Recording medium, reproduction device, recording method, program, and reproduction method

TECHNICAL FIELD

p00002The present invention relates to a recording medium such as a BD-ROM, and a playback apparatus. The present invention relates in particular to an interactive control technology to combine an interactive screen formed by a plurality of buttons with a moving image formed by a plurality of images, and to perform playback control according to the user's operation directed to the buttons.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

p00004The interactive control described above is an indispensable function of the reproduction apparatus when receiving a user operation to select the title and chapter to be reproduced, an answer to a questionnaire question, and the like, and its realization in DVD reproduction apparatus is widely known. Interactive control by a DVD player is an application of OSD (on-screen display) technology whereby a button that is a character string attached to a graphic is displayed on a screen, and the color of a button frame It is changed according to the user's operation. Such a color change allows the user to intuitively understand which interactive screen button is in a selected state.

p00005A disadvantage of interactive control on a DVD is that there are hardly any factors for fun. Specifically, users just have fun during the operation of the interactive DVD control. In view of such criticism, the animated display of buttons on the interactive screen of a BD-ROM (Blu-ray Disc Pre-recorded Format) whose standardization is in progress has been attempted. To be more specific, on the interactive screen presented by a BD-ROM, each button is presented in the form of an original animation, and is covered with a scene from a movie, which is the main video image. In addition, the content of this animation screen changes according to the user's operation. When said animation screen is used to represent a character that appears in a movie, the user can change the expression and action of the character through its operation directed to the interactive screen. This type of animation allows the creation of the interactive screen with which a child is having fun.

p00006However, the button animation screen incurs a large amount of decoding load, and so there is a problem that the waiting time is long, until an initial screen of the interactive screen takes place. For example, assuming that an interactive screen, such as the one depicted in Figure 1, is coated with a scene from a movie. This interactive screen has four buttons, each of which has three states: normal state; selected status and active status. A case is also assumed in which each button state is presented in 2-3 seconds on the animation screen. Although a page of graphic data is presented at intervals of 5 frames in an image signal, approximately 30 pages of graphic data are required to perform 2-3 seconds of animation. Not only that, since a button has three states (normal state, selected state and active state), there will be a total of 90 pages (3 * 30) of graphic data. In order to have four buttons on an interactive screen, you have to decode 360 ​​pages (4 * 90), which is a huge amount of graphic data. The decoding load of a graphic data page is light. However, it takes approximately dozens of seconds to decode several hundred pages of graphic data. Even for the purpose of making interactive screens fun, it is too much to make users wait dozens of seconds for each interactive screen to be presented, which deserves criticism from users.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

p00008The object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium that performs an interactive display with animation, without delay.

p00009In order to achieve the object described above, the present invention provides a recording medium having: a flow of graphics; wherein said flow of graphics represents an interactive screen to overlap with a moving image formed by a plurality of images, including the interactive screen at least one graphic button material; said graphics flow includes a plurality of graphic data elements that are grouped into status sets; and the status sets correspond, respectively, to different states of the at least one single button material and are arranged in a sequential order.

p00010In the previous construction, there are supposed to be 360 ​​pages of graphic data to present animation, and there are three states for each button material. Then, the graphic data will be grouped into three status sets (for example 120 + 120 + 120 pages). Then, each of the status sets is placed so that the set that appears earlier in the animation is placed closer to the top, and the set that appears later is placed farther from the top. Consequently, in replay, the set of button states that appear before will first be loaded into the playback apparatus, postponing the loading of button state sets that appear later. In doing so, once the reading / decoding of approximately 1 / 3-2 / 3 of all graphic data is finished, the preparation of an initial screen is ready, even if the decoding of all 360 pages of graphic data is not finished.

p00011This also means that, in a case where there is a huge amount of graphic data to read / decode, the execution of the initial screen will not be delayed. According to this, the interactive display with animation can be performed without delay.

p00012BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates an interactive display composed of animation. Figure 2A illustrates an example of the use of a recording medium according to the present invention.

p00013Figure 2B illustrates a key arrangement in a remote controller 400, through which a user operation is received directed to the interactive screen.

p00014Figure 3 is a diagram representing a structure of a BD-ROM.

p00015Figure 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of an AV Clip.

p00016Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an internal information structure of Clip.

p00017Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of playlist information (PL information).

p00018Figure 7 is a diagram schematically representing an indirect reference by means of PL information.

p00019Figure 8A is a diagram illustrating a structure of the flow of interactive graphics.

p00020Figure 8B is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of each of an ICS and an ODS.

p00021Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating a logical structure consisting of several types of functional segments.

p00022Figure 10A is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an ODS, which defines a graphic object.

p00023Figure 10B is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a PDS.

p00024Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an interactive composition segment.

p00025Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between ODSs in a DSn and an ICS.

p00026Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen composition at a display time of arbitrary image data pt1.

p00027Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of button information position in ICS.

p00028Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of the state transition of AD buttons.

p00029Figure 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of the design images of ODS11, 21, 31 and 41.

p00030Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the ODS11-19 design images of the A button.

p00031Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of ICS and ODS included in a DS.

p00032Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the order of ODSs belonging to a display set, as well as button state sets.

p00033Fig. 20 is a diagram illustrating a state transition of an interactive screen in which the button state assemblies of Fig. 19 are arranged.

p00034Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the order of ODSs in a display set.

p00035Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating the difference in the order of ODSs in S-ODSs, between a case when default_selected_button_number is "0", and when it is "button B".

p00036Figure 23A and Figure 23B are diagrams to represent the specific value for ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]), in a case when N-ODSs include a plurality of ODSs constituting the AD, and S-ODSs buttons they include a plurality of ODSs that constitute the AD buttons.

p00037Figure 24 is a diagram representing a synchronized display time by means of ICS.

p00038Figure 25 is a diagram representing how to put DTS and PTS, in a case when a plurality of ODSs make up an initial screen of an interactive screen and the default_selected_button_number is valid.

p00039Figure 26 is a diagram representing how to put DTS and PTS, in a case when a plurality of ODSs make up an initial screen of an interactive screen, and the button selected by default is not valid.

p00040Figure 27 is a diagram depicting the internal structure of a reproduction apparatus according to the present invention.

p00041Figure 28 is a diagram representing a storage content of the object buffer 15, as opposed to the graphic plane 8.

p00042Figure 29 is a diagram representing the processing performed by the graphic controller 17 in an initial screen.

p00043Figure 30 is a diagram depicting the processing of the graphic controller 17 in an update of an interactive screen according to 1stUserAction (MoveRight).

p00044Figure 31 is a diagram representing the processing of the graphic controller 17 in an update of an interactive screen according to 1stUserAction (MoveDown).

p00045Figure 32 is a diagram depicting the processing of the graphic controller 17 in an update of an interactive screen according to 1stUserAction (activated).

p00046Figure 33 is a time graph depicting the pipelining performed by the reproduction apparatus.

p00047Figure 34 is a time graph depicting the pipelining performed by the playback apparatus in a case where the default selected button changes dynamically.

p00048Figure 35 is a flow chart representing the execution procedure for the LinkPL function, performed by the control unit 20.

p00049Figure 36 is a flowchart depicting the load processing procedure for the segment.

p00050Figure 37 is a diagram depicting an example of multiplexing.

p00051Figure 38 is a diagram depicting the way in which DS10 is loaded into the encoded data buffer 13 of the playback apparatus.

p00052Figure 39 is a diagram representing a case in which normal reproduction is performed.

p00053Figure 40 is a diagram depicting how the loading of DS1, DS10, and DS20 is performed when normal playback is performed as in Figure 39.

p00054Figure 41 is a flow chart in which the processing corresponding to the main routine in the processing of the graphic controller 17 is described.

p00055Figure 42 is a flowchart depicting the processing procedure for synchronized control performed by means of a time stamp.

p00056Figure 43 is a flow chart depicting the procedure for writing processing directed to graphic plane B.

p00057Figure 44 is a flowchart depicting a processing procedure for activating a button selected by default.

p00058Figure 45 is a flowchart depicting a processing procedure for an animation screen.

p00059Figure 46 is a flow chart representing

p00060a process of processing a UO processing.

p00061Figure 47 is a flowchart depicting a change processing procedure for a current button.

p00062Figure 48 is a flow chart depicting a numerical input processing procedure.

p00063Figure 49 is a diagram depicting a pipeline in a reproduction apparatus, based on DTS, and PTS on PDS.

p00064Figure 50 is a diagram representing a meaning of an END during pipelining of the reproduction apparatus.

p00065Figure 51 is a flow chart depicting a method of producing a BD-ROM that refers to the second embodiment.

p00066Figure 52 is a diagram depicting an internal information structure PL relative to the third embodiment.

p00067Figure 53 is a diagram schematically representing the synchronization of secondary PlayItem according to "sync_PlayItem_id, sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem".

p00068Figure 54 is a diagram representing the file identification by means of "Clip_Information_file_name" within the playlist information in an HD.

BEST WAY TO CARRY OUT THE INVENTION

p00070(First realization)

p00071An embodiment of a recording medium is described below, in relation to the present invention. First, among the embodiments of a recording medium according to the present invention, an example of how the recording medium is used is explained below. Figure 2A is a diagram illustrating a use of the recording medium according to the present invention. In Figure 2A, the recording medium of the present invention is a BD-ROM 100. This BD-ROM 100 is used to supply a movie to a home theater system structured by a playback apparatus 200, a television 300, and a remote controller 400. Among them, the remote controller 400 is used to receive from the user a operation to change the state of the interactive screen and is closely related to the recording medium of the present invention. Figure 2B illustrates keys of the remote controller 400, through which a user operation directed to the interactive screen is received. As depicted in this drawing, the remote controller 400 is provided with an Up key, a Down key, a Right key, and a Left key. Here, the buttons on the interactive screen have three states: normal state; selected status and activated status. The Up key, the Down key, the Right key, and the Left key are used to receive a user operation to change the status of the buttons to normal state → selected state → active state. The normal state is a state in which a mere screen is provided, while the selected state is a state in which an approach is obtained according to the user's operation, but no confirmation has been received. The active state is a state in which confirmation has been received. When a button on the interactive screen is in a selected state, the Up key is to place a button above this selected button in a selected state. The Down key is to put a button under this selected button in a selected state. The Right key is to put a key to the right of the selected key in a selected state, and the Left key is to put a key to the left of the selected key in a selected state.

p00072The Activate key is to put the selected button in an active state (that is, to activate). The number keys "0" - "9" are for setting a button to which a corresponding number has been assigned, in a selected state. The “+10” key is to receive an operation of adding 10 to the numerical values ​​already entered. It should be noted here that the “0” key and the “+10” key are to receive the entry of a numerical value not less than 10 digits. Therefore, any of them is sufficient for remote controller 400.

p00073So far, the description has dealt with how the recording medium of the present invention is used.

p00074Next, among the embodiments of the recording medium of the present invention, an example of production is explained. The recording medium of the present invention is produced by improving the application layer of a BD-ROM. Figure 3 is a diagram representing a structure of a BD-ROM.

p00075In the drawing, the BD-ROM is represented in a fourth row of the drawing, and a clue in the BD-ROM is represented in the third row. The track is actually spiral-shaped on the disk, but it is represented as a line that extends in the longitudinal direction of the drawing. The track includes an entry zone, a volume zone, and an exit zone. The volume zone in this drawing has a physical layer, a file system layer, and an application layer. A BD-ROM application format using a directory structure is illustrated in the first row of the drawing. As illustrated in the drawing, the BD-ROM has a BDMV directory under the root directory, and the BDMV directory contains files such as XXX.M2TS, XXX.CLPI, and YYY.MPLS. By forming the above application format, it is possible to produce the recording medium according to the present invention. In case there is more than one file for each type, it is preferable to provide three directories called STREAM, CLIPINF and PLAYLIST under the BDMV to store the files with the same extension in a directory. Specifically, it is desirable to store the files with the M2TS extension in STREAM, the files with the CLPI extension in CLIPINF, and the files with the MPLS extension in PLAYLIST.

p00076Each file in the application format is explained below. First, the AV Clip (XXX.M2TS) is explained.

p00077The AV Clip (XXX.M2TS) is a digital stream in MPEG-TS format (TS is Transport Stream) obtained by multiplexing a video stream, at least one audio stream, a presentation chart stream, and an interactive chart stream. The video stream represents moving images of the movie, the audio stream represents the sound of the movie, the presentation graphics stream represents the movie's subtitles, and the interactive graphics stream represents the dynamic playback control procedure aimed at menus. Figure 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a structure of the AV Clip.

p00078The AV Clip (middle row) is structured as follows. A video stream made of multiple video frames (images pj1, pj2, and pj3), and an audio stream made of multiple audio frames (top row of the drawing) are converted respectively to a sequence of PES packets (second row from the top of the drawing) , and then to a sequence of TS packages (third row from the top of the drawing). Then a flow of presentation graphics and an interactive graphics flow (lower row of the drawing) are converted to a sequence of PES packages (second row from below the drawing), and then to a sequence of TS packages (third row from below the drawing). drawing). The sequences of TS packets are multiplexed to obtain the AV Clip.

p00079The AV Clip constituted in the previous way is divided into more than one extension, like ordinary computer files, and is stored in areas on the BD-ROM. The AV Clip consists of one or more ACCESS UNITS. Each ACCESS UNIT functions as a random access unit, as well as a decoding unit beginning with an Intra (I) image.

p00080Clip information (XXX.CLPI) is management information for an AV Clip. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the Clip information. Since an AV Clip is obtained by multiplexing a video stream and an audio stream, and it has ACCESS UNITS that function as a random access unit, the specific elements managed by Clip information are:

p00081attributes of each of the video stream and the stream

p00082Audio; and in what position in the AV Clip is there a point

p00083random access

p00084In the drawing, dashed lines of direction help clarify a structure of Clip information. As the hn1 address line represents, the Clip information (XXX.CLPI) consists of:

p00085“Attribute information” about the video stream and

p00086the audio stream; and "EP_map" is a reference table

p00087used to make random access to the units

p00088from access.

