Playback apparatus and method, program, recording medium, data structure, and manufacturing method for recording medium

• US 20070047912A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Motoki, Hattori, Shinobu
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2541 Blu-ray discs; Blue laser DVR discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• 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 9/8211 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

A playback apparatus includes an obtaining unit obtaining playback management information including a main playback path of a main stream set, a first sub playback path of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path of a second sub-stream set. The first and second sub playback paths are allowed for a predetermined category. A selection-receiver receives a selection of streams as a first combination or a second combination. A reading unit reads the corresponding stream sets according to whether the first or second combination is selected. A playback unit plays back the main stream set and the first or second sub-stream set. The number of files that are readable at one time is predetermined. The sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed the predetermined number.

Claims

1. A playback apparatus comprising:

obtaining means for obtaining playback management information including a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set, the playback management information satisfying at least a first condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category;

selection-receiving means for receiving a selection of streams to be played back based on the playback management information obtained by the obtaining means as a first combination of the main stream set and the first sub stream set or a second combination of the main stream set and the second sub stream set;

reading means for reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the first sub-stream set by referring to the first sub playback path when the selection of the first combination is received by the selection-receiving means, or for reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the second sub-stream set by referring to the second sub playback path when the selection of the second combination is received by the selection-receiving means; and

playback means for playing back, together with the main stream set read by the reading means, the first sub-stream set or the second sub-stream set read by the reading means,

wherein the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files,

the number of the files that are readable at one time by the reading means is a predetermined number, and

the playback management information satisfies, in addition to the first condition, a second condition that one or more of the first and second sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed the predetermined number.

2. The playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main playback path indicates a position on the time axis of at least one stream of the main stream set included in a first file,

the first sub playback path or the second sub playback path indicates a position on the time axis of at least one stream of the first sub-stream set or the second sub-stream set, respectively, included in one or more second files, and

the reading means reads one or more streams specified by the playback management information obtained by the obtaining means from a corresponding file selected from the first file referred to by the main playback path and the one or more second files referred to by one or more of the first and second sub playback paths.

3. The playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined number of the files that are readable at one time is two,

the first file and the one or more second files are different files, and

the second condition is that the one or more first and second sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the second file read together with the first file is one.

4. The playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined number of the files that are readable at one time is two,

among the one or more second files, a predetermined second file is the same file as the first file, and the remaining file is a file different from the first file, and

the second condition is that the one or more sub playback paths are determined so that one of the second files read with the first file is the same file as the first file and the other second file is different from the first file.

5. The playback apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, if the one or more first and second sub playback paths include at least one non-synchronized reading type defining that the one or more second files are read asynchronously with the first file, the playback management information satisfies, in addition to the first condition and the second condition, a third condition that the one or more second files referred to by the one or more first and second sub playback paths of the non-synchronized reading type do not count toward the number of the files that are readable at one time.

6. A playback method for a playback apparatus that plays back streams, comprising the steps of:

obtaining playback management information including a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set, the playback management information satisfying at least a first condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category;

receiving a selection of streams to be played back based on the obtained playback management information as a first combination of the main stream set and the first sub stream set or a second combination of the main stream set and the second sub stream set;

reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the first sub-stream set by referring to the first sub playback path when the selection of the first combination is received, or for reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the second sub-stream set by referring to the second sub playback path when the selection of the second combination is received; and

playing back, together with the read main stream set, the first sub-stream set or the second sub-stream set which is read,

wherein the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files,

the number of the files that are readable at one time is a predetermined number, and

the playback management information satisfies, in addition to the first condition, a second condition that one or more of the first and second sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed the predetermined number.

7. A program for allowing a computer to execute processing for playing back streams, the processing comprising the steps of:

obtaining playback management information including a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set, the playback management information satisfying at least a first condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category;

receiving a selection of streams to be played back based on the obtained playback management information as a first combination of the main stream set and the first sub stream set or a second combination of the main stream set and the second sub stream set;

reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the first sub-stream set by referring to the first sub playback path when the selection of the first combination is received, or for reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the second sub-stream set by referring to the second sub playback path when the selection of the second combination is received; and

playing back, together with the read main stream set, the first sub-stream set or the second sub-stream set which is read,

wherein the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files,

the number of the files that are readable at one time is a predetermined number, and

the playback management information satisfies, in addition to the first condition, a second condition that one or more of the first and second sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed the predetermined number.

