HK1070735A - Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same and apparatus for reproducing the same - Google Patents

Description

Information recording medium, and recording apparatus and reproducing apparatus for the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an information recording medium such as an optical disk of high recording density, which can record information such as video information, audio information, etc. at high density and is represented by a DVD (digital video or versatile disk). The present invention also relates to a recording apparatus for recording information to an information recording medium and a reproducing apparatus for reproducing information from an information recording medium.

Background

In general, a so-called LD (laser disc) and a so-called CD (compact disc) are generally called optical discs on which information such as video information, audio information, and the like is recorded.

On the LD or the like, video information and audio information are recorded together with time information indicating the time at which each of the played back information is relative to the playback start position, and each LD has a standard position. Therefore, in addition to the general playback, the recorded information is played back in the recording order, and various special playback is possible, for example, in the case of LD, such as playback to extract and listen to only desired music among a plurality of recorded music, playback to listen to recorded music in a random order, or the like.

However, according to the above-mentioned CD and the like, so-called interactive and diversified playback in which various selections of video or audio information display or sound output by the listener and selection of viewing or listening by the listener are impossible.

That is, for example, in the case where the listener is given a movie in foreign languages on the LD, it is impossible to select a title (subtitle) displayed on the screen (for example, to select one of a title in japanese and a title in the original language) to display the title in the selected language, or, in the case where the listener listens to music recorded on a CD, it is impossible to select one of sounds of the music (for example, to select one of english lyrics and japanese lyrics).

On the other hand, various proposals and developments have made DVDs as optical discs in which the storage capacity is increased by about 10 times as compared with the usual CDs of the predecessors without the size of the optical disc itself being changed. However, the recording technology of DVD is capable of branching various options of display to listeners and reproducing correctly. As in the above-described manner, the certainty and smoothness of the contents of the recorded information is selected, and thus there has been no suggestion and development. In addition, in the technology of DVD, it is a practical situation that a person of ordinary skill in the art does not even know how to display various options to a listener to correctly reproduce, affirm, and smoothly select the contents of recorded information.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information recording medium and a recording apparatus for recording recorded information on the information recording medium, the recorded information being recorded so that the recorded information can be correctly and balancedly reproduced and diversified reproduction of the recorded information can be performed in response to a request of an audience. It is another object of the present invention to provide a reproducing apparatus for reproducing recorded information from an information recording medium, which is capable of performing accurate and smooth diversified reproduction at low cost.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by an information recording apparatus, a signal processing device, for performing predetermined signal processing, such as MPEG2 (moving picture experts group 2) method, etc., on the recorded information, and recording the information onto an information recording medium such as a DVD, and inputting information from the outside, outputting the processed recording information, and dividing a control signal corresponding to the recording information and input from the outside into search control information such as DS1 (data search information) which is a search control information for searching for the recording information from the information recording medium at the time of reproducing the recording information, information of a recording position of the recorded information to be reproduced, and reproduction display control information such as PCI (picture control information), the information is information that controls playback display of the record information when the record information is played back from the information recording medium to output search control information and playback display control information; a multiplexing device such as a controller, a multiplexer, or the like for multiplexing the processing record information, the search control information, and the playback display control information output from the signal processing device to output multiplexed record information; and a recording device such as a host device for recording the multiplexed recording information output from the multiplexing device on the information recording medium.

According to the present invention, predetermined signal processing is added to the record information and the processed record information is output by the signal processing device. The control information is divided into search control information and playback display control information, which are output by the signal processing device. Then, the processed recording information, search control information, and playback display control information are multiplexed, and the multiplexed recording information is output by the multiplexing device. Thereafter, the multiplexed recording information is recorded onto the information recording medium by the recording apparatus.

Therefore, since the control information is recorded on the information recording medium, the control information is divided into search control information of DSI or the like and reproduction display control information of PCI or the like, and if the information reproducing apparatus for reproducing the record information uses a buffer device of a track buffer or the like having a predetermined delay time, it is possible to extract the search control information before detecting that the record information is input to the buffer device, to use the extracted search control information to search the control information to use the extracted search control information to search the record information, and to extract the reproduction display control information when the record information is output from the buffer device to control the reproduction display of the record information using the extracted reproduction display control information.

Therefore, at the time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to reproduce the record information correctly and smoothly without a harmful influence due to the time delay of the buffer device, and it is also possible to perform diversified reproduction based on the search control information and the reproduction display control information.

In one aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the playback display control information includes: a plurality of selection item information such as color information, position information, motion information, etc., for selecting the contents of the record information playback display, respectively; and responsive display operation information such as highlight information and the like. The response display operation information includes: playback display operation information indicating a display operation of playback recording information corresponding to each selection item information, such as command information or the like; and effective time interval information indicating a time interval during which a selection operation of playing back the display content corresponding to each selection item information is effective.

According to this aspect, since the playback display control information such as PCI or the like includes the response display operation information such as highlight information or the like, it is possible to control the display of the selection item corresponding to the selection item information based on the playback recording information, and it is also possible to make the selection operation of the playback display contents corresponding to the selection item for an arbitrary time interval effective or correct by using the effective time interval information.

Therefore, at the time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to appropriately control the display of the selection item based on the record information, and it is also possible to perform diversified reproduction of the record information by correctly performing the selection operation of the record information content based on the selection item information.

In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the search control information includes search information such as VOB (video object) cell search information which is information for searching for a detected position on the information recording medium, and next detected record information is recorded from another detected position on the information recording medium, the information recorded at the detected position being detected immediately at the time of reproducing the record information.

According to this aspect, since the search control information includes search information such as VOB unit search information, it is possible to obtain the search information at the time of reproducing the record information before the record information is input to the buffer such as a track buffer, so that the search for the next detected record information can be easily performed.

Therefore, it is possible to perform the reproduction correctly and smoothly at the time of reproducing the recorded information.

In another aspect of the information recording apparatus of the present invention, the reproduction display control information and the search control information are recorded close to each other for each of the partial record information, respectively correspond to the reproduction display control information and the search control information, and are portions of the record information having a predetermined length, and a lower limit value of the predetermined length of the partial record information is specified, so that a storage capacity of a buffer device such as a PCI buffer for temporarily storing the reproduction display control information at a time of reproducing the record information and a delay time required for decoding the partial record information at the time of reproducing the record information are minimized correspondingly.

According to this aspect, it is possible to include or aggregate control information for each local recording information of each VOB unit, for example.

Therefore, it is also possible to reduce the cost of the information reproducing apparatus by minimizing the storage capacity of a buffer device such as a PCI buffer for storing the reproduced display control information.

The above object of the present invention can also be achieved by an information reproducing apparatus that reproduces recorded information recorded on an information recording medium such as a DVD, so that predetermined information processing such as the MPEG2 method is applicable to the recorded information. The information reproducing apparatus includes: a detection and demodulation device, such as an optical pickup, a demodulation and correction unit, etc., which detects and demodulates the recording information from the information recording medium in accordance with the control signal and outputs a demodulated signal; a search control information extracting device such as a system buffer or the like for extracting search control information such as DSI which is information of a recording position on the information recording medium for searching for the record information to be reproduced from the demodulated signal output from the detecting and demodulating device; a demodulated signal buffering device such as a track buffer for temporarily storing the demodulated signal output from the detecting and demodulating device and outputting the stored demodulated signal; a reproduction display control information extraction device such as a demultiplexer for extracting reproduction display control information such as a PCI which is information for controlling reproduction display of the record information from the demodulated signal outputted from the demodulated signal buffer; and a controller such as a system controller for outputting control information based on the extracted search control information and for controlling playback display of the recorded information based on the extracted playback display control information.

According to the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the recording information is detected and demodulated from the information recording medium in accordance with the control signal by the detecting and demodulating device such as the optical pickup, the demodulating and correcting unit, and the demodulated signal is output. Then, the search control information is extracted from the demodulated signal by a search control information extraction device such as a system buffer. Meanwhile, the demodulated signal is temporarily stored and output by a demodulated signal buffering device such as a track buffer. Then, the reproduction display control information such as PCI is extracted from the demodulated signal output from the demodulated signal buffer means by a reproduction display control information extraction means such as a demultiplexer. Thereafter, control information is output by a controller such as a system controller based on the extracted search control information, and playback display of the recording information is controlled based on the extracted playback display control information.

Therefore, since the search control information such as DSI is extracted before the demodulated signal is inputted to the buffering device such as a track buffer, it is possible to obtain the search control information corresponding to the "detection position on the information recording medium" on which the detection and demodulation device detects, and therefore, the search for the reproduced recording information is easily performed. Further, since the reproduction display control information such as PCI is extracted after the demodulated signal is outputted from the buffer device, the display control can be performed in substantial agreement with the time at which the recorded information is displayed.

Therefore, it is possible to correctly and smoothly reproduce the recorded information without a harmful influence due to a time delay of a buffering device of the track buffer, and it is also possible to perform diversified reproduction based on the search control information and the reproduction display control information.

In one aspect of the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the information reproducing apparatus further has, for example, an operation information buffering device such as a highlight buffer for temporarily storing the operation information such as highlight information for display in response. The response display operation information is included in the extracted playback display control information, and has: playback display operation information such as instruction information indicating an operation of playback display of the recording information corresponding to each of a plurality of selection item information such as color information, position information, motion information, and the like to select the content of the recording information playback display, respectively; effective time interval information indicating a time interval during which a selection operation of the playback display content corresponding to each selection item information is effective, and stored response display operation information is output. The controller controls the selection operation according to the effective time interval information of the response display operation information output from the operation information buffering device.

According to this aspect, the response display operation information such as highlight information included in the playback display control information such as PCI is temporarily stored in the operation information buffering device such as a highlight buffer. Then, the selection operation is controlled by the controller according to the valid time interval information included in the response display operation information.