p00089As the hn2 address line represents, the attribute information ("Attribute") is composed of: "Video attribute information" which is attribute information in a video stream; "Number" indicating the number of sets of attribute information; and "Audio Attribute Information # 1- # m" representing attribute information for a corresponding stream of a plurality of audio streams to be multiplexed on the AV Clip. As the hn3 address line represents, the video attribute information indicates what type of compression method was used to compress the video stream (encoding), and a resolution (Resolution), an aspect ratio (Aspect), and a rate of frames (Rate of frames) for each set of image data that constitutes the video stream.

p00090As the hn4 address line represents, the audio attribute information # 1- # m (attribute information in the audio stream) indicates what type of compression method was used to compress the audio stream (encoding), a channel of the audio stream (C.), to which language the audio stream corresponds (Language), and a sampling frequency of the audio stream.

p00091EP_map is a reference table used to indirectly reference the addresses of a plurality of random access points, using time information. As the hn5 address line represents, the EP_map is composed of: a plurality of input information sets (ACCESS UNIT # 1 entry, ACCESS UNIT entry # 2, ACCESS UNIT entry # 3 ...), and entry number (number). As the hn6 address line represents, each entry indicates a playback start time of a corresponding ACCESS UNIT and the address of the ACCESS UNIT, in association (note that it is possible to enter the size of the first image I in the UNIT ACCESS (I-size)). A playback start time of an ACCESS UNIT is expressed by a time stamp of image data placed at the beginning of the ACCESS UNIT (presentation time stamp). In addition, an address of an ACCESS UNIT is expressed by a serial number of a corresponding TS package (SPN (source package number)). In coding, the variable length coding compression method is adopted. Therefore, although there are variations in the size and playing time between each ACCESS UNIT including GOP, it is possible to randomly access, from any playback time, the image data of the ACCESS UNIT corresponding to a time of target reproduction, with reference to the entry of this ACCESS UNIT.

p00092Note that the XXX file name in XXX.CLPI is identical to the name of an AV Clip whose Clip information matches. For example, the file name of the AV Clip in this drawing is XXX, and therefore corresponds to the AV Clip (XXX.M2TS). The playlist information (PL information) is explained below.

p00093YYY.MPLS (playlist information) is a table that constitutes a playlist that is play path information, and is composed of a plurality of PlayItem information elements (PlayItem information # 1, # 2, E3… # n), and PlayItem information number (Number). Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of playlist information. A PlayItem information element defines one or more logical playback sections that constitute a playlist. The hsl address line in the drawing helps clarify a structure of a PlayItem information element. As this address line represents, the PlayItem information element consists of:

p00094“Clip_Information_file_name” representing a

p00095re section information file name

p00096AV Clip production to which the point belong

p00097entry and exit point of the section of

p00098reproduction;

p00099"Clip_codec_identifier" representing a method

p00100C coding used to encode the AV Clip;

p00101"IN_time" being time information indicating

p00102a starting point of the playback section; and

p00103"OUT_point" being time information indicating a termination point of the re section

p00104production.

p00105PlayItem information is characterized by its notation method. Specifically, in PlayItem information, playback sections are defined indirectly over time, using the EP_map as a reference table. Figure 7 is a diagram that schematically illustrates this indirect reference. In this drawing, an AV Clip is composed of a plurality of ACCESS UNITS. The EP_map of the Clip information specifies the addresses of the ACCESS UNITS as represented by the arrows a and 1, 2, 3, and 4. The arrows j and 1, 2, 3, and 4 schematically show how the PlayItem information elements are used to make A reference to the ACCESS UNITS. In other words, the reference made by means of the PlayItem information elements (that is, the arrows j and 1, 2, 3, and 4) is able to specify the addresses of the ACCESS UNITS within the AV Clip, using the EP_map , and thus can be considered as an indirect reference using the concept of time through EP_map.

p00106A playback section on a BD-ROM, consisting of a combination of PlayItem information, Clip information and AV Clip information, is called “PlayItem”. A logical playback unit in a BD-ROM, composed of a combination of PL information, Clip information and AV Clip, is called a "playlist" (abbreviated as PL). A movie recorded on a BD-ROM is structured by said logical playback units (ie PL). Therefore, it is easy to produce another movie made of all the scenes with a character, defining PLs that specify scenes with the character.

p00107Since movies recorded on BD-ROMs have such a logical structure, the citation of an AV Clip that constitutes a scene from a movie in another movie, is

p00108Can perform efficiently.

p00109The flow of interactive graphics is described below.

p00110Figure 8A is a diagram illustrating a structure of the flow of interactive graphics. The first row represents a sequence of TS packets that constitute the AV Clip. The second row represents a sequence of PES packets that constitute the graphics flow. The sequence of PES packets in the second row is structured by extracting loads of TS packets from the first row that include a predetermined PID, and then jointly linking the extracted loads. Note that the flow of presentation graphics is not a main point of interest of the present invention, and is therefore not explained here.

p00111The third row represents the structure of the graphics flow. The graphics flow consists of functional segments of: ICS (Interactive Composition Segment); PDS (palette definition segment); ODS (Object_Definition_Segment), and END (END of display setting segment). Among these functional segments, ICS is called a screen composition segment, and PDS, ODS and FIN are called, respectively, a definition segment. The PES package and each of the functional segments correspond one to one, or one to multiple. In other words, a functional segment is written to the BD-ROM after converting to a PES package, or is then divided into fragments and converts to more than one PES package.

p00112Figure 8B is a diagram illustrating PES packets obtained by converting the functional segments. As Figure 8B represents, a PES package is formed by a package header and a load, where the load is the substance of a functional segment. In addition, the packet header includes a DTS and a PTS corresponding to this functional segment. Next, DTS and PTS included in a packet header are called DTS and PTS of a functional segment.

p00113These various types of functional segments constitute a logical structure as depicted in Figure 9. In this drawing, the third row represents functional segments, the second row represents display sets, and the first row represents Times.

p00114The second row is a collection of display sets (abbreviated as "DS"), each of which corresponds to graphics that form a graphics screen. The dashed line in the drawing indicates to which DS the functional segments of the third row belong. As can be understood from the foregoing, a series of functional segments of "ICS-PDS-ODS-FIN" constitutes a DS. A reproduction apparatus can constitute a graphic screen by reading a series of functional segments that constitute a DS, from the BD-ROM.

p00115Each Period in the first row represents a period that has memory management continuity on a playback time axis for an AV Clip, and also corresponds to a set of data assigned to this period. Here the assumed memory is a graphic plane to store a graphic screen, or a buffer of objects to store graphic data in an unzipped state. To affirm that a graphic plane or a buffer of objects has continuity of memory management, means that there is no download in the graphic plane or in the buffer of objects in a period represented by the time, and the erase / redraw of graphics it is done only within a predetermined rectangular area within the graphic plane (here, downloading means deleting all the content stored in the plane or in the buffer). The size (length / width) and the position of this rectangular area are fixed during a complete Epoch. On condition that the erasure / redrawing of graphics takes place within this fixed area of ​​the graphic plane, reproduction without discontinuity is guaranteed. That is to say, an Epoch can also be considered as a unit on an axis of reproduction time, in which reproduction without discontinuity is guaranteed. If the user wishes to change the zone, he has to define a time of change in the axis of reproduction time, and create a new Epoch that corresponds to the time after this time of change. In this case, reproduction without discontinuity between these two Epochs will not be guaranteed.

p00116Note that what is meant by "playback without discontinuity" is that the erase / redraw graphics will be completed within a predetermined number of video frames. For an interactive graphics stream, this number of video frames is 4 to 5 frames. This number of video frames is determined by a ratio of a fixed area to a complete graphic plane, and a transfer rate between the object buffer and the graphic plane.

p00117In the drawing, the dashed lines hk1, 2 represent to what time the functional segments in the third row belong. As can be understood from this drawing, a series of DS (namely, Start of Time, Acquisition Point, and Normal Case) constitutes a Time of the first row. "Start of Time", "Acquisition Point", and "Normal Case" are respectively a type of DS. Note that the order of "Acquisition Point" and "Normal Case" is simply an example, and can be reversed.

p00118“Start of Time” is a DS that produces a “new screen” display effect, and indicates a start of a new Time. Therefore a Period Start must include all the functional segments required to compose a next screen, and is arranged in a position in an AV Clip, which is intended for a random access target (for example, a movie chapter ).

p00119"Acquisition Point" is a display set that produces a "screen refreshcode" display effect, and refers to a preceding "Start of Time". The Acquisition Point is classified into two types: Duplicate and Inheritance. A Duplicate is a display set that is totally identical to a Start of the preceding epoch, while an Inheritance is a display set that inherits the functional segments of a Start of the preceding epoch, but has different button commands from the Start of the preceding epoch. Although it does not represent a start time of an Epoch, an Acquisition Point DS includes all the functional segments required to compose a following screen. Therefore, if random access is made to an Acquisition Point DS, graphics display is guaranteed. In other words, an Acquisition Point DS allows a screen composition during a current Time.

p00120An Acquisition Point display set is incorporated into a position that is a random access target. Such position can be specified by time search. Time search is an operation in which the time input (minute and second) is received from the user, and random access is made to a playback time corresponding to the time entered. Such time entry is carried out in an approximate unit, such as 10 minutes or 10 seconds, and therefore the time search can specify playback points in a 10 minute interval or a 10 second interval. By providing acquisition points in positions that can be specified by the time search, the reproduction of the graphics flow in the time search will be facilitated.

p00121"Normal Case" is a DS that produces a "screen update" display effect, and only includes a difference with the previous screen composition. For example, suppose that a button for a DSv has the same image design as a previous DSu, but is under state control different from the DSu. In this case, the DSv is willing to include only ICS, or to include only ICS and PDS, and put the DSv as a Normal Case DS. In doing so, there is no need to provide overlapping ODSs, and thus help reduce the occupied areas in a BD-ROM. Note that a Normal Case DS cannot compose a screen by itself, because it represents only the difference.

p00122An interactive screen defined by these DSs is created by arranging GUI parts on one screen. That a DS has interactivity means that the status of the GUI parts is changeable according to the user's operation. In the present embodiment, such GUI parts, which are a user operation objective, are called "button". The states of a button include "normal state," "selected state," and "active state," each of which is comprised of a plurality of unzipped graphics. Each decompressed graph that represents a state of a button is called a "graphic object." The reason why a state of each button is represented by a plurality of unzipped graphics is for the purpose of the animation screen.

p00123The definition segments (ODS, PDS) are explained below.

p00124"Object_Definition_segment" is information that defines a graphic object. This graphic object is explained below. An AV Clip, recorded on a BD-ROM, includes high quality images that can be compared to those of a high definition television. Consequently, the resolution of the graphic object is high, of 1920 * 1080 pixels, in order to produce a high definition. As with the color of a pixel, an index value for a pixel is set as a length of 8 bits. Here, the index value includes red difference component (Cr_value), blue difference component (Cb_value), brightness component (Y_value), and transparency level (T_value). Through this setting, 256 arbitrary colors can be selected from

p0012516,777,216 colors (full color), thus allowing to put the 256 colors as pixel colors.

p00126An ODS has a data structure as depicted in Figure 10A, to define a graphic object. An SDG is composed of:

p00127“Segment_type” which indicates that it is an ODS;

p00128"Segment_length" indicating an SDG data length;

p00129“Object_id” that uniquely identifies the object that corresponds to this SDG at the time;

p00130“Object_version_number” that indicates a version of the ODS at the time; "Last in sequence flag"; and continuous byte length data "object_data_fragment" which is a part or all of the graphic object.

p00131“Object_id” uniquely identifies the object that corresponds to this SDG at the time. However, when an animation is constituted by a plurality of graphic objects defined by a plurality of ODSs, "object_id" assigned to each of the plurality of ODSs will be serial numbers.

p00132Next, “last in sequence flag” and “object_data_fragment” are explained. There is a case where the decompressed graphics that constitute a button cannot be stored in an ODS, due to a limitation in the loading of a PES package. In such a case, a division (fragment) of a button order is set as "object_data_fragment". When storing a graphic object in a plurality of ODSs, all fragments must have the same size, except the last fragment. That is, the last fragment will be smaller than the other fragments. The plurality of ODSs that store these fragments will appear in the same order in a DS. The last part of the graphic object is specified by an ODS that has "last in sequence flag". The above-described data structure of an ODS assumes the adoption of a storage method whereby the storage of a new PES package is not started until a current PES package is full. However, it is also possible to adopt a storage method whereby there will be empty space in each PES package.

p00133"Palette_definition_segment (PDS)" is information that defines a color conversion palette. A data structure of a PDS is depicted in Figure 10B. As represented by Figure 10B, a PDS is composed of: "segment_type" indicating that it is a PDS; "Segment_length" indicating a data length of the PDS; “Palette_id” that uniquely identifies the palette included in the PDS; "Palette_version_number" which indicates a version of the PDS at the time; and "palette_entry" which is information about each entry. “Palette_entry” represents a red difference component (Cr_value), blue difference component (Cb_value), brightness component (Y_value), and transparency level (T_value), for each entry.

p00134The end of the screen setting segment is explained below.

p00135END of screen setting segment is an index that indicates the end of a screen setting transfer, and is arranged immediately after the last SDG. The internal structure of this “END of display establishment segment” consists of: segment_type that indicates that this functional segment is an end of the display establishment segment; and segment_length that indicates a data length of the functional segment, which does not require special explanation. Therefore, the drawing does not show the internal structure.

p00136An interactive composition segment (ICS) is explained below. An ICS is a functional segment that constitutes an interactive screen. An ICS has a data structure represented in Figure 11. As depicted in this drawing, an ICS is composed of: segment_type; segment_length; composition_number; composition_state; command_update_flag; composition_timeout_PTS; selection_timeout_PTS; UO_mask_table; animation_frame_rate_code; default_selected_button_number; default_activated_button_number; and "button_information_ser (button information (1) (2) (3)).

p00137"Composition_number" indicates whether an update is performed on the DS to which the ICS belongs, and takes a number from 0 to 15.

p00138“Composition_state” indicates whether the DS that begins with the particular ICS is a normal case, acquisition case,

p00139o Start of time.

