MXPA00001320A

MXPA00001320A - Optical disk, reproduction apparatus, and reproduction method

Info

Publication number: MXPA00001320A
Application number: MXPA/A/2000/001320A
Authority: MX
Inventors: Yoshihiro Mori; Masayuki Kozuka; Kazuhiko Yamauchi
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-08-07
Filing date: 2000-02-07
Publication date: 2001-07-31

Abstract

An optical disk includes a data region and a management region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second audio data obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes which are different from the first audio attributes, and the management region stores management information for enabling selective reproduction of one of the first audio data and the second audio data.

Description

OPTICAL DISC. REPRODUCTION EQUIPMENT AND REPRODUCTION METHOD DESCRIPTION Background and field of the invention The present invention relates to an optical disk for storing digital data of multimedia data including audio information and information of moving images that are associated with each other, it also refers to an apparatus and a method for reproducing it. Conventionally, CDs (compact disks) and video DVDs are known optical discs for storing and reproducing audio information. A CD is an optical disc that has a diameter of 12 cm. A CD carries audio information stored in it that has been quantified using a linear PCM method. A video DVD is an optical disc that has a diameter of 12 cm. A video DVD carries audio information stored in it - which has been quantified using a PCM or AC3 linear method. In response to recent developments in digital processing technology related to sounds / voices, several additional methods have been proposed to the aforementioned. However, the author of an application encounters the problem of having to choose which method to use for sounds / voices when creating a disk title. On the other hand, a user encounters the problem of not being able to play all kinds of disc titles without having playback devices * that correspond to such different methods. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an optical disk comprising a data region and an administration region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second data. audio obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes, which are different from the first audio attributes and the administration region stores management information to enable selective reproduction of one of the first audio data and second audio data. In one embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes.

In another embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating whether an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not from an audio encryption mode in the second audio attributes and whether a number of channels in the first audio attributes differ or not from a number of channels in the second audio attributes. In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for reproducing an optical disk is provided, the optical disk includes a data region and an administration region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with with first audio attributes and second audio data expressing conformance audio information with second audio attributes, which are different from the first audio attributes, and the administration region stores management information to make possible the reproduction selective of one of the first audio data and the second audio data, the reproduction apparatus includes a reading section for reading the administration information from the administration region; and playback section for playing one of the first audio data and the second audio data based on the playback audio capabilities of the playback apparatus and the management information. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating whether or not an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not from the audio encryption mode in the second attributes and a number of channels. in the first audio attributes it differs or not from the number of channels in the second audio attributes. In another aspect of the present invention, a method for reproducing an optical disc is provided, the optical disc includes a data region and an administration region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and seconds. audio data obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes which are different from the first audio attributes and the administration region stores management information to enable selective reproduction of some of the first audio data and the second audio data, the reproduction method includes: a step of reproducing some of the first audio data and the second audio data based on the audio reproduction capabilities of a reproduction apparatus for reproducing and recording information; administration. In one embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes. In another embodiment of the invention, the administration information includes information indicating whether an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not from a number of channels in the second audio attributes. Thus, the invention described herein makes it possible to provide an optical disc which allows the reproduction of sounds / voices that match the reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus, as well as an apparatus and method for reproducing such a multimedia disc. These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a perspective view showing an optical disk in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure IB is a cross-sectional view of an optical disk in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure IC is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention. Figure ID is a diagram showing the shapes of pits formed in an optical disk according to an example of the present invention. Figure 2A is a diagram showing the track structure of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention. Figure 2B is a diagram showing the sector structure of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the track structure of an optical disk in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the structure data of a set of video titles according to an example of the present invention. Figure 5 is a diagram showing how a video menu according to an example of the present invention is displayed. Figure 6 is a diagram showing the data structure of a set of video titles in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the data structure of a video administrator in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 8A is a diagram showing the data structure of a set of audio titles of a type AOB points according to an example of the present invention. "" Figure 8B is a diagram showing the data structure of a set of audio titles of a VOB-type type according to an example of the present invention. Fig. 8C is a diagram showing the ATS address information data structure of an ATS management table of audio title set according to an example of the present invention. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the data structure of an audio administrator in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 10 is a perspective view showing a DVD player in accordance with an example of the present invention and a television monitor coupled to it. Figure 11 is a view showing a remote control according to an example of the present invention. Figure 12 is a block diagram showing the structure of a DVD player as a disc reproduction apparatus in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 13A is a flow diagram showing the flow of a reproduction process in a video-oriented reproduction mode in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 13B is a flowchart showing the flow of a reproduction process of a title in a video-oriented reproduction mode in accordance with an example of the present invention.

Figure 14A is a flowchart showing the flow of a reproduction process in an audio-oriented reproduction mode in accordance with an example of the present invention. Fig. 14B is a flowchart showing the flow of a reproduction process of a title in an audio-oriented reproduction mode of con-fo-rity with an example of the present invention. Figure 15 is a diagram showing how a start menu stored in a video manager is displayed in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 16A is a diagram showing an exemplary structure of an application in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 16B is a diagram illustrating the operation of a disc reproduction apparatus in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 17 is a diagram showing the positions on an optical disk in which various data are stored in accordance with an example of the present invention. Fig. 18 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Fig. 19 is a flow diagram showing the flow of a reproduction process by an audio player with video functions in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 20A is a diagram showing a specific example of search pointers of audio manager information titles and video manager information of an optical disk in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 20B is a diagram showing a specific example of a PGC structure of an ATS of the type AOB points of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention. Figure 20C is a diagram showing a specific example of a PGC structure of an ATS of the VOB point type of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention. Figure 21A shows exemplary data to be stored on an optical disk in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 21B is a diagram showing the order of reproduction by a reproduction apparatus in accordance with an example of the present invention.

Figure 21C is a diagram showing the order of reproduction by a reproduction apparatus in accordance with an example of the present invention. Fig. 22 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention in the case where PGC blocks are present. Figure 23A is a diagram showing a specific example of a table of title search pointers in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 23B is a diagram showing a specific example of a PGC structure of an A.TS of the type AOB points in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 23C is a diagram showing a specific example of a PGC structure of an ATS of the VOB point type in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 23D is a diagram showing a specific example of audio attributes of an ATS administration table in accordance with an example of the present invention.

Figure 23E is a diagram showing a specific example of audio attributes of an ATS administration table in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 24A which is a flow diagram showing the flow of a reproduction process of a title in an audio-oriented reproduction mode according to an example of the present invention in the case where PGC blocks are present. Fig. 24B is a flow chart showing the flow of a selection process of a PGC in a PGC block in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 25 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 26 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 27 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention.

Figure 28 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Fig. 29 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 30 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between various objects and information reproduced in accordance with an example of the present invention. Figure 31 is a diagram showing the data structure of an audio manager for performing automatic playback at the time of inserting a disk in accordance with an example of the present invention.

BEST METHOD FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples, with respect to the accompanying figures.