8. A recording medium on which data including playback management information for managing playback of at least two streams including a first stream and a second stream is recorded, the playback management information comprising:

a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of the first stream;

a sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of the second stream; and

type information indicating whether the second stream is played back synchronously with the first stream and whether the second stream is multiplexed into the same file as the first stream.

9. A data structure comprising:

playback management information for managing playback of at least two streams including a first stream and a second stream,

the playback management information including

a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of the first stream,

a sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of the second stream, and

type information indicating whether the second stream is played back synchronously with the first stream and whether the second stream is multiplexed into the same file as the first stream.

10. The data structure according to claim 9, wherein the type information indicates that the second stream is played back synchronously with the first stream and that the second stream is multiplexed into the same file as the first stream.

11. The data structure according to claim 9, wherein the type information indicates that the second stream is played back synchronously with the first stream and that the second stream is multiplexed into a file different from a file of the first stream.

12. The data structure according to claim 9, wherein the type information indicates that the second stream is played back asynchronously with the first stream and that the second stream is multiplexed into a file different from a file of the first stream.

13. A manufacturing method for a recording medium on which data that can be played back by a playback apparatus is recorded, comprising the steps of:

generating data having a data structure including playback management information for managing playback of at least two streams,

the playback management information including

a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of the first stream,

a sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of the second stream, and

type information indicating whether the second stream is played back synchronously with the first stream and whether the second stream is multiplexed into the same file as the first stream; and

recording the generated data on the recording medium.

14. A recording medium on which data including playback management information for managing playback of a file including at least one stream is recorded,

wherein playback management information includes a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set,

the playback management information at least satisfies a condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category,

the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files, and

the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed a number which is predetermined in a playback apparatus.

15. A data structure including playback management information for managing playback of a file including at least one stream,

wherein the playback management information includes a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set,

the playback management information at least satisfies a condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category,

the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files, and

the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed a number which is predetermined in a playback apparatus.

16. A manufacturing method for a recording medium on which data that can be played back by a playback apparatus is recorded, comprising the steps of:

generating data having a data structure including playback management information;

wherein, in the data structure, playback management information includes a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set,

the playback management information at least satisfies a condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category,

the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files, and

the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed a number which is predetermined in the playback apparatus; and

recording the generated data on the recording medium.

17. A playback apparatus comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain playback management information including a main playback path indicating a position on a time axis of a main stream set, a first sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a first sub-stream set, and a second sub playback path indicating a position on the time axis of a second sub-stream set, which is different from the first sub-stream set, the playback management information being classified into a predetermined category among a plurality of categories that are defined beforehand in accordance with the type of the main stream set, the playback management information satisfying at least a first condition that each of the first sub playback path and the second sub playback path is a type of playback path allowed for the predetermined category;

a selection-receiver configured to receive a selection of streams to be played back based on the playback management information obtained by the obtaining unit as a first combination of the main stream set and the first sub stream set or a second combination of the main stream set and the second sub stream set;

a reading unit configured to read the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the first sub-stream set by referring to the first sub playback path when the first combination is received by the selection-receiver, and for reading the main stream set by referring to the main playback path and the second sub-stream set by referring to the second sub playback path when the second combination is received by the selection-receiver; and

a playback unit configured to play back, together with the main stream set read by the reading unit, the first sub-stream set or the second sub-stream set read by the reading unit,

wherein the main stream set, the first sub-stream set, and the second sub-stream set are included in files,

the number of the files that are readable at one time by the reading unit is a predetermined number, and

the playback management information satisfies, in addition to the first condition, a second condition that one or more of the sub playback paths are determined so that the number of the files that are readable at one time does not exceed the predetermined number.