Reproduction Apparatus, Program and Reproduction Method

• US 20070263985A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okada, Tomoyuki, Ikeda, Wataru, Yahata, Hiroshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1251 for continuous data, e.g. digitised analog information signals, pulse code modulated [PCM] data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10601 surround sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1288 Formatting by padding empty spaces with dummy data, e.g. writing zeroes or random data when de-icing optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2541 Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded

Abstract

The Procedure executing unit 42 makes a judgment on which among three conditions are satisfied by each of a plurality of audio streams. The BD-ROM reproduction apparatus selects an audio stream to be reproduced in accordance with each combination of conditions that are satisfied by each audio stream. One of the conditions is that a channel attribute of an audio stream is surround and the reproduction apparatus is capable to output surround audio. If the audio stream to be reproduced conforms to an encoding method such as DTS-HD or DD/DD+ whose audio frames are composed of basic data and extended data, the judgment on whether the surround output is available is made by judging whether or not the reproduction apparatus has a capability to process the extended data.

Claims

1. A reproduction apparatus comprising:

a selecting unit operable to make a judgment on which among a plurality of predetermined conditions are satisfied by each of a plurality of audio streams, and to select an audio stream to be reproduced among the plurality of audio streams, in accordance with each combination of predetermined conditions satisfied by each audio stream; and

a reproducing unit operable to reproduce the selected audio stream, wherein

one of the plurality of predetermined conditions is that a channel attribute of an audio stream is surround and a surround output is available, and

if an audio frame of a target audio stream is composed of basic data and extended data, the selecting unit judges whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied by detecting whether or not a channel attribute of the extended data is surround and the extended data is capable to be processed.

2. The reproduction apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a status register that stores a first flag group, which corresponds to basic data of a plurality of encoding methods, and a second flag group which corresponds to extended data of the plurality of encoding methods, wherein

the first flag group is composed of a plurality of flags that indicate, for each of the plurality of encoding methods, whether or not the reproduction apparatus has a capability to process the basic data,

the second flag group is composed of a plurality of flags that indicate, for each of the plurality of encoding methods, whether or not the reproduction apparatus has a capability to process the extended data, and

the detection of whether or not the extended data is capable to be processed is accomplished by checking whether or not a value set in a flag, which belongs to the first flag group and corresponds to the target audio stream, is a predetermined value.

3. The reproduction apparatus of claim 2, wherein

the capability to process the extended data is categorized into three levels referred to as a first level, a second level, and a third level, wherein at the first level, it is capable to decode the extended data and output a result of the decoding as a surround output;

at the second level, it is capable to decode the extended data and output a result of the decoding as a stereo output; and

at the third level, nether a surround output nor a stereo output is available, and

the predetermined value is a value indicating the first level.

4. The reproduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the detection of whether or not the extended data is capable to be processed is accomplished by checking whether or not either the reproduction apparatus or a device connected to the reproduction apparatus has a capability to decode the extended data.

5. The reproduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the detection of whether or not the extended data is capable to be processed is accomplished by checking whether or not it is capable to transmit either the extended data that has been compressed or non-compressed digital data that has been obtained by decoding the extended data, to a connected device.

6. The reproduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the detection of whether or not the extended data is capable to be processed is accomplished by checking whether or not a speaker of a connected device supports surround audio.

7. A program that causes a computer to execute the steps of:

making a judgment on which among a plurality of predetermined conditions are satisfied by each of a plurality of audio streams, and selecting an audio stream to be reproduced among the plurality of audio streams, in accordance with each combination of predetermined conditions satisfied by each audio stream; and

reproducing the selected audio stream, wherein

one of the plurality of predetermined conditions is that a channel attribute of an audio stream is surround and a surround output is available, and

if an audio frame of a target audio stream is composed of basic data and extended data, the audio stream selecting step judges whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied by detecting whether or not a channel attribute of the extended data is surround and the extended data is capable to be processed.

8. A reproduction method comprising the steps of:

making a judgment on which among a plurality of predetermined conditions are satisfied by each of a plurality of audio streams, and selecting an audio stream to be reproduced among the plurality of audio streams, in accordance with each combination of predetermined conditions satisfied by each audio stream; and

reproducing the selected audio stream, wherein

one of the plurality of predetermined conditions is that a channel attribute of an audio stream is surround and a surround output is available, and

if an audio frame of a target audio stream is composed of basic data and extended data, the audio stream selecting step judges whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied by detecting whether or not a channel attribute of the extended data is surround and the extended data is capable to be processed.