(Example 1) Hereinafter, the structure of an optical disk according to an example of the present invention will be described. (1) Physical structure of the optical disk Figure 1A is a perspective view showing a DVD 100, which is a type of optical disk. Figure IB is a cross-sectional view of the DVD 100 taken along line A-A 'in Figure IA. Figure IC is an enlarged cross-sectional view of portion B shown in figure IB. As shown in Figure IB, the DVD 100 is formed by laminating a first transparent substrate 108, an information layer 109, an adhesive layer 110, a second transparent substrate 111, and a printing layer 112. (on which a label is printed) in this order. The first transparent substrate 108 and the second transparent substrate 111 are reinforcing substrates that are formed of the same material. In the example shown in Figure IB, each of these substrates has a thickness of about 0.6 mm. These substrates may each have a thickness in the range of between about 0.5 mm and about 0.7 mm.

The adhesive layer 110 is provided between the information layer 109 and the second transparent substrate 111, thereby adhering the information layer 109 to the second transparent substrate 111. On the face of the information layer 109 in contact with the first transparent substrate 108 a reflective film (not shown) is formed, which is formed of a thin film of metal or something similar. Using a molding technique, a high density of convex and concave pits is formed on the reflective film. Figure ID shows the shapes of the holes formed on the reflective film. In the example shown in Figure ID, each hole has a length of 0.4 μm to 2.054 μm. A helical track is formed on the DVD 100. The holes are formed adjacent the helical track so as to be at a distance of 0.74 μm from the helical track along a radial direction of the DVD 100. Thus, a distribution is formed of holes along the helical track. As shown in Figure IC, when a light beam 113 is irradiated on the DVD 100, a light spot 114 is formed on the information layer 109. The information stored in the DVD 100 is detected as a variation in the reflectance of the the portion of the information layer 109 which is illuminated by the light spot 114.

The diameter of the light spot 114 of the DVD 100 is about 1 / 1.6 of the diameter of a light spot on a CD (compact disc) because the numerical aperture (NA) of a target lens for DVDs is larger than the numerical aperture (NA) of an objective lens for CDs and because the wavelength? of a beam of light for DVDs is smaller than the wavelength? of a beam of light for CDs. A DVD that has the physical structure described above can store approximately 4.7 Gbytes of information on one side. A storage capacity of approximately 4.7 Gbytes is almost 8 times the storage capacity of a conventional CD. This enormous storage capacity of DVDs makes it possible to significantly improve the quality of moving images. It is also possible to significantly improve the playing time length of moving images. In contrast to the playback time length of a conventional video CD that is 74 minutes, a DVD is able to achieve a playback time length of 2 hours or more. The fundamental technology that achieves this enormous storage capacity is based on the reduction of the diameter of the spot D of the beam of light. The diameter of spot D is calculated from the formula: spot diameter D = laser wavelength? / NA numerical aperture of the objective lens. Accordingly, the spot diameter D can be brought to a minimum by decreasing the laser wavelength? and increasing the NA numerical aperture of the objective lens. It should be noted, however, that increasing the NA numerical aperture of the objective lens may produce comma aberration due to the relative slope (ie, "tilt") between the surface of the disk and the optical axis of the light beam. In the case of DVDs, the aberration is reduced by reducing the thickness of a transparent substrate, however, reducing the thickness of a transparent substrate can produce another problem, that of low mechanical resistance of the disc. the strength of the transparent substrate is reinforced by bonding another substrate to the transparent substrate, thereby overcoming the problems associated with the mechanical strength of the disc.To read the information stored on a DVD, red semiconductor lasers having a short wavelength of 650 are used. nm and an objective lens that have a large numerical aperture (NA) of approximately 0.6 mm, employing these and additionally a trans thin spar with a thickness of about 0.6 mm, it is possible to store approximately 4.7 Gbytes of information on one side of an optical disc having a diameter of 120 mm. Figure 2A schematically illustrates a spiral track 20 formed from the inner periphery towards the outer periphery of the information layer 109 of the DVD 100 (figure 1A). The spiral track 20 is divided into prescribed units referred to as sectors. In Figure 2A, the respective sectors are indicated by Sl, S2, ..., S99, and S100. The information stored in the DVD 100 is read on a sector by sector basis. Figure 2B shows the internal structure of a sector, where the sector includes a sector 21 header region, a user data region 22, and an error correction code storage region 23. The sector header region 21 stores a sector address to identify the sector and an error detection code for it. Based on these sector addresses, a disc reproduction apparatus will determine which of a plurality of sectors the information should be read. The user data region 22 stores a data string that is 2 Kbytes in length. The error correction code storage region 23 stores error correction codes for the sector header region 21 and the user data region 22 within the same sector. A disk reproduction apparatus will perform error detection using the error correction codes and will perform the error correction based on the error detection results, thus ensuring the reliability of the data reading. (2) Optical disk optical structure Figure 3 shows the logical structure of a DVD 100 as an optical disk. As shown in Fig. 3, the regions of the DVD 100 are divided into an input region 31, a volume region 32, and an output region 33. These regions can be identified by the identification information included in the sector of physical sectors. The physical sectors are placed in ascending order based on their sector directions. In the input region 31, data is stored to stabilize the operation of a disc playback apparatus at the beginning of a reading, and similar data. The non-significant data is stored in the output region 33. The output region 33 is used to inform the disc playback apparatus of the termination of the reproduction. The volume region 32 stores digital data corresponding to each application. The physical sectors included in the volume region 32 are managed as logical blocks. The logical blocks are identified by sequential numbers (logical block numbers) respectively assigned to the physical sectors after the first physical sector (designated as the or? A physical sector) in the region of volume 32. A portion 34 shown in FIG. Figure 3 shows a group of logic blocks in the volume region 32. In the portion 34, #m, # m + l, # m + 2, # m + 3, ... denote the logical block numbers assigned to the respective logical blocks. As shown in Figure 3, the volume region 32 is subdivided into a volume file handling region 32a and an audio zone region 32c. The volume file management region 32a stores file system administration information to manage a plurality of logical blocks as files in accordance with IS013346. The file system administration information is information indicating the correspondence between the name of each of the plurality of files and the addresses of the logical blocks occupied by that file. A disk reproduction apparatus achieves file-by-file access to the optical disk based on the file system administration information. Specifically, the disk reproduction apparatus will refer to the file system management information to obtain the addresses of the logical blocks corresponding to a given file name, and access the logical blocks based on these addresses. As a result, digital data contained in a file can be read desired. The video zone region 32b stores video manager information 700 and one or more sets of video titles 600. A set of video titles 600 contains a plurality of video data and administration information to manage the order of reproduction of video. the plurality of video data. The set of video titles 600 has a data structure that allows the management of video data in units that are referred to as video titles. For example, if the set of video titles 600 is a video application, the video titles may correspond to a plurality of video versions, for example, a theatrical version, a non-compendiated version, and the like. The specific data structure of the video title set 600 will now be described with reference to Figure 6. The video manager information 700 contains information representing a table of contents consisting of a plurality of sets of video titles 600. Typically, the video manager information 700 includes information required to display a video menu to allow a user to select a set of desired video titles from the plurality of sets of video titles 600 and their management information. The data structure specific to the video administrator of the administration information • video 700 will be described below with reference to figure 7. Audio region region 32c stores audio manager information 900 and one or more sets of audio titles 800. Audio title set 800 contains a plurality of audio titles. of audio data and administration information to manage the playback order of the plurality of audio data. The set of audio titles 800 has a data structure that allows the management of audio data in units that are called audio titles. Typically, an audio title corresponds to a music album that contains one or more songs. The set of audio titles 800 may also contain management information that defines the order of reproduction of the video data contained in the set of video titles 600. The specific data structure of the set of audio titles 800 will be described below. with reference to Figures 8A and 8B. The audio manager information 900 contains information representing a table of contents consisting of a plurality of sets of audio titles 800. The specific data structure of the audio manager information 900 will be described with reference to Figure 9. In Figure 3, the set of video titles 600 and the set of audio titles 800 are individually illustrated as a file. In practice, however, the set of video titles 600 or the set of audio titles 800 is composed of a plurality of consecutive files because the data of moving images have such a large data size that trying accommodating the data of moving images completely in one file can produce a file size of more than 1 GB. (3) Data structure of the video zone region 32b (figure 3) The video zone region 32b stores video manager information 700 and one more sets of video titles 600. (3.1) Data structure of the set of video titles 600 Figure 4 shows the structure of the set of video titles 600. The set of video titles 600 includes a plurality of video objects (hereinafter referred to as * V0Bs ") 602 and set information of video titles 601 to manage the order of reproduction of a plurality of VOBs 602. In the following discussions, a * set of video titles" may be referred to eventually as * VTS. " (3.1.1) VOB 602 data structure A VOB 602 is a piece of multimedia data. A VOB 602 contains digital motion picture data, digital audio data, sub picture data, and administration information for administration.