p00140“Command_update_flag” indicates whether the button orders in the ICS have any changes with respect to the counterparts of the preceding ICS. For example, when a DS to which a certain ICS belongs is an Acquisition Point, the ICS will have the same content as the immediately preceding ICS, in principle. However, when this command_update_flag is activated, it is possible to place a different button order in the ICS from the preceding DS. With this flag a previous graphic object can be taken; However, the order is valid when ordered

p00141That is changed.

p00142“Composition_timeout_PTS” describes a termination time of an interactive screen by means of buttons. At the end time, the interactive screen display is no longer valid, and therefore does not appear. Composition_timeout_PTS is preferably described with a time accuracy of the playback time axis for motion picture data.

p00143"Selection_timeout_PTS" describes a termination time of a valid button selection period. In the time represented by selection_timeout_PTS, a button specified by default_activated_button_number is activated. Selection_timeout_PTS is equal to the time specified by composition_timeout_PTS

p00144or shorter. Selection_timeout_PTS is described with a time accuracy of a video frame.

p00145"UO_mask_table" indicates permission / non-permission of a user operation in a display set corresponding to an ICS. When "no-permission" is set in this mask field, no user operation directed to a playback device is valid.

p00146"Animation_frame_rate_code" describes a frame rate to be applied to a button displayed in animation. The animation frame rate is obtained by dividing the video frame rate by a value of this field. If this field indicates a value of 00, only the ODS identified by start_object_id_xxx and in non-animation is displayed, enter the ODS that defines graphic objects for all buttons.

p00147“Default_selected_button_number” indicates a button number whose default value must be set to a selected state at the beginning of an interactive screen. When this field indicates 0, the button assigned to a button number stored in the register of a playback device is set to be an automatically active state. If this field indicates something other than 0, it is interpreted that the field identifies a corresponding button.

p00148"Default_activated_button_number" indicates a button to automatically put into active state, in a case where the user has not put any button in active state within the time defined by selection_timeout_PTS. When default_activated_button_number indicates "FF", the button currently in the selected state is automatically selected in the time defined by the selection_timeout_PTS. When the default_activated_button_number indicates "00", automatic selection is not performed. When the defaut_activated_button_number indicates something other than “00” and “FF”, then it is interpreted that this field identifies a corresponding button.

p00149“Button information (button_info)” is information that defines each button to overlap on an interactive screen. In the drawing, the hp1 address line helps to clarify the internal structure of the button information i, which is information about the i-th button to be controlled by the ICS (button i). The following is an explanation about the information elements that constitute this button information i.

p00150"Button_number" is a numerical value that uniquely identifies an i button in an ICS.

p00151"Numerically_selectable_flag" is a flag indicating whether a numerical value selection is allowed for the i button.

p00152“Auto_action_flag” indicates whether to automatically set the button to the active state. When auto_action_flag is activated (i.e., bit value of 1), the i button is set to active state, instead of selected state. When auto_action_flag is disabled (i.e., bit value of 0), the i button will be in a mere selected state even when the i button is actually selected.

p00153“Object_horizontal_position”, ”object_vertical _position” indicate, respectively, a horizontal position and a vertical position of the upper left pixel of the i button on an interactive screen.

p00154“Upper_button_number” indicates a button number that will be in the selected state, instead of the i button, when the Up key is pressed while the i button is in the selected state. If the number for the i button is set in this field, pressing the Up key is ignored.

p00155“Lower_button_number”, left_button_number ”, and“ right_button_number ”indicate, respectively, the number of buttons that will be in the selected state, instead of the i button, when the Down key, the Left key, the Right key is pressed while the i button is in selected state. When the number for the i button is set in this field, the pressing of these keys is ignored.

p00156“Start_object_id_normaI” indicates the first number of serial numbers assigned to a plurality of ODSs that constitute animation, when the i button in normal state has to be put into animation.

p00157“End_object_id_normal” indicates the last number of object_id that are the serial numbers assigned to the plurality of ODSs that constitute the animation, when the i button in normal state has to be put in animation. If the ID indicated by this end_object_id_normal is identical to the ID indicated by the start_object_id_normal, then the still image corresponding to a graphic object identified by this ID will be the image design of this button i.

p00158“Repeated_normal_flag” indicates whether to repeatedly continue the animation screen for button i in status

p00159normal.

p00160“Start_object_id_selected” indicates the first number of the serial numbers assigned to the plurality of ODSs that constitute animation, when the i button in the selected state is set to animation. If the ID indicated by end_object_id_selected is identical to the ID indicated by this start_object_id_selected, then the still image corresponding to a graphic object identified by this ID will be the image design of this button i.

p00161“End_object_id_selected” indicates the last number of object_id that are the serial numbers assigned to the plurality of ODSs that constitute the animation.

p00162“Repeat_selected_flag” indicates whether to repeatedly continue the animation screen for the i button in the selected state. When start_object_id_selected has the same value as end_object_id_selected, 00 is entered in this field.

p00163"Start_object_id_activated" indicates the first number of the serial numbers assigned to the plurality of ODSs that constitute animation, when the i button in active state is set to animation.

p00164"End-object_id_activated" indicates the last number of object_id that are the serial numbers assigned to the plurality of ODSs that constitute animation, when the button in active state is set to animation.

p00165The button orders are explained below.

p00166“Button order (button_command)” indicates an order to be executed when button i is in active state.

p00167The button command can order a playback device to perform playback directed to PL and PlayItem. An order that orders a playback device to perform playback directed to PL and PlayItem is called the "LinkPL order". This order can start playback of a playlist specified by a first argument, from a specified position

p00168For a second argument.

p00169Format: LinkPL (first argument, second argument)

p00170The first argument specifies, by means of a number assigned to a playlist, a PL to be reproduced. The second argument specifies a playback start position, by means of a PlayItem included in the PL, or a chapter and a mark that are included in the PL.

p00171A LinkPL function to specify a playback start position via PlayItem is expressed as "LinkPLatPlayItem ()".

p00172A LinkPL function to specify a playback start position through Chapter is expressed as "LinkPLatChapter ()".

p00173A LinkPL function to specify a playback start position by using Mark is expressed as "LinkPLatMark ()".

p00174A button command is used to instruct a playback apparatus to perform a status acquisition and a status position. A status of a playback apparatus is indicated by 64 player status records (whose set value is called PSR), and 4096 general purpose records (whose set value is called GPR). The button order is classified in (i) - (iv) below, and performs the establishment of a value in these registers, and obtaining a value from these registers.

<dl><dt>(i)</dt><dd> Order format “Get player status record value: Get player status record value (argument). This function is used when obtaining a set value from a player status record specified by an argument.</dd></dl>

<dl><dt>(ii)</dt><dd> Order format "Set player status record value": Set player status record value (first argument, second argument</dd></dl>

p00175to).

p00176The function is used when setting a value specified by a second argument in a player status record specified by a first argument.

p00177(iii) Order format “Obtain general purpose register value”: Obtain general purpose register value (argument). This function is used when obtaining a set value from a general purpose register specified by an argument.

p00178(iv) Order format “Establish general purpose register value”: Establish general purpose register value (first argument, second argument).

p00179This function is used when setting a value specified by a second argument in a general purpose register specified by a first argument.

p00180A specific example of interactive control performed by said ICS is explained below. This specific example assumes the SDGs and the ICS as depicted in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between SDGs in a DSn, and an ICS. It is assumed that this DSn includes SDG11-19, 21-29, 31-39, and 41-49. Among these ODSs, ODS11-19 draw each state of a button A. ODS21-29 draw each state of a button B. ODS31-39 draw each state of a C button, and ODS41-49 draw each state of a D button (as shown with a “}” sign in the drawing). In addition, button_info (1), (2), (3), (4) indicate, respectively, the status control of these Buttons D Buttons (See arrows bh1, 2,3, 4 in the drawing).

p00181When the control execution time by means of this ICS coincides with a display time of any image data pt1, which is between the images of Figure 13, an interactive tml screen made of the AD (gs2) buttons is presented covering (gs1) with this image data pt1. An interactive screen made of a plurality of buttons is presented according to the content of a moving image. Therefore, an ICS can perform a realistic effect by using buttons.

p00182Figure 14 illustrates a descriptive example of an ICS when the state transition of the AD buttons (depicted in Figure 15) is performed.

p00183In Figure 15, the arrows hh1 and hh2 symbolically represent a state transition by means of neighbor_info () of the button information (1). In neighbor_info () of the button information (1), the lower_button_number is set to "button C", and so the button C will be in the selected state (sj1 of figure 15) if a down key OU of the key occurs while button A is in the selected state (up1 of figure 15). In neighbor_info () of the button information (1), the right_button_number is set to "button B", and thus button B will be in the selected state (sj2 of figure 15) if a right-hand key UO takes place while button A is in the selected state (up2 of figure 15).

p00184The arrow hh3 in Figure 15 indicates a state transition control by means of neighbor_info () of the button information (3). In neighbor_info () of the button information (3), upper_button_number is set to "button A", and thus button A will return to the selected state if a UO of pressing the Up key occurs while button C is in the selected state (up3).

p00185The image designs of the AD buttons are described below. Assume here that ODS11, 21, 31, and 41 have the image designs represented in Figure 16, and that the ODS11-19 assigned to button A have the image designs represented in Figure 17. Since, in normal_state_info ( ) in button_info (1) of the ICS, start_object_id_normal and end_object_id_normal specify ODS11-13, and thus the normal state of button A is presented in animation according to ODS11-13. In addition, in selected_state_info () of button_info (1), start_object_id_selected and end_object_id_selected specify ODS14-16, and thus the selected state of button A is presented according to ODS14-16. When the user puts button A in the selected state, the image design of button A will change from design according to ODS11-13 to design according to ODS14-16. Here, in normal_state_info () and selected_state_info (), if repeat_normal_flag and repeat_select_flag are set to 1, the animation according to ODS11-13 and the animation according to ODS14-16 will be continued repeatedly, respectively, as they represent "→ (A)" , “(A) →”, and “→ (B)”, “(B) →” in the drawing.

p00186If a plurality of ODSs presentable in animation are assigned to the AD buttons, and the control of these ODS is described in the ICS, a realistic-looking button state control will be performed (for example, to change the expression of a character according to each user operation).

p00187The application of numerically_selectable_flag is described below.

p00188Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of ICS and ODS included in a DS. In this drawing, SDGs 31-33 indicate, respectively, a portrait, a name, and a uniform number of a corresponding player of three baseball players represented in the top row of the drawing. The ICS to which this DS belongs includes three sets of button information, where start_object_id of the button information (1) is set to indicate ODS31, start_object_id of the button information (2) is set to indicate ODS32, and start_object_id of the button information (3) is set to indicate SDG33. In addition, the button number of the button information (1) is set to 99, the button information of the button information (2) is set to 42, and the button information of the button information (3) is set to 94. Also, for all button information (1) - (3), the numerically_selectable_flag is set to 1. This means that any of the buttons corresponding to the button information (1) - (3) is selectable. Therefore, if the user enters the numerical value of "99" through remote controller 400, the button corresponding to Mr. Beginner's Luck will be selected. The numerical value input "99" can be received by sequential pressing "9" and "9". Alternatively, it can be performed by a combination of a "9" press and 9 "+10" keystrokes. When the numerical value of “42” is entered, the button for Mr. Careless Mistake will be in the selected state, and when the numerical value of “94” is entered, the button for Mr. Dead Stock will be in the selected state.

p00189When auto_action_flag for these button information elements (1) - (3) is set to 1, these button information elements (1) - (3) will be put into active state, instead of being in selected state, and will be They will execute the button commands included in them, namely (LinkPL (PL # 21), LinkPL (PL # 22), LinkPL (PL # 23)). When the PL # 21, # 22, and # 23 link destinations of the button orders, included in the three button information elements, are batting / throwing scenes of respective players, then these batting / throwing scenes will be played. in response to an entry of a numerical value corresponding to the uniform number of a corresponding player. Since it is possible to select buttons directly using a uniform number that is known, the operability of the user will improve considerably.

p00190The order of ODSs in a display set is described below. As described above, each ODS belonging to a display set is specified by an ICS to present a button status. The order of ODSs in a display set is decided according to that specification, that is, what state of a button represents an ODS.

p00191To be more specific, the ODSs in a display set are classified into sets of (1) those that represent normal status, (2) those that represent selected status, and (3) those that represent active status. A set of ODSs that represents a state of a specific button is called a "button state set." These button state sets are arranged in the order of "normal state-selected state-active state". As shown above, the order of each ODS in the display set is decided according to which state of a button represents the ODS.

p00192Figure 19 is a diagram illustrating the order of ODSs belonging to a display set. In the second row of this drawing three sets of button status are illustrated in the display set. This drawing illustrates: a set of ODSs to present the normal state of the buttons (ODSs for normal state); a set of ODSs to present the selected state of the buttons (ODSs for selected state); and a set of ODSs to present the active state of the buttons (ODSs for active state). The order of these button state sets is as follows: normal state → selected state → active state. The purpose of this order is to facilitate the reading of the ODSs that constitute an initial screen of an interactive screen first, stopping the reading of the ODSs that constitute a screen display after the update.

p00193The first row of Figure 19 represents graphic objects An, Bn, Cn, Dn, As, Bs, Cs, Ds, Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, which will be presented by these button state sets. The subscript "n" assigned to An, Bn, Cn, Dn represents the normal state of a corresponding button. In the same way, the subscript "s" of As, Bs, Cs, Ds represents the selected state of a corresponding button, and the sub-index "a" represents the active state of a corresponding button. The second row of Figure 19 represents button state sets to which the graphic objects of the first row belong. It should be noted that, in this drawing, the sets of ODS1-ODSn respectively belonging to N-ODSs, S-ODSs, and A-ODSs are assigned the same number to each other, (ie there are ODS1 belonging to N- ODSs, and at the same time, there are ODS1 belonging to S-ODSs.). However, each set is different from another. This also applies to each similar drawing below.

p00194Figure 20 is a drawing illustrating a state transition of an interactive screen in which the button state assemblies of the figure are arranged

p0019519.

