JP2000322873A - Information recording medium, information recording method, information recording device, information reproducing method, and information reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To continuously access a plurality of representative images representing an AV file recorded on a disk memory,
That is, when switching between representative images or when displaying thumbnails of a plurality of representative images, a seek operation for each of the representative images is eliminated, and smooth reproduction is realized. A representative image recording area and an AV file recording area are provided in a data recording area on a disk memory.
By recording a plurality of representative pictures of the AV file recorded in the V file recording area in the representative picture storage file of the representative picture recording area, it is possible to reproduce the plurality of representative pictures only by accessing the representative picture storage file. In addition, when switching between representative images or when displaying thumbnails of a plurality of representative images, it is possible to eliminate the time required for the seek operation and realize smooth playback.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a data recording area and a file management area.
The present invention relates to an information recording medium, an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing method, and an information reproducing device in which a V file is recorded / reproduced. In particular, one frame of an AV file recorded in a data recording area is converted into one still image The present invention relates to an information recording medium, an information recording method, an information recording device, an information reproducing method, and an information reproducing device for extracting one or more still images and recording the extracted still images in a representative image storage file.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, disk memories are classified into magnetic disk memories, magneto-optical disk memories, and optical disk memories according to the type of disk. The disk memory usually includes a file management area and a data recording area.

Conventionally, when recording AV data on a disk memory in real time, a disk device records the AV data as an AV file (program) in a data recording area of the disk memory. The AV file recorded in the data recording area is a set of still images and audio in units of frames or fields, and a specific still image showing the characteristics of the AV file is set as a representative image of the AV file.
When reproducing the AV file, the representative image can be used for selecting the AV file. The representative image is also used for thumbnail display for displaying a plurality of still images on one screen. The thumbnail display will be described later. The representative image is a still image that indicates the characteristics of the AV file, such as the beginning of a recorded AV file and scene changes.

FIG. 14 shows a conventional file structure and arrangement of representative images when AV data input from the outside as broadcast waves is recorded on a disk memory in real time. In FIG. 14, an inner peripheral portion of the disk memory is a file management area 1401, and a data recording area 1402 exists following the file management area 1401. AV data is A
Data recording area 14 of disk memory as V file
02, and the representative image is reproduced by referring to one screen in the AV file.

A data recording area 1402 shown in FIG.
File A1403, file B1 as V files
404, file C1405, and file D1406-4
A file is recorded, and a representative image a1407 and a representative image b1408 are stored in a file A1403, and a file B14
04, a representative image c1409, a file C1405, a representative image d1410, and a file D1406, a representative image e.
1411 are included.

After the recording of each AV file is completed, a representative image management information file is recorded successively to each AV file. In the file A1403, the representative picture a and b management information files 1412 are stored.
4, a representative image c management information file 1413, a file C1405, a representative image d management information file 1414,
The file D1406 contains the representative image e management information file 14
No. 15 is recorded following each file. The representative image management information file records the address and size of the representative image. When the representative image is reproduced, the representative image is identified by referring to the representative image management information file and specifying the address and size of the representative image. It becomes possible to reproduce. By successively reproducing the representative images, the searchability of the scene to be viewed is improved. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, by displaying four representative images a to d on one screen in a thumbnail, it is easy to confirm the contents of the AV data recorded in the disk memory, and from the thumbnail display screen to the reproduction screen. , It is possible to easily find the beginning of a scene that the user wants to see.

When the representative images are reproduced one after another or when a plurality of representative images are displayed as thumbnails, access to the plurality of representative images occurs, but the representative images in the data recording area 1402 are arranged continuously. However, when a plurality of representative images are accessed successively, a seek operation is required for each representative image, and an access time required for the seek operation is required. Therefore, when the representative images are successively switched and played back one after another, or when a plurality of representative images are displayed as thumbnails, the operation cannot be performed smoothly.

[0008]

In the conventional disk drive, when a plurality of representative images recorded in the disk memory are accessed successively, a seek operation occurs for each representative image, and the seek operation is performed. , It is difficult to perform smooth reproduction when switching between representative images or when displaying thumbnails of a plurality of representative images.

