Optical disc reproducing apparatus, and optical disc reproducing method for reproducing audio streams

• US 6,278,834 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 08/21/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miwa, Katsuhiko, Okada, Tomoyuki, Tsuga, Kazuhiro, Yagi, Tomotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/672,961
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.5928, 386/46, 386/52, 386/54, 386/96, 386/95, 386/98, 386/104, 386/111, 386/112, 386/124, 386/125, 386/126
• US Class Current: 386/285
• 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 20/1252 for discontinuous data, e.g. digital information signals, computer programme data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1062 Data buffering arrangements, e.g. recording or playback buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10833 Copying or moving data from one record carrier to another
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/218 Write-once discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2575 DVD-RAMs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• 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 9/8211 the additional signal being a sound signal H04N9/835 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A recordable optical disc stores one or more video objects. A video stream, a first audio stream, and a second audio stream which is used for dubbing are multiplexed into each video object. Also, an optical disc recording apparatus generates the second audio stream by an audio stream generating device, and multiplexes the generated second audio stream into each video object together with the video object and the first audio stream by a multiplexor. The generated video objects are recorded onto the recordable optical disc by a recording device. The optical disc in which such video objects are stored facilitates dubbing.

Claims

1. A reproduction apparatus for use with an optical disc having a data area for storing a video object and a management information area for storing management information, the video object includes a video stream obtained by encoding a video signal, a first audio stream obtained by encoding an audio signal, a second audio stream obtained based on the first audio stream and identification flags respectively provided for the first and second audio streams for identifying the associated audio streams, the video stream and the first and second audio streams being multiplexed with each other, the first audio stream including a plurality of packs each of which has a fixed data size, the second audio stream having the same bit rate as the first audio stream and includes the same number of packs each having the same data size as the packs of the first audio stream, the management information indicating whether or not the second audio stream is rewritten based on an audio signal input for dubbing, the reproduction apparatus comprising:

a reproduction means for decoding the first audio stream and the video stream or the second audio stream and the video stream to output the audio signal and the video signal;

a receiving means for receiving a users instruction; and

a controller operable to determine, when the receiving means receives the user'"'"'s instruction to output the second audio stream while the first audio stream is output, whether or not the management information indicates that a part or all of the second audio stream has been rewritten, and to control the reproduction means to decode the second audio stream and the video stream when the part or all of the second audio stream is determined to be rewritten.

2. The reproduction apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is operable to output a notification notifying that the first audio stream is not changed to the second audio stream when any part of the second audio stream has not been rewritten.

3. A reproduction method for use with an optical disc having a data area for storing a video object and a management information area for storing management information, the video object includes a video stream obtained by encoding a video signal, a first audio stream obtained by encoding an audio signal, a second audio stream obtained based on the first audio stream and identification flags respectively provided for the first and second audio streams for identifying the associated audio streams, the video stream and the first and second audio streams being multiplexed with each other, the first audio stream including a plurality of packs each of which has a fixed data size, the second audio stream having the same bit rate as the first audio stream and includes the same number of packs each having the same data size as the packs of the first audio stream, the management information indicating whether or not a part or all of the second audio stream is rewritten based on an audio signal input for dubbing, the reproduction method comprising:

decoding the first audio stream and the video stream to output the audio signal and the video signal;

receiving a user'"'"'s instruction;

determining, when the user'"'"'s instruction to output the second audio stream while the first audio stream is output, whether or not the management information indicates that a part or all of the second audio stream is rewritten; and

changing the first audio stream into the second audio stream when the part or all of the second audio stream is determined to have been rewritten.

4. The reproduction method of claim 3, further comprising, when the second audio stream has not been rewritten, outputting a notification notifying that the first audio stream is not changed to the second audio stream.

5. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program that allows a computer to execute a reproduction method for use with an optical disc having a data area for storing a video object and a management information area for storing management information, the video object includes a video stream obtained by encoding a video signal, a first audio stream obtained by encoding an audio signal, a second audio stream obtained based on the first audio stream and identification flags respectively provided for the first and second audio streams for identifying the associated audio streams, the video stream and the first and second audio streams being multiplexed with each other, the first audio stream including a plurality of packs each of which has a fixed data size, the second audio stream having the same bit rate as the first audio stream and includes the same number of packs each having the same data size as the packs of the first audio stream, the management information indicating whether or not a part or all of the second audio stream is rewritten based on an audio signal input for dubbing, the reproduction method comprising:

decoding the first audio stream and the video stream to output the audio signal and the video signal;

receiving a user'"'"'s instruction;

determining, when the user'"'"'s instruction to output the second audio stream while the first audio stream is output, whether or not the management information indicates that a part or all of the second audio stream is rewritten; and

changing the first audio stream into the second audio stream when the part or all of the second audio stream is determined to have been rewritten.

6. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 5, further comprising, when the second audio stream has not been rewritten, outputting a notification notifying that the first audio stream is not changed to the second audio stream.