REDORDING MEDIUM FOR WHICH A SUB-PICTURE CAN BE FAVORABLY SUPERIMPOSED ON A MAIN IMAGE, ANDS A REPRODUCTION APPARATUS AND A REPRODUCTION METHOD FOR THE RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20020106196A1
• Filed: 03/14/2002
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaoru Murase, Katsuhiko Miwa, Kazuhiko Yamauchi, Masayuki Kozuka, Shinichi Saeki
• Original Assignee: Kaoru Murase, Katsuhiko Miwa, Kazuhiko Yamauchi, Masayuki Kozuka, Shinichi Saeki
• Inventors: Yamauchi, Kazuhiko, Saeki, Shinichi, Miwa, Katsuhiko, Kozuka, Masayuki, Murase, Kaoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,631,241 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/95
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4221 Dedicated function buttons, e.g. for the control of an EPG, subtitles, aspect ratio, picture-in-picture or teletext
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9208 involving the use of subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9264 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A multimedia optical disc for recording main video data which is composed of sets of frame data that is processed beforehand to allow compatibility with displays of a plurality of aspect ratios. The disc has a stream area storing streams made up of the main video data and a plurality of sets of sub-picture data, with each set of sub-picture data including a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information showing a display position of the set of tel-op data. The disc also includes a control area storing a plurality of pairings of a set of display mode information and a set of sub-picture indicating information. Each set of display mode information shows a species of display method according to which the frame data is to be processed for a case when the frame data decoded from the main video data is displayed at one of the plurality of aspect ratios. Each set of sub-picture indicating information shows a set of sub-picture data, out of the plurality of sets of sub-picture data in a same stream as the main video data, which includes a set of coordinate information which coincides with the species of display method shown by the display mode information.

Claims

1. A multimedia optical disc for recording main video data which is composed of a sequence of a plurality of sets of frame data, each set of frame data being processed beforehand to allow compatibility with displays of a plurality of aspect ratios, wherein the multimedia optical disc comprises:

a stream area in which streams made up of the main video data and a plurality of sets of sub-picture data are recorded, wherein each set of sub-picture data includes a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information showing a display position of the set of tel-op data; and

a control area in which a plurality of pairings of a set of display mode information and a set of sub-picture indicating information are recorded,

wherein each set of display mode information shows a species of display method according to which the frame data is to be processed for a case when the frame data decoded from the main video data is displayed at one of the plurality of aspect ratios,

and wherein each set of sub-picture indicating information shows a set of sub-picture data, out of the plurality of sets of sub-picture data in a same stream as the main video data, which includes a set of coordinate information which coincides with the species of display method shown by the display mode information.

2. The multimedia optical disc of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of aspect ratios includes “

4;

3” and

“

16;

9”

,

and wherein the frame data is processed according to one of the following species of display method;

wide-screen television mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 16;

9;

standard television mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3;

pan scan mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 after trimming to give 4;

3 aspect ratio images; and

letterbox display mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 after processing to add corrective images.

3. The multimedia optical disc of claim 2, wherein each set of sub-picture data includes at least one of the following types of coordinate information:

wide-screen television mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data when the frame data is processed according to wide-screen television mode;

standard television mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to standard television mode;

pan scan mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to pan scan mode; and

letterbox mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to letterbox mode,

and wherein the control area is arranged such that

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes wide-screen television mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows wide-screen television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes standard television mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows standard television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes pan scan mode coordinate information is paired with display mode, information which shows pan scan mode, and

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes letterbox mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows letterbox mode.

4. A multimedia optical disc for recording main video data which is composed of a sequence of a plurality of sets of frame data, a horizontal component of each set of frame data being processed beforehand to allow compatibility with displays of a plurality of aspect ratios, wherein the multimedia optical disc comprises:

a stream area in which streams made up of the main video data and a plurality of sets of sub-picture data are recorded, wherein each set of sub-picture data includes a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information showing a display position of the set of tel-op data; and

a control area in which a plurality of sets of scenario information are recorded,

wherein each logical channel number if used to classify a set of sub-picture in terms of an image content of a set of tel-op data;

wherein each set of scenario information is composed of a set of retrieval information showing addresses of streams recorded in the stream area, a set of selection condition information for each set of sub-picture data, the selection condition information showing a selection condition for selecting a set of sub-picture data which is to be used when streams are read according to a set of retrieval information, and a set of branch information showing a set of scenario information which should be selected after all of the streams indicated by a present set of retrieval information have been read,

wherein the selection condition information includes a plurality of groupings of a logical channel number, a set of display mode information, and a set of sub-picture indicating information;

wherein a set of display mode information shows a species of display method according to which the frame data is to be processed for a case when the frame data decoded from the main video data is displayed at one of the plurality of aspect ratios,

and wherein a set of sub-picture indicating information indicates a set of sub-picture data, out of the plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in a same stream as the main video data, by setting a pairing of a logical channel number and the species of display method shown by the display mode information as a selection condition.