p00196The interactive screen in this drawing has a plurality of states, namely "initial screen", "update screen by first user action", and "update screen by second screen update". The arrows in the drawing represent user actions that trigger the state transition. According to this drawing, the four buttons A, B, C, and D have, respectively, three states of "normal state", "selected state", and "active state". Among them, what is needed for an initial screen are three graphic objects to present a normal state and a graphic object to present a selected state.

p00197Even when the button selected by default is not yet decided, and it is uncertain which of the AD buttons will be set to the selected state, an initial screen can be made when the graphic object decoding that represents the normal state and the selected state has been completed of each button. In view of this, in the present embodiment, the button state assemblies are arranged in the order of "normal state-selected state → active state" as depicted in the second row of Figure 19. According to this arrangement of the button state sets, initial screen can be performed even when the reading and decoding of ODSs that constitute active state have not yet been completed, and it is also possible to shorten the period of time between the start of the reading of a set of display and termination of an initial screen.

p00198The order in which the SDGs represented in Figures 16 and

p0019917. Figure 21 is a diagram illustrating the order of ODSs in a display set. In this drawing, the SDGs for normal status are composed of SDGs 11-13, SDGs 21-23, SDG31-33, SDG41-43. The SDGs for the selected state are composed of SDG14-16, SDG24-26, SDG34-36, and SDG44-46. Finally, the SDGs for active status are composed of SDGs 17-19, SDG27-29, SDG37-39, and SDG47-49. SDG11-13 are to present a change of expression of a character as depicted in Figure 17, and the same can be said of SDG21-23, SDG31-33 and SDG41-43. Therefore, by arranging these ODSs in the first button state set, the preparation of an initial screen can be done even while reading the display set. Through the above arrangement, it is possible to make an interactive screen to which animation is incorporated, without delay.

p00200The order of ODSs to be referenced by a plurality of button states (multi-reference) is explained below. Multi-reference means that object_id of an ODS is specified by two or more sets of normal_state_info, selected_state_info, and activated_state_info. By means of said multiple reference, it is possible to use a graphic object to present the normal state of a button, to present the selected state of another button. This means that it is possible to share the design image of a graphic object. Such sharing helps reduce the number of ODSs. Here, it is problematic to which set of button states an ODS should belong to multireference.

p00201For example, suppose that a normal state of one button and a selected state of another button are represented by an ODS. Then it is problematic if this ODS belongs to a button state set corresponding to normal state, or a button state set corresponding to selected state.

p00202In principle, this ODS will only be arranged in a button state set that corresponds to a state first appearing among the plurality of states.

p00203For example, when an ODS is multi-referenced by a normal state and a selected state, the ODS will be arranged in a button state set for normal state (N-ODSs), not in a button state set for selected state (S -ODSs). In a different example, if an ODS is multi-referenced by a selected state and an active state, then the ODS will be arranged in a button state set for selected state (S-ODSs), and not in a button state set for active state (A-ODSs). In this way, only a multi-referenced ODS is arranged in a button state set corresponding to the state that first appears.

p00204The order of ODSs in S-ODSs is explained below. In S-ODSs, which ODS comes first depends on whether the button selected by default is statically determined or dynamically determined. A statically determined default selected button is a button specified by a valid value (other than 00) set to default_selected_button_number in the ICS. When a valid value other than 00 is set as the default_selected_button_number, and there is no ODS representing a button selected by default in the N-ODSs, the ODS representing the button selected by default is available at the start of the S-ODSs.

p00205When the default_selected_button_number indicates a value of 00, then the button to be set to the selected state, by default, will change dynamically depending on the state on the side of a playback device.

p00206The case where the default_selected_button_number is set to indicate the value 00 includes a case in which the AV Clip, on which the display set has been multiplexed, exists at a junction point of a plurality of playback paths. For example, suppose a case in which the preceding reproduction paths are respectively the first, second and third chapters, and the display set at the junction point is to present buttons corresponding to the first, second and third chapters. In this case, it is not appropriate to preset the button that will be in the state selected by default, by default_selected_button_number.

p00207In such a case, it is ideal to change the button that will be in the selected state according to which of the multiple preceding playback paths has been followed, until reaching this display set (for example, the second chapter button when arriving from the first chapter , the third chapter button when arriving from the second chapter, and the fourth chapter button when arriving from the third button). In a case where the button that will be in the selected state changes depending on the preceding playback path, the default_selected_button_number will be set to indicate "invalid", that is, the zero value is set. Since the button that will be in the selected state will change, there is no provision to arrange a certain ODS at the start of the button state set.

p00208Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating the difference in the order of ODSs in S-ODSs, between a case in which default_selected_button_number indicates "0", and when it indicates "button B". In this drawing, the dashed line ss1 indicates the order of ODSs in S-ODSs when default_selected_button_number indicates button B, and the dashed line ss2 indicates the order of ODSs in S-ODSs when the default selected button number indicates

p002090. As depicted in the representation of this drawing, when default_selected_button_number indicates button B, the ODSBs indicating the selected state of button B is set at the start of S-ODSs, then the ODSs of other buttons are placed. On the other hand, when default_selected_button_number indicates 0, the ODSAs that indicate the selected state of the A button are placed at the start of S-ODSs. Thus, if the default_selected_button_number is valid or does not affect the order of ODSs within S-ODSs.

p00210The following describes how a display set that has said ICS and ODS is assigned to an axis of playback time of an AV Clip. An Epoch is a period during which memory management continues on the axis of playback time. Since an epoch is made up of one or more display sets, it is problematic to assign display sets to the playback time axis of the AV Clip. Here, the playback time axis of an AV Clip is used to define the decoding / playback time of each image data element that constitutes a multiplexed video stream to an AV Clip. In this axis of reproduction time, a decoding time and a reproduction time are expressed with a time accuracy of 90KHz. DTS and PTS assigned to these ICS and ODS in a display set, indicate a time to perform synchronized control on this axis of playback time. Synchronized control via DTS and PTS assigned to ICS and ODS is the assignment of the display set to the playback time axis.

p00211First, it is explained what kind of synchronized control is carried out by means of DTS and PTS assigned to ODS.

p00212A DTS indicates a decoding start time for an ODS, with a time accuracy of 90KHz. A PTS indicates an end-of-decoding time for an ODS.

p00213The decoding of an SDG does not end in an instant, and it takes some time to complete.

p00214In order to clarify the start point / end point, a DTS and a PTS indicate, respectively, a decode start time and a decode end time, for an ODS.

p00215Since the value of a PTS indicates a termination time, it is necessary that the decoding of ODSj be completed before the time represented by the PTS, and then the decompressed graphic object has been obtained by then in the object buffer of an apparatus Of reproduction.

p00216Since the decoding start time of an arbitrary ODSj belonging to a display set "n" is expressed as DTS (DSn [ODS]) with a time accuracy of 90KHz, the time obtained by adding a maximum time required for decoding at this decoding start time will be the guaranteed end-of-coding time of the ODSj of the display set.

p00217It is assumed that the size of ODSj after decompression is SIZE (DSn [ODSj]), and the decoding rate of the ODS is Rd. Then, the maximum time required

p00218to decode it will be SIZE (DSn [ODSj]) // Rd.

p00219Note that the operator "1 /" used here is a division in which the decimals are raised to the whole number.

p00220This maximum time is converted with a time accuracy of 90KHz, and added to the ODSj DTS. In this way, the decoding end time (90KHz) that the PTS will indicate is obtained.

p00221The ODSj PTS belonging to the DSn is expressed as

<figref>image 1</figref>

p00222Then, between the two SDGs (SDG, SDG + 1) the following relationship must be fulfilled.

<figref>image2</figref>

p00223The following explains the PTS value of an ICS.

p00224If immediately after an epoch start, the PTS of an ICS is set after a value obtained by adding: (1) the PTS value of ODS whose decoding time ends last among the ODSs that constitute the initial screen of the DSn; (2) a time required to erase a graphic plane; and (3) a writing time required to write a graphic object obtained by de-encoding ODSs, to the graphic plane.

p00225On the other hand, if at an acquisition point, the PTS of an IDS is set after a value obtained by adding (1) and (3).

p00226If default_selected_button_number is indicated by an ICS, the preparation for an initial screen will be ready when the decoding of ODSs to present the normal state of all the buttons and the decoding of ODSs to present the selected state of the default button have been completed. The ODSs to present the selected state of a plurality of buttons presented on an initial screen are called "S-ODSs", and the ODS in the S-ODSs whose decoding time ends before is called "S-ODSsfirst" (in this case , the ODS to present the default button). The PTS value of the SODSsfirst is set as a PTS value of the ODS whose decoding time ends last, and is used as a reference value of the ICS PTS.

p00227If an ICS does not indicate default_selected_button_number, it is not known which button will be in the selected state. And so, the preparation of an initial screen does not end until the preparation to present the normal state and the selected state of all buttons is ready. Of all the S-ODSs to present the selected state of the plurality of buttons required on the initial screen, the ODS whose decoding time ends the last is called "S-ODSslast". The PTS value of this S-ODSslast is set as a PTS value of the ODS whose decoding time ends last, and is used as a reference value of the ICS PTS.

p00228Assume that the end-time of decoding of the S-ODSsfirst is expressed as PTS (DSn [S-ODSsfirst]). Then, the PTS (DSn [ICS]) is obtained by adding (2) and (3), to PTS (DSn [S-ODSsfirst]).

p00229Suppose that the width of a rectangular area in which it is possible to draw in a graphic plane is expressed as "video_width", and that its longitudinal size is expressed as "video_height". Suppose also that the writing rate on a graphic plane is 128Mbps. In these cases, the amount of time required to erase a graphic plane is expressed as 8 * video_width * video_height // 128,000,000.

p00230If this is expressed with a time accuracy of 90KHz, then (2) a time required to clear the graphic plane is expressed as 90,000 (8 * video_width * video_height11128,000,000).

p00231Suppose also that the total size of the graphic objects specified by all the button information included in an ICS is expressed as ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]), and a write rate on a graphic plane is 128Mbps. Then, the time required to write on the graphic plane is expressed as ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) // 128,000,000. If this is expressed with a time accuracy of 90 KHz, the time required to clear the graphic plane is expressed as 90,000 * (ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) // 128,000,000).

p00232Here, ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) indicates a total size for the first screen object of graphic objects that represent a button. This ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) produces a different value between a case where the selected default button is decided and a case where it is dynamically changed. When the button selected by default is statically decided, ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) will give a total size of: a first displayed ODS of the ODSs representing the selected state of a button selected by default; and a first displayed ODS of the ODSs that represent the normal state of the buttons other than the button selected by default.

p00233Then, when the default button changes dynamically, it is not known which button will be a selected button. Therefore, we must assume the case that has the longest writing time. Here, between a graphic object that represents a first page of the normal state of an arbitrary button x (ODSn1), and a graphic object that represents a first page of the selected state of the x button (ODSs1), the one that has a larger size (Max (ODSn1,0DSs1)) is considered as a graphic object to be displayed first for the x button.

p00234The result obtained by adding Max (ODSn1, ODSs1) together for all the buttons will be ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]).

p00235Figure 23A and Figure 23B are diagrams to represent the specific value for ΣSIZE (DSn [TCS.BUTTON [i]]), in a case when the N-ODSs

p002365 they include a plurality of ODSs that constitute the AD buttons, and the S-ODSs include a plurality of ODSs that constitute the AD buttons. Here, when the default_selected_button_number indicates a valid value, ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) will be a total size of four

p0023710 SDGs represented by thick frames. "As1" is an ODS displayed first of a plurality of ODSs representing the selected state of button A. "Bn1", "Cn1" and "Dn1" are respectively the ODS displayed first of a plurality of ODSs representing he

p00238fifteen normal state of the BD buttons. When these sizes are expressed by “size ()”, then ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) will be expressed as size (As1) + size (Bn1) + size (Cn1) + size (Dn1). On the other hand, when the

p00239twenty fault_selected_button_number is 0, the total of: an ODS greater than An1 and As1; an SDG greater than Bn1 and Bs1; an ODS greater than Cn1 and Csl; and an ODS greater than Dn1 and Ds1, will be ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]). Therefore, ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) is expressed

<figref>image3</figref>

p00240Then PTS (DSn [ICS]) immediately after the start of time will be expressed as follows, using the above expressions:

<figref>image2</figref>

p00241On the other hand, when the default_selected_button_number is invalid, you only have to replace PTS (DSn [S-ODSsfirst]) with PTS (DSn [S-

<figref>image4</figref>

p00242Figure 24 depicts an example of synchronized display embodiment putting PTS and DTS as above. This diagram assumes that a

p0024310 button on a display time of arbitrary image data "py1" that are in the moving image in this drawing. In this case, the PTS value of the ICS should be set to match the display time of this image data.

p00244fifteen The decoding of the ODS whose decoding time ends the last, among the ODSs that constitute the initial screen of the DSn, must be completed before the time obtained by subtracting, from the ICS PTS, the period of screen wiping cd1 and the transfer period of

p00245twenty td1 graphic objects. Therefore, the PTS value of the ODS should be set in the time (* 1) represented in this drawing. In addition, decoding of the ODS takes the period dd1, and thus the DTS value of this ODS should be set in the period dd1 prior to this PTS.

p0024625 In Figure 24, there is only one ODS to overlap with the moving image, which is a simplified case. If the initial screen of the interactive screen to overlap the moving image is made by a plurality of ODSs, PTS and DTS of the ICS, and PTS and DTS of

p0024730 SDGs should be put as in Figure 25.

p00248Figure 25 is a diagram depicting how to set DTS and PTS, in a case where a plurality of ODSs make up the initial screen of the interactive screen, and the button selected by default is decided statically. If the decoding of the ODS whose decoding takes longer in S-ODSsfirst (the ODSs to perform the initial screen) ends when the time dd1 has elapsed in the drawing, then the PTS of this S-ODSsfirst (DSn [S-ODSsfirst]) is puts to indicate the time in which the period dd1 has passed.

