Apparatus for and method of adding information onto recording medium that enables additional recording

摘要

An apparatus for recording first information onto a recording medium, successively to second information that has been already recorded on the recording medium is provided. The first and second information are divided into a plurality of blocks. Each block includes a synchronization signal. This signal is located at a predetermined position in each block. A plurality of pre-pits are pre-formed on the recording medium at intervals of the predetermined length or an integer times the predetermined length. A reference signal with a predetermined frequency is pre-recorded on the recording medium. The apparatus has: a write clock signal generating device for generating a write clock signal on the basis of the reference signal; a pre-pit detecting device for detecting the pre-pits and outputting a pre-pit signal at a first timing, which is equal to a timing that each pre-pit is detected; a synchronization signal generating device for generating the synchronization signal and outputting the synchronization signal at a second timing synchronized with the write clock signal, and which is set so as to place the synchronization signal at the predetermined position in each block; a time relationship detecting device for detecting a time relationship between the pre-pit signal and the synchronization signal; a shifting device for shifting a phase of the write clock signal so as to make the detected time relationship equal to a predetermined time relationship; and a recording device for recording the first information and the synchronization signal onto the recording medium in accordance with the second timing.