Therefore, it is possible to make the display control of the selection item corresponding to the selection item information coincide with the playback of the recorded information, and it is also possible to make the selection operation of the content displayed corresponding to the playback of the selection item effective or correct for any time interval using the effective time interval information.

Therefore, it is possible to appropriately control the display of the selection item in accordance with the recording information, and it is also possible to perform diversified playback of the recording information by correctly performing the selection operation of the content of the recording information based on the selection item information.

In another aspect of the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the search control information includes search information such as VOB unit search information which is information for searching for a detected position on the information recording medium, recording information which is next detected from another detected position on the recording medium, the recording information being detected at the detected position.

According to this aspect, since the search control information includes search information such as VOB unit search information, it is possible to obtain the search information before the record information is input to the buffer device of the track buffer, and therefore, it is easy to perform a search for the next detected record information.

Therefore, correct and smooth playback is possible.

In another aspect of the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the information reproducing apparatus further has a control information buffering device such as a PCI buffer for temporarily storing the extracted reproduction display control information and outputting the stored reproduction display control information. The playback display control information extraction device extracts playback display control information at predetermined time intervals. The lower limit value of the predetermined time interval is specified so that the storage capacity of the control information buffer device is minimized in accordance with the delay time required for decoding a part of the recorded information recorded between two pieces of the continuously reproduced display control information.

According to this aspect, the extracted playback display control information is temporarily stored in a control information buffering device such as a PCI buffer and is thus output. Then, the playback display control information is extracted at predetermined time intervals. Here, a low limit value of the predetermined time interval is specified so that the storage capacity of the control information buffering device such as the PCI buffer is minimized in accordance with the delay time required by the recorded information decoding portion.

Thus, it is possible to reduce the cost of the information reproducing apparatus by minimizing the storage capacity of the buffer device of the PCI buffer for storing the reproduction display control information.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by an information recording medium such as a DVD on which recording information and control information are recorded and from which the recorded information is reproduced by a reproducing apparatus that controls reproduction of the recording information in accordance with the control information. The information recording medium has a data structure stored on the information recording medium and includes: generating processed record information by applying a predetermined information processing method such as an MPEG2 method to the record information; and multiplexed control information having processed recording information and being divided into search control information, for example, DSI, which searches for a recording position of the recording information reproduced on the information recording medium when reproducing the recording information, and reproduction display control information, for example, PCI, which controls reproduction display of the recording information when reproducing the recording information.

According to the information recording medium of the present invention, since the control information is divided into the search control information such as DSI and the playback display control information such as PCI, if the information reproducing apparatus that reproduces the record information is equipped with the buffer device having the buffer with the predetermined delay time, it is possible to extract the search control information before the detected record information is input to the buffer device to search the record information using the extracted search control information, and it is also possible to extract the playback display control information when the record information is output from the buffer device to control the playback display of the record information using the extracted playback display control information.

Thus, at the time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to reproduce the record information correctly and smoothly without a harmful influence due to the time delay of the buffer device, and it is also possible to perform diversified reproduction based on the search control information and the reproduction display control information.

In one aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, the playback display control information includes: a plurality of selection item information such as color information, position information, motion information, etc. to select the contents of the record information playback display, respectively; and responding to display operation information such as highlight information and the like. The response display operation information includes: playback display operation information such as instruction information indicating an operation of playback display of the record information corresponding to each selection item information; and effective time interval information indicating a time interval during which a selection operation of the playback display content corresponding to each selection item information is effective.

According to this aspect, since the playback display control information includes the response display operation information such as highlight information, it is possible to control the selection display corresponding to the selection item information in conformity with the playback of the recorded information, and it is also possible to make the selection operation of the playback display content corresponding to the selection item effective or correct for an arbitrary time interval by using the effective time interval information.

Therefore, at the time of reproducing the record information, it is possible to appropriately match the display control of the selection item with the record information, and it is also possible to perform diversified reproduction of the record information by accurately performing the selection operation of the record information content based on the selection item information.

In another aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, the search control information includes search information such as VOB cell search information which is information for searching for a detected position on the information recording medium, recording the record information which is next detected from another detected position on the recording medium, at the detected position, the record information being now detected at the time of reproducing the record information.

According to this aspect, since the search control information includes the search information such as VOB unit search information, it is possible to obtain the search information before the record information is input to the buffer device such as the track buffer at the time of reproducing the record information, and therefore, the search for the record information to be next detected is easily performed.

Thus, it is possible to perform correct and smooth reproduction at the time of reproducing the recorded information.

In another aspect of the information recording medium of the present invention, the reproduction display control information and the search control information are recorded close to each other for each of the partial record information corresponding to the reproduction display control information and the search control information and respectively being a part of the record information having a predetermined length, a lower limit value of the predetermined length of the partial record information is specified so that a storage capacity of a buffer device such as a PCI buffer for temporarily storing the reproduction display control information at the time of reproducing the record information is minimized to coincide with a delay time required for decoding the partial record information at the time of reproducing the record information.

According to this aspect, it is possible to include or collect control information for each local recording information of each VOB unit, for example.

Thus, it is also possible to reduce the cost of the information reproducing apparatus by reducing the storage capacity of the buffer device of the PCI buffer storing the reproduction display control information to the minimum.

The nature, utility and further features of the invention will become more apparent when the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an actual structure of recording information of a DVD according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of pictures constituting a GOP frame;

FIG. 3 is a logical block diagram of recorded information of the DVD of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a spacing unit of the DVD of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5A is a diagram showing various information included in an embodiment of DSI data;

FIG. 5B is a diagram showing various information including PCI data in an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of high luminance information;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a block diagram of a playback apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating operation of the trace buffer of the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the PCI buffer of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of the time search operation of the embodiment of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of the playback operation of the seamless corner transition of the embodiment of FIG. 8; and

fig. 13 is a flow diagram of the playback operation of the non-seamless corner transition of the embodiment of fig. 8.

Detailed Description

Referring to the drawings, embodiments of the present invention will now be described. An embodiment will be explained below in which the present invention is applied to the above-described DVD.

In the following examples, the structural elements listed to the right in the table below constitute examples of structural elements of the invention listed to the left in the table below.

Playback display control information: PCI (image control information) data

Searching for control information: DSI (data search information) data

Responding to the display operation information: high brightness information

Playback display operation information: command information

Selecting item information: colour information, position information, motion information

Searching information: VOB (video object) unit, search information

(demodulation information) buffer means: track buffer

Control information buffer means: PCI buffer

The operation information buffering means: high-brightness buffer

(I) Examples of information recording Medium

First, an embodiment of the present invention applied to an information recording medium and a logical structure of an actual structure of a DVD operation will be explained with reference to fig. 1 to 6.

First, a recording format of video information and audio information on a DVD will be described with reference to fig. 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the DVD of the present invention has a lead-in area LI at the innermost circumference and a lead-out area LO at the outermost circumference, between which video information and audio information are recorded, so that they are divided into a plurality of VTSs 3, each VTS3 having a separate ID (identification) number (i.e., VTS #1 to VTS # h). Here, the VTS (video title set (3 is a set (package) of titles (each set is one product or one piece of work intended for a writer or producer of an audience) which are related to each other (for example, the audio information included therein and the characteristics of the number, description, corresponding language, etc. to the picture information are the same as each other.) more specifically, a plurality of movies related to the same movie as each other, but the languages of the serifs (lines) are different from each other, and may be recorded as different titles, respectively, or even in the case of the same movie, the cinema form and the specific form may be recorded as different titles, respectively.) in the front area of the recording VTS3, the video manager 2 is recorded as shown in fig. 1. as the information recorded in the video manager 2, for example, information related to the entire video and audio information recorded on the DVD, such as a menu indicating the name of each title, is recorded, Information protected from illegal copying, access tables for accessing each title, and the like.

One VTS3 is recorded so that it is divided into a plurality of VOBs 10, each VOB10 has an ID of (VOBID #1, VOBID #2 …), and the control data 11 is arranged in front of the VOB 10. Here, a data portion composed of a plurality of VOBs 10 is defined as one VOB group (VOBs) as shown in fig. 1. Are defined as VOB groups to distinguish the BOB10, and the VOB10 forms part of the VTS3 as a substantial part of the audio information of the video, the VOB groups being distinguished from the control data 11, and the control data 11 forms another part of the VTS 3.

In the header recording control data 11 of the VTS3, information such as PGCI (program chain information) is recorded, which is various information on a program chain obtained by combining a plurality of cells ("cells" will be described in detail later), such as logical division. In each VOB10, a substantial part of the video and audio information other than the control information (i.e., the video and audio information itself other than the control information) is recorded.

In addition, one VOB10 is constituted by a plurality of cells 20, and each cell 20 has an ID of (cell ID #, cell ID #2 …). Here, one VOB10 is constructed so that it is entirely a plurality of cells 20, and one cell 20 does not cross two VOBs 10.

Next, one cell 20 is constituted by a plurality of VOB cells (VOBV)30, each cell 30 having a 2D value (VOBV #1, VOBV #2 …). Here, the VOB unit 30 is an information unit each including video information, audio information, and sub-picture information (information determined as a sub-picture, such as a subtitle of a movie or the like).

One VOB unit 30 has: a navigation pack (navigation pack) 41; video data 42 of video information; audio data 43 of the audio information; and sub-picture data 44 as sub-picture information. Here, in the packet P of the video data 42, only the video data is recorded. In the packet P of the audio data 43, only the audio data is recorded. In the packet P of the sub-picture data 44, only graphic data characteristics, graphs, and the like as sub-pictures are recorded. In the video pack 42, the data thereof is relatively large, and as shown in fig. 1, one or more GOPs are recorded in one VOB unit 30. Audio data 43 and sub-picture data 44 are arranged intermittently between video packets 42. There are 8 types of audio recordable on DVD1 and 32 types of sub-picture recordable on DVD1, as specified by the DVD standard specification.