The .VOBs 602 have a data structure according to MPEG2 (Expert Group of Moving Images, IS011172, IS013818), and are referred to as MPEG2 current data. A VOB 602 includes a plurality of VOB units (hereinafter referred to as * V0BUs ") 603 which are placed in chronological order .. A VOBU 603 is a reproduction of data running approximately in approximately 0.4 seconds to approximately 1.0 second, and includes a plurality of packet data classes 604 (e.g., administration information packets, moving picture packets, audio packets, and / or sub-picture packets), as indicated forward of the arrows in the figure 4. In the example illustrated in Figure 4, the administration information packets are denoted by numerals such as Pl and P2, the moving image packets are denoted by numerals such as video 1, video 2, video 3, and video 4, the audio packets are denoted by numerals such as audio Al, audio Bl, audio C-1, audio A-2, audio B-2, and audio C-2; sub-image packets are denoted by numerals such as SP Al, SP B -l, SP A-2, and SP B-2. Each of the packet data has a data size of 2 Kbytes. Reorganizing a plurality of packet data belonging to each data class, it is possible to obtain a sequence of digital data that only contains data of moving images, a sequence of digital data that only contains audio data, a sequence of digital data that only contains sub-image data, or a sequence of digital data that only contains data of control. A sequence of digital data obtained by means of this reorganization of a plurality of packet data belonging to a data class is called an elementary stream. A VOB 602 may also be called a program stream or a system stream containing a plurality of elementary streams. A VOB 602 may include an elementary stream of moving images, up to 8 elementary audio streams, and up to 32 elementary sub-image streams. An elementary stream of moving images can be called a main stream of a system current, while an elementary stream of audio and an elementary sub-image stream can be called subcurrents of the system stream. The package data includes a header section and a data section. The header section of a packet data stores identification information to indicate the class of that packet data. With reference to the identification of data, it is possible to identify the packet data as a ^ moving image packet ", an ^ audio package", a ^ sub-image package ", or a ^ administration information package." The data section of a moving picture package stores data that is compressed according to the MPEG method. A VOBU 603 stores data of moving images in a GOP way by GOP. A GOP (group of images) is defined as image data equivalent to approximately 12 to 15 frames. The data section of an audio package stores audio data that corresponds to the moving image data in A VOBU 603 that contains that audio package. The moving image data and the audio data contained in the same VOBU 603 are reproduced in synchronization. Examples of audio data include linear PCM data or Dolby-AC3 data (see ATSC standard digital audio compression [ATSC]). English]) (AC-3) (Doc.A / 52, Dec. 20, 1995). The header section of an audio pack also stores audio sub-current identification information that indicates to which of 8 or less audio sub-currents the audio pack belongs. The data section of a sub-image package _ stores data of graphics that have been subjected to a length compression run. The header section of a sub-image pack also stores sub-image sub-current identification information indicating which of the sub-image pack belongs to 32 or less sub-sub-currents. The data section of an administration information packet stores address information for trick playback modes (e.g., high-speed playback) and control data to accept user interactions. An example of control data for accepting user interactions is menu information to display a menu. The menu information includes information indicating the positions of up to 32 menu items, information indicating the colors of the menu items, and information indicating a control order to be executed when one of the menu items is selected by a menu item. user. Figure 5 shows an exemplary menu. In the example illustrated in Figure 5, the menu 50 has 8 menu items 51 to 58 respectively representing the information to be reproduced later. For each of the 8 menu items 51 to 58, the menu information defines its position and color, as well as a control command to be executed when that menu item is selected. One of the 8 menu items 51 to 58 will be selected by a user. Graphic data to display a menu is stored in a sub-image package. When a user selects one of the plurality of menu items or confirms the selected menu item, the color of a graphic corresponding to the selected menu item is changed according to the position information and color information in the administration information packet. When a user confirms a selected menu item, a control command associated with that menu item is executed. Thus, a diversified reproduction control is achieved according to the instructions of a user. To be concise, the packet data included in the VOBUs 603 is shown as being placed with some regularity in the example of Figure 4. However, the packet data need not be placed with any regularity unless the information packet The administration data needs to be located at the start of each VOBU 603. For example, the package data does not need to be placed in such a way that they are tied together each containing only one packet data class. Instead, the packet data may be randomly distributed or placed independent of the packet data classes, because a disk reproduction apparatus will first temporarily store the packet data in a buffer section and then read the package data from the buffer section. The total number of packet data included in each VOBU 603 and / or the packet data number of each class does not need to be a constant number because the moving image data, the audio data, and / or the sub-image data they can be compressed data of variable length. In practice, each VOBU 603 will include a different number of packet data. Two packages of moving pictures to be included in the exemplary VOBU 603 of Figure 4 are shown. However, the number of moving picture packets included in a real VOBU 603 may be in the order of several hundred because the speed of Motion picture data transfer for a disc playback device is approximately 4.5 Mbits. (3.1.2) Data structure of the video title set information 601 The video title set information 601 includes information for managing the reproduction order of the VOBs 602. Here, the data designating the reproduction order of the VOBs 602 are called program chain (PGC). Different PGCs can define different orders in which the VOBs 602 are reproduced. Figure 6 shows the data structure of the video title set information 601. As shown in Figure 6, the video title set information (VTSI) 601 includes a VTS administration table (VTSI_MAT) 611 , a table of search pointers of video title set section titles (TT_SRPT) 612, and a PGC administration information table (PGCIT) 613. The VTS 611 administration table serves as the header information of the video title set information 601. The VTS 611 administration table includes a pointer indicating the position in which the table of search pointers of video title set section titles 612 is stored and a pointer is stored which indicates the position in which the PGC 613 administration information table is stored. The table of search pointers of