Information reproducing apparatus and information reproducing method

Abstract

In an embodiment of the invention, the use of system parameters can be controlled according to the type of disc, thereby realizing a suitable operation. The embodiment includes means for changing the setting of a reproducing section according to output setting information, when any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information has been changed in the middle of reproducing a first content of the disc, and means for reproducing an object in the second content from an object starting position, when any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information has been changed in the middle of reproducing a second content of the disc.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various feature 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 exemplary diagrams to help explain the configuration of standard contents and that of advanced contents;

FIGS. 2A to 2C are exemplary diagrams to help explain a category-1 disc, a category-2 disc, and a category-3 disc, respectively;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of referring to an enhanced video object (EVOB) according to time map information (TMAPI);

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

FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of directories and files in a disc according to the invention;

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

FIG. 7 is a flowchart to help explain a startup sequence of a player model according to the invention;

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

FIG. 9 is a flowchart to help explain an example of the operation of an apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart to help explain another example of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart to help explain still another example of the operation of the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 12 is an exemplary diagram to help explain a pack-mixed state of a primary EVOB-TY2 according to the invention;

FIG. 13 is an exemplary diagram to help explain the concept of recorded information on a disc according to the invention;

FIG. 14 is an exemplary diagram to explain in detail a model of an advanced content player according to the invention;

FIG. 15 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of the video mixing model in FIG. 14;

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

FIG. 17 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of a network and a persistent storage data supply model in the apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 18 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of a data storage model according to the invention;

FIG. 19 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of a user input processing model according to the invention;

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

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

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

FIG. 23 is an exemplary diagram to help explain a case where a trick play (e.g., a chapter jump) of a presentation object is made on the timeline;

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

FIG. 25 is an exemplary diagram to help explain an example of the configuration of a playlist when an object includes a multistory;

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

FIG. 27 is a flowchart to help explain the way the data cache is controlled in the operation of the apparatus according to the playlist;

FIG. 28 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of comments displayed according to the operation of the user interface manager; and

FIG. 29 is an exemplary block diagram showing an overall block configuration of a player according to the invention;

Claims

1. An information reproducing apparatus comprising: a reproducing section which reproduces contents on the basis of playback management information in order to reproduce the contents of a disc;a continuation control section which changes the setting of the reproducing section according to output setting information and causes the reproducing section to continue the reproduction, when any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information has been changed in the middle of reproducing a first content of the disc; anda graphic user interface control section which outputs a comment to the effect that a replay state starts at an object starting position, when the change of any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information is input a specific time after the start of the reproduction of a second content of the disc.

2. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a replay control section which causes the reproducing section to reproduce an object in the second content from an object starting position, wherein the replay control section sets output setting information in the reproducing section and causes the reproducing section to do reproducing, when there is an operation input indicating a decision after the comment has been output.

3. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reproducing section maintains the present playback state, when there is no operation input for a specific time in a state where the comment has been output.

4. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a replay control section which causes the reproducing section to reproduce an object in the second content from an object starting position, wherein the replay control section reads a disk identification data file first under a directory of the disc, when a playback state staring at the object starting position of an object in the second content is set.

5. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a replay control section which causes the reproducing section to reproduce an object in the second content from an object starting position, wherein the replay control section reads a playlist that indicates a playback sequence of the advanced contents related to the disc and sets a playback state, when a playback state staring at the object starting position of an object in the second content is set.

6. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reproducing section includes a user interface manager which receives a user operation and gives an operation instruction to the continuation control section and the replay control section,a data access manager which takes in data from not only the disc but also a network server and a persistent storage,a data cache,a presentation engine which decodes the output from the data cache, anda navigation engine which controls the data cache and the presentation engine,wherein the data access manager takes in contents from the network server and persistent storage according to operation information input from the user interface and the navigation engine and data cache expand the taken-in contents and the presentation engine obtains the reproduced output of the objects included in the contents.

7. An information reproducing method which has a reproducing section for reproducing contents on the basis of playback management information in order to reproduce the contents of a disc, and an output environment manager for setting a display mode of a video signal output from the reproducing section and an output mode of an audio signal on the basis of output setting information, the information reproducing method comprising: changing the setting of the reproducing section according to the output setting information and causes the reproducing section to continue the reproduction, when any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information has been changed in the middle of reproducing a first content of the disc; andoutputting a comment to the effect that a replay state starts at an object starting position, when the change of any one of aspect, resolution, and audio used as the output setting information is input a specific time after the start of the reproduction of a second content of the disc.

8. The information reproducing method according to claim 7, further comprising a replay control section which causes the reproducing section to reproduce an object in the second content from an object starting position, wherein the replay control section sets output setting information in the reproducing section and causes the reproducing section to do reproducing, when there is an operation input indicating a decision after the comment has been output.

9. The information reproducing method according to claim 7, wherein the reproducing section maintains the present playback state, when there is no operation input for a specific time in a state where the comment has been output.

10. The information reproducing method to claim 7, a disk identification data file under a directory of the disc is read first, when a playback state staring at the object starting position of an object in the second content is set.

11. The information reproducing method according to claim 7, wherein a playlist that indicates a playback sequence of the advanced contents related to the disc is read and a playback state is set, when a playback state staring at the object starting position of an object in the second content is set.

12. The information reproducing method according to claim 7, wherein the reproducing section includes a user interface manager, a data access manager, a data cache, a presentation engine, and a navigation engine, wherein the data access manager takes in contents from the network server and persistent storage according to operation information input from the user interface and the navigation engine and data cache expand the taken-in contents and the presentation engine obtains the reproduced output of the objects included in the contents.