According to the present invention, a representative image recording area and an AV file recording area are provided in a data recording area on a disk memory,
Furthermore, by recording a plurality of representative pictures of the AV file recorded in the AV file recording area in the representative picture storage file of the representative picture recording area, the plurality of representative pictures can be reproduced only by accessing the representative picture storage file. With the goal. Furthermore, by accessing the representative image recording area, it is possible to eliminate the time required for a seek operation when switching between representative images or displaying thumbnails of a plurality of representative images, and to perform smooth reproduction.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, an information recording medium of the present invention comprises a data recording area, a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. , Wherein one frame of an AV file existing in a data recording area is defined as one still image, and a representative image storage file for recording the still image is provided.

The information recording medium of the present invention comprises a data recording area, a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area, and a plurality of recording / reproducing areas. In the information recording medium divided into zones, one frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area is regarded as one still image, and a representative image storage file for recording the still image is recorded / recorded.
It may be allocated in the same zone of the reproduction area.

Further, the representative image storage file may be allocated in the same zone of a file management area and a recording / playback area.

Further, the representative image storage file may be allocated in a zone which is the same as the file management area and the recording / reproducing area and which exists at the head of the recording / reproducing area.

Further, the information recording method according to the present invention is directed to an information recording medium comprising: a data recording area; and a file management area for recording additional information relating to each AV file recorded in the data recording area. An information recording method for recording an AV file on an information recording medium, a file recording step for recording an AV file on the information recording medium, a file reproducing step for reproducing an AV file from the information recording medium, A representative image information recording step of recording one frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area as one still image and recording the still image as a representative image in a representative image storage file, and a representative image to be recorded in the representative image storage file. And determining a representative image.

Further, the representative image information recording step includes:
The representative image storage file may be recorded in an area following the file management area.

Further, the information recording apparatus of the present invention stores an AV file in an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information relating to each AV file recorded in the data recording area. An information recording apparatus for recording, comprising: an initializing unit for initializing an information recording medium; a file recording unit for recording an AV file on the information recording medium; a file reproducing unit for reproducing an AV file from the information recording medium; AV existing in the recording area
A representative image information recording unit that records one frame of the file as one still image and records the still image as a representative image in a representative image storage file; and a representative image detection unit that determines a representative image to be recorded in the representative image storage file. It is provided with.

Further, the representative image information recording means may record the representative image storage file in an area following the file management area.

Further, the information reproducing method of the present invention is directed to an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. A file reproducing step of reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium, a frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area as one still image, and the still image as one or more A representative image information reproducing step of reproducing a representative image storage file extracted from a plurality of images;
A digital-to-analog conversion step of expanding an AV file recorded in accordance with the EG2 standard and converting it into an analog signal.

Further, the representative image information reproducing step includes:
The representative image storage file arranged following the file management area may be reproduced.

Further, the information reproducing apparatus of the present invention provides an AV file for an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information relating to each AV file recorded in the data recording area. A file reproducing means for reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium, one frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area as one still image, and the still image as one or more It is provided with representative image information reproducing means for reproducing a representative image storage file extracted from a plurality of images, and digital-analog converting means for expanding an AV file recorded in accordance with the MPEG2 standard and converting it into an analog signal.

[0021] The representative image information reproducing means may reproduce a representative image storage file arranged subsequent to the file management area.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As an embodiment of the present invention, a DVD-RAM
Using a disc as an information recording medium, UDF (Uni
The following describes an optical disc device having a function of recording and reproducing a file managed using a “versal disc format” file format, and an information recording method and an information reproducing method of recording and reproducing a representative image storage file on the information recording medium. This will be described with reference to the drawings.

In the DVD-RAM standard, as shown in FIG. 8, the recording / reproducing area is divided into concentric circles from 0 to 23 from the inner circumference to the outer circumference. ) Is recorded and played back. In the embodiment of the present invention, a DVD-R
Although AM is used, the same applies to PD and MO. The file format is not limited to UDF, but can be similarly realized in FAT and NTFS.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical disc apparatus having an information recording function and an information reproducing function according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system control section 101, the buffer memory section 102, the I / O bus 103, The disk drive unit 104, the AV stream data generation unit 105,
It comprises a stream data reproducing unit 106 and a bus controller unit 107.