video title set section titles 612 includes the number of pointers 621 and a plurality of start PGC numbers 622. A start PGC number 622 is an index indicating the PGC information 631 to be executed first among the plurality of PGC 631 information units stored in the administration information table of PGC 613. A start PGC number 622 is designated for each title. For example, if the value of the start PGC number 622 that corresponds to title # 1 is * 3", this indicates that PGC information # 3 will be executed first for title # 1. The PGC 613 administration information table includes a plurality of PGC 631 information units (ie, PGC information # 1 for PGC information #n.) PGC information 631 defines the position at which one or more VOBs .602 are stored on the disk and the order of reproduction of such VOBs 602. It is possible for different information units of PGC 631 to describe the reproduction of the same VOBs 602. Accordingly, it is possible to designate a plurality of playback commands by the same VOBs 602. For example, if the information of PGC 631 defines reproduction of VOBs 602 in the order of VOB # l, VOB # 2, VOB # 3, and VOB # 4, VOBs 602 will be reproduced in the order of V0B # 1, VOB # 2, V0B # 3, and VOB # 4, if the PGC 631 information defines the reproduction of VOBs 602 in the order of V0B # 3, VOB # 2, V0B # 1, and V0B # 4, the VOBs 602 will be reproduced in the order of V0B # 3, V0B # 2, V0B # 1, and V0B # 4. The PGC information 631 includes PGC connection information 641 and one or more VOB addresses 642. The connection information of PGC 641 stores the indexes of the PGC 631 information units to be joined before and after the PGC information. 631. For example, PGC connection information 641 of PGC information # 3 stores the PGC information index 631 (for example, information # 1 of PGC) to be joined before information # 3 of PGC and index of PGC 631 information (for example, PGC information # 5) to be joined after PGC information # 3. Once the reproduction of a PGC 631 information has been completed, a disc reproduction apparatus determines the following PGC 631 information according to the PGC 641 connection information and continues the reproduction control according to the following information of PGC 631. The address of VOB 642 is information indicating the position (on the optical disc) of the VOB 602 to be reproduced. The order of the VOB addresses 642 within the PGC information 631 represents the order by which the VOBs 602 are reproduced by means of a disk reproduction apparatus. (3.2) Data manager information structure 700 The video manager information 700 is information for playback control which should be sent first when the optical disc is played by a disc playback apparatus in a video-oriented manner. Figure 7 shows the data structure of the video manager information 700. The data structure of the video manager information 700 is in accordance with the data structure of the video title set 600 shown in Figure 6. The difference between the VOBs of the video manager information 700 and the VOBs of the video title set 600 is that the VOBs of the video manager information 700 is specialized for volume menus. Here, a "volume menu" is defined as a menu to display all the titles stored on an optical disc to allow a user to select one of the titles.A volume menu is displayed on the screen immediately after an optical collector has moved from the volume file management region 32a to the video region region 32b of the optical disk, after the loading of the optical disk in a disk reproduction apparatus As shown in FIG. video administrator (VMGI) 700 includes a video object 703 for a menu, a table of PGC administration information (PGCIT) 701 for a menu, and a table of title search pointers (TT_SRPT) 702. The video object 703 for a menu is, as its name implies, a VOB that is specialized for use in a volume menu.The video object 703 for a menu includes a sub-image package to display or display a menu of vo lumen and a management information packet for performing reproduction control in response to a cursor manipulation and / or operation shaping for the volume menu. The PGC 701 administration information table for a menu is PGC information that is specialized for use in a volume file. In the PGC administration information table for a menu 701, the position in which the video object 703 for a menu is stored is described so that the video object 703 for a menu is read when the optical disk is read. load into a disc playback device. This PGC information is read immediately after an optical collector has been moved from the volume file management region 32a to the video region region 32b, after loading the optical disk in a disk reproduction apparatus. As a result, a volume menu is displayed on the screen. The title search pointer table 702 includes the number (ie, a VTS number 721) of the set of video titles to which each title belongs and an index 712 to specify the title number (ie, a number of title of intra-VTS 722) assigned to each title within that set of video titles. (4) Data structure of the audio zone region 32c The audio zone region 32c stores audio manager information 900 and one or more sets of audio titles 800. (4.1) Data structure of the 800 audio title set Figure 8A shows the data structure of the audio title set 800. The set of audio titles 800 includes a plurality of audio objects (hereinafter referred to as * AOBs ") 802, set information of audio titles ( ATSI) 801 for managing the playback order of a plurality of AOBs 802, and audio set set information (ATSI_BUP) 804 (which is backup data of the audio title set information 801). Following discussions, a * set of audio titles "may occasionally be called 'ATS'. (4.1.1) Data structure of the AOB 802 The AOB 802 is grouped into packets of 2K bytes. The AOB 802 stores data in the LPCM format, the AC3 format, the MPEG Audio format (see ISO / IEC DIS 13818-3: July 1996), the DTS format (see DTS Coherent Acoustics * Providing high quality multi-channel sound to the consumer "(Delivering high quality multichanel sound to the consumer) presented at the 100th Convention, May 11 to 14, 1996, Copenhagen AES) or SDDS format (see SDDS Specification for Disk (Version 1.0) - multichannel digital audio coding, Sony Corporation) .In the case of LPCM, the bit sample is 16, 20, or 24 bits, with a sampling frequency of 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 176.4 kHz. (4.1.2) Data structure of the audio title set information 801 The audio title set information (ATSI) 801 includes information for managing the playback order of the AOBs 802. The order of reproduction of the AOBs 802 is designated by means of a program chain (PGC), as in the case of VOBs 602. Different PGCs can define different orders by means of which the AOBs 802 are reproduced. As shown in FIG. 8A, the audio title set information (ATSI) 801 includes an ATS management table (ATSI_MAT) 811 and an ATS program chain information table (ATS_PGCIT) 812. The ATS 811 administration table serves as header information of audio title set information 801. The ATS 811 administration table includes a pointer indicating the region in which the ATS program chain information table 812 is stored and a targeted r indicating the region in which the AOB 802 is stored. The ATS management table 811 includes an ATS identifier (ATSI_ID) 821, ATS address information 822, ATS version number 823, audio attributes ( A0TT_A0B_ATR) 824, and a downmix factor 825.