p00249In addition, screen wipe and transfer of decoded graphic objects must be performed to perform the initial screen. Therefore, the ICS PTS (DSn [ICS]) should be set after the time obtained by adding, to the value of this PTS (DSn [S-ODSsfirst]), a period required to perform screen wipe (90,000 * ( 8 * video width * video height // 128,000,000)), and transfer decoding time graphic object (90,000 * (ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) 128,000,000)).

p00250Figure 26 is a diagram depicting how to set DTS and PTS, in a case where a plurality of ODSs make up the initial screen of the interactive screen, and the button selected by default is undecided. If the decoding of S-ODSslast, whose decoding takes longer in S-ODSs to perform the initial screen, ends when the dd2 time has elapsed in the drawing, then the PTS of this S-ODSslast (DSn [S-ODSslast]) is puts to indicate the time in which the period dd2 has passed.

p00251In addition, in order to make an initial screen, screen deletion and transfer of the decoded graphic object must be performed. Therefore, the PTS (DSn [ICS]) of the ICS should be set after the time obtained by adding, to the value of this PTS (DSn [S-ODSslast]), a period required to perform screen wipe (90,000 * ( B * video_width * video_height // 128,000,000) and the transfer time of the decoded graphic object (90,000 * (ΣSIZE (DSn [ICS.BUTTON [i]]) 128,000,000)).

p00252On a DVD, a period during which an interactive control is valid corresponds to a period of a VOBU, which functions as a GOP of the video stream. However, in a BD-ROM, said valid period can be arbitrarily set by means of PTS and DTS in ICS included in a time. Therefore, interactive control by means of a BD-ROM is not in dependence relationship with a GOP.

p00253Note that a synchronized control by means of a PTS of an ICS is not limited to performing control in order to present a button at a certain time in a reproduction time axis, and also includes performing the control in order to allow display of a drop-down menu for a certain period in a playback time axis. A drop-down menu is a menu that will appear on a screen, by pressing a menu key provided for the remote controller 400, and the synchronized control via ICS PTS also includes allowing the display of said drop-down menu at a time of display of certain image data in an AV Clip. The ODSs that constitute a drop-down menu are decoded and a graphic object obtained by decoding is written in a graphic plane, just like the ODSs that constitute a button. Unless writing on a graphic plane has not been completed, it is not possible to answer a menu call made by the user. In view of this, a time in which the drop-down display is possible is indicated by the ICS PTS, when performing synchronized display of a drop-down menu.

p00254The data structure of a display set (ICS, PDS, ODS), described so far, is an example in a structural class body written in a programming language. A producer who authorizes is able to obtain the structures in a BD-ROM, describing this structural class body.

p00255An embodiment of a reproduction apparatus according to the present invention is explained below. Figure 27 is a diagram depicting the internal structure of a reproduction apparatus according to the present invention. The reproduction apparatus according to the present invention is produced industrially based on the interior depicted in this drawing. The reproduction apparatus of the present invention is mainly composed of three parts: an LSI system, a drive apparatus, and a microsystem. Industrial production is achieved by implementing these parts in the box and in the substrate of the reproduction apparatus. The LSI system is an integrated circuit on which various processing units are integrated, which have functions of the reproduction apparatus. The reproduction apparatus produced in this way is composed of: a BD 1 unit, a track buffer 2, a PID filter 3, transport buffers 4a, b and c, a peripheral circuit 4d, a video decoder 5, a video plane 6, an audio decoder 7, a graphic plane 8, a CLUT unit 9, an addition device 10, a graphics decoder 12, a buffer of encoded data 13, a peripheral circuit 13a, a flow chart processor 14, an object buffer 15, a composition buffer 16, a graphic controller 17, a UO controller 18, a group of player records 19, and a control unit 20.

p00256The BD-ROM 1 executes access to the BD-ROM by loading / reading / ejecting a BD-ROM.

p00257Track buffer 2 is a FIFO memory, and stores TS packets read from the BD-ROM, based on first to first exit.

p00258The PID filter 3 performs filtration on a plurality of TS packets exited from the track buffer

p00259two. The filtration performed by the PID filter 3 is to write only TS packets that have a desired PID, in the transport buffers 4a, b and c, and do not require intermediate memory. Therefore, the TS packets introduced in the PID filter 3 will be written in the transport buffers 4a, b and c, without time delay.

p00260The transport buffers 4a, b and c are, respectively, a memory for storing TS packets exited from the PID filter 3, based on first in, first out.

p00261The peripheral circuit 4d is a wired logic that performs processing to convert TS packets read from transport buffer 4a to functional segments. The functional segments obtained by the conversion are stored in the buffer of coded data 13.

p00262The video decoder 5 decodes a plurality of TS packets out of the PID filter 3 to obtain decompressed images, and write them in the video plane 6.

p00263The video plane 6 is a plane for moving images.

p00264The audio decoder 7 decodes the TS packets exited from the PID filter 3 to obtain decompressed audio data, and sends the decompressed audio data.

p00265The graphic plane 8 is a memory that has an area corresponding to a screen, and is capable of storing decompressed graphics for a screen.

p00266The CLUT 9 unit converts index colors of the decompressed graphics stored in graphic plane 8, based on the Y, Cr, Cb values ​​represented by the

PDS

p00268The addition device 10 multiplies the decompressed graphics resulting from the color conversion in the CLUT unit 9, with a T value (transmission rate) represented by the PDS, and adds the result and the decompressed image data stored in the video plane 6, pixel by pixel, to get an overlay image, and send the overlay image.

p00269The graphics decoder 12 decodes a flow of graphics, to obtain decompressed graphics, and writes these decompressed graphics on the graphic plane 8, as a graphic object. By decoding the graphics stream, subtitles and menus will appear on a screen. This graphics decoder 12 is composed of an intermediate memory of encoded data 13, a peripheral circuit 13a, a graphic flow processor 14, an intermediate memory of objects 15, an intermediate memory of composition 16, and a graphic controller 17.

p00270The buffer of coded data 13 is a buffer in which the functional segments are stored together with DTS and PTS. Such functional segments result from removing a packet header TS, and a packet header PES of each packet TS in a transport stream stored in the transport buffer 4a, and subsequently arranging the loads sequentially. Between the removed TS packet header and the PES packet header, PTS / DTS is stored in association with a corresponding PES packet.

p00271The peripheral circuit 13a is a wired logic that performs:

p00272transfer between data buffer

p00273encoded 13 and the flow chart processor 14;

p00274and transfer between da buffer

p00275coded cough 13 and the com buffer

p00276position 16. In said transfer processing, when a time represented by the DTS of an ODS is reached, the ODS is transferred from the encoded data buffer 13 to the flow chart processor 14. Furthermore, when the represented time is reached by the DTS of an ICS and a PDS, the ICS and the PDS are transferred to the composition buffer 16. The flow chart processor 14 decodes an ODS,

p00277and write the decompressed graphics composed of index colors resulting from decoding, to the object buffer 15, as a graphic object. De-coding by the flow chart processor 14 begins at the time of a DTS associated with the ODS, and ends at the time of a PTS associated with the ODS. The decoding rate "Rd" for said graphic object corresponds to an output rate of this graphic flow processor

<dl><dt>14. </dt><dd /></dl>

The graphic object obtained from the decoding of the graphic flow processor 14 is stored in the object buffer 15. Figure 28 is a diagram representing a storage content of the object buffer 15, as opposed to the graphic plane 8. This storage content assumes a case where the ODSs in the example depicted in Figures 16 and 17 are written to the object buffer

<dl><dt>15.</dt><dd> In the example of Figures 16 and 17, the four-button animation is performed with 36 ODSs (ODS11-49). In this example, the ODSs representing all the frames of this animation are stored in the object buffer 15. In contrast, a display position of each of the ODSs stored in the object buffer 15 is defined in the plane graphic 8. This display position is defined by button_horizontal_position and button_vertical_position of each button information element. The animation rea</dd></dl>

p00278This is done by transferring the ODSs of the object buffer 15, frame by frame, in order to write the ODSs at the corresponding display positions of the graphic plane 8.

p00279Composition buffer 16 is a memory in which ICS and PDS are arranged.

p00280The graphic controller 17 decodes the ICS arranged in the composition buffer 16, and performs control according to the ICS. The execution time of this control is based on the PTS value assigned to the ICS. One of the most important functions of this graphic controller 17 is the initial screen writing process and the updating of an interactive screen. Next, the writing processing of the graphic controller 17 on the initial screen and in update is explained, with reference to figure 29. Figure 29 is a diagram representing the processing performed by the graphic controller 17 on an initial screen. As shown in this drawing, the graphic controller 17 performs control to write the ODSs belonging to the S-ODSs of the A button, at a display position defined by the button_horizontal_position and the button_vertical_position of the button information of the A button, and to write the ODSs belonging to the N-ODSs of buttons B, C and D, respectively in display positions defined by the button_horizontal_position and the button_vertical_position of the button information of the buttons B, C and D (arrows w1, w2, w3 and w4 in the drawing symbolically show the writing described above). The initial screen of Figure 20 is made by writing. Note here that not all SDGs are necessary for an initial screen of an interactive screen. The initial screen is made when the ODSs belonging to the S-ODSs of the button selected by default and the ODSs belonging to the N-ODSs of the other buttons have been prepared in the object buffer 15. That is, the graphic controller 17 can start writing for an initial screen, if decoding has been completed for the ODSs belonging to the S-ODSs of the selected default button, and for the ODSs belonging to the N-ODSs of the other buttons.

p00281Figure 30 is a diagram depicting the processing of the graphic controller 17 in an update of an interactive screen according to 1stUserAction (MoveRight). As shown in this drawing, the graphic controller 17 performs control to write the ODSs belonging to the S-ODSs of the B button, at a display position defined by the button_horizontal_position and the button_vertical_position of the button information of the B button, and to write the ODSs belonging to the N-ODSs of button A, in a display position defined by the button_horizontal_position and the button_vertical_position of the button information of the A button (arrows w5, w6, w7, and w8 symbolically display the writing). The state transition represented in Figure 20 is performed by this writing. Buttons C and D remain in normal state, as in the initial screen of the interactive screen, but the writing for these buttons in graphic plane 8 is continued in order to continue the animation.

p00282Figures 31 and 32 show respectively the processing of the graphic controller 17, in cases where 1stUserAction is Down and Activated. In an interactive screen update, S-ODSs and A-ODSs are involved for buttons other than the button selected by default, and thus all ODSs must be in the object buffer 15.

p00283The UO controller 18 detects a user operation directed to the remote controller and the front panel of the playback apparatus, and sends information corresponding to the user's operation (then "UO (user operation)"), to the control unit 20 .

p00284The group of player records 19 is a record embedded in the control unit 20, and consists of 32 player status records and 32 general purpose records. The meaning of the established value of the player status records (PSR) is described below. Next, the notation as "PSR (x)" represents a set value of the xth player status record.

p00285PSR (0): Reserved PSR (1): stream number of the audio stream to be decoded PSR (2): stream number of the subimage stream to decode PSR (3): number representing the angle value

p00286set by the user PSR (4): currently played title number PSR (5): currently played chapter number PSR (6): currently played PL number PSR (7): current play item number

p00287PSR reproduced mind (8): time information indicating the current playback point PSR (9): value counted in PSR navigation timer (10): button number currently in status is

p00288selected PSR (11) - (12): Reserved PSR (13): parental level value set by the

p00289PSR user (14): video playback position of the playback device PSR (15): audio playback position of the device

p00290Of reproduction

p00291PSR (16): code language that represents the position

p00292of the audio player

p00293PSR (17): code language that represents the position

p00294of the subtitle playback device

p00295PSR (18): language value for presentation of

p00296menus

p00297PSR (19) - (63): Reserved

p00298The PSR (8) is updated each time each image data element of an AV Clip is displayed. In other words, when the playback apparatus displays a new image data element, the PSR (8) is updated to indicate the value represented by the display start time (presentation time) of the new image data element. With reference to this PSR (8), it is possible to know the current reproduction point.

p00299The control unit 20 performs integration control through bi-directional communication with the graphic decoder 12. The communication from the control unit 20 to the graphic decoder 12 is to send a UO received in the UO controller 18 to the graphic decoder 12. The communication of the graphics decoder 12 to the control unit 20 is to send a button command included in an ICS to the control unit 20.

p00300In the reproduction apparatus constituted as above, each constituent element performs decoding processing using pipelining.

p00301Figure 33 is a time graph depicting the pipelining performed by the reproduction apparatus. The fourth row represents a display set in a BD-ROM, and the third row represents read periods that are respectively for reading the ICS, PDS, and ODS, to the encoded data buffer 13. The second row represents periods of decoding for ODSs, performed by the graphics processor 14. The first row represents the processing periods by the graphic controller 17. The decoding start time for each ODS is represented by DTS11, DTS12, and DTS13 in the drawing. The storage of ODS (NODSs [ODS1]) (the first ODS being among the N-ODSs) in the data buffer coded 13, ends with DTS11, and the storage of ODS (N-ODSs [ODSn]) (being the last ODS between the N-ODSs) to the encoded data buffer 13, ends with DTS12. In this way, each SDG will have been read to the buffer of coded data 13 before the time represented by its own DTS.

p00302On the other hand, the decoding end time for each ODS is represented by PTS11, PTS12, PTS13, in the drawing. The decoding of N-ODSs (ODS1) performed by the flow chart processor 14 ends with PTS11, and the decoding of NODSs (ODSn) ends with PTS12. In the above manner, each SDG is read to the encoded data buffer 13 before the time represented by the SDG DTS, and the SDG read to the encoded data buffer 13 is decoded and written to the object buffer 15 before the time represented by the SDG PTS. The flow chart processor 14 performs the processing series described using pipelining.

p00303When the button selected by default is statically decided, the time at which all graphic objects are prepared for an initial screen of an interactive screen, is when the decoding of a first ODS of the button state set corresponding to the normal state and a First ODS of the button state set corresponding to the selected state has been completed. In this diagram, in the time represented by the PTS13, all the graphic objects necessary for the initial screen of the interactive screen are prepared.