The system control unit 101 is realized by a microprocessor including a control program and an operation memory.
Initializing means 111 for initializing the disk memory 141 inserted in the disk drive unit 104, file recording means 112 for recording file data, file reproducing means 113 for reproducing file data, and recording a representative image storage file. Representative image information recording means 114 for reproducing a representative image storage file.
And AV stream data transfer means 116 for transferring AV stream data on the I / O bus 103.

The buffer memory unit 102 is implemented by a semiconductor memory, and stores a representative picture storage file memory 121 used for temporarily storing representative picture and representative picture management information, and an AV stream data used when transferring the AV stream data. Memory 122.

The AV stream data generator 105 converts analog AV input data 109 from the outside into MPEG2 data.
(Moving Picture Experts G
group 2) analog-to-digital conversion means 151 for digitizing and compressing according to the standard;
And a representative image detecting means 152 for determining a representative image from the V stream data.

The AV stream data reproducing unit 106
It is characterized by including a digital-to-analog converting means 161 for expanding the PEG2 stream data and converting it into an analog signal to output analog AV output data 110.

The bus controller 107 includes a system controller 101, a disk drive 104, an AV stream data generator 105, and an AV stream data reproducer 1.
06, the I / O bus control means 171 for controlling the I / O bus 103 and the AV stream data generation unit 105
Representative image detection signal 10 generated by the representative image detecting means 152
8 includes a start address detecting means 172 for detecting an address at which a representative image is stored in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102, and an end address detecting means 173.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a file structure after recording an AV file on an information recording medium according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 7, an information recording medium is a file management area 701.
And a data recording area 702. The data recording area 702 includes a representative image recording area 703. An area other than the representative image recording area 703 of the data recording area 702 is an AV file recording area 704 in which a file A 706, a file B 707, a file C 708, and a file D 709 are recorded. Representative image recording area 70
3, a representative image storage file 705 is recorded.
The representative image storage file 705 includes representative image management information 710 and representative image a 711, representative image b 712, representative image c 713, representative image d 714, and representative image e 715. Representative image management information 710 includes representative image a management information 716 and representative image b management information 7 that are management information regarding representative images a to e.
17, representative picture c management information 718, representative picture d management information 71
9. Representative image e management information 720 is recorded. Also,
Although the file structure of the information recording medium shown in FIG. 7 has been described here, details of the file recording procedure and the representative image management information will be described later.

Next, the control procedure of the format processing for the information recording medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 1, the file structure diagram of the information recording medium shown in FIG.
This will be described below with reference to the flowchart for explaining the format processing procedure shown in FIG.

(S1001) Disk drive unit 104
When the rewritable and unformatted disk memory 141 is inserted into the file management area 201, the system control unit 101 performs an initialization operation based on the UDF file format according to a control program incorporated as initialization means 111. And data recording area 20
Create 2. Here, the file management area 201 is created in zone 0 which is the innermost circumference of the DVD-RAM shown in FIG.

(S1002) When the creation of the file management area 201 and the data recording area 202 is completed, the initialization means 111 secures a representative image recording area 203 at the head of the data recording area 202 following the file management area 201. The representative image recording area 203 includes a file management area 201.
Is created in the same zone as zone 0.

The capacity of the representative image recording area 203 is determined by the size of the representative image and the number of recorded representative images. Subsequently, the representative image storage file 205 is created in the representative image recording area 203 by the file recording unit 112. As an embodiment of the present invention, when recording 40 representative images having a size of 50 Kbytes per screen, the capacity of the representative image recording area 203 is 2 Mbytes including the representative image management information. The representative image management information includes a representative image storage file 20 relating to the representative image.
5, an address in the data recording area, unique information, and the like. Here, the size per one representative image is set to 50 Kbytes, but the size per one representative image is arbitrary, and the recording of the number of screens not exceeding the capacity of the representative image recording area 203 secured at the time of formatting is performed. It is possible.

(S1003) Representative image storage file 205
Is created, the information of the representative image storage file 205 is written into the file management information 201 by the file recording means 112 and updated.

When the representative image storage area 203 is secured and the representative image storage file 205 is recorded, a file structure as shown in FIG. 2 is formed on the information recording medium. That is, the file management area 201 is secured from the inner circumference (LSN = 0) of the information recording medium, and the data recording area 202 is secured to the outer circumference (LSN = n) following the file management area 201. The representative image recording area 203 is the data recording area 2
02, that is, continuously arranged in the file management area 201. An area other than the representative image recording area 203 of the data recording area 202 becomes an AV file recording area 204 used for recording an AV stream. The detailed data structure of the representative image storage file 205 recorded in the representative image recording area 203 will be described later.