These data are recorded so that the playback time corresponding to one VOB unit 30 is not shorter than 0.4 second (i.e., the playback time corresponding to data recorded between one navigation pack 41 and another navigation pack 41 is close to said one navigation pack 41).

In addition, a navigation pack 41 always exists in front of one VOBV 30. In contrast, in the case where the video data 42, the audio data 43, and the sub picture data 44 are not present in one VOBV30, or even in the case where the pack P of these data is present in one VOBV30, the number of the pack P and the order of the pack P can be arbitrarily determined.

Finally, the navigation pack 41 has: DSI data 51 (data search information) including search information in the data group PT for searching for video images or audio sounds required to be displayed or acoustically output (specifically, search information such as addresses when video or audio to be displayed or acoustically output is recorded on the DVD 1): the PCI data 50 (picture control information) includes, in the data group PT, information on display control at the time of displaying a video picture or outputting an audio sound, and searches for the above information based on the information of the DSI data 51. Further, all the video data 42 included in one VOBV30 are composed of at least one GOP (group of pictures) each having one ID number.

In the PCI data 50, highlight information that determines display or operation when one selection item is a selection item selected by the listener is included. For example, by highlight information, a change in the display of the selection item screen plane and a changed display position are made to coincide with the selection item, set on a specific screen plane of the selection item selected by the listener (i.e., a so-called menu plane) and corresponding to the selection item (i.e., an execution instruction coinciding with the selection item).

Further, information of a composition and a display frame required to compose and display the menu screen plane, a selection button, and the like are recorded as sub-screen information in the sub-screen data 44.

Information of the setting value of a register (storage) in a system controller of a playback apparatus described later may be included in the highlight information. For example, a point described by using the recording information recorded on the DVD1 is educational software. That is, in the case of the educational software, there may be a case where the test questions are displayed on the display section, and thus, by using the sub-screen data 44, a plurality of answer choices are displayed as selection items for the audience to select. At this time, if the selection item corresponding to the correct answer to the appropriate question is selected by the listener, the system controller adds a predetermined point or scratch corresponding to the correct answer to the value of a predetermined register included in the system controller, using the instruction information corresponding to the respective selection item in the highlight information. If the selection item corresponding to the correct answer is selected, the system controller does not add the stippling score. Thereafter, the reservation for the same question is a repeatedly generated question and answer. After all the answers are completed, the system controller refers to accumulating dots or scratches to a predetermined register and controls the optical pickup to jump to a problematic recording position on the DVD1 according to additional instruction information (e.g., an instruction in PGCI), records in the next study stage if the total dot value is greater than a predetermined value set in advance, and controls the optical pickup to jump to a recording position where the recording is checked by software if the total dot value is less than the predetermined value. As in the example described above, it is possible to set the value of the register in the controller from the highlight information.

On the other hand, the GOP described above is a minimum picture unit that can be independently played back and determined by the MPEG (moving picture experts group) 2 method. The MPEG method is a picture compression method employed at the time of recording video information on the DVD1 in the present embodiment.

Here, the MPEG2 method is explained in a general way, that is, in general, in consecutive frame pictures, the preceding and following frame pictures of a frame picture are often similar to and correlated with each other. The MPEG2 method is a proposed method of taking note of the fact that a plurality of frame pictures are transmitted while being separated from each other into a few or several frames in time and then generated in one frame picture among the plurality of frame pictures by interpolation calculation based on the motion vector of the original picture. In this case, if this frame picture is recorded, it is just enough to record information of the difference vector and the motion vector with respect to a plurality of frame pictures so that this frame picture is played back from the evaluation of the plurality of frame pictures referring to these vectors at the time of playback. By this time, the relevant picture can be compression-recorded.

Further, fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the GOP explained above. Fig. 2 shows an example of a plurality of frame pictures constituting one GOP. In fig. 2, a case where one GOP52 is composed of 12 frame pictures (in the MPEG2 method, the number of frame pictures in one GOP52 is not fixed) is explained. Among these frame pictures, a frame picture denoted by reference character "I" is called an I picture (intra coded picture), and is determined as a frame picture that can be reproduced as a complete frame picture using its own picture information. A frame picture denoted by reference symbol "P" is called a P picture (pre-encoded picture), which is determined as a frame picture predicted or generated by decoding a picture other than a previous picture compensated and reproduced from an I picture or other pictures already decoded. The frame picture denoted by reference character "B" is called a B picture (bi-directional pre-coded picture), and is determined to use not only a decoded I picture or P picture but also an I picture or P picture pre-or reproduced frame picture recorded on the optical disc in time in the future in relation to the B picture. In fig. 2, the preliminary (i.e., the relationship in compensation) relationship between the relevant pictures is indicated by arrows.

The MPEG2 method used in the DVD1 of the present embodiment applies a variable rate method in which the total amount of data included in each GOP is not fixed. That is, in the case where the picture concerned is included in one GOP52 corresponding to a moving picture, the moving speed thereof is slightly fast and the correlation between the pictures concerned is small, so that the amount of data constituting the picture concerned increases. On the other hand, in the case where the relevant picture includes a moving picture corresponding to a slightly low moving speed and the correlation between the relevant pictures is large, the amount of data constituting the relevant picture decreases, and therefore the amount of data included in one GOP52 decreases.

In the recording format described above having a hierarchical structure, as shown in fig. 1, each segment can be freely set according to the author's intention, so that recording is performed according to these set segments. Each of these segments is replayed according to the logical structure of the last requirement, enabling diversified replays.

Next, a logical format (logical structure) composed of combinations of information recorded in actual segments shown in fig. 1 will be described with reference to fig. 3. It is not actual information recorded on the DVD1 in the logical structure of fig. 3. In the logical structure shown in fig. 3, information (e.g., access information or time information), particularly data in the control data 11, of each of the data shown in fig. 1 is reproduced by combining them (particularly, the combining unit 20) instead of being recorded on the DVD 1.

For clarity of illustration, the description begins with the lower hierarchy level in FIG. 3. A program 60 is logically constructed by selecting and combining a plurality of cells 20 used in the actual structure illustrated in fig. 1 according to the author's intention. The program 60 is also a hierarchical minimum logical unit that can be recognized by a system controller of a playback apparatus described later and can be accessed with a system controller instruction. It may also be a defined set of one or more programs 60 for the author as a minimum unit that can be freely selected by the listener to view or listen to, also known as PTT (title section).

Since a program 60 is logically constituted by selecting a plurality of cells 20, it is common to use one cell for a plurality of programs 60, that is, to perform so-called "alternate use" of cells 20 in which one cell 20 is replayed in a plurality of different programs 60.

Here, for the score of each unit 20, the number is treated as a unit 1D number (indicated by a unit ID in fig. 1) at the time when the unit 20 is processed in the actual format shown in fig. 1. On the other hand, the time of the processing unit 20 on the logical format shown in fig. 3, the number is taken as the order described in the PGCI described later.

Next, by combining a plurality of programs 60, one PGC (logical chain) 61 is logically constituted according to the author's intention. The above PGCI (logical chain information) is defined by cells of the PGC 61. The PGCI includes an information indication: the playback order for each program 60 at the time of playing back each program 60 (with this playback order, program numbers (#1, #2 …) of single values are assigned to each program 60); the playback order for each unit 20 (with which a single-valued unit number is assigned to each unit 20); recording the address of the location of each cell 20 on DVD 1; the number of the unit 20 at the head position of each program 60 is first played back; playback method for each program 60 [ the author may select one playback method from the following cases; (i) random replay (this method is random replay with a random number, and the same program 60 can be replayed multiple times), (ii) mixed replay (this method is random replay with a random number in the same way as random replay, but one program 60 is replayed only once and not multiple times), (iii) cyclic replay (this method is replay of one PGC61 repeatedly), and (iv) cyclic replay is combined with random replay or mixed replay, as is the replay method applied at the moment of replay ]; and various instructions (e.g., instructions specified by the role for each PGC61 or each cell 20). If the PGCI is a menu related to video management 2 (refer to fig. 1), the recording position of the PGCI on the DVD1 may be in the control data 11 as described above or in the control data (not shown) in video management 2.

In one PGC61, video and audio data are basically included as a combination of the program 60 (in other words, a combination of the cells 20) in addition to the above-described PGCI.

Further, in PGC61, prior to the description of the procedure 60, it is possible to alternate use of the cells 20 as described (i.e., so that the same cell 20 is typically used by multiple different PGCs 61). As the method using the playback unit 20, in addition to the method of playing back the playback unit 20 in the recording order of the recording tracks on the DVD1 (i.e., the method of consecutively arranged playback units), the author can select the method of playing back the playback unit 20 in an order that is not in direct with the recording order on the DVD1 (i.e., the method of discontinuously arranged playback units, for example, the method of playing back the playback unit 20 recorded later on the recording tracks before the playback method).

Then, one title 62 is logically constituted by one or more of PGCs 61(PGC #1, PGC #2 …), as shown in fig. 3. For example, the title 62 is a unit corresponding to one movie, and is the entire information that the author likes to provide to the audience of the DVD 1.

Finally, a VTS63 is logically formed from one or more of titles 62 (title #1, title # …), as shown in fig. 3. Titles 62 included in the VTS63 have attributes common to each other. For example, based on a movie of a movie, the titles 62 corresponding to each have different languages. The information included in the VTS63 as shown in fig. 3 corresponds to the information included in the VTS3 in fig. 1. That is, all information included in the logical VTS63 shown in fig. 3 is recorded as one VTS3 in the DVD1 shown in fig. 1.

Information divided into actual structures on DVD1 as specified by the author in accordance with the logical format described above, forms a video image (e.g., a movie image) for viewing by a listener.

