Record carrier, playback device and method of recording information

Abstract

A record carrier has substantially parallel tracks having first variations of a first physical parameter and second variations of a second physical parameter of the track. The first variations represent information recorded on the record carrier, this information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing. A modulation pattern of the second variations represents a code for controlling the type of data processing. In respect of a code track that includes the modulation pattern, the modulation pattern in the left neighboring track is aligned to the modulation pattern in the right neighboring track. Thereby crosstalk due to the second variations is decreased, and at least two tracks have the same modulation pattern. The playback device has a demodulator ( 50 ) and a control unit ( 56 ) for retrieving the code from at least two tracks.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having:
 first variations of a first physical parameter of the track tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and 
 second variations of a second physical parameter of the track tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, 
 characterized in that, with respect to a code track 
 a series of laterally adjacent tracks, each comprising said modulation pattern, the series of tracks including: a code track, a left neighboring track on the left of and laterally adjacent to the code track, and a right neighboring track on the right of and laterally adjacent to the code track, athe modulation pattern in athe left neighboring track is laterally aligned to awith the modulation pattern in athe right neighboring track, the laterally aligned modulation patterns continuing the lateral alignment and said modulation pattern unchanged substantially over the entire circumferential length of the code track. 
 
     
     
       2. A record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having:
 first variations of a first physical parameter of the track tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and 
 second variations of a second physical parameter of the track tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, 
 characterized in that, with respect to a code tracka series of laterally adjacent tracks, each comprising said modulation pattern, the series of tracks including: a code track, a left neighboring track on the left of and laterally adjacent to the code track, and a right neighboring track on the right of and laterally adjacent to the code track, athe modulation pattern in athe left neighboring track is laterally aligned to awith the modulation pattern in athe right neighboring track, the laterally aligned modulation patterns continuing the lateral alignment and said modulation patterns unchanged substantially over the entire circumferential length of the code track, 
 wherein the second variations are displacements of the track in a direction transverse to a longitudinal direction of the track, and displacements of the left neighboring track coincide with displacements of the right neighboring track in the a same direction. 
 
     
     
       3. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the modulation patterns in the code track and the neighboring tracks represent the same code. 
     
     
       4. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the modulation pattern in the code track is substantially inverse to the modulation pattern in the left neighboring track. 
     
     
       5. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the second variations are periodic, and the modulation pattern comprises phase modulation, and phase differences between modulation patterns in adjacent tracks are limited to a predetermined amount. 
     
     
       6. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tracks constitute a spiral or concentric pattern of tracks, and adjacent tracks in the pattern of tracks exhibit a same number of the second variations. 
     
     
       7. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein only tracks in a limited area of multiple tracks of the record carrier exhibit said second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier, outside the limited area, do not exhibit said second variations, the limited area and further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a different respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks. 
     
     
       8. The record carrier as claimed in  claim 7  A record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having:
 first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and 
 second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, 
 wherein only tracks in a limited area of multiple tracks of the record carrier exhibit said second variations, wherein areas of multiple tracks of the record carrier are each defined by a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks,  
 wherein the limited area of multiple tracks comprises a boundary zone area of multiple tracks between an area of multiple tracks not exhibiting second variations and a center area of multiple tracks exhibiting the second variations at a predetermined amplitude, the amplitude of the second variations in the boundary area of multiple tracks increasing from zero to the predetermined amplitude. 
 
     
     
       9. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having first variations of a first physical parameter of the track tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the track tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, the modulation pattern including multiple modulations per track, in which, with respect to a code track comprising a series of laterally adjacent tracks each comprise said modulation pattern, the series of tracks including: a code track, a left neighboring track on the left of and laterally adjacent to the code track, and a right neighboring track on the right of and laterally adjacent to the code track, a the modulation pattern in a the left neighboring track is aligned to a with the modulation pattern in a the right neighboring track, the alignment of the multiple modulations per track continuing substantially the entire circumferential length of the code track, the playback device comprising:
 reading means for generating a read signal in dependence depending on the first variations; 
 demodulation means for retrieving the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and 
 data processing means for processing the read signal for recovering the information in dependence depending on the code, 
 characterized in that the device comprises means for retrieving the code from at least two tracks and comparing at least two of the codes to verify the code. 
 
     
     
       10. The playback device as claimed in  claim 9 , in which only tracks in a limited area of multiple tracks of the record carrier exhibit said second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier, outside the limited area, do not exhibit said second variations, wherein the playback device further comprises:
 means for locating the limited area, wherein the limited area and the further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks. 
 
     
     
       11. A record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having:
 first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, which information is recoverable by means of a controllable type of data processing; and   second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing,   wherein the record carrier comprises a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area of multiple tracks, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein the limited area and the further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks.   
     