Next, the procedure for recording the external analog AV input data 109 as a file A 608 in the disk memory 141 mounted on the disk drive unit 104 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 and the information shown in FIG. FIG. 3 showing a file structure diagram of a recording medium, handshaking between the AV stream data generation unit 105 and the bus controller unit 107, and a file structure diagram in which only one screen shown in FIG. 13 will be described below with reference to the memory configuration diagram for the AV stream data of the buffer memory unit shown in FIG.

The analog input data 109 from the outside is
The data is input to the AV stream data generation unit 105. AV
The stream data generation unit 105 uses the analog-to-digital conversion unit 151 to digitize and compress the external analog AV input data 109 according to the MPEG2 standard. When the digitized and compressed AV stream data is generated by the analog-to-digital converter 151, the analog-to-digital converter 151 sends an ECRDY signal, which is a transfer request signal for the AV stream data, to the bus controller 107 at the falling edge of ECCLK. Assert 301 synchronously. The bus controller unit 107
If there is a free space in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102, an ECACK signal is asserted 302 in synchronization with the rising edge of ECCLK. ECAC
When the K signal is asserted 302, the analog-to-digital converter 151 outputs the AV stream data ECDT [7: 0] in 8-bit units to the I / O bus 103 at the timing shown in FIG. The outputted 8-bit unit AV stream data ECDT [7: 0] is stored in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102 at the rising edge of ECCLK via the bus controller unit 107 while the ECACK signal is at the High level. You. In the example shown in FIG. 3, ECDT [7: 0]
Are stored in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102 as shown in FIG.

When a predetermined amount or more of AV stream data is stored in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory section 102, the system control section 101 executes the AV stream data transfer according to a program incorporated as the AV stream data transfer means 116. From the buffer memory unit 102 to the disk drive unit 104. The transferred AV stream data is transmitted to the system controller 10.
A file A 608 is recorded in the AV file recording area 202 of the disk memory 141 mounted on the disk drive unit 104 by a program incorporated as one file recording unit 112.

The procedure for determining a representative image from the external analog AV input data 109 will now be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 and the representative image determining procedure shown in FIG. .

As described in the procedure for recording the file A 608 in the disk memory 141, the analog AV input data 109 from the outside is digitized and compressed by the analog-to-digital converter 151 of the AV stream data generator 105. , AV stream data. Convert the digitized AV stream data to AV
Representative image detecting means 152 of stream data generating section 105
, A representative image detection signal 108 is generated. The representative image detection signal 108 is generated at different timings depending on the detection mode. For example, from stereo broadcast
A detection mode is prepared, for example, at the time of a change to a multilingual broadcast, at the time of a change from 4: 3 full-screen broadcast to a wide-screen broadcast, or at regular intervals. 2 from stereo broadcast
FIG. 5 shows the timing at which the representative image detection signal is generated when the detection mode is set at the time of change to the national language broadcast.
B501, A502, I in the AV stream shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 503 denotes a packet containing a B picture, a packet containing audio data, and a packet containing an I picture, each of which is a 2-kilobyte packet.

As shown in FIG. 5, the representative image detection signal 108 goes high so as to include the packet containing the first I picture appearing in the AV stream data after the change from stereo broadcasting to bilingual broadcasting.

Following the procedure for determining the representative image, the control procedure of the representative image storage file recording process for the information recording medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 and the unrecorded information shown in FIG. The file structure diagram of the recording medium, the representative image determination procedure shown in FIG. 5, and the representative image shown in FIG.
A file structure diagram in which only the screen is recorded, a file structure diagram after recording shown in FIG. 7, a flowchart of a representative image storage file recording procedure shown in FIG. 11, and a representative image storage in the buffer memory unit shown in FIG. Memory configuration diagram for file,
This will be described below with reference to the AV stream data memory configuration diagram of the buffer memory unit shown in FIG.

First, while recording the file A 608 on the formatted information recording medium shown in FIG.
The case where the representative image a 604, which is the representative image 608, is recorded will be described.

