Optical disc storing both video titles provided with AV functions and video titles with no such functions which can instantly distinguish between such kinds of titles, and a reproduction apparatus and reproduction method for such disc

• US 6,336,002 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1998
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1996
• 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: Yamauchi, Kazuhiko, Saeki, Shinichi, Miwa, Katsuhiko, Kozuka, Masayuki, Murase, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/102,697
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.585, H04/N.592, 386/46, 386/95, 386/111, 386/112, 386/125, 386/126, 369/32, 707/104
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 17/00 Engines characterised by means for effecting stratification of charge in cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 19/12 with positive ignition engines with non-timed positive ignition, and with incandescent chambers F02B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• 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 27/309 Table of contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 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: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 : Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

An optical disc on which a variety of types of video titles are recorded and which enables a reproduction apparatus to instantly distinguish whether emulated AV functions may be performed for any of the titles. The optical disc includes a manager area which stores playback type information corresponding to the management information for each video title, with the playback type information including a first flag showing whether the present video title is expressed using one or a plurality of sets of route information and a second flag showing whether a title is expressed using any branch information.

Claims

1. An optical disc comprising a title area and a manager area, wherein

the title area stores a plurality of video titles, each of which include route information and a plurality of pieces of video information retrieved according to the route information,

wherein there are three types of video titles within the plurality of video titles including a first type, a second type, and a third type, with video titles of the first type being retrieved according to only one piece of route information, video titles of the second type being retrieved according to a plurality of pieces of route information and branch information, and video titles of the third type being retrieved according to a plurality of pieces of route information without any branch information,

and wherein the manager area includes:

an address management information area for storing a plurality of pieces of address management information each of which include an address of one of the plurality of video titles; and

a playback type information area for storing a plurality of pieces of playback type information, wherein the plurality of pieces of playback type information correspond to the plurality of pieces of address management information, each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information including a first flag and a second flag, of which the first flag indicates whether a corresponding video title is retrieved according to a piece of route information or according to a plurality of pieces of route information, and the second flag indicates whether the route information of the corresponding video title includes the branch information.

2. The optical disc of claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information indicates that a disc reproduction apparatus can execute AV functioning for a corresponding video title if the corresponding video title is at least in one of a first case and a second case, wherein in the first case, the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to only one piece of route information, and in the second case, the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include the branch information, and

wherein the AV functioning at least includes a search function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to search and reproduce an arbitrary portion of a video title and a feedback function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to monitor and display a reproduction elapsed time.

3. The optical disc of claim 2, wherein

the playback type information includes a third flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a normal playback type, wherein the normal playback type is a type in which the plurality of pieces of video information specified by the route information are sequentially reproduced in a predetermined order.

4. The optical disc of claim 2, wherein the playback type information includes a fourth flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a branch-in-title type, wherein the branch-in-title type is a type in which a current video title does not branch to another video title.

5. The optical disc of claim 2, wherein the playback type information includes a fifth flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a branch destination auto selection type, wherein the branch destination auto selection type is a type in which a default branch destination is specified for a case when no branch destination has been selected by an operator.

6. The optical disc of claim 2,

wherein each of the plurality of pieces of video information includes a plurality of video blocks, wherein each of the plurality of video blocks includes video data and unit time management information, wherein the video data is compressed data of a certain unit time and the unit time management information controls a reproduction during the certain unit time, and

wherein the title area includes a plurality of index number tables each including a plurality of index numbers and search destination information that indicates addresses of video blocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of index numbers, wherein the plurality of index number tables correspond to a plurality of pieces of route information of the first type and the second type.

7. The optical disc of claim 6,

wherein the plurality of video blocks are arranged in an order of reproduction in a direction of rotation of the optical disc, and

wherein the title area further includes a plurality of time map tables including information indicating a relation between the plurality of video blocks and a plurality of time codes, wherein a time code is displayed by the disc reproduction apparatus when a corresponding video block is reproduced, wherein the plurality of time map tables correspond to a plurality of pieces of route information of the first type and the second type.

