File management method and content recording/playback apparatus

• US 20020062320A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Sato, Mitsuhiro, Shimojima, Takashi, Noguchi, Naohiko
• Granted Patent: US 6,922,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A package management information recording section 131 creates a directory for each package for content distributed in package units, and creates a package management file indicating the relationship between a directory name and package identifier. A content file recording section 132 creates a content file group management file indicating the relationship between a content file name and a reference name when that content is linked from other content. A link resolution information recording section 133 creates a link resolution file indicating the correspondence between a reference name indicating content included in another package and the package identifier of the other package. A link resolution section 142 of a content playback apparatus 140 specifies a link destination content file using these items of file management information. By this means, a link between contents can be maintained even when distributed content is recorded with a name different from the original content file name.

Claims

1. A file management method for a recording medium on which is recorded a distributed content file, said file management method comprising the steps of:

creating a directory for each package, and recording a file of content included in that package based on said directory;

managing with a package management file a correspondence between a directory name of said directory and a package identifier assigned to said package; and

managing with a content file group management file a correspondence between a file name when said content file is recorded on said recording medium and a reference name when that content is linked from other content.

2. The file management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, when there exists in said package content linking to content included in another package, managing with a link resolution file a correspondence between a reference name indicating content included in said another package and a package identifier of said another package.

3. The file management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of designating said directory name by providing correspondence to a package directory number assigned uniquely to a package, and managing with said package management file a correspondence between said package directory number and said package identifier.

4. The file management method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of designating a file name of said content by providing correspondence to a content number assigned in package units, and managing with said content file group management file a correspondence between said content number and said reference name.

5. The file management method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

describing in said package management file a relationship between said directory name and said package identifier;

describing in said content file group management file a relationship between said file name and said reference name; and

when said directory name or file name is changed, changing said directory name of said package management file or said file name of said content file group management file.

6. The file management method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of, when a package including link destination content does not exist on said recording medium, creating a distribution reservation list file in which a package identifier of said package is entered.

7. The file management method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of creating said distribution reservation list file on said recording medium.

8. The file management method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of creating said distribution reservation list file in a memory area of a content recording/playback apparatus.

9. A content playback method comprising the steps of:

when playing back content recorded on a recording medium by means of the file management method according to claim 2, extracting a content file from said recording medium; and

when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in the same package as that in which said content is included, specifying a link destination content file using the content file group management file according to claim 1.

10. The content playback method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of, when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in a different package from that in which said content is included, specifying a link destination content file using the package management file according to claim 1 and the link resolution file according to claim 2.

11. A content recording apparatus for recording a distributed content file on a recording medium, said content recording apparatus comprising:

package management information recording means for creating a directory for each package, and creating and recording on said recording medium a package management file indicating a correspondence between a directory name of said directory and a package identifier assigned to said package; and

content file recording means for creating a content file group management file indicating a correspondence between a file name of a content file included in said package and a reference name when that content is linked from other content, and recording said content file and said content file group management file on said recording medium.

12. The content recording apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising link resolution information recording means for, when there exists in said package content linking to content included in another package, creating and recording on said recording medium a link resolution file indicating a correspondence between a reference name indicating content included in said another package and a package identifier of said another package.

13. A content playback apparatus for playing back content from said recording medium on which a content file is recorded by the content recording apparatus according to claim 12, said content playback apparatus comprising:

content file acquiring means for extracting a content file from said recording medium; and

link resolving means for, when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in the same package as that in which said content is included, specifying a link destination content file using the content file group management file according to claim 11.

14. The content playback apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in a different package from that in which said content is included, said link resolving means specifies a link destination content file using the package management file according to claim 11 and the link resolution file according to claim 12.

15. The content playback apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising distribution reservation list file recording means for, when a package including said link destination content does not exist on said recording medium, creating a distribution reservation list file in which a package identifier of said package is entered.

17. The program according to claim 16 for further causing functioning as link resolution information recording means for, when there exists in said package content linking to content included in another package, creating and recording on said recording medium a link resolution file indicating a correspondence between a reference name indicating content included in said another package and a package identifier of said another package.

18. A content playback program that, in order to play back content from a recording medium on which a content file is recorded by the content recording apparatus according to claim 12, causes a computer to function as:

content file acquiring means for extracting a content file from said recording medium; and

link resolving means for, when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in the same package as that in which said content is included, specifying a link destination content file using the content file group management file according to claim 11.

19. The content playback program according to claim 18 for, when there is in said content file a link specification to a file included in a different package from that in which said content is included, further causing said link resolving means to function as means for specifying a link destination content file using the package management file according to claim 11 and the link resolution file according to claim 12.

16. A program that causes a computer to function as:

package management information recording means for creating a directory for each package, and creating and recording on said recording medium a package management file indicating a correspondence between a directory name of said directory and a package identifier assigned to said package; and

content file recording means for creating a content file group management file indicating a correspondence between a file name of a content file included in said package and a reference name when that content is linked from other content, and recording said content file and said content file group management file on said recording medium.