In the description of the actual structure shown in fig. 1, for ease of understanding, in the description, the plurality of units 20 are thus recorded in the order of ID numbers. However, in the DVD1 of the present embodiment, one unit 20 is divided into a plurality of bay units IU actually recorded on the DVD1, as shown in fig. 4.

That is, as shown in fig. 4, it is assumed that the author constitutes one P a of the cells 20 having ID numbers 1, 2, and 4, and constitutes another PGC61B of the cell 20 having IDs 1, 3, and 4. In this case, when reproducing information from the DVD1 according to the PGC61A, only the cells 20 having the ID numbers 1, 2, and 4 are reproduced, while when reproducing information from the DVD1 according to the PGC61B, only the cells 20 having the ID numbers 1, 3, and 4 are reproduced. In the case of the PGC61A example, if the cells 20 are recorded at intervals from each other for each ID number, the recording position of the optical pickup having the cell 20 with ID 2 on the DVD1 is required to jump to the recording position of the cell 20 with ID number 4 on the DVD1 for a certain time and new period during playback. This results in that the continuous playback (hereinafter referred to as "seamless playback") of the unit 20 having the ID number 2 and the unit 20 having the ID number 4 is not possible depending on the capacity of the track buffer of the playback apparatus described later.

Therefore, in the case shown in fig. 4, the unit 20 having ID number 2 and the unit having ID number 3 are divided into and recorded by the interval units IU, each unit having a length that does not break the continuity of the track buffer output signal even if the signal input to the track buffer is temporarily stopped, in conformity with the input and output processing speeds on the buffer of the playback apparatus described later (i.e., the interval units IU, each unit having a length that allows the track buffer to continuously output the output signal even if the signal input to the track buffer is stopped, while the optical pickup skips the interval of one interval unit IU). For example, in the case of playback based on the PGC61A, only the interval units IU corresponding to the ID number 2 constituting unit 20 are continuously detected for playback. Likewise, in the case of playback based on the PGC61B, only the inter units IU corresponding to the ID number 3 constituent unit 20 are continuously detected for playback. In addition to the storage capacity of the track buffer, the length of the interval unit IU may be determined in consideration of the capability of the driving mechanism such as a slide motor performing track skipping.

In this way, by dividing one unit 20 into a plurality of interval units IU and recording them according to the author's intention, the signal output from the track buffer can be made continuous even when the PGC61 is played back in units 20 including those having discontinuous ID numbers, so that it is possible to view a continuously played back video image to a listener.

Each inter unit IU is done in one VOB10 and does not span two adjacent VOBs 20. The relationship between the interval unit IU and the VOB unit 30 is that one or more VOB units are included in one interval unit IU. One VOB unit 30 is completed in one bay unit IU and is not divided into or spans multiple bay units IU.

Since it is necessary to record information at each hierarchical level as described above, the recorded information having the above-described recording format is suitable for an information recording medium having a large storage capacity such as the above-described DVD1, the storage capacity of the DVD1 being so large that audio sounds or subtitles in various types of languages for audio sounds or movie subtitles can be recorded on a single optical disk in addition to the movie itself.

Next, PCI data 50 and DSI data 51 particularly relevant to the present invention in the video information and audio information having the above-described actual structures and logical structures will be described with reference to fig. 5A and 5B.

First, in the DSI data 51, search information for searching information to reproduce and display, more specifically, information for searching reproduced and displayed video, audio, or sub-pictures by the unit of the above VOB unit 30, information for performing the above seamless reproduction, and information for searching audio or sub-pictures synchronized with video are recorded or described as above.

The information is ranked as follows.

(1) Information on the time of each structure member in the playback apparatus described later is set at the time when some operation specified by the listener starts.

(2) Information identifying the position of the data score on the DVD1 on the logical structure shown in fig. 3, corresponding to an optical pickup of a playback apparatus described later.

(3) Only the data to be reproduced and displayed is written in the information of the track buffer of the reproducing apparatus described later.

(4) Information indicating a recording position (i.e., a target or specified position) of data accessed (detected) on the DVD 1.

(5) If the requested data address cannot be searched at the time of searching the access data, protection information of other data is protected.

Next, how each of the above-described information is recorded specifically in the DSI data 51, that is, how the information classified in the above-described manner is recorded in the DSI data 51 will be described with reference to fig. 5.

As shown in fig. 5A, more specifically, DSI data includes: general information used in one DSI data 51; seamless information to perform seamless playback; angle jump specifying information for performing angle reproduction described later; VOB unit search information for searching for a desired VOB unit 30; and synchronized playback information of information related to the sub picture data 44 and audio data 43 that are played back and displayed in synchronization with VOB units included in the appropriate DSI data 51.

Here, the angular playback is explained by applying the angular jump specifying information. In the DVD1 of the present embodiment, for example, it is possible to record video information of one scene for one movie (title 62) from a plurality of viewpoints on the same time axis. That is, more specifically, it is possible to record a video image of a landscape from the viewpoint of an actor's performance in a movie, and it is also possible to record a video image of the same landscape from the viewpoint of an actress's performance in a movie. Then, for example, in a case called "angle change (or conversion) playback", these video images are played back when they are exchanged according to the listener's selection by an input operation during viewing and listening.

Each of the information represented in fig. 5A is explained in more detail. The general information includes: setting a playback start time of each structural member of a playback apparatus described later for certain operations specified by a listener; fig. 3 shows the recording position (for example, logical address) of each data constituting a logical structure on the DVD 1; if the required data can not be detected in the data searching, operating the protection data of other data; and time information (for example, elapsed time information indicating the elapsed time in the unit 20) for performing a time search operation of the playback apparatus described later.

The seamless information includes: recording position (e.g., logical address) information indicating a recording position of each data requiring seamless playback on the DVD 1; so that time information for connecting the plane time of the reproduced picture is previously set in the seamless reproduction.

Further, the angle jump designation (target) information includes address information indicating a position of re-entry of data recording on the DVD1 so that when the angle is changed, angle change playback is performed in a seamless manner.

The VOB unit search information includes address information indicating the recording position of the other VOB unit 30 reproduced on the DVD1, which is the position in the neighboring predetermined area of the appropriate DSI data 51 (i.e., the recording position of the other DSI data 51).

Finally, the synchronized playback information includes address information indicating the recording position of the sub-picture data 44 or audio data 43 on the DVD1 to be played back in synchronization with the VOB unit 30 included in the DSI compliant data 51.

With the DSI data 51 included in each of the above-described information, the playback apparatus described later can perform processing such as a time search operation.

Next, PCI data 50 relating to the present invention is explained with reference to fig. 5B.

The PCI data 50 includes playback display control information for playing back and displaying the searched information based on the DSI data 51 as described above, i.e., information for controlling the display contents to be changed in synchronization with the playback states of the video data 42, the audio data 43 searched in the VOB unit 30 based on the DSI data 51, and the sub picture data 44.

These pieces of information in the PCI data 50 are ranked as follows.

(1) Playback display control information for video, audio, and sub-picture to be actually displayed

(2) Output information per data

(3) Information relating to a so-called listener user interface

Next, how to specifically record each information in the PCI data 50 in which the above-described classification information is recorded is explained with reference to fig. 5B.

As shown in fig. 5B, the PCI data 50 specifically has general data used in one PCI data 50; angle jump target information for performing angle change playback in a non-seamless manner; and the high luminance information described above.

Here, the corner change playback in the non-seamless mode is explained. That is, the angle jump target information included in the DSI data 51 (in fig. 5A) applies the angle change playback in which the video image is not stopped or discontinuous when the landscape is changed or changed, in a seamless manner. The angle change playback in a non-seamless manner using the angle jump target information in the PCI data 50 (in fig. 5B) is angle change playback in which the video image is temporarily stopped at the time of changing or changing the landscape, in which the angle is changed or changed by jumping the optical pickup to the recording position on the DVD1, and the video of the next playback is recorded on the DVD1 while the video image is stopped. Although the angle can be changed continuously in the above-described seamless angle change playback, after the track buffer of the playback apparatus described later is filled with playback data, the change is made with the playback data until a predetermined position on the DVD1 to ensure the continuity of the angle change. Thus, a time delay may be generated when changing the angle in accordance with seamless angle change playback. On the contrary, although the video image is temporarily stopped when the angle is changed in the non-seamless angle change playback, there is a feature that the change of the angle does not cause a time delay.

The above-described fig. 5B is further explained. The general information includes: information on attributes of the VOB cell 30 in which the appropriate PCI data 50 is recorded; playback display control information on the appropriate VOB cell 30; and information specifying to the listener that certain operations are allowed or prohibited in relation to the user interface.

The angle jump target information includes: address information indicating a recording position of playback data on the DVD1 for angle change playback by changing angles in a non-seamless manner.

The high luminance information includes: effective time interval information indicating an effective time interval during which an effective operation of a selection button displayed on the menu screen plane can be made to coincide with each of the selection sections selected by the listener (specifying start and end times of the effective time interval, and effectively setting a plurality of VOB units 30); displaying color information of a color selection button that changes color according to an operation selected by a user; position information indicating a display position corresponding to the selection button; movement information indicating a moving object when an indicator moving operation is performed by the selection button indicating the selection according to the operation selected by the listener; and instruction information (for example, information for setting a register in the system controller as described above) corresponding to each selection button and indicating an operation to be performed when the selection button is selected.

Describing the highlight information in more detail, the information recorded in the highlight information is associated with the selection buttons displayed using the data recorded in the sub-picture data 44 and the selection portions corresponding to the display selection items so that they are superimposed on the video image displayed on the basis of the video number 42 (also included in the VOB unit 30).