5. The multimedia optical disc of claim 4, wherein the plurality of aspect ratios includes “

4;

3” and

“

16;

9”

, and wherein the frame data is processed according to one of the following species of display method;

wide-screen television mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 16;

9;

standard television mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3;

pan scan mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 after trimming to give 4;

3 aspect ratio images; and

letterbox display mode in which images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9 are displayed on a display screen with an aspect ratio of 4;

3 after processing to add corrective images.

6. The multimedia optical disc of claim 5, wherein each set of sub-picture data includes at least one of the following types of coordinate information:

wide-screen television mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data when the frame data is processed according to wide-screen television mode;

standard television mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to standard television mode;

pan scan mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to pan scan mode; and

letterbox mode coordinate information for setting a display position of tel-op data in a coordinate system for display according to letterbox mode,

and wherein the sets of selection condition information in the control area are such that

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes wide-screen television mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows wide-screen television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes standard television mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows standard television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes pan scan mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows pan scan mode, and

sub-picture indicating information which indicates a set of sub-picture data that includes letterbox mode coordinate information is paired with display mode information which shows letterbox mode.

7. The multimedia optical disc of claim 6, wherein the sets of tel-op data in the plurality of sets of sub-picture data are sets of subtitles for different languages and wherein the logical channel numbers are numbers for classifying the sets of sub-picture data according to the languages of the subtitles.

8. The multimedia optical disc of claim 7, wherein the stream area and the control area are formed on a surface of an information layer, wherein the information layer is formed between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate, each of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate having a thickness range of 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm.

9. The multimedia optical disc of claim 5, wherein the tel-op data included in each set of sub-picture data is one of the following:

character string information for wide-screen television mode which uses a predetermined font;

character string information for standard television mode which uses the same predetermined font;

character string information for pan scan mode which uses the same predetermined font; and

character string information for letterbox mode which uses the same predetermined font,

and wherein the plurality of sets of selection condition information recorded in the control area are such that

sub-picture indicating information which indicates the character string information for wide-screen television mode is paired with the display mode information showing wide-screen television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates the character string information for standard television mode is paired with the display mode information showing standard television mode,

sub-picture indicating information which indicates the character string information for pan scan mode is paired with the display mode information showing pan scan mode, and

sub-picture indicating information which indicates the character string information for letterbox mode is paired with the display mode information showing letterbox mode.

10. A reproduction apparatus for a multimedia optical disc, wherein the multimedia optical disc has

a stream area which includes main video data, which is an arrangement of a plurality of sets of frame data which has been processed to allow display by display screens of a plurality of aspect ratios, and a plurality of sets of sub-picture data, which each include a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information for a display position of the set of tel-op data,

and a control area which includes a plurality of pairings of display mode information that shows a species of display method for processing frame data, which has been decoded from the main video data in a stream, for display at one of the plurality of aspect ratios, and sub-picture indicating information which indicates one set of sub-picture data, out of a plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in a same stream as the main video image, which includes coordinate information that corresponds to the species shown by display mode information,

the reproduction apparatus comprising:

an optical pickup for optically reading data from the multimedia optical disc;

a drive mechanism for driving the optical pickup;

first controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to have the optical pickup read data from a control area of the optical disc;

a buffer for storing at least one set of display mode information included in the data read according to control by the first controlling means;

second controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to have the optical pickup read a stream from the optical disc;

a display setting register for storing display information showing a species of display method by which frame data is to be processed;

a video decoder for decoding main video data included in the stream read from the optical disc into frame data;

determining means for referring to sets of display mode information included in the data stored in the buffer and for determining sub-picture indicating information which coincides with display information stored in the display setting register;

a sub-picture decoder for decoding a set of sub-picture data indicated by the determined sub-picture indicating information into a set of tel-op data, out of a plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in the stream read from the optical disc;

processing means for processing images of frame data, based on the display information stored in the display setting register; and

combining means for arranging the decoded set of tel-op data onto the processed images of frame data in accordance with coordinate information included in a set of sub-picture data and for combining the tel-op data and processed images.

11. The reproduction apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for one of wide-screen television mode, standard television mode, pan scan display mode, and letterbox display mode,

and wherein the processing means includes:

a pan scan conversion unit for converting, when the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for pan scan mode, images of the frame data decoded by the video decoder into images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9, before trimming the converted images to give images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3; and

a letterbox conversion unit for converting, when the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for letterbox mode, images of the frame data decoded by the video decoder into images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9, before adding a corrective image to the converted images to give images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3.

12. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 11, further including:

receiving means for receiving a user setting of display information; and

updating means for updating the display information in the display setting register, when the receiving means has received a user setting of display information.

14. The reproduction apparatus of claim 13,

wherein the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for one of wide-screen television mode, standard television mode, pan scan display mode, and letterbox display mode,

and wherein the processing means includes:

a pan scan conversion unit for converting, when the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for pan scan mode, images of the frame data decoded by the video decoder into images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9, before trimming the converted images to give images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3; and

a letterbox conversion unit for converting, when the display information stored in the display setting register is an indication for letterbox mode, images of the frame data decoded by the video decoder into images with an aspect ratio of 16;

9, before adding a corrective image to the converted images to give images with an aspect ratio of 4;

3.