The ATS identifier 821 stores a string of letters indicating the set of titles that is an ATS. The ATS address information 822 will be described later. The ATS version number 823 stores the version number of the standard defining the data structure of the audio title set information 801. The audio attributes 824 store 8 kinds of audio stream attributes. Each AOB 802 included in a set of 800 audio titles must be played according to one of the 8 kinds of audio stream attributes. The audio attributes 824 include an audio encryption mode 841, a bit quantization number 842, a sample rate 843, and a multi CH attribute (channel) 844. The audio encryption mode 841 describes a code that represents LPCM or a compression method. The bit quantization number 842 describes a code representing 16, 20, or 24 bits. The sample rate 843 describes a code representing 48 kHz, 96 kHz, 192 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 88.2 kHz, or 176.4 kHz. The multi CH 844 attribute describes a code that represents, for example, how to use each channel in the case of a multi CH system.

Any unused field in the audio attributes 824 stores the value * 0. "The downmix factor 825 stores 16 kinds of factors to be used to down-mix the respective channels of a multi CH system in 2 CH.One of the 16 classes of factors stored in the downmix factor 825 is selectively assigned by ATS program information (ATS_PGI) 862 program chain information (ATS_PGCI) 833 (described below). Thus, the downmix factor can be changed from program to program. As shown in Figure 8A, the ATS program string information table 812 includes ATS program chain information table information (ATS_PGCITI) 831, a plurality of ATS program chain information search pointers ( ATS_PGCI_SRP) 832, and a plurality of ATS program chain information (ATS_PGCI) ATS 833. The ATS program chain information table information 831 describes the number of ATS program chain information search pointers 832, and the last address of the ATS program string information table 812. The ATS program string information table information 831 is used to aid in the search of the program string information search pointers. of ATS 832. Each ATS 832 program string information search pointer includes ATS_PGC (ATS_PGC_CAT) 851 category describing the numbers of titles ro of the ATS and the PGC category, and a start address of ATS_PGC (ATS_PGCI_SA) 852 that indicates the position in which the ATS program chain information is stored. The ATS program string information 833 includes general information of ATS_PGC (ATS_PGC_GI) 861(including address information and playing time relating to this program string), a plurality of ATS cell reproduction information units (ATS_C_PBI) 863 (including addresses and attributes of cells, which are minimum reproduction units of a AOB 802), and a plurality of ATS program information units (ATS_PGI) 862. Each of the plurality of ATS program information units 862 includes a stream number 881, a downmix factor number 882 that indicates the number of the downmixing factor (i.e., index for one of the 16 kinds of factors included in the downmix factor 825 of the ATS 811 administration table) used when downmixing multi CH in 2 CH, a input cell number (ATS_PG_EN__CN) 883 indicating the cell number - of ATS to be reproduced first among the plurality of ATS cells included in the program, and PG (program) playback mode (ATS_PG_PB_TM) 884. The stream number 881 is a number for specifying one of the 8 kinds of audio stream attributes defined by the audio attributes 824 of the ATS 811 administration table. The audio stream is reproduced according to the audio attributes 824 specified by the stream number 881. Thus, an audio stream can be played according to different audio attributes, depending on the program. Thus, the ATS program string information 833 describes the position (on the disk) in which one or more AOBs 802 and the playback order of the AOBs 802 are stored. It is possible for different-s chain information units. of ATS program 833 to describe the reproduction of the same AOBs 802. Accordingly, it is possible to designate a plurality of playback commands for the same AOBs 802. For example, if the ATS program chain information unit 833 defines- xeproduction of AOBs 802 in the order of AOB # l, A0B # 2, A0B # 3, and A0B # 4, the AOBs 802 will be reproduced in the order of A0B # 1, AOB # 2, A0B # 3, and A0B # 4 . If the ATS program string information unit 833 defines playback of AOBs 802 in the order of AOB # 3, A0B # 2, AOB # l, and A0B # 4, the AOBs 802 will be played in the order of A0B # 3 , A0B # 2, A0B # 1, and A0B # 4. Sets of 800 audio titles can be classified into those that point to AOBs 802 (* type points to AOB ") and those that point to VOBs 602 ('type points to VOB") instead of AOBs 802. The data structure shown in the Figure 8A is the data structure of a set of 800 audio titles of a type AOB point. Figure 8B shows the data structure of a set of 800 audio titles of the VOB point type. The data structure shown in Fig. 8B is identical to the data structure shown in Fig. 8A only that the set of audio titles 800 of Fig. 8B does not include a plurality of AOBs 802. Moreover, the information units of respective attributes include descriptions that are specific to VOBs 602. Specifically, the address information of the VTS 600 to which the VOB 602 belongs and the address information of the VOB 602 are described in the ATS address information 822 of the administration table of ATS 811. In the audio attributes 824 of the ATS management table 811, the description of a stream ID 845 to specify which of the subcurrents included in the VTS 600 will be reproduced is additionally included as well as the defined audio attributes. in the VOB 602. The sampling frequency 843 of fc the audio attributes 824 is limited to either 48 kHz or 96 kHz. A code representing LPCM, AC3, can be described, MPEG Audio, DTS or SDDS in the audio encryption mode 841. The downmix factor 825 of the ATS 811 administration table is filled with * 0"s, indicating that the downmix factor 825 is not used. An audio encryption mode 875 of the t category of ATS_PGC 851 describes a code defined in the VOB 602. An ATS cell start address (ATS_C_SA) 893 and an ATS cell end address (ATS_C_EA) 894 of cell reproduction information of ATS 863 describe the address of a cell of a VOB 602. Figure 8C shows the data structure of the ATS address information 822. fl The ATS address information 822 includes the last address 822a of the audio title set 800, the last address 822b of the audio title set information 801, the last address 822c of the ATS 811 administration table, the start address 822d of a set of titles video 600, the address of start 822e of an object region, and the start address 822f of the ATS program chain information table 812. In FIG. 8C, the arrows from the ATS address information 822 represent the locations to which the respective addresses point. In the case where the set of audio titles 800 is of a type AOB points (figure 8A), the start address 822d of the set of video titles 600 of the ATS address information 822 is filled with * 0"s. In the case where the audio title set 800 is of a VOB target type (Figure 8B), the start address 822d of the video title set 600 stores the start address of the set of video titles 600 to which the VOBs 602 belong Therefore, the set of audio titles 800 is of a type AOB point if the value * 0"is stored in field 822d of ATS address information 822; otherwise the set of audio titles 800 is of a type pointed VOB. Thus, a set of audio titles 800 can be identified either as a type AOB point or a type point VOB by reference to field 822d of the ATS address information 822. In the case where the set of audio titles 800 is of a type points AOB, the start address of A0B # 1 is stored in the start address 822e of a region of objects. In the case where the set of audio titles 800 is of a type pointed to VOB, the start address of V0B # 1 is stored in the start address 822e of a region of objects. Thus, the order of reproduction of AOBs 802 or VOBs 602 can be determined based on a set of audio titles as a unit. (4.2) Data structure of audio administrator information 900 The audio manager information 900 is information for playback control that will be assigned first when the optical disc is reproduced by means of a disc playback apparatus in an audio-oriented manner. Figure 9 shows the data structure of the audio manager information 900. The audio administrator information (AMGI) 900 includes an audio administrator information management table (AMGI_MAT) 901, a table of search pointers of audio titles (ATT_SRPT) 902, a table of audio-only title search pointers (AOTT_SRPT) 903, a PGC administration information table of audio administrator's menu (AMGM_PGCI_UT) 904, and a text data manager Audio (ATXTDT_MG) 905. The audio manager information management table 901 stores the attributes of the audio manager 900 information, the address information of various tables, and the like. The audio title search pointer table 902 includes table information of audio title search pointers (ATT_SRPTI) 911 and a plurality of audio title search pointers.