Further, in the case where the selection button is continuously displayed even if the video image is updated, a case where a time interval is determined while the operation selected by the selection button is effective (i.e., a case where the time interval during which the VOB unit 30 corresponding to highlight information is displayed and the effective time interval selected by the selection button according to highlight information are different from each other) is required. In the highlight information, the present embodiment is configured such that valid interval information indicating valid intervals is stored during the time when the selection button is valid for the selection operation, so that one highlight information can effectively span a plurality of VOB units 30 as shown in fig. 6.

To utilize highlight information having information unrelated to video images as described earlier, the highlight information is separated from the appropriate PCI data 50 by a decoder for the PCI data 50 and decoded by a proprietary highlight decoder in a playback apparatus described later.

By using the PCI data 50 included in the various information described above, processing such as non-seamless angle change playback by a selection operation corresponding to a menu screen panel of highlight information or the like can be performed by a playback apparatus described later.

(II) embodiment of the recording apparatus

Next, an embodiment of a recording apparatus that records the above-described control information, video information, and audio information on the DVD1 will be described with reference to fig. 7.

As shown in fig. 7, the recording apparatus SS1 of the present embodiment includes: a VTR (video tape recorder) 70; a memory 71; a signal processing unit 72; a Hard Disk (HD) device 73; a Hard Disk (HD) device 74; a controller 75; a multiplexer 76; a modulator 77; and a master device 78.

The operation of the present embodiment will be described next.

The recording information R is original material such as audio information, video information, and the like recorded on the DVD1, which is temporarily recorded in the VTR 70. Then, the recording information R temporarily recorded in the VTR70 is output to the signal processing unit 72 with the signal processing unit 72.

The signal processing unit 72 applies a/D (analog to digital) conversion processing and signal compression processing to the recording information R output from the VTR70, and time-axis-multiplexes the audio information and video information, outputting it as a compressed-multiplexed signal Sr. Thereafter, the compressed multiplexed signal Sr thus output is temporarily stored to the hard disk device 73.

Meanwhile, the memory 71 classifies the recording information R into a plurality of individual recording information Pr in advance, and temporarily stores control information related to the individual recording information Pr input in advance according to the cue table ST on which control information for controlling playback of the recording information (e.g., the video management 2, the control data 11, and the navigation pack 41 included in the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51) is written. Then, the memory 71 outputs it as a control information signal Si according to the request of the signal processing unit 72.

Then, the signal processing unit 72 separates or extracts the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51 from the control information of the reference time code Tt and outputs them as the corresponding PCI data signal Spci and the DSI data signal Sdsi, respectively, based on the time code Tt corresponding to the recording information R output from the VTR70 and the control information signal Si output from the memory 71. Then, the PCI data signal Spci and the DSI data signal Sdsi are temporarily stored in the hard disk device 74. Meanwhile, although not illustrated in fig. 7, in addition to the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51, the control information is also separated or extracted by the signal processing unit 72 in the same manner as the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51, respectively, and stored in the hard disk device 74.

The above-described process is an implementation process regarding the entire recording signal R.

When the above-described process is completed for the entire recording information R, the controller reads out the compressed multiplexed signal Sr from the hard disk device 73, reads out the PCI data signal Spci and the DSI data signal Sdsi and other control information from the hard disk device 74, generates additional information DA including information unrelated to the PCI data 50, the DSI data 51 and other control information based on these read-out signals, and temporarily stores the additional information DA in the hard disk device 74. This is because it is the controlled information, and the determination of the content thereof is not related to the generation of the structure of the compressed multiplexed modulated signal Sr among various control information.

On the other hand, the controller 75 time-manages each operation of the signal processing unit 72, the hard disk device 73, and the hard disk device 74, and reads out the additional information DA included in the PCI information signal Spci and the DSI information signal Sdsi from the hard disk device 74, and therefore, the controller 75 generates and outputs the additional information signal Sa corresponding to the read-out additional information signal DA, and also generates and outputs the information selection signal Scc to multiplex the compressed multiplexed signal Sr and the additional information signal Sa on the time axis.

Thereafter, the compressed-multiplexed signal Sr and the additional information signal Sa are read out from the hard disk device 73 or 74 in accordance with the information selection signal Scc from the controller 75, and time-axis-multiplexed by the multiplexer 76 to be output as information of the compression-multiplexing Sap. At the stage of adding the compressed multiplex signal Sap to this information, the recorded information has the actual structure (actual format) as shown in fig. 1, and as the control information, the video information and the audio information are multiplexed and converted by the transform operation using the information selection signal Scc of the controller 75. For this purpose, the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51 are respectively and independently included in the navigation pack 41.

If there is recorded sub-picture information in the information recording, it is input to the information processing unit 72 by other hard disk means as not illustrated to be processed in the same manner as the video and audio information, and thus it is included in the compression-multiplexed signal Sap.

Thereafter, the modulator 77 applies an Error Correction Code (ECC) such as a Reed Solomon (Reed Solomon) code, and applies modulation such as 8 to 16(816) modulation with respect to the information-compression-multiplexed signal Sap output from the multiplexer 76, to generate and output the disc recording signal Sm to the host apparatus 78.

Finally, the master device 78 records the disc recording signal Sm to the stamper disc of the master disc (i.e., cut-off dye) of the optical disc playback. Then, using the stamper, an optical disc as a reproduction disc that can be sold in the general market, i.e., DVD1, can be produced by a reproduction apparatus not shown.

As described above, according to the reproducing apparatus SS1 of the present embodiment, since the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51 are separately recorded, it is possible to extract the DSI data 51 and search the record information R with the reproduced record information R before it is input to the track buffer which absorbs the influence of reproduction or seamless reproduction in the reproducing apparatus which reproduces the record information R by compressing and recording in various speed manners, and at the same time, when the record information is output from the track buffer, it is possible to extract the DSI data 50 and perform reproduction display control based on the corresponding record information R.

Since the PCI data 50 includes highlight information and highlight information including effective time interval information indicating a time interval is effective during the content of the selection operation using the menu screen plane, it is possible to control the display of the selection item in conformity with the reproduction of the recording information R and also possible to make the selection operation effective for an arbitrary time interval using the highlight information.

Further, since the DSI data 51 includes VOB unit search information indicating a recording position (target position) of data access (detection) on the DVD1, it is possible to obtain VOB unit search information indicating the target position before being input to the track buffer at the time of reproducing the record information R, and thus a search for detecting the record information R can be easily performed.

(III) embodiment of playback apparatus

Next, an embodiment of a playback apparatus that plays back information recorded on the DVD1 with the above-described recording apparatus SS1 will be described with reference to fig. 8 to 13.

First, the configuration and operation of an embodiment of a playback apparatus are explained with reference to fig. 8.

As shown in fig. 8, the playback apparatus SS2 of the present embodiment includes: an optical pickup 80; a demodulation and correction unit 81; flow-through switches 82 and 84; a trajectory buffer 83; a system buffer 85; a de-multiplexer 86; a VBV (video buffering verifier) buffer 87; a video decoder 88; a sub-picture buffer 89; a sub picture decoder 90; a mixer 91; an audio buffer S2; an audio decoder 93PCI (picture control information) buffer 94; a PCI decoder 95; a high brightness buffer 96; a high light decoder 97; an input unit 98; a display unit 99; a system controller 100; a drive controller 101; a spindle motor 102; and a slide motor 103. The configuration shown in fig. 8 only illustrates a part of the playback apparatus SS2 concerning video and audio playback. The description and detailed explanation of the servo circuit servo-controlling the optical pickup 80, the spindle motor 102, the sled motor 103, etc. will be omitted because they are constructed in the same manner as the conventional art.

Next, the overall operation of the present embodiment will be described.

The optical pickup 80 includes a laser diode, a polarization beam splitter, an objective lens, an optical detector, etc., which are not described above, and a radiation beam B of the DVD1 that reproduces light. The optical pickup 80 receives the light beam B of the light reflected from the DVD1 and outputs detection light Sp corresponding to information pits formed on the DVD. At this time, the tracking servo control and the focus servo control of the objective lens of the optical pickup 80 are operated in the conventional art manner, and therefore the light beam B can be correctly radiated on the information track of the DVD1, and the pah B can be focused on the information recording surface of the DVD 1.

The detection light Sp output from the optical pickup 80 is input to a demodulation and correction unit 81, to which signal demodulation processing and error correction processing are applied to generate a demodulation signal Sdm, and output to a flow-through switch 82 and a system buffer 85.

The on and off operations of the flow-through switch 82 on the inputted demodulation signal Sdm are controlled by a switching signal Ssw1 from the drive control 101. When turned off, the circulation switch 82 is turned on, and the input demodulation signal Sdm is supplied to the track buffer 83. When turned off, the demodulation signal Sdm is not output, and thus no information (signal) is required or used, and is not input to the track buffer 83.

The demodulated signal Sdm is input to the track buffer 83, and is composed of, for example, a FIFO (first in first out) memory. When the circulation switch 84 is turned on, the locus buffer 83 temporarily stores the inputted demodulation signal Sdm and continuously outputs the stored demodulation signal Sdm. In the above seamless playback, since the input is discontinuous due to the track jump, the track buffer 83 compensates the difference and fluctuation in data between the GOPs by the mpeg2 method to continuously output the demodulated signal Sdm, and thus in the case where the read data is divided into the interval units IU, the playback is prevented from being interrupted due to the discontinuity.

The off and on operations of the demodulation signal Sdm continuously input to the circulation switch 84 are controlled by the switching signal Ssw2 bundled from the system controller 100, and therefore, in the separation process by the demultiplexer 86, the subsequent stages of the various buffers are not overflowed, on the contrary, are not blanked, and the decoding process is stopped.

On the other hand, the demodulation signal Sdm is input to the system buffer 85 in parallel with the track buffer 83 to accumulate the control information detected first on the DVD1 and all information (for example, video management 2) related to recording on the DVD1, the control data 21 of the VTS3, and the like (refer to fig. 1). Then, the system buffer 85 outputs the accumulated data to the system controller 100 as a part of the control information Sc, temporarily stores the DSI data 51 for each navigation pack 41 (refer to fig. 1) while reproducing the information, and outputs it as another part of the control information Sc.