     
       12. A record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having:
 first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, which information is recoverable by means of a controllable type of data processing; and   second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing,   wherein the record carrier comprises a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein areas of multiple tracks of the record carrier are each defined by a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks, wherein the limited area of multiple tracks comprises a boundary area of multiple tracks and a center area of multiple tracks, in which the tracks exhibit the second variations at a predetermined amplitude in the center area of multiple tracks, and in which the amplitude of the second variations increases gradually from zero to the predetermined amplitude in the boundary area of multiple tracks.   
     
     
       13. The record carrier as claimed in claim 11, wherein the record carrier comprises limited area address information stored as data in the track for locating the limited area of multiple tracks. 
     
     
       14. The record carrier as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second variations are displacements of the track in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the track. 
     
     
       15. The record carrier as claimed in claim 11, wherein the tracks constitute a spiral or concentric pattern of tracks, and laterally adjacent tracks in the pattern of tracks exhibit a same number of the second variations. 
     
     
       16. A method of recording information on a record carrier, said method comprising the steps of:
 providing the record carrier with substantially parallel tracks,   encoding the information in first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing,   providing the tracks with second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, and   encoding a code for controlling said type of data processing in a modulation pattern of the second variations,   providing the record carrier with a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein the limited area and further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks.   
     
     
       17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the record carrier is rotated, and the method further comprises the step of:
 controlling the steps of providing the second variations and encoding the code in the modulation pattern of the second variations depending on said rotation.   
     
     
       18. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier with substantially parallel tracks having first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, and a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area of multiple tracks, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein the limited area and the further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks, the device comprising:
 reading means for generating a read signal depending on the first variations;   demodulation means for retrieving the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and   data processing means for processing the read signal for recovering the information depending on the code,   means for locating the limited area of multiple tracks for retrieving the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations of the tracks in the limited area of multiple tracks.   
     
     
       19. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier with substantially parallel tracks, having first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, and a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein areas of tracks of the record carrier are each defined by a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks, the device comprising:
 reading means for generating a read signal depending on the first variations;   demodulation means for retrieving the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and   data processing means for processing the read signal for recovering the information depending on the code,   means for locating the limited area for retrieving the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations of the tracks in the limited area,   a memory containing predetermined limited area address information for locating the limited area.   
     
     
       20. The playback device as claimed in claim 18, wherein the playback device further comprises:
 means for retrieving from the record carrier limited area address information for locating the limited area of multiple tracks.   
     
     
       21. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier comprising substantially parallel tracks having: first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, the modulation pattern including multiple modulations per track, in which a series of laterally adjacent tracks, each comprise said modulation pattern, the series of tracks including: a code track, a left neighboring track on the left of and laterally adjacent to the code track, and a right neighboring track on the right of and laterally adjacent to the code track, the modulation pattern in the left neighboring track is aligned with the modulation pattern in the right neighboring track, the alignment of the multiple modulations per track continuing substantially the entire circumferential length of the code track, the playback device comprising:
 a media reader to generate a read signal depending on the first variations;   a demodulator to retrieve the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and   an information processor to process the read signal to recover the information depending on the code, and to compare the code from at least two different tracks in order to verify the code.   
     
     
       22. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier with substantially parallel tracks having first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, and a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area of multiple tracks, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein the limited area and the further area of multiple tracks of the record carrier each comprise a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks, the device comprising:
 a media reader to generate a read signal depending on the first variations;   a demodulator to retrieve the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and   a data processer to process the read signal to recover the information depending on the code, to locate the limited area of multiple tracks to retrieve the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations of the tracks in the limited area of multiple tracks.   
     
     
       23. A playback device for recovering information from a record carrier with substantially parallel tracks, having first variations of a first physical parameter of the tracks, the first variations representing information recorded on the record carrier, said information being recoverable by a controllable type of data processing; and second variations of a second physical parameter of the tracks, a modulation pattern of the second variations representing a code for controlling said type of data processing, and a limited area of multiple tracks where the tracks exhibit the second variations, and a further area of multiple tracks, outside the limited area, where the tracks do not exhibit the second variations, wherein areas of tracks of the record carrier are each defined by a respective consecutive series of multiple laterally adjacent tracks, the device comprising:
 a media reader to generate a read signal depending on the first variations; 
 a demodulator to retrieve the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations; and 
 a data processor to processes the read signal to recover the information depending on the code, and to locate the limited area to retrieve the code from the modulation pattern of the second variations of the tracks in the limited area, 
 a memory containing predetermined limited area address information for locating the limited area.