(S1101) Acquisition of representative image management information Representative image detection signal 10 generated by representative image detection means 152
8 becomes High level, the bus controller 10
7 detects the rising edge of the representative image detection signal 108 and sets the address of the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102 in which the AV stream data is stored as SAM, and Representative image information recording means 114
Notify. The representative image recording unit 114 stores the SAM in the representative image storage file memory 1 of the buffer memory unit 102.
21 is stored as the representative image SAM 1201. Similarly, when the falling edge is detected, the representative image detection signal 1
08 is notified to the representative image information recording unit 114 as the EAM of the last address of the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory unit 102 stored during the High level, and the representative image recording unit 114 stores the EAM in the buffer memory unit. The EAM 1202 of the representative image is stored in the representative image storage file memory 121 at 102. The representative image information recording unit 114 stores the representative image SAM 1201 and the representative image EAM 12 stored in the representative image storage file memory 121.
The representative image size 1203 is stored in the representative image storage file memory 121 as the representative image size 1203.

(S1102) Acquisition of SAD and EAD As described in the procedure for recording the file A 608 in the disk memory 141, the system control unit 101 stores the file A 608 in the AV stream data The stored data of each frame is recorded in the AV file recording area 202 of the disk memory 141. At that time, the first address where the representative image data in the address SAM to the EAM of the AV stream data memory 122 is recorded in the AV file recording area 605 is SAD, and the last address is EAD.
Is stored in the representative image storage memory 121.

(S1103) The representative image recording system controller 101 records the representative image in the representative image storage file according to the control program incorporated as the representative image information recording means 114.
The representative image data at addresses SAM to EAM of the stream data memory 122 is recorded as a representative image a 604 in the representative image storage file 602 as shown in FIG.

At this time, the first address sad and the last address ead in the address space on the representative image storage file 602 where the representative image a 604 is recorded are used as the representative image sad 1204 and the representative image a ead 1205 for the representative image storage file. It is stored in the memory 121. At this time, the method, date, program name, and the like in which the representative image a was recorded as the unique information of the representative image a are also stored in the representative image storage file memory 1.
21.

(S 1104) Update of representative image management information and recording system control section 101 according to a program incorporated as file reproducing means 113, representative image recording area arranged following file management area 201 of disk drive section 104. Instructing the representative image storage file 205 to play the secured representative image storage file 205,
5, the representative image management information 6 as shown in FIG.
The representative image a management information 603 is recorded in the free area 09.

The representative picture a management information 603 includes the sad picture 1204 of the representative picture a, which is the address in the representative picture storage file 602 of the representative picture a 604 previously stored in the representative picture storage file memory 121, and the representative picture. a1 of a
205, the SAD 1206 of the representative image a, which is an address in the AV file recording area 605, and the EAD 120 of the representative image a
7 and the unique information 1208 of the representative image a are recorded.

The SAD 1206 of the representative picture a which is the address in the AV file recording area 605 in the AV file recording area 605 recorded in the representative picture a management information 603
And EAD1207 of the representative image a are the representative image storage file 6
02 from the representative image a604 in the AV file recording area 6
This is used when reproducing the representative image a ′ 606 recorded in 05.

Similarly, the representative image detecting means 152 detects the next representative image b 712, and the representative image detection signal 108 becomes High.
At the level, the representative image a of the representative image storage file 702
711, a representative image b 712 is recorded, and the representative image b of the representative image management information 710 follows the representative image a management information 716.
Management information 717 is added. FIG. 7 shows a file structure of the disk memory 141 after a plurality of programs and a plurality of representative images are recorded.

The procedure for reproducing the AV file recorded in the AV file recording area of the disk memory 141 mounted on the disk drive unit 104 is described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 1 and the unrecorded state information shown in FIG. File structure diagram of recording medium and AV stream data reproducing unit 10
4 showing the handshake between the bus controller 6 and the bus controller 107, and the memory configuration diagram for the AV stream data in the buffer memory shown in FIG.
This will be described below.

An AV file recorded in the AV file recording area 202 of the disk memory 141 mounted on the disk drive unit 104 is read from the disk memory 141 by a program incorporated as the file reproducing unit 113 of the system control unit 101. The read AV file is output to the I / O bus 103 according to a program stored as the AV stream data transfer unit 116 of the system control unit 101, and is output to the buffer memory unit 102 via the bus controller unit 107. Is transferred to the application memory 122 as AV stream data.