The demodulated signal Sdm passed through the circulation switch 84 is successively input to the demultiplexer 86, separates each navigation packet 41 input from the demodulated signal Sdm into video data 42, audio data 43, sub-picture data 44, and PCI data 50, respectively, and outputs them as a video signal Sv, a sub-picture signal Ssp, an audio signal Sad, and a PCI signal Spc to the VBV buffer 87, the sub-picture buffer 89, the audio buffer 92, and the PCI buffer 94, respectively. Is there both audio data 43 and sub-picture data 44 that are different in a plurality of different languages included in the audio or sub-picture? In (1). In the case of demodulating the signal Sdm, since a desired language is selected for the audio or sub-picture information from the streaming selection signal Slc from the system controller 100, the audio or sub-picture information in the desired language is output to the audio buffer 92 or the sub-picture buffer 89.

The video signal Sv is input to the VBV buffer 87, and is constituted by a FIFO memory, for example. The VBV buffer 87 temporarily stores the video signal Sv and outputs it to the video decoder 88.

The VBV buffer 87 compensates for differences or fluctuations in the amount of data between individual pictures of the compressed video signal Sv by the MPEG2 method (refer to fig. 2). Then, the video signal Sv whose difference in the total amount of data is compensated is output to the video decoder 88 and decoded by the MPEG2 method, and output to the mixer 91 as a decoded video signal Svd.

On the other hand, the sub picture buffer 89 to which the sub picture signal Ssp is inputted temporarily stores the inputted sub picture signal Ssp and outputs it to the sub picture decoder 90. The sub picture buffer 89 synchronizes the sub picture data 44 included in the sub picture signal Ssp with the video data 42 corresponding to the sub picture data 44 and outputs. Then, the sub picture signal Ssp synchronized with the video data 42 is inputted to the sub picture decoder 90 and decoded, and is outputted to the mixer 91 as a decoded sub picture signal sspd.

In the case where the sub picture signal Ssp includes a video signal constituting a frame, a selection button is used to display a menu picture plane, and the sub picture decoder 90 changes the display state of the selection button display in accordance with the high luminance control information Sch from the system controller 100 in the sub picture signal Sspd to output it.

The decoded video signal Svd output from the video decoder 88 and the decoded sub-picture signal Sspd output from the sub-picture decoder 90 (Sspd is synchronized with the corresponding decoded video signal Svd) are mixed together by the mixer 91 and output as the finally displayed video signal Svp to a display device such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) device (not illustrated).

The audio signal Sad is input to an audio buffer 92 composed of, for example, a FIFO memory. The audio buffer 92 temporarily stores the audio signal Sad and outputs it to the audio decoder 93. The audio buffer 92 synchronizes the audio signal Sad with the video signal Sv or the sub picture signal Ssp including the corresponding video information and delays the audio signal Sad in conformity with the output state of the corresponding video information. Then, the audio signal Sad time-adjusted to be synchronized with the corresponding video information is output to the audio decoder 93. Then, a predetermined decoding process is applied to the audio signal Sad and output to a speaker (not illustrated) as a decoded audio signal Sadd. After accessing the required information, if it is detected by the system controller 100, it is necessary to temporarily stop (pause) the audio sound at a high timing, and a pause signal Sca is output from the system controller 100 to the audio decoder 93 to temporarily stop the output of the decoded audio signal Sadd at the audio decoder 93.

The PCI signal Spc is input to a PCI buffer 94 composed of, for example, a FIFO memory. The PCI buffer 94 temporarily stores the input PCI signal Spc and outputs it to the PCI decoder 95. The PCI buffer 94 synchronizes the PCI data 50 included in the PCI signal Spc with the video data 42, the audio data 43, and the sub-picture data 44 corresponding to the PCI data 50, and adds the PCI data 50 to the video data 42, the audio data 43, and the sub-picture data 44. Then, the highlight information included in the PCI data 50 is separated or extracted by the PCI decoder 95 from the PCI signal Spc synchronized with the corresponding video data 42, audio data 43, or sub-picture data 44 by the PCI buffer 94, and output to the highlight buffer 96 as the highlight signal Shi. The PCI data portion other than the highlight information is output to the system controller 100 as a PCI information signal Spci.

The high light signal Shi is input to a high light buffer 96 which is composed of, for example, a FIFO memory. The highlight buffer 96 temporarily stores the input highlight signal Shi and outputs it to the highlight decoder 97. The highlight buffer 96 time-compensates the highlight signal Shi so as to make an appropriate change in the display state of the selection item corresponding to the highlight information so as to coincide with the sub picture signal Ssp included in the video information of the highlight information. Then, the time-compensated high luminance signal Shi is decoded by the high luminance decoder 97, and information included in the high luminance signal Shi is output to the system controller 100 as a decoded high luminance signal Shid. Information for setting a register value in the system controller 100 is included in the decoded high luminance signal Shid.

Here, the system controller 100 outputs the above-mentioned high luminance control signal Sch in accordance with the decoded high luminance signal Shid to change the display state due to the high luminance information. At this time, the system controller 100 receives a selection operation of the input signal Sin from the input unit 98 so that the selection operation using the menu screen plane based on the highlight information according to the effective time interval information, which is an effective time interval indicating the highlight information included in the decoded highlight signal ship, is effective or correct, and outputs the above-mentioned highlight control signal Sch.

Further, based on the control information Sc input from the system buffer 85, the PCI information signal Spci input from the PCI decoder 95, and the input signal Sih input from the input unit 98 such as a remote controller, the system controller 100 outputs the above-mentioned transition signal SSW2, the circulation selection signal (such as a language selection signal) Slc, the pause signal Sca, and the highlight control signal Sch to correctly perform playback corresponding to these input signals, and also outputs the display signal Sdp to display the operation state of the playback apparatus SS2 on the display unit 99 such as a liquid crystal device.

Further, when it is detected by the DSI information signal Sdsi (in the control signal SC) that a track jump process such as a search for seamless playback is required, the system controller 100 outputs a seamless control signal SCs1 corresponding to the track jump to the drive controller 101.

Then, the seamless control signal Scs1 is input to the drive-enabled controller 101 and the drive signal Sd is output to the spindle motor 102 or the slide motor 103. Due to this drive signal Sd, the spindle motor 102 or the slide motor 103 moves the optical pickup so as to be irradiated with the light beam 13 (broken arrow with reference to fig. 8) at the recording position reproduced on the DVD1, and the spindle motor 102CLV controls (constant beam control) the number of revolutions of the DVD 1. Meanwhile, the drive controller 101 outputs the above-described converted signal SSW1 in accordance with the seamless control signal SSC1 so as to turn off the flow-through switch 82 when the optical pickup 80 is moved while the demodulated signal Sdm is not output from the demodulation and correction unit 81, and approach the flow-through switch 82 when the demodulated signal Sdm starts to be output, so that the demodulated signal Sdm is output to the track buffer 83.

The operation of the track buffer 83 in the playback apparatus SS2 is explained in particular with reference to fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a change in the total amount of information used in comparison with the track buffer (i.e., the occupied amount) at the time of writing and reading operations. In fig. 9, reference symbol Wr denotes a writing rate of information to the track buffer 83, and reference symbol Rr denotes a reading rate of information read out from the track buffer 83. The following equation is generally true.

Wr＞Rr

As discussed above, the track buffer 83 operates as a FIFO memory to compensate for the variable data rate in the MPEG2 method, enables the demodulation signal Sdm to be continuously output because the track jump input is not continued in seamless playback, and enables playback stop due to discontinuity to be solved.

In fig. 9, when the operation of writing the demodulation signal Sdm to the track buffer 83 is performed (point (1) in the figure), the buffer occupancy of the track buffer 83 increases. The write operation is performed by turning on the flow-through switch 82.

Then, when the track buffer 83 is occupied to the maximum capacity (point (2)), the flow-through switch is turned off to suspend writing so as to prevent overflow of the track buffer 83, and the flow-through switch 84 is turned on so as to start reading. Thus, when the buffer occupancy decreases to the predetermined occupancy a, which is set in advance so as to prevent a creeping of the track buffer 83 (i.e., the track buffer 83 is in a blank state and it is impossible to read out the demodulated signal Sdm), the circulation switch 83 is turned on, and thus the writing operation is restarted from the writing rate Wr (point (3)), and at the same time, the demodulated signal Sdm is continuously read out from the track buffer 53 at the reading rate Rr. The rate of increase in the total amount of buffer occupancy is equal to (Wr-Rr).

When the track buffer 83 occupies the maximum capacity (point 41), the write operation is suspended and only the read-out (by the read-out rate Rr) is performed.

Thereafter, if these operations are repeated, the operation of writing to the track buffer 83 is continued and the reading operation is continued as shown in the lower part of fig. 9. In this case, the read rate Rr can be set to any value as long as it is at the write rate Wr, and it is not necessary to fix the read rate Rr constant. Therefore, the variable rate detection by the MPEG2 method coincides with the total amount of data per unit time of the demodulated signal Sdm, and if the total amount of data per unit time is large, the read-out rate can be set high, and if the total amount of data per unit time is small, the read-out rate can be set low.

In the case where the optical pickup jumps to perform the data seek operation, even if the time required to write the track buffer 83 is long (point (5)), the stop of the read operation can be prevented by starting the write operation until the total occupied amount reaches zero (point (6)). The length of the interval unit IV (refer to fig. 4) is set so that the reading operation from the track buffer 83 does not stop even if the writing operation to the track buffer 83 stops for a certain time interval due to the track jump interval unit.