p00304In the drawing, the period cd1 in the first row represents a period required to erase the graphic plane 8 by the graphic controller 17. In addition, the period td1 is a period required to write, in the graphic plane 8, graphic objects corresponding to the first page of the interactive screen, among those obtained in the object buffer 15. The writing destination in graphic plane 8 is represented by button_horizontal_position and button_vertical_position in the ICS. In other words, the decompressed graphics that constitute the interactive screen are obtained in graphic plane 8, in a time calculated by adding the screen erase period "cd1" and the writing time required to write the graphic object obtained by de-coding " td1 ”, in the PTS13 for ODS. An overlay image can be obtained by having the CLUT unit 9 perform the color conversion for said decompressed graphics, and by having the addition device 10 perform the combination of the result with the uncompressed images stored in the video plane 6.

p00305In contrast to the case where an initial screen is made decoding all the SDGs included in a display set, the initial screen in the present embodiment is made before the period h and 1 in the drawing, since the initial screen is made before finishing the decoding for the button state set corresponding to the selected state and the button state set corresponding to the active state.

p00306Note that in this drawing there are several sets of ODS1-ODSn. However, these sets belong, respectively, to N-ODSs, S-ODSs, and A-ODSs, and thus the same ODS1s differ in content from one another. This also applies to similar drawings in the present invention.

p00307tion.

p00308Even while the graphics decoder 12 is performing deletion, and writing in the graphic plane 8, the flow chart processor 14 is continuously decoding the remaining ODSs (i.e., decoding period for ODSn in the second row, decoding period for ODS1, and decoding period for ODSn). According to this, the decoding of the remaining SDGs will end first. This results in prompt preparation to update the interactive screen, and thus it is possible to respond to a user operation relating to an interactive screen update by means of the remaining ODSs, without delay. The previous pipelining allows the early execution of an initial screen and an update of an interactive screen.

p00309Figure 33 assumes a case where the button selected by default is statically decided, while Figure 34 is a time graph depicting pipelining performed by the playback apparatus in a case where the button selected by default dynamically changes. When the button selected by default changes dynamically, the graphic objects necessary for an initial screen will be prepared when all ODSs belonging to the button state sets respectively corresponding to the N-ODSs and S-ODSs are decoded, and objects are obtained corresponding graphs in the graphic plane 8. In contrast to the case where all ODSs must be decoded in a display set in order to perform an initial screen, the initial screen in the present embodiment is possible before finishing decoding the button state set corresponding to the active state. Therefore, the initial screen is executed before the period h and 2 in the drawing.

p00310The following explains how to implement the control unit 20 and the graphics decoder 12. The control unit 20 creates a processing program represented in Figures 35 and 36, which is implementable by a general CPU. The following explains the processing performed by the control unit 20 with reference to Figures 35 and 36.

p00311Fig. 3 is a flow chart depicting the execution procedure for a LinkPL function, performed by the control unit 20. When decoding the orders including the LinkPL function, the control unit 20 follows the flow chart of this drawing.

p00312Here, it is assumed that a desired PlayItem of processing in the flowchart is called "Layer", and a desired ACCESS UNIT of processing is called "AC-CESOv UNIT". This flowchart reads the current PL information (.mpls) indicated by a LinkPL argument (step S1), and the first PI information in the current PL information is set as layer (step S2). The Clip information specified by the Clip_information_file_name of the layer is then read (step S3).

p00313Once the Clip information is read, In_time of the layer is converted to an address using EP_map of the current Clip information (step S4). Then the ACCESS UNIT specified by this address is set as the ACCESS UNIT (step S5). Out_time of the layer is converted to an address using EP_map of the current Clip information (step S6). Then, the ACCESS UNIT specified by this address is set to ACCESS UNIT w (step S7).

p00314Thus, once the ACCE-SOv UNIT, w, is decided, an instruction to read from the ACCESS UNIT to the ACCESS UNIT w (step S8) is sent to the BD unit, and an instruction for decoding is sent / sending the In_time layer to Out_time, to video decoder 5, audio decoder 7, and graphics decoder

p0031512 (step S9).

p00316Step S11 is to perform an end determination for the flowchart. Specifically, it is determined if the layer has reached the last Pl. If the result of step S11 is Yes, the flowchart is terminated. Otherwise, the next PlayItem is set as layer (step S12), and the operation returns to step S3. Then, the processing of steps S1-S10 is repeated until the result of step S11 is Yes.

p00317Step S10 is a step for loading functional segments into the encoded data buffer 13, in response to the ACCESS UNIT reading.

p00318Figure 36 is a flowchart depicting the procedure for processing load for the functional segments. In this flowchart, “SegmentK” represents a variable corresponding to each segment (ICS, ODS, PDS) read in conjunction with the ACCESS UNIT. An Ignore flag is used to switch between ignore and SegmentK load. This flowchart has a loop structure in which the processing of steps S21-524 and steps S27-S35 is performed repeatedly for all SegmentK, when the Ignore flag has been set to "0", and has been initialized (step S25, S26).

p00319Step S21 is to determine if a SegmentK is an ICS. If SegmentK is an ICS, the determinations of step S27 and step S28 are made.

p00320Step S27 is to determine whether the Segment_Type of the ICS is an Acquisition Point or not. If SegmentK turns out to be an Acquisition Point, the operation proceeds to step S28. Conversely, if SegmentK turns out to be a period start or a normal case, the operation goes to step S33.

p00321The step S28 is to determine in which buffer (between the buffer of coded data 13, the graphical flow processor 14, the buffer of objects 15, and the buffer of composition 16) is the preceding DS within the decoder of graphics 12, and is carried out when the result of step S27 is Yes. When a DS is not found in the graphics decoder 12, it means that random access has been made. In this case, the visualization should start from the DS which is an Acquisition Point. Therefore, the operation goes to step S30 (step S28: No).

p00322When the preceding DS is in the graphics decoder 12 (step S28: Yes), the Ignore flag is set to "1" (step S29), and the operation proceeds to step S31.

p00323Step S31 is to determine if the command_update_flag is set to 1 or not. If it is 1 (step S31: Yes), only the button order is loaded into the button information in the encoded data buffer 13, and the others are ignored (step S32). If it is 0, the operation goes to step S22. In this way, ICSs that indicate an Acquisition Point will be ignored (step S24).

p00324If the Ignore flag is set to 1, the result of step S22 will be No, and as a result, all functional segments belonging to an Acquisition Point DS are ignored.

p00325Step S33 is to determine whether the Segment_Type in an ICS indicates a normal case or not. When the SegmentK is an epoch start, the Ignore flag is set to 0 in step S30.

p00326When the Ignore flag is 0 (step S22: Yes), the SegmentK is loaded into the encoded data buffer 13 (step S23).

p00327When SegmentK is a normal case, the operation goes to step S34. Step S34 is the same as step S28, in content, and is to determine if the preceding DS is in the graphics decoder 12. If the determination is affirmative, the Ignore flag is set to "0" (step S30) . If the determination is negative, the Ignore flag is set to "1", because it is inherently impossible to obtain a sufficient number of functional segments to constitute an interactive screen (step S35). Depending on the previous position of the flag, when the preceding DS cannot be found in the graphics decoder 12, the functional segments that constitute the normal case will be ignored.

p00328The following explains how to read a DS in a case where multiplexing involving DS is performed, as in Figure 37. In the example of Figure 37, three DSs have been multiplexed with a moving image formed by a plurality of images. In the first DS (DS1) of the three DSs, Segment_Type indicates an Epoch_Start, Command_update_flag is set to 0, and a LinkPL button command is included (PL # 5).

p00329DS10 is a duplicate of DS1, and Segment_Type of DS10 indicates an Acquisition Point, and Command_update_flag is set to 0, and it includes a LinkPL button order (PL # 5).

p00330DS20 is an inheritance of DS1, and Segment_Type of DS20 indicates an Acquisition Point. The only difference with DS1 is the button order (LinkPL (PL # 10)). To indicate the existence of a difference, Command_update_flag is set to 1.

p00331In an AV Clip in which the three DSs described above have been multiplexed with a moving image, it is assumed that random access is performed on the pt10 image data. In this case, the DS10 closest to this random access point will be an objective of the processing of the flowchart of Figure 36. In step S27, it is determined that segment_type is an Acquisition Point, but the preceding DS cannot be found in the graphics decoder 12. Therefore, the Ignore flag is set to 0, and this DS10 is loaded into the buffer of encoded data 13 in the playback apparatus, as shown in Figure 38. On the other hand, when the random access point is after the point where the display set is present 10 (the dashed line hstl in Figure 37), the display set 20 (hst2 in Figure 38) that follows the set of display 10 is read to the buffer of encoded data 13.

p00332Figure 40 represents how the loading of DS1, DS10 and DS20 is performed when normal playback is carried out as in Figure 39. Among the three DSs, DS1 whose segment_type in ICS is an epoch start is loaded into the buffer of encoded data 13, as is (step S23). However, DS10 whose segment_type in ICS is an Acquisition Point, has the Ignore flag set to 1 (step S29), and thus the functional segments constituting DS10 are ignored and not loaded into the buffer of encoded data 13 (step S24). With respect to DS20, ICS Segment_type indicates an Acquisition Point, but command_update_flag is set to 1. Therefore, the result of step S31 is Yes, and thus only the button order is loaded. As a result, as for the DS of the encoded data buffer 13, only the button order in the ICS is replaced by this loaded button order (step S32). Here, since the Ignore flag still indicates 1, elements other than the button order are ignored and not loaded.

p00333Even if it has the same display content as DS1, the button order has been replaced from LinkPL (# 5) of DS1 to LinkPL (# 10) of DS20, upon arrival at DS20. Such substitution facilitates control to change the content of the button order in the course of playback. The following describes the processing procedure of the graphic controller 17. Figure 41 is a flow chart in which the processing corresponding to the main routine in the processing of the graphic controller 17 is described. In this flow chart, the three types of processing are performed repeatedly: time stamp synchronized processing (step S35); animation screen processing (step S36); and processed UO (step S37).

p00334Figure 42 is a flowchart depicting the processing procedure for synchronized control performed by means of a time stamp. In this flowchart, it is determined whether any of the phenomena of steps S41, S43-S47 are met. If any of the phenomena are fulfilled, a subroutine is formed in which a corresponding operation is performed, and then the operation returns to the main routine.

p00335Step S41 is to determine whether the current playing time is any of a time represented by the SODSsfirst PTS, and a time represented by the S-ODSslast PTS. If the determination is affirmative, a period α is calculated in step S42. The period α is a period obtained by adding (2) a time required to erase a graphic plane, and (3) a time required to write a graphic object obtained by decoding an ODS in the graphic plane.

p00336In step S42, the graphic controller 17 refers to ICS Segment_Type, and if Segment_Type indicates an epoch start, α is set as (2) plane erase time + (3) plane write time. If it indicates an Acquisition Point, α is set as (3) plane writing time. To calculate the plane writing time (3), the calculation of Figure 23A is used when the default_selected_button_number indicates a valid value.

p00337On the other hand, when the default_selected_button_number indicates 0, the calculation in Figure 23B is used to calculate the plane writing time (3). After calculating the period α in the previous way, the operation returns to the loop processing.

p00338Step S43 is to determine if the current playing time is a time indicated by the ICS PTS-α. If the determination is affirmative, processing of writing to the graphic plane 8 is performed (step S51), and the operation returns to the main routine.

p00339Step S45 is to determine if the current playing time is ICS PTS. If the determination is affirmative, the sending of the storage content of the graphic plane 8 begins. The destination of sending this storage content is the CLUT 9 unit. After undergoing the color conversion in the CLUT 9 unit, the Interactive screen will superimpose the storage content of the video plane 6. By doing this, an initial screen is made (step S52). Then the variable “animation (p) (p = 1, 2, 3,… n) is set to 0 (step S53), and the operation returns to the main routine. Here, the "animation (p)" variable is a global variable that indicates the ordinal position of the current frame in the frame sequence, which will remain valid throughout a plurality of flowcharts. In step S53, the button (p) of all the buttons will be set to 0.

p00340Step S46 and step S47 are to determine whether the current playback time has reached the time information described in ICS.

p00341Step S46 is to determine if the current playing time is a time represented by selection_TimeOut_PTS. If the determination is affirmative, it is processed to activate a button indicated by the default activated_button_number, and the operation returns to

p00342the main routine (step S54).

p00343Step S47 is to determine if the current playing time is a Composition_TimeOut_PTS. If the determination is affirmative, screen wipe is performed and the operation returns to the main routine (step S55). In the synchronized processing described above by means of a time stamp, step S51 and step S54 are created respectively as a subroutine. Next, the processing performed in step subroutine S51 is explained with reference to Figure 43.

p00344Figure 43 is a flowchart depicting a processing procedure for writing an initial screen of a menu in graphic plane 8. Step S64 is to determine if ICS Segment_type indicates an epoch start. If the determination is affirmative, the graphic plane 8 is deleted in step S65, and the processing of steps S66-S73 is carried out. The time required to erase the graphic plane 8 corresponds to a period cd1 in Figure 25 and in Figure 26. If the determination is negative, step S65 is skipped and the processing of steps S66-S73 is carried out.

p00345Steps S66-S73 form the loop processing that is repeated for each button information element in an ICS (step S66, step S67). In this loop processing, a button information element that is the desired processing is called "button information (p)".

p00346Step S67 is to determine if default_selected_button_number indicates a valid number. Step S68 is to determine if button_info (p) corresponds to the button selected by default specified by the default_selected_button_number.

p00347If button_info (p) does not correspond to the button selected by default, the graphic object of the start_object_id_normal indicated by normal_state_info of button_info (p) is in the object buffer 15, and is set as a graphic object (p) (step S69) .

p00348If button_info (p) corresponds to the button selected by default, the graphic object of the start_object_id_selected is in the object buffer 15 (step S70), and the button (p) is set as a running button (step S71). The current button is a button set to the state selected on the interactive screen currently displayed, and the playback device stores the identifier of this current button as PSR (10).

