Multimedia optical disk, reproduction apparatus and method for achieving variable scene development based on interactive control

• US 6,356,707 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2000
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1995
• 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, Miwa, Katsuhiko, Fukushima, Yoshihisa, Kozuka, Masayuki, Murase, Kaoru, Tsuga, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US09/653,234
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5781, H04/N.592, H04/N.526, H04/N.585, H04/N.979, 386/125-126, 386/95-96, 386/98, 386/104, 386/105, 386/106, 386/45, 386/69, 386/70, 360/18, 360/20, 369/32, 369/47.1, 369/275.2, 369/275.3
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• 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 20/1254 for mixed data, i.e. continuous and discontinuous data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable 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 27/329 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 7/0037 with discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/004 Recording, reproducing or erasing methods; Read, write or erase circuits therefor magneto-optical systems G11B11/105
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24085 Pits
• 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 9/8042 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 disk is provided. The multimedia optical disk includes a data area for storing objects which include moving picture data and at least one of audio data and sub-picture data. The multimedia optical disk also includes an index area for storing reproduction orders of the objects. Route information in the index area includes a sequence of addresses of objects whose alignment represents a reproduction order. Chain control information in the index area corresponds to the route information. The chain control information, being effective in reproducing objects specified by the alignment of the sequence of addresses (objects specified by the alignment of the sequence of addresses are called a chain), instructs the reproduction apparatus to have a navigation control of the chain. A piece of moving picture data having a certain time period is reproduced at the same timing as a piece of audio data and a piece of sub-picture data. A piece of sub-control information, being effective in reproducing moving picture data, sub-picture data, and audio data stored in a small unit instructs the reproduction apparatus to have a navigation control of the data stored in the same small unit.

Claims

1. An optical disk comprising:

a data region for storing a plurality of video sequences composed from a plurality of video segments; and

a management information region for storing a plurality of sequence information which indicates a reproduction order of video segments included in each video sequence and indicates positions on the optical disk of the video segments included in each video sequence, and sequence-link information which indicates which one of two or more video sequences follows each video sequence depending on a value of a reproduction apparatus'"'"'s register,

wherein at least one of the video segments includes control command information which enables the value of the reproduction apparatus'"'"'s register to be updated.

2. A reproduction apparatus for reproducing an optical disk as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

a reading means capable of reading and reproducing the video segments, the sequence information, and the sequence-link information from the disk;

a memory for storing the sequence information, the sequence-link information and the control command information separated from a reproducing video segment;

a controller for controlling the reading means; and

an instruction receiving means which is allowed to receive an instruction for executing the control command information included in a reproducing video segment,

wherein the controller controls the reading means to read the sequence information and the sequence-link information from the optical disk, controls the reading means to read the video segments in accordance with the sequence information and the sequence-link information depending on a value of a reproduction apparatus register, and updates the value of the reproduction apparatus'"'"'s register in accordance with the control command information stored in the memory when the instruction receiving means receives an instruction executing the control command information.

3. A reproduction apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein after the reproduction of one video sequence is finished, the controller selects one of the two or more video sequences indicated by the sequence-link information depending on a value of the reproduction apparatus'"'"'s register, and controls the reading means to read the video segments in accordance with the selected sequence information.

4. A method of reproducing an optical disk as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

reading the management information region;

storing sequence information and sequence-link information;

storing control command information in the reproduction apparatus register;

reading the video segments in accordance with the stored sequence information and sequence-link information depending on the control command information in the reproduction apparatus register;

updating the control command information in the reproduction apparatus register when a new video segment is read with new control command information; and

reproducing the video segments in accordance with the current status of the reproduction apparatus register.

5. A system for reproducing an optical disk as claimed in claim 4, wherein the system reproduces video data from the optical disk when operatively installed in the reproduction apparatus.

6. A method of reproducing a plurality of video sequences composed from a plurality of video segments that are stored as data on a machine readable medium along with sequence information, sequence-link information and control command information, comprising the steps of:

reading the data on the machine readable medium;

storing the sequence information, the sequence-link information and control command information separate from the video segments, the control command information being stored in a register and updated each time, when new control command information is read which indicates an update;

controlling the sequence in which the video segments are read in accordance with the status of the control command information in the register and subsequently the stored sequence information and the stored sequence-link information when the control command information permits reading the stored sequence information and the stored sequence-link information and enabling an alternative video sequence to be read by branching from a video segment when the control command information in the register indicates a branch from the sequence information; and

reproducing the video segments in accordance with the sequence in which the video segments are read.

7. A system for reproducing video data from a machine readable storage member with a reproduction apparatus comprising:

a storage member including a data region for storing a plurality of video sequences composed from a plurality of video segments; and

a management information region for storing a plurality of sequence information which indicates a reproduction order of video segments included in each video sequence and indicates positions on the optical disk of the video segments included in each video sequence, and sequence-link information which indicates which one of two or more video sequences follows each video sequence depending on a value of reproduction apparatus register,

wherein at least one of the video segments includes control command information which enables the value of the reproduction apparatus register to be updated, and

a reproduction apparatus including a reading means capable of reading and reproducing the video segments, the sequence information and the sequence-link information from the storage member;

a memory for storing the sequence information, the sequence-link information and the control command information separated from the reproducing video segment;

a controller for controlling the reading means; and

an instruction receiving means which is allowed to receive an instruction for executing the control command information included in a reproducing video segment,

wherein the controller controls the reading means to read the sequence information and the sequence-link information from the disk, controls the reading means to read the video segments in accordance with the sequence information and the sequence-link information depending on a value of a reproduction apparatus'"'"'s register and updates the value of the reproduction apparatus register in accordance with the control command information stored in the memory when the instruction receiving means receives an instruction executing the control command information.