15. The reproduction apparatus of claim 14, further including:

first receiving means for receiving a user setting of display information; and

first updating means for updating the display information in the display setting register, when the receiving means has received a user setting of display information.

16. The reproduction apparatus of claim 15, further including:

second receiving means for receiving a number input from a user; and

updating means for updating the logical channel number in the logical channel number register, when the second receiving means has received a number input.

17. The reproduction apparatus of claim 16, wherein the combining means includes:

a plane buffer;

a decoding unit for decoding a display position given as coordinate information which is included in the set of sub-picture data indicated by the sub-picture indicating information;

an arranging unit for arranging the tel-op data decoded by the sub-picture decoder at the display position in the plane buffer decoded by the decoding unit; and

a combining unit for combining the arranged tel-op data and decoded frame data.

13. A reproduction apparatus for a multimedia optical disc, wherein the multimedia optical disc has

a stream area which includes main video data, which is an arrangement of a plurality of sets of frame data which has been processed to allow display by display screens of a plurality of aspect ratios, and a plurality of sets of sub-picture data, which each include a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information for a display position of the set of tel-op data, and

a control area in which a plurality of sets of scenario information are recorded, wherein each set of scenario information is composed of a set of retrieval information showing addresses of streams recorded in the stream area, a set of selection condition information for each set of sub-picture data, the selection condition information showing a selection condition for selecting a set of sub-picture data which is to be used when streams are read according to a set of retrieval information, and a set of branch information showing a set of scenario information which should be selected after all of the streams indicated by a present set of retrieval information have been read,

wherein the selection condition information includes a plurality of groupings of a logical channel number, a set of display mode information, and a set of sub-picture indicating information, each logical channel number being used to classify a set of sub-picture in terms of an image content of the tel-op data, each set of display mode information showing a species of display method according to which the frame data is to be processed for a case when the frame data decoded from the main video data is displayed at one of the plurality of aspect ratios, and a set of sub-picture indicating information indicating a set of sub-picture data, out of the plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in a same stream as the main video data, by setting a pairing of a logical channel number and the species of display method shown by the display mode information as a selection condition,

the reproduction apparatus comprising:

an optical pickup for optically reading data from the multimedia optical disc;

a drive mechanism for driving the optical pickup;

first controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to have the optical pickup read data from a control area of the optical disc;

a buffer for storing a set of scenario information included in the data read according to control by the first controlling means;

second controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to have the optical pickup read a stream from the optical disc;

a display setting register for storing display information showing a species of display method by which frame data is to be processed;

a logical channel number register for storing a setting of a logical channel number;

a video decoder for decoding main video data included in the stream read from the optical disc into frame data;

determining means for referring to sets of selection condition information included in the scenario information stored in the buffer and for determining sub-picture indicating information which coincides with display information stored in the display setting register and coincides with a present logical channel number stored by the logical channel number register;

a sub-picture decoder for decoding a set of sub-picture data indicated by the determined sub-picture indicating information into a set of tel-op data, out of a plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in the stream read according to control by the second controlling means;

processing means for processing images of frame data, based on the display information stored in the display setting register; and

combining means for arranging the decoded set of tel-op data onto the processed images of frame data in accordance with coordinate information included in a set of sub-picture data and for combining the tel-op data and the processed images.

18. A reproduction method for reproducing streams,

wherein streams are composed of main image data which is an arrangement of frame data which has been processed to allow display by display screens of a plurality of aspect ratios, and sets of sub-picture data which each include a set of tel-op data and a set of coordinate information for a display position of the set of tel-op data,

using display mode information that shows a species of display method for processing frame data, which has been decoded from the main video data in a stream, for display at one of the plurality of aspect ratios and sub-picture indicating information which indicates one set of sub-picture data, out of a plurality of sets of sub-picture data included in a same stream as the main video image, which includes coordinate information that corresponds to the species shown by display mode information,

the reproduction method including:

a retrieving step for retrieving a plurality of combinations of display mode information and sub-picture indicating information;

a receiving step for receiving a user indication of display information showing a species of display method to be used to process the frame data;

a video decoding step for decoding the main video data included in a retrieved stream into frame data;

a determining step for referring to the plurality of sets of display mode information retrieved in the retrieving step and for determining a set of sub-picture indicating information which coincides with the display information received in the receiving step;

a sub-picture decoding step for decoding the set of sub-picture data indicated by the set of sub-picture indicating information, out of the sets of sub-picture data included in the retrieved stream;

a processing step for processing images of frame data based on the display information stored in the display setting register;

combining step for arranging the decoded set of tel-op data onto the processed images of frame data in accordance with coordinate information included in a set of sub-picture data and for combining the tel-op data and the processed images.