Information reproducing apparatus and information reproducing method

Abstract

A resume function is properly controlled, thereby making it possible to prevent a malfunction and enhance reliability. Provided are a content type storage section having stored therein disc determination information of a disc being played back, a playback processing section which plays back the disc, an interruption information storage section which, when playback interruption occurs while playing back the disc, stores information relating to a playback position in management information, and an interruption information processing section which, when playback interruption occurs during playback of the disc and the contents are of a first type, stores information relating to the playback position in the interruption information storage section, and, when the contents are of a second type, aborts information relating to the playback position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams showing a configuration of standard contents and advanced contents;

FIGS. 2A to 2C are explanatory diagrams of discs in categories 1, 2, and 3;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a reference example of an enhanced video object (EVOB) using time map information (TMAPI);

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram to help explain an example of a volume space of the disc according to this invention;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a directory and a file of the disc according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of management information (VMG) and a video title set (VTS) according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a startup sequence of a player model according to this invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a data structure of a DISCID. DAT file of the disc according to this invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an exemplary operation of the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another exemplary operation of the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing further another exemplary operation of the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a pack-mixed state of primary EVOB-TY2 according to this invention;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a concept of recorded information of the disc according to this invention;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing in detail a model of an advanced content player according to this invention;

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a video mixing model of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram to help explain an example of a graphics hierarchy in an operation of the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a supply model of a network and persistence storage data in the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data store model in the apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a user input handling model in the apparatus according to this invention;

FIGS. 20A and 20B are diagrams to help explain an exemplary configuration of an advanced content;

FIG. 21 is a diagram to help explain an exemplary configuration of a playlist;

FIG. 22 is a diagram to help explain an example of allocation of presentation object on a timeline;

FIG. 23 is a diagram to help explain a case where trick play (such as chapter jump) of presentation objects is performed on the timeline.

FIG. 24 is a diagram to help explain an exemplary configuration of a playlist in the case where an object includes angle information;

FIG. 25 is a diagram to help explain an exemplary configuration of a playlist in the case where an object includes a multi-story;

FIG. 26 is a diagram to help explain an exemplary description of object mapping information in the playlist and its playback time;

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing how a data cache is controlled at the time of apparatus operation using the playlist; and

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a whole block configuration of a player according to this invention.

Claims

1. An information reproducing apparatus, comprising: a playback section which plays back contents of a plurality of different types;a command section which commands interruption of contents being played back; anda playback control section which, when playback of contents is restarted after interruption of contents, in the case where the contents are contents of a first type, restarts playback from an interrupted position, and, in the case where the contents are contents of a second type, reads and plays back a playlist indicating procedures for playing back the contents.

2. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a content type storage section which, when playback is started, determines whether disc contents are of the first type or second type, and then, stores content determination information; andan interruption information storage section which, when playback interruption occurs while playing back the disc and when the contents are of the first type, stores information relating to a playback position in the management information.

3. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the interruption information processing section determines information of the content type storage section when playback interruption occurs during a playback operation; stores information relating to the playback position in the interruption information storage section when the contents are of a first type; and aborts information relating to the playback position when the contents are of a second type.

4. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the content type storage section checks determination that the contents are of a second type, in accordance with a disc identification data file under a directory of the disc.

5. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the playback control section further sets a playback state from a start position of contents of the disc when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and when the contents are of a second type.

6. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the playback control section further acquires the disc identification data file, and then, reads the playlist and sets a playback operation when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and when the contents are of a second type.

7. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the playback control section reads a playlist indicating procedures for playing back advanced contents according to the disc and sets a playback state when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a second type.

8. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the playback control section sets a playback state of the disc, based on information relating to a playback position of the interruption information storage section, when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a second type.

9. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playback section and the playback control section further comprises: a user interface manager which accepts a user operation;a data access manager which acquires data from a network server and a persistent storage in addition to the disc;a data cache;a presentation engine which decodes an output from the data cache; anda navigation engine which controls the data cache and the presentation engine,wherein the data access manager makes a search, from the disc or the persistent stage and the disc, for a playlist indicating procedures for playing back advanced contents according to the disc, in accordance with contents of a search flag included in the disc identification data file.

10. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playback section and the playback control section further comprises: a user interface manager which accepts a user operation;a data access manager which acquires data from a network server and a persistent storage in addition to the disc;a data cache;a presentation engine which decodes an output from the data cache; anda navigation engine which controls the data cache and the presentation engine,wherein, in accordance with operational information inputted from the user interface, the data access manager acquires contents from the network server and the persistent storage; the navigation engine and the data cache expand the acquired contents; and the presentation engine obtains a playback output of an object included in contents.

11. A information reproducing method comprising the steps of: a user interface manager accepting a user operation;a data access manager acquiring data from a network server and a persistent storage in addition to a disc;a data cache caching data;a presentation engine decoding an output from the data cache; anda navigation engine controlling the data cache and the presentation engine,wherein, in accordance with operational information inputted from the user interface, the data access manage acquires contents from the network server and the persistent storage; the navigation engine and the data cache expand the acquired contents; and the presentation engine obtains a playback output of an object included in contents, andwhen a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption via the user interface section, the data access manager includes means for reading at least a playlist indicating procedures for playing back contents when the contents are of a predetermined type, and then, setting a playback state.

12. The information reproducing method according to claim 11, further comprising a resume manager, the resume manager including the steps of: determining types of contents being played back and storing content determination information; andwhen playback interruption occurs while playing back the contents and the contents are of a first type, storing information relating to the playback position in an interruption information storage section, and, when the contents are of the predetermined type (second type), aborting information relating to the playback position.

13. The information reproducing method according to claim 12, wherein determination that the contents are of a second type is made by verifying that a disc identification data file exists under a disc directory.

14. The information reproducing method according to claim 12, wherein, when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a second type, a video object of the disc is set to a playback state from an object start position.

15. The information reproducing method according to claim 12, wherein, when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a second type, the disc identification data file is acquired, and then, a playback operation is set.

16. The information reproducing method according to claim 12, wherein, when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a second type, a playlist indicating procedures for playing back advanced contents relevant to the disc is read, and then, a playback state is set.

17. The information reproducing method according to claim 12, wherein, when a playback operation occurs after the playback interruption and the contents are of a first type, a playback state of the disc is set based on information relating to a playback position of the interruption information storage section.