer, the second middle area being reserved for layer transitions,
a second portion of the data zone being adjacent to the second middle area, a second portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the second portion of the data zone, and
a lead-out area being adjacent to the second portion of the data zone.
15. A memory having instructions for at least one processor of an optical drive, such that when the at least one processor executes the instructions the optical drive is configured to read from and write to an embedded virtual medium within an optical medium,
the optical medium comprising:
a data zone in a written region or a writable region for user data;
an inner zone having a lead-in area, the inner zone being a region separating a physical beginning of a written region or a writable region from a beginning of the data zone;
an outer zone being a region separating an end of the data zone from a physical end of the written region or the writable region; and
the embedded virtual medium being included within the data zone for storing embedded user data, wherein either:
the embedded virtual medium includes at least portions of a plurality of layers of the optical medium;
or
the embedded virtual medium is completely included within a single layer of the optical medium, and
the optical medium includes a first session outside of the embedded virtual medium and within the data zone on the single layer, and a second session within the data zone on the single layer, the second session including the embedded virtual medium and metadata having information describing the embedded virtual medium.
16. The memory of claim 15 , wherein the optical medium further comprises:
a first spare sector bitmap included in the lead-in area, the first spare sector bitmap indicating, as being in use or bad, spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium; and
a second spare sector bitmap indicating available spare sectors included within the embedded virtual medium.
17. The memory of claim 15 , wherein the embedded virtual medium comprises:
a second lead-in area having recorded therein first information related to an organization of recorded space of the embedded virtual medium, and
a second data zone adjacent to the second lead-in area, the second data zone being for storing the embedded user data.
18. The memory of claim 17 , wherein either the lead-in area or the second lead-in area includes power calibration information.
19. The memory of claim 17 , wherein the embedded virtual medium further comprises:
a lead-out area adjacent to the second data zone and including second information related to the organization of the recorded space of the embedded virtual medium.
20. The memory of claim 15 , wherein the optical medium further comprises:
a first layer; and
a second layer, wherein:
the first layer comprises:
the lead-in area, a first portion of the data zone being adjacent to the lead-in area, and a first portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the first portion of the data zone, and
a first middle area included in an outer zone of the first layer, the first middle area being reserved for layer transitions and being adjacent to the first portion of the data zone; and
the second layer comprises:
a second middle area included in an outer zone of the second layer, the second middle area being reserved for layer transitions,
a second portion of the data zone being adjacent to the second middle area, a second portion of the embedded virtual medium being included in the second portion of the data zone, and
a lead-out area being adjacent to the second portion of the data zone.