p00349After being identified by steps S69S70, the graphic object (p) is written in a graphic plane 8, at a position represented by the button_horizontal_position and button_vertical_position of button_info (p) (step S72). Repeating this processing on each button information element of an ICS, the first graphic object will be written in graphic plane 8. The time required to complete this processing of the graphic objects, which are between those of the graphic plane 15 and are necessary for an initial screen, corresponds to the time td1 represented in Figure 25 and Figure

p0035026.

p00351When the default_selected_button_number indicates 0, and the default selected button changes dynamically, step S67 will be No, and in step S73 it is determined whether button_info (p) corresponds to the current button. If the determination is affirmative, the operation goes to step S70. If the determination is negative, the operation goes to step S69.

p00352A processing procedure for a step subroutine S54 is explained below with reference to Figure 44.

p00353Figure 44 is a flowchart depicting a processing procedure of how to auto-activate a button selected by default. First, it is determined if the default_activated_button_number is 00 or FF (step S75). If the default_activated_button_number is "00", the operation returns to the main routine without any processing. If the default_activated_button_number is "FF", the current button i is changed to active state (step S77). Then the animation (i), which is a variable corresponding to the current button i, is set to 0, and the operation returns to the main routine (step S78).

p00354If the default_activated_button_number is not 00 or FF, the button indicated by the default_activated_button_number is set as a running button (step S76), and the running button i is changed to active state (step S77), and the animation (i), which is a variable corresponding to the current button i is set to 0, and the operation returns to the main routine (Step S78).

p00355According to the previous processing, after a predetermined time, the button in the selected state will change to active state.

p00356The animation in a menu is described below (step S36). Figure 45 is a flowchart depicting a processing procedure for an animation screen.

p00357Here, the initial screen is made by writing graphic objects specified by start_object_id_normal of normal_state_info, and start_object_id_selected from selected_state_info, on each button_info, on the graphic plane 8. The animation is processed to overwrite this graphic plane 8 with an arbitrary plot (that is, an graphic object corresponding to a qth frame) on each button, each time the loop operation of steps S35-S37 ends a loop. Specifically, this update process is carried out by writing graphic objects specified by normal_state_info and selected_state_info, in button_info, one by one in graphic plane 8 and returning to the main routine. Here, "q" is a variable to specify each graphic object specified by normal_state_info and selected_state_info of button_info of each button information element.

p00358The processing to perform this animation screen is explained with reference to Figure 45. For reasons of brevity, this flow chart is created based on the assumption that repeat_normal_flag and repeat_selected_flag are set to indicate that repetition is necessary.

p00359Step S80 is to determine if an initial screen has been completed. If an initial screen has not been completed, the operation makes a return, without performing any processing. If an initial screen has been completed, steps S81-S93 are designed to structure the loop processing in which the processing of steps S81S93 is repeated for each button_info in an ICS (step S81, step S82).

p00360Step S83 puts animation (p) (the variable corresponding to button_info (p)), to a variable q. In this way, the variable q will indicate the ordinal position of the current frame in the frame sequence, which corresponds to button_info (p).

p00361Step S84 is to determine if button_info (p) corresponds to a button currently in the selected state (current button).

p00362If button_info (p) corresponds to a different button from the current button, an identifier, obtained by adding the variable qa start_object_id_normal of normal_state_info of button_info (p), is set as ID (q) (step S85).

p00363If button_info (p) corresponds to the current button, the determination of step S86 is made.

p00364Step S86 is to determine if the current button is in active state. If the determination is affirmative, an identifier, obtained by adding the variable qa start_object_id_actioned of actioned_state_info of button_info (p), is set as ID (q) (step S87). Then one of the button commands included in button_info (p) is executed (step S88).

p00365If it is determined that the current button is not in active state, an identifier, obtained by adding the variable qa start_object_id_selected from selected_state_info of button_info (p), is set as ID (q) (step S89).

p00366Thus, once ID (q) is decided, the graphic object (p) that has the ID (q) and is in the object buffer 15, is written in graphic plane 8, at a position indicated by button_horizontal_position and button_vertical_position of button_info (p) (step S90).

p00367According to the previous loop processing, the qth frame of the plurality of graphic objects, which respectively constitute the selected state (or active state) of the current button and the normal state of the other buttons, will be written in graphic plane 8.

p00368Step S91 is to determine if start_object_id_normal + q has reached in-d_object_id_normal. If the determination is negative, the “animation (p)” variable is incremented by the q variable (step S92). If the determination is affirmative, the variable “animation (p)” is initialized so that it has a value of “0” (step S93). The processing described above is repeated for all button_info in the ICS (step S81, step S82). After completion of processing for all button_info in the ICS, the operation returns to the main routine.

p00369By performing steps S80-S93, the design image for each button on the interactive screen will be updated to a new graphic object each time a loop of steps S35-S37 is finished. If the loop of steps S35S37 is carried out many times, the so-called animation is performed. In the animation, the graphic controller 17 makes time adjustment so that the display interval for a graphic object frame is set as a value indicated by animation_frame_rate_code.

p00370In the previous explanation, the button commands in button_info (p) are executed one by one. However, it is also possible to execute all button commands included in button_info (p) at the same time, after having displayed all the graphic objects corresponding to the active state. Next, the processing procedure for UO processing in step S37 in the main routine is explained with reference to Figure 46.

p00371Figure 46 is a flow chart depicting the UO processing process. In this flow processing diagram, it is determined whether any of the phenomena of steps S100-S103 are met, and if so, the corresponding processing is executed, and the operation returns to the main routine. Step S100 is to determine if UomaskTable is set to 1. If the determination is affirmative, the operation returns to the main routine without performing any processing.

p00372Step S101 is to determine if any of the Up / Down / Left / Right keys have been pressed. If the determination is affirmative, the current button is changed (step S104), and it is determined whether auto_action_flag for the current button is 01 (step S108). If the determination is negative, the operation returns to the main routine. If the determination is affirmative, the operation goes to step S105.

p00373Step S102 is to determine if the activated key has been pressed. If the determination is affirmative, the current button i is changed to active state (Step S105).

p00374Then, the variable "animation (i)" is set to 0 (step S106).

p00375Step S103 is to determine if it is a case of numerical value input. If the determination is affirmative, the numerical value input processing is performed (step S107), and the operation returns to the main routine. Among the processing procedures of Figure 46, step S104 and step S107 respectively have a subroutine structure. Concrete processing procedures for subroutines are shown in Figure 47 and Figure 48. These flowcharts are explained below.

p00376Figure 47 is a flowchart depicting the change processing procedure for a current button. First, in neighbor_info of the current button, one of upper_button_number, lower_button_number, left_button_number, and right_button_number is identified, corresponding to the key pressed (step S110).

p00377Then, the current button is set as "button i", and the new current button is set as "button j" (step S111). Step S112 is to determine if the j button set in step S111 is identical to the i button. If they are identical, the operation returns to the main routine, without performing any processing. If they are not identical to each other, the j button is set as a current button (step S113), and the variables "animation (i)" and "animation (j)" are set to 0. Then the operation returns to the main routine (step S114).

p00378Figure 48 is a flowchart depicting the numerical input processing procedure. It is determined if the button info.j that has the button_number corresponding to the numerical value entered (step S121) exists, and if numerically_selectable_flag of button info.j is determined is 1 (step S122).

p00379If the result of steps S121 and S122 is Yes, the current button is changed to normal state, and the j button is set as a current button (step S123), and the variable "animation (i)" and the variable "animation (j) ”is set to 0 (step S124). Then it is determined if auto_action_flag of the info.j button is 1 (step S125). If it is not 1, the operation returns to the main routine.

p00380If it is 1, the current button is changed to active state in step S126, and then the operation returns to the main routine.

p00381If one of the steps S121-S123 is No, the operation returns to the main routine.

p00382When attempting to perform interactive screen display using a user operation as an activator (e.g., drop-down screen), the flow chart processor 14 and the graphics controller 17 perform the following processing, which is the same as the processing performed for synchronized display . According to this, the graphic object is obtained in graphic plane B. After obtaining a graphic object in this way, it is expected until the current playing time reaches the time represented by the PTS assigned to the ICS. Then, after this playing time, once a UO is received indicating a menu call on the UO controller 18, the graphic object is sent from the graphic plane 8 to the CLUT unit 9 for combination. Making said shipment in synchronization with the OU, a drop-down screen is made according to the press of the menu call.

p00383So far it has been explained how to put PTS in ICS; and DTS and PTS in ODS, where the ICS and ODS belong to a DSn. However, DTS in ICS; DTS, PTS in PDS; and DTS, PTS in FIN have not yet been explained. These time stamps are explained below. The ICS must be loaded into composition buffer 16, before:

p00384a decoding start time of the first ODS (ODS1) in the DSn (ie, DTS (DSn [ODS1])); and before the first PDS (PDS1) in the DSn is valid (ie, PTS (DSn [PDS1])). Specifically,

<figref>image5</figref>

p00385The position of DTS, PTS in each PDS belonging to the DSn is described below.

p00386Each PDS belonging to the DSn must be valid in the CLUT 9 unit, between a time in which the ICS is loaded into the composition buffer 16 (DTS (DSn [ICS])) and a decoding start time of the first ODS (DTS (DSn [ODS1])). Therefore, for each of the PTS values ​​for PDS (PDS1-PDSlast), they must be

<figref>image6</figref>

p00387Note that, although it does not refer to reproduction, a DTS of a PDS will be set to the same value as a corresponding PTS, in order to comply with the MPEG2 standard.

p00388The meaning of DTS and PDS in the pipeline of a reproduction apparatus is explained below, once the DTS and PDS have been put in order to fulfill the above relationships. Figure 49 is a diagram depicting a pipeline in a reproduction apparatus, based on the DTS in the ICS, and the PTS in the PDS. Figure 49 has been created based on Figure 33. "Buffer reading of encoded data 13" found in the third row of Figure 33 corresponds to the fifth row in the present drawing. In addition, "decoding by the flow chart processor 14" found in the second row corresponds to the fourth row in the present drawing. In addition, the ICS and the PTS are put in order to satisfy the relationships presented above.

p00389The second row of Figure 49 is a PDS position in the CLUT 9 unit. The third row represents a storage content of the composition buffer 16. The DTS in the ICS is set at a time prior to the DTS of the PDS or the DTS of the ODS. Therefore, as the arrow up1 in this drawing represents, first of all the loading of the ICS into the composition buffer 16 is carried out. In addition, the position of PDS1-last in the CLUT 9 unit is carried out after the transfer of the ICS and before decoding of the ODS1, and so it is set before the DTS of the ODS1, as shown by the arrows up2 and up3 in the drawing.

p00390As is clear from the foregoing, the loading of ICS and the position of PDS are performed before decoding of ODS.

p00391The PTS position for “END of display position segment” belonging to the DSn is described below. The end of the DSn indicates the termination of the DSn, and thus must indicate an end-of-decoding time of the last ODS (ODSlast) of the DSn. This decoding end time is indicated by the ODSlast PTS (PTS (DSn [ODSlast])). Therefore, the PTS in the END of

<figref>image7</figref>

p00392In relation to the ICSs belonging to DSn and DSn + 1, the ICS in the DSn is loaded into the composition buffer 16 before the loading time of the first ODS (ODS1), and thus the PTS of the END must be after ICS load time belonging to the DSn

p00393(DTS (DSn [ICS])), and before an ICS load time

<figref>image8</figref>

p00394On the other hand, a charging time for the first ODS (ODS1) is after a charging time of the last PDS (PDSlast). And so END PTS (PTS (DSn [END])) must be after a loading time of PDS belonging to the DSn belonging to the DSn (PTS (DSn [PDSlast])). Thus,

<figref>image9</figref>

p00395The meaning of FIN PTS in the pipeline of the reproduction apparatus is explained below. Figure 50 is a diagram representing the meaning of END during the operation of the pipeline of the reproduction apparatus. This diagram has been created based on Figure 33, and almost all of its rows are the same as those in Figure 33, except that the first row indicates the storage content of the composition buffer 16. In addition, Figure 50 makes two display sets, namely DSn and DSn + 1. In the DSn, the ODSlast is the last ODSn of A-ODSs, and thus the END PTS is set to indicate the PTS of this ODSn. The time represented by the PTS of this END is earlier than the time represented by the DTS of the ICS in DSn + 1.

p00396According to the PTS of this END, in reproduction, it is possible to know at what time the ODS load is finished with respect to DSn.

p00397Note that, even if it does not refer to reproduction, a DTS of an END will be set to the same value as a corresponding PTS, in order to comply with the MEPG2 standard.

p00398In the previous structure, ICS, PDS and ODS, in which DTS and PTS are placed, are incorporated into an AV Clip beforehand. This is convenient for describing the interactive control to cause a reproduction apparatus to execute a certain processing in which a frame of the moving image appears on a screen, said interactive control being closely synchronized with the content of a moving image. In addition, in the previous structure, ICS, PDS and ODS are multiplexed to the AV Clip itself. Therefore, even when the number of sections that will be a target of the playback control is a few hundred, all corresponding ICS, PDS and ODS should not be stored. ICS, PDS and ODS are read from a BD-ROM together with video packages. The procedure to follow is to read ICS, PDS and ODS for a section of moving image that will be reproduced immediately in memory, and after the end of the reproduction of this section of moving image, delete the ICS, PDS and ODS of memory, and then store a new set of ICS, PDS and ODS corresponding to the next moving image section, in memory. According to the previous structure, the occupied area of ​​a memory is limited to a minimum even when the number of ICS, PDS and ODS is a few hundred.

p00399As described so far, according to the present embodiment, there are 360 ​​pages of ODSs to present animation. In the event that there are three button state sets, the ODSs will be grouped into three button state sets (for example, 120 + 120 + 120 pages). Each set of button status is positioned so that the set that appears earlier in the animation, is placed closer to the top, and the set that appears later, is placed farther from the top. Consequently, in replay, the set of button states that appear before, will first be loaded into the playback apparatus, postponing the loading of the sets of button states that appear later. Doing so, once you have finished reading / decoding approximately 1 / 3-2 / 3 of all SDGs, you prepare the initial screen, even if not all 360 pages of SDGs have finished decoding. This also means that in a case when there is a huge amount of ODSs to read / decode, the initial screen execution will not be delayed. According to this, the interactive display with animation can be made without delay.