(ATT_SRP) 912. The table information of audio title search pointers 911 stores the number of audio titles and the last address of the table of search pointers of audio titles 902. The pointer of search of audio titles 912 stores different kinds of information depending on whether to designate the title of an ATS or the title of a VTS. When the title of an ATS is designated, the audio title search pointer 912 stores an ATS number 934, an intra-ATS 935 title number, and an ATS 936 start address. When the title of a VTS is designated, the search pointer of audio titles 912 stores a VTS number 942, an intra-VTS title number 943, a VTS start address 944, and an angle number 941. An audio title category 931 of the title search pointer of 912 audio includes an AOTT / AVTT 961 flag, a 962 menu backspace flag, and an ATT 963 group number. When designating the title of an ATS, the AOTT / AVTT 961 flag stores a code representing AOTT. When the title of a VTS is designated, the AOTT / AVTT 961 flag stores a code representing AVTT. The menu backward flag 962 stores a flag indicating whether or not to return to a menu after playing a designated title. The ATT 963 group number stores the number of a title group to which the designated title belongs. Here, a title group is defined as a concept under which it is ensured that a plurality of titles belonging to the same title group are reproduced consecutively. The ATT 963 group numbers are provided to allow consecutive playback of a plurality of titles without performing reproduction control based on complicated navigational information.

The table of audio title search pointers 902 is assigned by means of an audio player having a video function. The audio-only title search pointer table 903 has a data structure similar to that of the audio title search pointer table 902. However, the title of a VTS is never designated using a table of pointers. audio-only title search 903. The audio-only title search pointer table 903 is assigned by means of an audio player that has only one audio output. The PGC administration information table in the PGC 904 audio manager menu describes the order of menu playback. The audio text data manager 905 stores information to display text information. Hereinafter, a disc reproducing apparatus for reproducing the information stored on the DVD 100 will be described. FIG. 10 shows a DVD player 1 as a playback apparatus for the DVD 100, a television monitor 2 coupled to the player of DVD 1, and a remote control 91.

The DVD player 1 has an opening in a front face of your body. An impulse mechanism (not shown) is provided to load the DVD along the direction of the opening depth. On the front side of the DVD player 1 a remote control receiving section 92 is provided having a light sensitive element for receiving infrared rays emitted from the remote control 91. When a user operates the keys of the remote control 91, lightning is generated infrared which is in accordance with the key operated by the user. In response to a received infrared beam, the receiving section of the remote control 92 generates an interrupt signal indicating the reception of a key signal from the remote control 91. On the back side of the DVD player 1 a terminal is provided. 95 video output and 96 audio output terminal. Connecting an AV cable (audiovisual) to these output terminals, a video signal can be delivered which is played from the DVD 100 to the large television monitor 2 for home use. Thus, a user can enjoy the images reproduced from the DVD 100 using a relatively large television for home use, for example, 33 inches, 35 inches or the like.

As will be appreciated from the above description, the DVD player 1 will not be used while it is connected to a computer apparatus such as a personal computer, but is used as a domestic electrical appliance while it is connected to the television monitor 2. The remote control 91 includes a plurality of keys on an operation board on its body surface, the keys are energized with springs. Thus, the remote control delivers a code corresponding to a key pressed in the form of an infrared ray. Figure 11 shows the operation board 91a of the remote control 91. Several operation keys are provided in the operation board 91a. An 'ENERGY' key 192 is used to switch the power of the DVD player 1 to OFF or ON A * A-MODE "193 key is used to designate an audio-oriented playback mode. When the "MODE" key 193 is pressed, the remote control 91 transfers a code representing an audio-oriented playback mode to the DVD player 1. A "V-MODE" key 194 is used to designate a playback mode oriented to video. When the 'V-MODE' key 194 is pressed, the remote control 91 transfers a code representing a video-oriented playback mode to the DVD player 1. A 'MENU' key 195 is used to call a volume menu of the DVD 100 during the reproduction of video information or audio information according to a program chain. Ten keys 197 are used to give instructions such as a chapter jump in the case of a movie, or selection of a song in the case of music. The cursor keys 198 are used to move a cursor in an up, down, right or left direction to select an item. An * INTRO "196 key is used to confirm the item that has been selected by the cursor.When the cursor is on an item, that item is displayed in a 'selected' color as designated by the package item color information. of administration information. Once the selection of an item is confirmed by pressing the * INTR0"196 key, the item is displayed in a 'confirmed' color as designated by the item color information of the administration information packet. Keys 199 are used to give instructions such as 'play' ^ 'stop', 'pause', 'fast forward forward', 'rewind', and the like to the DVD player 1. The 199 keys are also commonly used in other devices AV Fig. 12 shows the structure of the DVD player 1 in accordance with an example of the present invention As shown in Fig. 12, the DVD player 1 includes a pulse mechanism section 16, a processing section signal 84, an AV decoder section 85, an audio decoder section 94, a remote control receiving section 92 for receiving signals from the remote control 91, and a system control section 93. The pulse mechanism section 16 includes a base (not shown) on which the DVD 100 will be placed, and an engine 81 for holding and rotating the DVD 100 that has been placed in the base.The motor 81 can be an axis motor, for example. place the DVD 100, the DVD 100 is moved in / out of the body by means of an ejection mechanism (not shown). A user places the DVD 100 in the base, with the base having been moved out of the body. After this, the base on which the DVD 100 has been placed moves inside the body. Thus, the DVD 100 is loaded into the DVD player 1. The pulse mechanism section 16 further includes a mechanism control section 83 for controlling a mechanism system that includes the motor 81 and an optical pickup 82. The optical pickup 82 reads signals that are stored in the DVD 100. The mechanism control section 83 adjusts the speed of the motor 81 according to the position of the track, instructed from the system control section 93. The mechanism control section 83 controls the path of the optical pickup 82 by controlling an actuator (not shown) of the optical pickup 82. Once the precise position of a track through the servo control is detected, the mechanism control section 83 waits for rotation until it reaches a position in which the desired physical sector is stored, and reads signals from the desired physical sector in a consecutive manner. The signal processing section 84 performs processes, eg, amplification, wavelength configuration, digitization, decoding, and error correction to the signal that has been read by the optical pickup 82. The signal that has been read from the The optical collector 82 is converted into digital data, and stored in a buffer 93a in the system control section 93 in a logical block by logic block manner. The decoding section of AV 85 performs predetermined processes to the digital input data of VOBs 602 and converts the digital data into a video signal and an audio signal. The video signal and the audio signal are output from the decoder section of AV 85. The decoder section of AV 85 includes a system decoder section 86, a video decoder 87, a sub-picture decoder 88, an audio decoder 89 for an AV decoder, and an image synthesis section 90. The decoder section of the system 86 receives the digital data that is transferred from the buffer 93a of the system control section 93 in a logical block by logical block manner ( that is to say, packet to packet), and determines the current ID and subcurrent ID in the header of each packet, thereby classifying the packets into moving image data packets, sub-image data packets, audio data packets, and administration information packages. During this sorting, the moving image data packets are delivered to the video decoder 87. As for the sub-image data packets and the audio data packets, only the sub-image data packets and the data packets of the audio having a designated stream number are delivered to the sub-picture decoder 88 and the audio decoder 89 for an AV decoder according to a decoding current designation instruction which is fed from the system control section 93. The packages of administration information are delivered to the system control section 93. The moving image data packets that are fed to the video decoder 87 are expanded by means of a predetermined method according to MPEG2, and delivered to the section of synthesis of images 90 in the form of digital video data. The sub-image packets that are fed to the sub-picture decoder 88 are expanded by the run length method, and are delivered to the image synthesis section 90 in the form of digital video data. After they are subjected to image synthesis by the image synthesis section 90, the digital video data emitted from the video decoder 87 and the digital video data emitted from the sub-picture decoder 88 are converted into a video signal of according to the NTSC method. The video signal is delivered to the exterior of the DVD player 1 via the video output terminal 95 (FIG. 10).