When the reproduction of the AV file recorded on the disk memory 141 is transmitted to the AV stream data reproduction unit 106 by the file reproduction unit 113 of the system control unit 101, the digital / analog conversion unit of the AV stream data reproduction unit 106 , Bus controller 10
7 to the STEN which is an AV stream data transfer request signal.
The signal is asserted in synchronization with the rise of STCLK.
Do one.

The bus controller 107 stores D0 to D3 in the AV stream data memory 122 of the buffer memory 102 as AV stream data as shown in FIG.
Is accumulated, the STVAL signal is asserted 402 in synchronization with the falling edge of STCLK in response to the AV stream data transfer request from the bus controller unit 107, and the AV stream data ST is transmitted in 8-bit units.
D [7: 0] is output to the I / O bus 103. The output AV stream data STD [7:
0], while the STVAL signal is at the High level, A
The data is taken into the V stream data reproducing unit 106 at the rising edge of STCLK. In FIG. 4, ST
D0 to D3 of D [7: 0] are taken into the AV stream data reproduction unit 106.

The AV stream data fetched by the AV stream data reproducing unit 106 is expanded by a digital / analog converting means 161 of the AV stream data reproducing unit 106 into a video or audio signal in accordance with the MPEG2 standard and is converted into an analog signal. It is output to the outside as AV output data 110.

Finally, regarding the control procedure of the representative image storage file reproducing process for the information recording medium of the present invention, the block diagram of the present information recording and reproducing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 and the file structure after recording shown in FIG. This will be described below with reference to FIG.

The system control unit 101 instructs a reproduction operation of the representative image storage file 702 arranged following the file management area 701 of the disk drive unit 104 according to a program incorporated as the file reproduction unit 113. The disk drive unit 104 accesses the representative image recording area 703 of the mounted disk memory 141 to read out the representative image storage file 702, and stores the read representative image storage file in the representative image storage file memory 121 of the buffer memory unit 102. The file 702 is transferred. Subsequently, the system control unit 101 reads the representative image management information 710 of the representative image storage file 702 according to a control program incorporated as the representative image information reproducing unit 115, and stores each representative image recorded in the representative image management information 710. Address, size, address in data recording area,
Then, the information of the representative image is interpreted, and the designated representative image is reproduced.

[0061]

According to the present invention, a representative picture recording area and an AV file recording area are provided in a data recording area on a disk memory, and a plurality of representative pictures of an AV file recorded in the AV file recording area are recorded in the representative picture. By recording in the representative image storage file of the area, a plurality of representative images can be reproduced only by accessing the representative image storage file. Furthermore, by accessing the representative image storage file, when switching between representative images or when displaying thumbnails of a plurality of representative images, the time required for a seek operation for each representative image is eliminated, and switching between the plurality of representative images can be performed smoothly. In addition to being able to reproduce, thumbnail display of a plurality of representative images can be performed smoothly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an optical disc device having an information recording function and an information reproducing function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a file structure in an unrecorded state on the information recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating handshaking of an AV stream data generation unit and a bus controller unit;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating handshaking of an AV stream data reproducing unit and a bus controller unit;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a representative image determination procedure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a file structure of a representative image storage file.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a file structure after recording in an embodiment of the information recording medium of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing zones of a DVD-RAM.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a thumbnail display.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a format processing procedure.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a representative image storage file recording procedure.

FIG. 12 is a memory configuration diagram of a representative image storage file in a buffer memory unit.

FIG. 13 is a memory configuration diagram of an AV stream data in a buffer memory unit.