Here, although the start of reading data is set at a time after the track buffer 83 occupies its maximum occupied amount, it is not limited thereto. Alternatively, reading may start when the total occupancy reaches a maximum, or reading and writing may start simultaneously.

Since the track buffer 83 described above functions, seamless playback can be performed in accordance with the recording information R by the variable rate method. That is, seamless playback or playback in the variable rate method can perform discontinuous writing of data with the track buffer 83 to realize linking and continuous output of data.

In the above description of the track buffer 83, the reading operation of data is continuous and the reading rate Rr is variable. However, it is not limited thereto. Instead, during actual data readout, the data readout operation is performed intermittently with a predetermined high rate Rh (Rh > maximum value of Rr) and with a control or adjustment of the time interval length, which may involve a variable rate method. Even this case is equivalent to the case where the readout operation is continuously performed, so that the readout rate Rr is changed on average. At this time, intermittent reading of the stable data can be performed at each buffer 86 at the later stage of the demultiplexer.

Here, for clarity of understanding of fig. 9, the difference between the input time and the output time at one data of the track buffer 83, i.e., the delay time of the track buffer 83 is not constant, but is large due to the change in the readout rate Rr. Further, even if the pre-search operation is performed, since data is continuously output, the buffer capacity of the track buffer 83 itself is increased. So that the delay time is inevitably extended.

At this time, assuming that the DSI data 51 of the PCI data 50 is not separated but detected in one body at a stage before the track buffer 83 and controlled based on these detected data, control of the actual reproduction and display (i.e., outputting data from the track buffer 83) reproduction and display of the matching data becomes difficult, and the time of the PCI data 50 makes correct reproduction and display control difficult due to the inconstant delay time. On the other hand, assuming that the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51 are integrally checked at the later stage of the track buffer 83 and controlled based on these detection data, since the delay time of the track buffer is not constant, the data search of the relevant position of the optical pickup 801 for the search of the DSI data 51 is moved by the amount corresponding to the delay time of the track buffer 83) is difficult, which results in difficulty in the correct search control.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, by separating and recording the PCIP CI data 05 and the DSI data 51, it is possible to perform search control by extracting the DSI data 51 while identifying the position of the optical pickup 80 on the DVD1 before the demodulated signal Sdm is input to the track buffer 83 in the playback apparatus SS 2. Further, after the demodulation signal Sdm is output from the track buffer 83, the PCI data 51 is extracted, and there is a possibility that display control of reproduction in accordance with a video, audio, or sub-screen for performing display and reproduction control is performed.

The operation of PCI buffer 94 is explained next with reference to fig. 10.

As described earlier, the PCI buffer 94 synchronizes the PCI data 50 with the video data 42, the audio data 43, the sub-picture data 44 corresponding to the appropriate PCI data 50, thus applying the PCI data 50 to the video data 42, the audio data 43, the sub-picture data 44, and so on.

Therefore, the PCI buffer 94 is required to hold the input PCI data 50 until the decoding operations of the video signal Sr corresponding to the PCI data 50 included in the PCI signal SPC are completed by the video decoder 88 to the PCI buffer 94, respectively, and when the decoding operations of the video signal Sv are completed, the PCI buffer 94 outputs the held PCI data 50 to the PCI decoder 95, respectively. From this analysis, the storage capacity of the PCI buffer 94, which is sufficient to hold the storage capacity of all the slices (i.e., the packets PT in fig. 1) of the PCI data 50, needs to be maintained until the decoding operations of the video signal Sv that is continuously input are completed, respectively.

Meanwhile, since the maximum value of the delay time of the decoding operation of the video signal Sv specified by the MPEG2 standard is 1 second, the entire decoding operation is completed within 1 second. Therefore, considering the maximum storage capacity of the PCI buffer 94, the storage capacity is sufficient to store all the independent contiguous pieces (packets PT) of the PCI data 50, especially for each packet PT of the PCI data stored in fig. 1, and it is required to be input within 1 second.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the lower limit value of the playback time period corresponding to the data recording between two adjacent navigation packets 41 is set to 0.4 seconds as described previously, and the maximum value of the pieces (packets PI) of PCI data 50 input to the PCI buffer 94 while the video signal Sv is decoded respectively is set to "3". As set forth in fig. 10, even if the video signal Sv is decoded with the maximum time period for which the actual output data is delayed by 1 second, the number of pieces (packets PT) of PCI data 50 input to the PCI buffer 94 in this time period does not exceed "3" (i.e., PCI data 50 as represented by PCI1, PCI2, PCI3 in fig. 10). Therefore, the storage capacity of the PCI buffer 94 is equivalent to the total amount of 3 pieces (i.e., 3 packets PT) of PCI data 50, and therefore, it is possible to achieve reduction in cost while facilitating miniaturization of the PCI buffer 94.

Next, some examples of the operation of the playback apparatus SS2 that actually uses the PCI data 50 and the DSI data 51 will be specifically described.

First, a simultaneous search operation of a typical playback operation using DSI data 51 mainly by the system controller 100 is described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 11. Here, the time search playback is an operation of performing a frame picture search, which is specified by the listener via the input unit 98 using VOB unit search information and elapsed time information, indicating the elapsed time in the unit 20 and recorded in the DSI data 51, and displaying a picture of the corresponding search position. The frame picture is a picture whose playback coincides with any one of I, B and P pictures in the GOP52 shown in fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 11, in the time search operation, when the correspondence is made toTarget time t of searched frame picture_SFirst, when input is made by the input unit 98, the time search information of each PGCI included in the VTS3 is used to calculate and determine the time t included in the input target time t_SAnd the cell playback time information indicates a playback time period of each cell 20 in the PGCI. However, the closest target time t with respect to a predetermined time resolution (e.g., 10 seconds) is determined by calculation_SAnd prior to the target time t_SThe VOB unit 30 of the most headed frame is taken as the standard (step 51). Then, the navigation pack 41 located at the head of the VOB unit 30 determined by the calculation is searched by the jump optical pickup 80 (step S2) corresponding to the time t when the optical pickup 80 jumps to the head frame picture recorded at the position_CObtained by referring to elapsed time information indicating the elapsed time in the unit 20 with higher accuracy than previously resolved, and recorded in the DSI data 51 of the search navigation pack 41 (step S3).

Thereafter, the target time t corresponding to the present position_SAnd the present time t_CAre compared with each other (step S4). At this time, since the optical pickup 80 is located with respect to the target time t_SThe position before the position, so that the present time t corresponding to the present position of the optical pickup 80_CEarlier than the target time t_S(step S4: NO). Accordingly, the optical pickup 80 jumps to the frontward position (i.e., will occur) of the VOB unit 30 corresponding to the current position of the optical pickup 80 in the DSI data 51 with reference to the VOB unit search information (step S5). Then, the present time t is obtained_CCorresponding to the position to which the pickup 80 newly jumps (step S3). Repeating the above operations, the pickup 80 finally jumps to include the target time t_SOne VOB cell 30 forward (i.e., imminent) VOB cell 30. Then, if it is, the target time t is included_SOne cell of the VOB unit 30 is judged to have jumped to the orientation position of the VOB unit 30 (step S4: yes), the pickup 80 jumps to the backward position of the VOB unit 30 (i.e., past (reference to one cell including VOB unit search information in the DSI data 51 where the pickup 80 jumped to the VOB unit 30 (step S6) — by the above-described operations at steps S1 to S6, it is possible to move the pickup 80 to include the target time t_SVOB sheet ofThe head of element 30.

Thereafter, referring to the time elapsed information of the elapsed time period in the pointing unit 20, the present time t corresponding to the present position of the pickup 80 is obtained_CAnd recorded to include the target time t_CIs recorded in the DSI data 51 of the VOB unit 30 (step 7). At this time, now at time t_CEqual to or corresponding to including the target time t_CThe time from the head of the PGC61 to the inclusion of the target time t, which is the number of frames of the leading frame picture in the VOB unit 30_CTime of the VOB cell 30 to which it belongs.

Then, it is obtained as a result of the time t corresponding to the present time_CAnd corresponding to the target time t_CThe number of frames Fr of the difference between frame pictures (i.e., Fr-t)_S-t_C) (step S8). Next, playback is started at the picture of the frame preceding the VOB unit 30 by the number corresponding to the frame Fr from the current position including the pickup 80 (step S9), and the picture output is stopped (step S10). If playback is completed by the frame Fr (step S10: yes), the picture starts to be output at the picture of that time (step S111), and the time search operation is terminated.

As described above, using the elapsed time information indicating the elapsed time period in the cell 20 and VOB unit search information recorded in the DSI data 51 before being input to the track buffer 83, playback can be started from the picture corresponding to the determined target time.

Next, with reference to the flowchart of fig. 12, it will be described that seamless angle change playback is a playback operation with seamless angle change or change, mainly an additional playback operation that uses DSI data 51 for system controller 100 operations. The angle change playback is judged to be seamless or non-seamless based on the angle jump specifying information described in the DSI data 51 or the PCI data 50.

As shown in fig. 12, in seamless angle change playback, it is first determined whether or not it is an angle change or change instruction input by the listener via the input unit 98 (step S11). If an instruction is input (step 11: yes), the system controller 100 rewrites a corner corresponding to the picture plane, referring to the end address information of the interval unit IV under playback described in the seamless information in the DSI data 51 (see fig. 5A). Then, playback is performed until the end address corresponding to the demodulation signal Sdm is written in the track buffer 83, after which the writing operation is temporarily stopped (step 12).

While the writing operation is stopped, the system controller refers to the corner jump specifying information corresponding to the corner before changing the corner in the DSI data 51 (see fig. 5A) to detect the address information of the described corner specification, and the pickup 80 jumps to the position recorded on the DVD1 corresponding to the detected address information (step S13). Then, the operation to the track buffer 83 is restarted from the restart of the playback of the recording position to which the pickup 80 jumped (step S14), and the screen output of the playback video information is started (step S15). By the above-described operation, the last VOB cell 30 before the change of the angle and the first VOB cell 30 after the change of the angle are connected to the track buffer 83 in time, thereby enabling seamless playback when displaying the video image. That is, a playback apparatus having a function of changing or changing the in-time continuous angle in a seamless manner can be realized.