The audio data packets that are fed to the audio decoder 89 for an AV decoder, are decoded according to the audio compression method (e.g., LPCM or AC3) depending on their data type, and are subjected to a D / A conversion, with which an audio signal is obtained. The audio signal is delivered to the exterior of the DVD player 1 via the audio output terminal 96 (Figure 10). The audio decoder section 94 performs predetermined processes for the digital input data of AOBs 802 that depend on its data type, thereby obtaining an audio signal. The audio signal is delivered to the exterior of the DVD player 1 via the audio output terminal 96 (Figure 10). The system control section 93 includes a CPU 93b to control the DVD player 1 in its entirety and different work memories. Next, the operation of the DVD player 1 having the structure described above will be described. As the 'V-MODE' key 193 is pressed on the remote control 91 by a user, an infrared signal representing a video-oriented playback mode is transmitted from the remote control 91 to the DVD player 1. The infrared signal of the remote control 91 is received and analyzed by the remote control receiving section 92 of the DVD player 1. As a result, a code representing a video-oriented playback mode is retained in a playback mode conservation section 93c within the system control section 93. Similarly, as the "MODE" key 194 of the remote control 91 is pressed by a user, a code representing an audio-oriented reproduction mode is retained in the conservation mode so reproduction 93c in the system control section 93. The system control section 93 includes a reproduction mode determination section 93d. At the start of playback of the DVD 100, the playback mode determination section 93d determines whether the playback mode is a video-oriented playback mode or an audio-oriented playback mode referring to the mode preserved in the mode saving section. of reproduction 93c. The function of the reproduction mode determination section 93d can be achieved by means of, for example, a program executed by the CPU 93b. It should be noted that the reproduction mode discussed above is not always changed in response to input from a user.

For example, in the case where the disc reproduction apparatus is a portable device having a liquid crystal display panel that can be opened or closed, the reproduction mode can be changed automatically according to the open or closed state of the recording board. the liquid crystal screen. For example, if the liquid crystal display board is in the open state, the playback mode can be changed to a video-oriented playback mode; conversely, if the liquid crystal display board is in the closed state, the playback mode can be changed to an audio-oriented playback mode. Such control can be achieved by feeding a control signal indicating the open or closed state of the liquid crystal display board to the playback mode determination section 93d to allow the reproduction mode determination section 93d to operate in response to that signal of control. Alternatively, the playback mode can be changed automatically according to the connection of the video output terminal. For example, if an AV cable is connected to the video output terminal, the playback mode can be switched to a video-oriented playback mode; reciprocally, if an AV cord is not connected to the video output terminal, the playback mode can be switched to an audio-oriented playback mode. Such control can be achieved by feeding a control signal indicating the status of the connection of the video output terminal to the playback mode determination section 93d to allow the reproduction mode determination section 93d to operate in response to that signal of control. Alternatively, the playback mode can be changed automatically according to the presence / absence of a video signal. For example, if a video signal is delivered to the video output terminal, the playback mode can be switched to a video-oriented playback mode; conversely, if a video signal is not delivered to the video output terminal, the playback mode can be switched to a d-e audio-oriented playback mode. Such control can be achieved by detecting the presence / absence of a video signal and feeding a control signal indicating the result of detection to the playback mode determination section 93d to allow the reproduction mode determination section 93d to operate according to that control signal. Alternatively, in the case where the disc reproduction apparatus is a device to be mounted on a car, the reproduction mode can be changed automatically according to the state of movement of the automobile. For example, if the car is not moving, the playback mode can be switched to a video-oriented playback mode; conversely, if the car is in motion, the playback mode can be switched to an audio-oriented playback mode. Such control can be achieved by feeding a control signal indicating the movement state of the automobile to the reproduction mode determination section 93d so as to allow the reproduction mode determination section 93d to operate in accordance with that control signal. . It can be detected if a car is at rest or not, detecting, for example, the state of the parking brake or the gearbox. In the case of an automatic transmission car, the gearbox that is in the parking position will indicate that the car is stationary. Figure 13A shows the flow of a playback process in the video-oriented playback mode. It is assumed that the playback mode has already been determined as the video-oriented playback mode. In step S131, it is determined whether or not an optical disc is loaded in the DVD player 1. Such determination can be made by means of, for example, the system control section 93 according to a signal from the optical sensor. If it is determined that an optical disc is loaded in the DVD player 1, the system control section 93 controls the rotation of the disc, controlling the mechanism control section 83 and the signal processing section 84, and performs an operation of initialization to cause the optical collector 82 to search in the input region 31 (FIG. 3). Thus, the reproduction process begins. In step S132, the video manager information 700 (FIG. 3) of the video region region 32b is read (FIG. 3). This reading is made based on the information that is read from the volume management region 32a (Figure 3). Referring to the PGC administration information table for a menu 701 of the video manager information 700 (figure 7) (step S133), the system control section 93 calculates the address of the program chain information for a volume menu (step S134), and reads the program string information for the volume menu based on that address, and retains the program string information for the volume menu within the system control section 93 (step S135).

Referring to the retained program string information for the volume menu, the system control section 93 calculates the address of the VOB 703 (FIG. 7) for the menu that will be played first (step S136), and the VOB 703 is played. for a menu based on that address (step S137). As a result, a video menu is shown (step S138). The video menu is used by a user to select the title that the user wants to play. Figure 15 shows an exemplary displayed image of a video menu, where the user can select a desired title from among "Movie A", "Movie B", and "Movie C." For example, the user can press a key on the remote control 91 (Fig. 10) corresponding to the menu item to be selected from a plurality of menu items that are displayed.An element of the plurality of menu items is selected (step S139). system control 93 receives information that represents the selected menu item (e.g., the menu item number) by means of the remote control receiving section 92 (FIG. 12).

The system control section 93 receives the administration information packets included in the VOBs of the video menu being played from the AV decoder 85. Referring to the administration information packets, the system control section 93 executes an order control corresponding to the selected menu item (step S140). The control order can be, for example, 'TitlePlay # n', which means 'reproduce a title that has the title number n.' The system control section 93 calls a subroutine 'TITLE PLAYBACK IN VIDEO ORIENTED PLAYBACK MODE' to execute the 'TitlePlay # n' command (step S141). In step S142, it is determined whether or not to return to the video menu illustrated in figure 15. If the determination in step S142 is 'Yes', the process returns to step S133, if the deterrain-i order in the step S142 is * No ", the playback process is finished, Figure 13B describes the flow of a playback process in the subroutine 'TITLE PLAYBACK IN VIDEO ORIENTED PLAYBACK MODE." The system control section 93 reads the title search pointers table 702 (figure 7) of the video manager information 700 (step S151) Referring to the title search pointer 712 (figure 7) which corresponds to the title number n, the control section of system 93 acquires VTS number 721 (figure 7) and intra-VTS title number 722 (figure 7) (step S152). System control section 93 reads the table of video title search pointers from section of video title set 612 (figure 6) of The set of video titles 600 (FIG. 6) corresponding to the VTS number 721 (step S153). Referring to the start PGC number 622 (FIG. 6) corresponding to the intra-VTS title number 722, the system control section 93 calculates the address of the PGC 631 information (FIG. 6) to be executed first (step S154), reads the PGC information 631 based on that address, and stores the PGC information 631 within the system control section 93 (step S155). The system control section 93 acquires the VOB addresses 642 (Fig. 6) according to the information of PGC 631 (step S156), and reproduces a VOB 602 based on that address (step S157). In step S158, it is determined whether the VOB 602 is the last VOB 602 or not to be reproduced. If the determination in step S158 is "Yes", the process moves to step S159, if the determination in step S158 is "No", the process returns to step S156.