FIG. 14 is a conventional file structure diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 101 System control unit 102 Buffer memory unit 103 I / O bus 104 Disk drive unit 105 AV stream data generation unit 106 AV stream data reproduction unit 107 Bus controller unit 108 Representative image detection signal 109 Analog AV input data 110 Analog AV output data 111 Initial Conversion means 112 file recording means 113 file reproduction means 114 representative image information recording means 115 representative image information reproduction means 116 AV stream data transfer means 121 representative image storage file memory 122 AV stream data memory 141 disk memory 151 analog-to-digital conversion means 152 Representative image detecting means 161 Digital-to-analog converting means 171 I / O bus controlling means 172 Start address detecting means 173 End address detecting means Tier 201, 601, 701, 1401 File management area 202, 702, 1402 Data recording area 203, 607, 703 Representative image recording area 204, 605, 704 AV file recording area 301 ECRDY assertion 302 ECACK assertion 401 STEN assertion 402 STVAL assertion 501 AV stream data packet including B picture 502 Audio packet 503 AV stream data packet including I picture 602,705 Representative picture storage file 603,716 Representative picture a management information 604,711,1407 Representative picture a 606 Representative image a '608, 706, 1403 File A 609, 710 Representative image management information 707, 1404 File B 708, 1405 File C 709, 1406 File D 712, 1408 Representative picture b 713, 1409 Representative picture c 714, 1410 Representative picture d 715, 1411 Representative picture e 717 Representative picture b management information 718 Representative picture c management information 719 Representative picture d management information 720 Representative picture e management information 1412 representative picture a, b management information file 1413 representative picture c management information file 1414 representative picture d management information file 1415 representative picture e management information file

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Keiichi Kawashima 1006 Kadoma Kadoma, Osaka Pref. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Person Nohisa Fukushima 1006 Kazuma Kadoma, Kazuma City, Osaka Prefecture F-term (reference) 5C053 FA07 FA23 FA25 GB01 GB06 GB08 GB38 HA30 JA12 JA24 KA01 KA05 KA24 KA25 5D110 AA13 AA17 AA19 AA29 DA11 DA12 FA03 DE04

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information relating to each AV file recorded in the data recording area. An information recording medium, characterized in that one frame is a single still image and a representative image storage file for recording the still image is provided. 2. An information recording system comprising: a data recording area; and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area, and wherein the recording / reproducing area is divided into a plurality of zones. One frame of an AV file existing in the data recording area on the medium as one still image, and a representative image storage file for recording the still image is allocated in the same zone of the recording / reproducing area. An information recording medium characterized by the above-mentioned. 3. The information recording medium according to claim 2, wherein the representative image storage file is allocated in the same zone of a file management area and a recording / playback area. 4. The information recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the representative image storage file is allocated in a zone which is the same as the file management area and the recording / reproducing area and exists at the head of the recording / reproducing area. Medium. 5. An information recording method for recording an AV file on an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. An initialization step of initializing the information recording medium, a file recording step of recording an AV file on the information recording medium, a file reproduction step of reproducing the AV file from the information recording medium, and an AV file existing in the data recording area. 1 frame as one still image, a representative image information recording step of recording the still image as a representative image in a representative image storage file, and a representative image detecting step of determining a representative image to be recorded in the representative image storage file. An information recording method, comprising: 6. The information recording method according to claim 5, wherein in the representative image information recording step, the representative image storage file is recorded in an area following a file management area. 7. An information recording apparatus for recording an AV file on an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. Initialization means for initializing the information recording medium;
File recording means for recording a file, file reproducing means for reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium, and one frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area as one still image, and the still image is represented as a representative image. An information recording apparatus comprising: a representative image information recording unit that records in an image storage file; and a representative image detection unit that determines a representative image to be recorded in the representative image storage file. 8. The information recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said representative image information recording means records the representative image storage file in an area following a file management area. 9. An information reproducing method for reproducing an AV file on an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. A file reproduction step of reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium, and a representative image storage file in which one frame of the AV file existing in the data recording area is defined as one still image and one or more of the still images are extracted. And a digital-to-analog conversion step of expanding an AV file recorded according to the MPEG2 standard and converting it into an analog signal. 10. The information reproducing method according to claim 9, wherein said representative image information reproducing step reproduces a representative image storage file arranged following a file management area. 11. An information reproducing apparatus for reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium comprising a data recording area and a file management area for recording additional information on each AV file recorded in the data recording area. File reproducing means for reproducing an AV file from an information recording medium; a representative image storage file obtained by extracting one or more still images from one frame of an AV file existing in a data recording area; Means for reproducing image information and AV recorded according to the MPEG2 standard.
An information reproducing apparatus, comprising: digital-to-analog conversion means for expanding a file and converting the file into an analog signal. 12. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said representative image information reproducing means reproduces a representative image storage file arranged subsequent to a file management area.