Referring next to the flowchart of fig. 13, non-seamless angle change playback with a non-seamless angle change or changed playback operation of typical playback operations using PCI data 50 will be described mainly for the system controller 100.

As shown in fig. 13, in the non-seamless angle change playback, it is first judged whether an angle change or change instruction is input by the listener via the input unit 98 (step 20). If an instruction is input (step S20: YES), the system controller 100 immediately changes the display state to a state of rewinding the still picture corresponding to the picture plane angle. The system controller 100 discards all the data accumulated in the track buffer 83 and stops writing of the demodulation signal Sdm to the track buffer 83 (step S21).

While stopping the writing operation, the system controller 100 refers to the angle jump target information corresponding to the angle before the change in the PCI data 50 (see fig. 5B) to detect the address information for the described angle target, and the pickup 80 jumps to the recording position on the DVD1 corresponding to the detected address information (step 22). Then, the operation of writing to the track buffer 83 is restarted from the playback of jumping from the pickup 80 to the recording position. Then, when the demodulated signal Sdm is written and accumulated in the track buffer 83 to the maximum storage capacity (step S24: yes), the first VOB unit 30 corresponding to the video information after the angle change is read out from the track buffer 83 while releasing or erasing the still picture display state (step S25). Then, after changing the angle, screen output of the video information is started from the VO unit 30 (step S26). By the operation described above, it is possible to start picture output from one VOB unit 30 which is displayed to be about the same as another VOB unit after a diagonal change.

As described above, according to the reproducing apparatus SS2 of the present embodiment, since the DSI data 51 are extracted before the demodulated signal Sdm is input to the track buffer 83, the DSI data 51 corresponding to the detection position of the optical pickup 80 on the DVD1 can be obtained, and therefore, the reproduced recording information R can be easily searched.

Further, since the PCI data 50 is extracted after the demodulated signal Sdm is output from the track buffer 83, playback and display control can be performed in accordance with the time when the recorded information is actually displayed.

Therefore, since the highlight information has effective time interval information indicating an effective time interval thereof. It is therefore possible to perform playback and display control of a selected item on the menu screen plane in accordance with playback of recorded information such as video information, and it is also possible to make the operation of selection effective or correct for an arbitrary period of time with highlight information.

Since the DSI data 51 includes VOB unit search information indicating a data access (a detected recording position) on the DVD1, the VOB unit search information indicating a target position can be obtained before being input to the track buffer 83, and thus, a search operation for reproducing the recording information R can be easily performed based on the VOB unit search information.

Since the lower limit value of the reproduction time period of the data portion between the respective adjacent navigation packs 41 is set to 0.4 seconds, the storage capacity of the PCI buffer 94 can be reduced accordingly, and the cost of the reproducing apparatus SS2 itself can be reduced.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where information is compression-recorded on the DVD1 by the variable rate method of MPEG2, and the recorded information is reproduced in the above-described manner has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these cases. Alternatively, a constant rate compression method may be applied to the present invention as a compression method as long as the playback system utilizes a track buffer at the time of playback. Further, it is possible to apply the present invention to recording and playback operations of various information regardless of the compression method. The information embodiment of the recording information is not limited to the DVD1 described above.

Claims (30)

1. An information recording apparatus comprising:

a signal processing device for performing predetermined signal processing on the recording information to generate processed recording information;

a navigation information generating device for generating navigation information;

a multiplexing device for multiplexing the processed recording information and navigation information to generate multiplexed recording information; and

a recording device for recording the multiplexed recording information onto the information recording medium,

wherein the navigation information is divided into search control information and playback display control information such that the search control information and the playback display control information are separately extracted at different stages at the time of playback.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the multiplexed recording information comprises a plurality of data units, and each data unit comprises navigation information; and

the search control information is contained in each data unit, and the search control information contains address information indicating addresses of other data units having a predetermined positional relationship with the data unit.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that each data unit corresponds to a predetermined playback time interval.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the navigation information is located at the beginning of a data unit.

5. An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing recording information from an information recording medium, the recording information including a plurality of data units, each data unit including navigation information, the navigation information being divided into search control information and reproduction display control information,

the device comprises:

a pickup for reading out recorded information from an information recording medium to obtain a detection signal;

a demodulation circuit for demodulating the detection signal to obtain a demodulated signal;

a first extraction device for extracting search control information from the demodulated signal;

a demodulated signal buffer for temporarily storing the demodulated signal and outputting the stored demodulated signal; and

a second extracting device for extracting playback display control information from the demodulated signal output from the demodulated signal buffer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a controller for controlling playback of the record information based on the extracted search control information and for controlling display of the playback record information based on the extracted playback display control information,

7. an arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that said navigation information is included in each data unit, the navigation information including address information indicating the addresses of other data units having a predetermined positional relationship with said each data unit,

the apparatus further comprises a specifying device for specifying a target time to be searched, and

the controller controls the position of the pickup according to the search control information and the designated target time.

8. Apparatus according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that each of the plurality of data units corresponds to a predetermined playback time interval.

9. Device according to one of claims 5-7, characterized in that the navigation information is located at the beginning of a data unit.

10. The apparatus according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the navigation information is divided into search control information and playback display control information so that the search control information and the playback display control information are separately extracted by the first extraction device and the second extraction device, respectively, at different stages at the time of playback.

11. The apparatus of any of claims 5 to 7, further comprising:

a search control information buffer for temporarily storing the search control information extracted by the first extraction device;

a display control information buffer for temporarily storing the playback display control information extracted by the second extraction device; and

a display control information decoder for decoding the playback display control information output from the display control information buffer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the playback display control information contains highlight information for emphasizing button information displayed according to one of the sub-picture information in the data unit, the apparatus further comprising:

a third extracting device for extracting the highlight information from the playback display control information;

a highlight buffer for temporarily storing highlight information extracted by the third extracting device; and

a highlight decoder for decoding highlight information output from the highlight buffer,

wherein the controller controls a display condition according to the high luminance information.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the controller controls the position of the pickup according to the search control information.

14. An information recording method comprising the steps of:

performing predetermined signal processing on the recording information to generate processed recording information;

generating navigation information;

multiplexing the processed recording information and navigation information to generate multiplexed recording information; and

recording the multiplexed recording information onto an information recording medium,

wherein the navigation information is divided into search control information and playback display control information such that the search control information and the playback display control information are separately extracted at different stages at the time of playback.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the multiplexed recording information comprises a plurality of data units, and each data unit comprises navigation information; and

the search control information is included in each data unit, and includes address information indicating addresses of other data units having a predetermined positional relationship with the data unit.

16. A method according to claim 15, characterized in that each data unit corresponds to a predetermined playback time interval.

17. A method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that said navigation information is located at the beginning of a data unit.

18. An information reproducing method for reproducing recording information from an information recording medium, the recording information including a plurality of data units, each data unit including navigation information, the navigation information being divided into search control information and reproduction display control information,

the method comprises the following steps:

reading out recorded information from an information recording medium to obtain a detection signal;

demodulating the detection signal to obtain a demodulated signal;

extracting search control information from the demodulated signal;

temporarily storing said demodulated signal in a demodulated signal buffer;

outputting the stored demodulated signal; and

and a reproduction display control information extracting unit for extracting reproduction display control information from the demodulated signal output from the demodulated signal buffer.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a control step of controlling playback of the record information based on the extracted search control information and controlling display of the playback record information based on the extracted playback display control information.

20. A method according to claim 19, characterized in that said navigation information is included in each data unit, the navigation information including address information for indicating the addresses of other data units having a predetermined positional relationship with said each data unit,

the method further comprises the step of specifying a target time to search, an

The controlling step controls the position of the pickup in accordance with the search control information and the designated target time.

21. A method according to any of claims 18-20, wherein each of the plurality of data units corresponds to a predetermined playback time interval.

22. Method according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that said navigation information is located at the beginning of a data unit.

23. The method according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that said navigation information is divided into search control information and playback display control information, so that said search control information and said playback display control information are extracted separately at different stages in playback.

24. The method according to any of claims 18 to 20, further comprising the steps of:

temporarily storing the extracted search control information in a search control information buffer;

temporarily storing the extracted playback display control information in a display control information buffer; and

the playback display control information output from the display control information buffer is decoded.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said playback display control information contains highlight information for emphasizing button information displayed in accordance with a sub-picture information in a data unit, said method further comprising the steps of:

extracting the highlight information from the playback display control information;

temporarily storing the extracted highlight information in a highlight buffer; and

decoding the high luminance signal output from the high luminance buffer,

wherein the controlling step controls the display condition according to the high luminance information.

26. Method according to one of claims 18 to 20, characterized in that said controlling step controls the position of the pickup in accordance with the search control information.

27. An information recording medium comprising:

a lead-in area disposed at an innermost portion of the information recording medium;

a lead-out area disposed at an outermost portion of the information recording medium; and

a data area disposed between the lead-in area and the lead-out area, the data area including a plurality of data units, each data unit including navigation information,

wherein the navigation information is divided into search control information and playback display control information such that the search control information and the playback display control information are separately extracted at different stages at the time of playback.

28. A medium according to claim 27, wherein said search control information is included in each data unit, the search control information including address information indicating addresses of other data units having a predetermined positional relationship with said each data unit.

29. A medium according to claim 27 or 28, wherein each of a plurality of said data units corresponds to a predetermined playback time interval.

30. A medium according to claim 27 or 28, characterized in that said navigation information is located at the beginning of a data unit.