p00400(Second embodiment)

p00401The present embodiment relates to a method of producing a BD-ROM. Figure 51 is a flow chart depicting the BD-ROM production method that refers to the second embodiment.

p00402The production method of the BD-ROM includes: a process of production of material S201 in which the creation of material is carried out, such as photography of moving images and audio recording; an authoring process S202 in which an application format is generated using an authoring apparatus; and a pulsation process S203 in which a master for the BD-ROM is created by pressure and stamping, in order to complete the BD-ROM.

p00403Among these processes, the authoring process directed to a BD-ROM includes the following steps, steps S204S209.

p00404First, in step S204, animation is created for frames corresponding to button states, frame by frame, in a plurality of graphic data elements in a plurality of execution length coding methods.

p00405In step S205, the graphic data elements created are grouped into button states. An ICS is then created in which each button information specifies an identifier of a graphic data element. At creation, in step S206, the position of the button selected by default and how to vary the states of the buttons, are written to the ICS. In step S207, the ICS and the grouped graphic data are integrated into a graphics stream. Once the graphics flow is generated, in step S208, the graphics stream is multiplexed with a video stream and an audio stream created independently of the graphics stream, to obtain an AV Clip. Once the AV Clip is obtained, in step S209, a static scenario, an active scenario, and the AV Clip are made to comply with the BD-ROM format, thereby completing an application format.

p00406As explained so far, according to the present embodiment, said flow of graphics explained in the first embodiment is generated by grouping graphic data during the authoring process. This is an easy way to generate an application format for a BD-ROM described in the first embodiment.

p00407(Third embodiment)

p00408The flow of interactive graphics of the first embodiment is recorded on a BD-ROM by superimposing it on an AVClip. However, in the third embodiment, the interactive graphics stream is recorded on a BD-ROM as a separate Clip from the AVClip, and the playlist information is used to associate the AVClip and the Clip sub.

p00409In the playlist information, the playback path formed by PlayItem information is called the "main path." In contrast, the information indicated by the sub Clip is called secondary route information and defines a playback path called “secondary route”

p00410Figure 52 is a diagram depicting an internal information structure PL relative to the third embodiment.

p00411The arrow hc1 in Figure 52 focuses on each secondary route information element. As this arrow hc1 represents, a secondary route information element is formed by one or more secondary PlayItems. As the hc2 arrow represents in the drawing, each secondary PlayItem is made of "Clip_information_file_name," Clip_codec_identifier "," Sub Play Item_In_Time "," Sub Play Item_Out_time "," Sync_Play Item_id ", and" Sync_start_PTS_of PlayItem ".

p00412“Clip_information_file_name” is a description of a Clip information file name, which uniquely identifies a sub Clip corresponding to the secondary PlayItem.

p00413"Clip_codec_identifier" indicates in which encoding method the AVClip has been encoded.

p00414“SubPlayItem_ln_time” indicates a starting point of the secondary PlayItem on a playback time axis of the sub Clip.

p00415“SubPlayItem_Out_time indicates an end point of the secondary PlayItem on the playing time axis of the sub Clip.

p00416"Sync_PlayItem_id" uniquely identifies one of the PlayItems that constitute the main stream, with which this secondary PlayItem has to be synchronized. “SubPlayItem_ln_time” exists in the PlayItem playback time axis identified by this Sync_PlayItem_id ”.

p00417“Sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem” indicates where, on the playtime axis of the PlayItem identified by the Sync_PlayItem_id, is the starting point of the secondary PlayItem identified by the SubPlayItem_In_time. During PlayItem playback, the secondary PlayItem will start playing when the current playback time has reached this Sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem.

p00418Figure 53 is a diagram schematically representing the synchronization of secondary PlayItem according to sync_PlayItem_id and sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem. The main route in this drawing is formed by PlayItems # 1, # 2, and # 3. Sync_PlayItem_id and sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem for the secondary PlayItem that constitutes the secondary route are those represented within the plot drawn on a dashed “wh1” line. Specifically, Sync_PlayItem_id is set to indicate PlayItem # 1, and sync_start_PTS_of_PlayItem is set to indicate time t1 on the play time axis for PlayItem. In this way, when the current playback time has reached t1 on the PlayItem playback time axis, a part of the Clip sub (interactive graphics stream) identified by the Clip_information_file_name, the part specifically corresponding to a part since SubPlayItem_ln_time to Sub_PlayItem_Out_time. Performing reproduction of the previous form, only a corresponding part from SubPlayItem_ln_time to SubPlayItem_Out_time within the interactive graphics stream will be reproduced synchronously with the AVClip.

p00419In addition, a stream of interactive graphics, being a sub clip, can be recorded on an HD included in the playback device. In this case, if the playlist information in the HD corresponds to the AVClip in the BD-ROM and the sub Clip in the HD, then the AVClip and the sub Clip can be played synchronously. Figure 54 is a diagram representing the file identification by means of "Clip_information_file name" in the playlist information in the HD. The arrows rf1, rf2, rf3 show directions by Clip_information_file_name of PlayItems in the playlist information. The arrows pf1, pf2, pf3 show indications by Clip_information_file_name of secondary PlayItems in the playlist information. According to such indications by Clip_Information_file_name, the secondary path defined for the Clip sub in the HD is reproduced synchronously with the main path defined for the Main Clip in the BD-ROM.

p00420Next, the processing performed by the control unit 20 is described, in the case where the secondary PlayItem to be synchronized with the current PlayItem is in the playlist information. The control unit 20 controls the sub Clip indicated by the secondary PlayItem to be played synchronously with the main Clip. This synchronous reproduction is performed as follows. The image data corresponding to Sync_Start_PTS_of_PlayItem of the secondary PlayItem is read from the main Clip. Then, the existing data between the SubPlayItem_ln_time is reproduced to the SubPlayItem_Out_time of the secondary PlayItem.

p00421(Note)

p00422The above description does not show all the embodiments of the present invention. It is not necessary to affirm that the present invention is also executable by several modifications, including the following (A), (B), (C), (D), etc. Each invention relating to the claims of the present invention is an extended or generalized description of the embodiments described above or its modified examples. The degree of extension and generalization is based on the level of prior art in this technological field, at the time of presenting the present invention. Note that each invention in the claims reflects the means to solve the technological problems of conventional technology, and therefore its scope will not exceed the range recognizable by those skilled in this technological field. Therefore, each invention of the claims of the present invention is substantially associated with the description of the present invention.

<dl><dt>(TO)</dt><dd> All embodiments have assumed that the recording medium according to the present invention is a BD-ROM. However, the recording medium of the present invention is characterized by its graphics flow recorded therein, and this feature will not depend on the physical nature of the BD-ROM. Therefore, the present invention is applicable to any recording medium provided that it can record an active scenario and a graphics stream. For example, the recording medium may be an optical disc such as a DVD-ROM, a DVDRAM, a DVD-RW, a DVD-R, a DVD + RW, a DVD + R, a CD-R, a CD- RW The recording medium can also be a magnetic optical disk such as a PD and an MO. The recording medium can also be a semiconductor memory card such as a compact flash card, smart media, a memory stick, a multimedia card, a PCMCIA card. In addition, the recording medium may be (i) a magnetic record disk such as a flexible disk, a SuperDisk, a Zip, and a Clik !, and (ii) a removable hard disk drive such as an ORB, Jaz, a SparQ, a SyJet, an EZFIey, and a micro unit. In addition, the recording medium may be a hard disk that is a constituent element of an apparatus.</dd></dl>

<dl><dt>(B)</dt><dd> In all embodiments, the playback apparatus first decodes an AV Clip recorded on a BD-ROM, before sending it to a television. However, the playback apparatus may be designed as a BD-ROM drive, with the others</dd></dl>

elements provided for television. In this case, the reproduction apparatus and the television may be incorporated into a home network connected through an IEEE1394. In addition, the reproduction apparatus according to the embodiments is a type that is used by connecting to a television. However, the reproduction apparatus can be of integral type with a screen. In addition, only the substantial part of the reproduction apparatus of each of the embodiments can be considered the reproduction apparatus of the present invention. Since all such reproduction apparatus are described in the description of the present invention, the fact of producing any of these reproduction apparatus based on the internal structure of the reproduction apparatus of the first embodiment constitutes a fact of implementing the present invention described in the description. Any act of transfer with or without charge (sale, if it is with charge, and gift if it is without charge), rent and import relating to the reproduction apparatus of the first embodiment also constitutes an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, any act of offering such transfer and rental, through a counter, catalog request, and distribution of brochures, also constitutes an act of implementing the reproduction apparatus of the present invention.

<dl><dt>(C)</dt><dd> The information processing according to the program represented in each of the flowcharts is executed using hardware resources. Accordingly, each program whose processing procedure is described by means of the flowcharts is an invention in itself. The above embodiments describe the cases where the pro</dd></dl>

Grams are built into the playback device, but the programs can be used independently of the playback device. The acts of program execution include (1) an act of producing, (2) an act of transferring with or without charge, (3) an action of renting, (4) an act of importing, (5) an act of provide the public through a two-way electronic communications network, and (6) an act of offering for transfer or rental using counters, catalogs or brochures.

<dl><dt>(D)</dt><dd> The information processing using the programs represented in the flowcharts is actually done using hardware resources. Accordingly, the programs describing the operating procedures represented in the flowcharts are themselves an invention. The above embodiments describe the cases where the programs are incorporated in the reproduction apparatus, but the programs can be used independently of the reproduction apparatus. The acts of implementing the programs include (1) an act of manufacturing, (2) an act of transferring with or without charge, (3) an act of renting, (4) an act of importing, (5) a act of providing the public through a two-way electronic communications network, and (6) an act of offering the public for transfer or rental using counters, catalogs or brochures. </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>(AND)</dt><dd> When recording an AV Clip on the BD-ROM, an extension header can be added to each TS packet in the AV Clip. The extension header is called a TP_extra_header, includes an arrival_time_stamp and a copy_permission_indicator, and has a data length of 4 bytes. TS packages with</dd></dl>

p00423TP_extra_headers (then “EX TS packages”) are grouped into units of 32 packages, and each set is written in three sectors. A set consisting of 32 EX TS packets has 6,144 bytes (= 32 x 192), which is equivalent to a size of three sectors that is 6,144 bytes (.2,048 x 3). The 32 EX TS packages contained in the three sectors are called an aligned unit.

p00424In a home network connected to an IEEE 1394 connector, the playback apparatus 200 transmits an aligned unit as follows. The playback apparatus removes a TP_extra_header from each of the 32 EX TS packets in the aligned unit, encrypts the body of each TS packet according to the DTCP specification, and sends the encrypted TS packets. When sending the TS packets, the playback apparatus inserts an isochronous packet between adjacent TS packets. The point where the isochronous package is inserted is determined based on a time represented by an arrival_time_stamp of the TP_extra_header. The playback apparatus 200 sends a DTCP_descriptor, as well as the TS packets. The DTCP_descriptor corresponds to a copy_permission_indicator on the TP_extra_header. With the provision of the DTCP_descriptor that indicates “prohibited copying”, it is possible to avoid, by using the TS packets in the home network connected to the IEEE 1394 connector, that the TS packets be recorded on other devices.

<dl><dt>(F) </dt><dd>The above embodiments describe the cases where an AV Clip of the BD-ROM format is used as a digital stream, but the present invention can also be performed with a VOB (object video) of the DVD-Video format or the DVD-Video recording format. . The VOB is a program flow that cum</dd></dl>

ple the ISO / IEC 13818-1 standard and is obtained by multiplexing a video stream and an audio stream. In addition, the video stream in the AV Clip can be an MPEG4 video stream or a WMV video stream. In addition, the audio stream in the AV Clip can be a linear PCM audio stream, a Dolby AC-3 audio stream, an MP3 audio stream, or an MPEG-AAC audio stream.

<dl><dt>(G)</dt><dd> The video edition described in the previous embodiments can be obtained by encoding an analog image signal emitted by analog broadcast. </dd></dl>

Alternatively, analog / digital image signals recorded on a videotape can be encoded to obtain the content. In addition, analog / digital image signals directly captured by a camcorder can be encoded to obtain the content. A digital work distributed by a distribution server is also applicable.

<dl><dt>(H)</dt><dd> The graphic objects described in the previous embodiments are raster data encoded in run length. Execution length coding is used for compression / decoding of graphic objects, because execution length coding is suitable for compression and decompression of subtitles. Subtitles have a property that a continuous length of the same pixel value in a horizontal direction is relatively long. Therefore, by performing compression using execution length coding, a high compression rate can be achieved. In addition, the coding of length of execution reduces the load for decompression, and, therefore, is adapted to realize decoding by software. However, the use of codes</dd></dl>

Length of execution for graphic objects is not essential for the present invention. For example, graphic objects can be PNGdata. In addition, graphic objects can be vector data instead of raster data. In addition, graphic objects can be transparent configurations.

<dl><dt>(I)</dt><dd> In a case where multiple playback paths join each other, and the button selected by default changes depending on which playback path is to be taken, the following arrangement is preferable. That is to say, the control of reproduction in the dynamic scenario is described so that, at the time in which each reproduction route is traveled, the own value of the reproduction route is put in the register of the reproduction apparatus, and the processes of Playback are described so that the buttons are set to a selected state according to the values ​​set in the register. By this arrangement, the button that will be in a selected state can be changed depending on which playback path is to be passed. </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>(J)</dt><dd> When the BD-ROM or HD has a plurality of interactive graphics streams, which are each sub Clips, it is possible to provide STN_Table within the PlayItem information of the playlist information, representing the STN_Table which of the interactive graphics streams must be selected. In addition, it is possible to use entries in the STN_Table within the PlayItem information, in order to prioritize between interactive graphics streams.</dd></dl>

p00425INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY A recording medium and a reproduction apparatus according to the present invention perform interactive control

p00426in films, and thus help to provide high value-added films to the market, which helps to invigorate the film market and the consumer goods market. Accordingly, the recording medium and the reproduction apparatus according to the present invention are highly applicable to the film industry and the consumer goods industry.