8. The optical disc of claim 2, wherein the manager area and the title 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. A reproduction method to be executed by a reproduction apparatus when reproducing the optical disc of claim 1, the reproduction apparatus including:

a memory storing available function information showing types of reproduction route for which execution of certain functions is allowed, based on performance of the reproduction apparatus, the reproduction method including;

a reading step for reading image information, route information, and disc reproduction information from the optical disc;

a reproducing step for reproducing the image information in accordance with the route information; and

a judging step for judging, when there is a request to execute a function, whether execution of the requested function is allowed, based on the read disc reproduction information and the available function information in the memory.

10. A disc reproduction apparatus for reproducing an optical disc, the optical disc comprising a title area and a manager area, wherein the title area stores a plurality of video titles, each of which include route information and a plurality of pieces of video information retrieved according to the route information, wherein the manager area includes:

an address management information area for storing a plurality of pieces of address management information each of which includes an address of one of the plurality of video titles; and

a playback type information area for storing a plurality of pieces of playback type information, wherein the plurality of pieces of playback type information correspond to the plurality of pieces of address management information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information includes a first flag and a second flag, the first flag indicating whether a corresponding video title is retrieved according to only one piece of route information or according to a plurality of pieces of route information, and the second flag indicating whether the route information of the corresponding video title includes the branch information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information indicates that the disc reproduction apparatus can execute AV functioning in a corresponding video title if the corresponding video title is at least in one of a first case and a second case, wherein in the first case, the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to one piece of route information, wherein in the second case, the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include any branch information, wherein the AV functioning at least includes a search function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to search and reproduce an arbitrary portion of the video title and a feedback function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to monitor and display a reproduction elapsed time,

the disc reproduction apparatus comprising;

an optical pickup for optically reading data from the 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 the manager area;

a manager buffer for storing the data read by the first controlling means;

receiving means for receiving a video title selected by an operator to be reproduced;

calculating means for calculating an address of the video title selected by the operator by referring to the manager buffer;

second controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to move the optical pickup and to have the video title read from a position specified by the address calculated by the calculating means;

judging means for judging whether the AV functioning can be executed in the video title read by the second controlling means by referring to the first flag and the second flag corresponding to the video title; and

AV functioning executing means for executing the AV functioning only when the judging means judges that the AV functioning can be used in the video title.

11. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 10, wherein the judging means includes:

a search condition table storing unit for storing a search condition table which includes a combination of flag values, the combination of flag values being a condition under which the search function is executed;

a playback type information fetching unit for fetching a piece of playback type information from the manager buffer corresponding to the video title selected by the operator; and

a condition comparing unit for comparing a combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the search condition table,

wherein the AV functioning executing means includes;

a search destination receiving unit for generating, on receiving an instruction to execute the search function from the operator, an interrupt request specifying a search destination; and

a search function executing unit for instructing the second controlling means to change a position of the optical pickup to the search destination only when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the search condition table.

12. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 11, wherein the combination of flag values in the search condition table is one of a first case and a second case, wherein in the first case, the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to only one piece of route information, wherein in the second case, the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include any branch information.

13. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the playback type information includes a third flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a normal playback type,

wherein the normal playback type is a type in which the plurality of pieces of video information specified by the route information are sequentially reproduced in a predetermined order,

wherein the combination of flag values in the search condition table is one of a third case and a fourth case, wherein in the third case, the third flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of the normal playback type and the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to only one piece of route information, wherein in the fourth case, the third flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of a normal playback type and the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include any branch information, wherein

the condition comparing unit compares the combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the search condition table.

14. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 12, wherein the playback type information includes a fourth flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a branch destination auto selection type,

wherein the branch destination auto selection type is a type in which a default branch destination is specified when no branch destination has been selected by an operator,

wherein the combination of flag values in the search condition table is one of the first case, the second case, and a fifth case, wherein in the fifth case, the fourth flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of the branch destination auto selection type,

wherein the condition comparing unit compares the combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the search condition table.

15. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 11, wherein

each of the plurality of pieces of video information includes a plurality of video blocks, wherein each of the plurality of video blocks includes video data and unit time management information, wherein the video data is compressed data of a certain unit time and the unit time management information controls a reproduction during the certain unit time,

wherein the title area includes an index number table including a plurality of index numbers and search destination information which indicates addresses of video blocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of index numbers, an index number table corresponds to a piece of route information,

wherein the search destination receiving unit, on receiving a numeral input by the operator as an index number, refers to the index number table and determining an address of a video block corresponding to the input index number as the search destination,

wherein the search function executing unit instructs the second controlling means to change a position of the optical pickup to the search destination only when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the search condition table.

16. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

program start instruction receiving means for receiving from the operator a notification of inputting a plurality of index numbers for a programmed reproduction;

holding means for holding a set of index numbers if the search destination receiving unit receives a plurality of numerals from the operator as the set of index numbers after the program start instruction receiving means has received the notification of inputting a plurality of index numbers; and

programmed reproduction executing means for activating the search function executing unit as many times as the number of index numbers in the set of index numbers so that the search function executing unit instructs the second controlling means to sequentially change the position of the optical pickup to the search destinations corresponding to the index numbers in the set of index numbers.

17. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 11, wherein

each of the plurality of pieces of video information includes a plurality of video blocks which are arranged in time series in an order of reproduction, wherein each of the plurality of video blocks includes video data and unit time management information, wherein the video data is compressed data of a certain unit time and the unit time management information controls a reproduction during the certain unit time,

wherein the title area includes a plurality of time map tables including information indicating a relation between the plurality of video blocks and a plurality of time codes,

wherein a time code is displayed by the disc reproduction apparatus when a corresponding video block is reproduced,

wherein the plurality of time map tables correspond to a plurality of pieces of route information of the first type and the second type,

wherein the search destination receiving unit for, on receiving a numeral input by the operator as a time code, referring to the time map table and determining an address of a video block corresponding to the input time code as the search destination,

wherein the search function executing unit instructs the second controlling means to change a position of the optical pickup to the search destination only when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the search condition table.

18. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 10, wherein the judging means includes:

a feedback condition table storing unit for storing a feedback condition table which includes a combination of flag values, the combination of flag values being a condition under which the search function is executed;

a playback type information fetching unit for fetching a piece of playback type information from the manager buffer corresponding to the video title selected by the operator; and

a condition comparing unit for comparing a combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table,

wherein the AV functioning executing means includes;

a monitoring unit for monitoring an amount of progress of the optical pickup which progresses under control of the second controlling unit;

a feedback function executing unit for generating display feedback information based on the amount of progress of the optical pickup monitored by the monitoring unit only when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table; and

a displaying unit for displaying the display feedback information generated by the feedback function executing unit.

19. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 18, wherein

the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table is one of a first case and a second case, wherein in the first case, the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to a piece of route information, wherein in the second case, the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include the branch information.

20. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the playback type information includes a third flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a normal playback type,

wherein the normal playback type is a type in which the plurality of pieces of video information specified by the route information are sequentially reproduced in a predetermined order,

wherein the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table is one of a third case and a fourth case, wherein in the third case, the third flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of the normal playback type and the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to a piece of route information, wherein in the second case, the third flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of a normal playback type and the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include the branch information,

wherein the condition comparing unit compares the combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table.

21. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 19,

wherein the playback type information includes a fourth flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a branch destination auto selection type,

wherein the branch destination auto selection type is a type in which a default branch destination is specified when no branch destination has been selected by an operator,

wherein the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table is one of the first case, the second case, and a fifth case,

wherein in the fifth case, the fourth flag indicates that all pieces of route information of the corresponding video title are of the branch destination auto selection type,

wherein the condition comparing unit compares the combination of flag values in the piece of playback type information fetched by the playback type information fetching unit with the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table.

22. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 18,

wherein each of the plurality of pieces of video information includes a plurality of video blocks, wherein each of the plurality of video blocks includes video data and unit time management information, wherein the video data is compressed data of a certain unit time and the unit time management information controls a reproduction during the certain unit time,

wherein the title area includes an index number table including a plurality of index numbers and search destination information which indicates addresses of video blocks respectively corresponding to the plurality of index numbers, wherein the index number table corresponds to a piece of route information,

wherein the monitoring unit monitors an address of a video block read by the optical pickup and refers to the index number table to determine an index number which corresponds to the monitored address,

wherein the feedback function executing unit generates the display feedback information based on the index number determined by the monitoring unit only when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table,

wherein the displaying unit displays the display feedback information generated by the feedback function executing unit.

23. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of video titles in the optical disc has an identification number,

wherein the monitoring unit further monitors the identification number of a video title read by the optical pickup,

wherein the feedback function executing unit generates the display feedback information based on the identification number of the video title monitored by the monitoring unit and the index number determined by the monitoring unit when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table, wherein the feedback function executing unit generates the display feedback information based on only the identification number of the video title monitored by the monitoring unit when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information does not match the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table,

wherein the displaying unit displays the display feedback information generated by the feedback function executing unit.

24. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 18,

wherein each of the plurality of pieces of video information includes a plurality of video blocks which are arranged in time series in an order of reproduction,

wherein each of the plurality of video blocks includes video data and unit time management information, wherein the video data is compressed data of a certain unit time and the unit time management information controls a reproduction during the certain unit time,

wherein the optical disc includes a time map table including information indicating a relation between the plurality of video blocks and a plurality of time codes,

wherein a time code is displayed by the disc reproduction apparatus when a corresponding video block is reproduced,

wherein the feedback function executing unit includes:

an initial time code displaying unit for displaying an initial time code with a certain format when the second controlling means starts reading the video title;

a progress monitoring unit for monitoring a video block read by the optical pickup; and

a time code updating unit for displaying a time code corresponding to the video block monitored by the progress monitoring unit by referring to the time map table, wherein the time code updating unit updates the initial time code first and continues to update as reading of data by the optical pickup progresses.

25. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of video titles in the optical disc has an identification number,

wherein the monitoring unit further monitors the identification number of a video title read by the optical pickup,

wherein the feedback function executing unit generates the display feedback information based on the identification number of the video title monitored by the monitoring unit and one of the initial time code and the time code displayed by the time code updating unit when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information matches the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table,

wherein the feedback function executing unit generates the display feedback information based on only the identification number of the video title monitored by the monitoring unit when the combination of flag values in the fetched playback type information does not match the combination of flag values in the feedback condition table,

wherein the displaying unit displays the display feedback information generated by the feedback function executing unit.

26. The disc reproduction apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the playback type information includes a fourth flag which indicates whether all pieces of route information of a corresponding video title are of a branch-in-title type,

wherein the branch-in-title type is a type in which a current video title does not branch to another video title,

wherein the disc reproduction apparatus further comprises:

program start instruction receiving means for receiving from the operator a notification of inputting a plurality of index numbers for a programmed reproduction;

title number receiving means for receiving a numeral input by the operator as a title number;

branch judging means for, every time the title number receiving means receives a title number, judging whether a video title corresponding to the title number received by the title number receiving means branches to another video title by referring to flags in the playback type information of the video title;

holding means for holding a set of video title numbers corresponding to video titles judged by the branch judging means as not branching to another video title; and

programmed reproduction executing means for activating the calculating means and the second controlling means as many times as the number of the video title numbers in the set of video title numbers so that the video titles corresponding to the video title numbers in the set of video title numbers are read in sequence.

27. A method, applied to a disc reproduction apparatus including a buffer, of reproducing an optical disc, the optical disc comprising a plurality of video titles, a plurality of pieces of management information, and a plurality of pieces of playback type information, wherein each of the plurality of video titles includes route information and a plurality of pieces of video information retrieved according to the route information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of management information manages an address of a corresponding video title, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information includes a first flag and a second flag, wherein the first flag indicates whether a corresponding video title is retrieved according to a piece of route information or according to a plurality of pieces of route information, and the second flag indicates whether the route information of the corresponding video title includes branch information, the method comprising:

a first writing step of writing a piece of management information into the buffer;

a first receiving step of receiving a video title selected by an operator to be reproduced;

a calculating step of calculating an address of the video title selected by the operator by referring to the buffer;

a second controlling step of reading the video title from a position specified by the address calculated by the calculating step;

a judging step of judging whether AV functioning can be executed in the video title read in the second controlling step by referring to the first flag and the second flag corresponding to the video title, wherein the AV functioning at least includes a search function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to search and reproduce an arbitrary portion of the video title and a feedback function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to monitor and display a reproduction elapsed time; and

an AV functioning executing step of executing the AV functioning only when the judging step judges that the AV functioning can be used in the video title.