In step S159, it is determined whether or not the PGC 631 information is the last information of PGC 631 to be reproduced. If the determination in step S159 is 'Yes', the process moves to step S142 in Figure 13A, if the determination in step S159 is 'No', the process returns to step S154. In the case where a VOB is played according to the PGC information that corresponds to a menu to allow the playback flow to branch, a menu item of the video data contained in the reproduced VOB is displayed, as in the case of viewing a menu based on the aforementioned video manager information. A control command that is thrown by means of user interaction in a management information package of a VOB is stored. Accordingly, when user interaction is received through a remote control operation or something similar, the system control section 93 executes the control command in the VOB administration information packet. As a result, diversified reproduction control is achieved. Although not shown in Figure 10, the DVD player 1 is provided with a change key to switch between an audio channel and a sub-image channel. The audio channel and the sub-image channel selected by a user using this change key are kept in a register (not shown) within the system control section 93. When a VOB is played, the system control section 93 refers to this register to designate a valid channel for the decoder section of AV 85. Such designation is made to output a control signal from the system control section 93 to the decoder section of AV 85. As a result, only the information in the valid audio channel and the sub picture channel is delivered to the outside together with the information of moving images. Figure 14A shows the flow of a playback process in the audio-oriented playback mode. It is assumed here that the playback mode has already been determined as the audio-oriented playback mode. In step S161, it is determined whether or not an optical disc is loaded in the DVD player 1. Such determination can be made by means of, for example, the system control section 93 according to a signal from the optical sensor. If it is determined that an optical disc is loaded in the DVD player 1, the system control section 93 controls the rotation of the disc, controlling the mechanism control section 83 and the signal processing section 84, and performs an operation of initialization to cause the optical collector 82 to search in the input region 31 (FIG. 3). Thus, the reproduction process begins. In step 162, the audio manager information 900 (Figure 3) is read from the audio zone region 32c (Figure 3). This reading is made based on the information that is read from the 32a volume file management region (Figure 3). Referring to the audio-only title search pointer table 903 (FIG. 9) of the audio manager information 900 (step S163), the system control section 93 acquires the ATS numbers 954 and the title numbers of intra-ATS 955 according to the order of entry into the table of audio-only title search pointers 903 (step S164). The system control section 93 calls a subroutine 'REPRODUCTION OF TITLE IN PLAY MODE AUDIO-ORIENTED "to play a title designated by the ATS number 954 and the intra-ATS title number 955 (step S165) In step S166, it is determined whether or not the title is the last title to be played. If the determination in - step S166 is 'Yes', the reproduction process ends; if the determination in step S166 is 'No', the process returns to step S163, Figure 14B describes the flow of a reproduction process in the subroutine 'TITLE REPRODUCTION IN AUDIO-ORIENTED PLAYBACK MODE'. The system control section 93 reads the audio title set information 801 (FIG. 8A) from the set of audio titles 800 corresponding to the designated ATS number 954 (step S171). The system control section 93 reads the ATS program string information table 812 from the audio title set information 801 (step S172), and reads the ATS program string information search pointers 832 according to the order of entry into the ATS program chain information table 812 (step S173). By searching through the ATS_PGC 851 category of the ATS program string information search pointers 832, the system control section 93 determines whether or not the designated intra-ATS title number 955 matches the intra-ATS title number 872 of the ATS_PGC 851 category (step S174). If the determination in step S174 is 'Yes', the process moves to step S175; if the determination in step S174 is 'No', the process returns to step S173 In step S173, another ATS program string information search pointer 832 is read. The system control section 93 reads the unit ATS program string information 833 corresponding to the ATS program string information search pointer 832 in which the designated intra-ATS title number 955 is located, and retains the program chain information unit of ATS 833 within the system control section 93 (step S175) The system control section 93 acquires the ATS program information 862 to be reproduced in accordance with the order of entry into the chain information unit of ATS program 833 (step S176), and determines the cell to be reproduced based on the cell number described in the entry cell number 833 of the ATS program information 862. The system control section 93 acquires the ATS cell reproduction information 863 corresponding to the ATS program information 862 (step S177). The address of the cell in which the reproduction should start is designated by means of the ATS cell start address 893 of the ATS cell reproduction information 863. The address of the cell in which the reproduction must end is designates by means of the ATS cell end address 894 of the ATS cell reproduction information 863. Based on the ATS cell start address 893 and the ATS cell end address 894, the system control 93 calculates the address of the object to be reproduced as well as the displacement information for that object (step S178), and reproduces the object based on this address and offset information (step S179). If the set of audio titles designated 800 is of a type pointed to by AOB, the object to be reproduced is an AOB 802. The position of the AOB 802 on the optical disc is determined based on the start address 822e (FIG. 8C) of the region of objects of the ATS address information 822. The AOB 802 that has been reproduced from the optical disc is transferred to the audio decoder section 94 by means of the system control section 93. The audio decoder section 94 converts the AOB 802 into an audio signal, which is output to the exterior of the DVD player 1. If the set of audio titles designated 800 is of a type pointed to VOB, the object to be reproduced is a VOB 602. The position of the VOB 602 on the optical disk is determined based on the start address 822e (FIG. 8C) of the object region of the ATS address information 822. The VOB 602 that has been reproduced from the optical disk is processed so that the data of the start and the end of VOB 602 data is adjusted based on the displacement information. The data from the VOB 602 so processed is transferred to the decoder section of AV 85. Prior to the transfer of the VOB 602 data, the system control section 93 issues a decryption medium restriction instruction to the AV decoder section. 85. After the decryption medium restriction instruction, the AV decoding section 85 decodes only the data of the audio packets included in the VOB 602, thereby converting the data of the VOB 602 into an audio signal. The audio signal is output to the exterior of the DVD player 1. Next, the operation of the DVD player 1 in the video-oriented playback mode and the operation of the DVD player 1 in the oriented playback mode will be described more specifically. to audio with reference to Figures 16A and 16B. Figure 16A illustrates the content of exemplary data of a music application accompanied by images. This application includes a live recording of a concert by a certain singer.

V0B # 1 to V0B # 6 are stored as motion picture information 160 on the optical disc. A0B # 1 to AOB # 4 are stored as audio information 162 on the same optical disk in which V0B # 1 to V0B # 6 were stored. V0B # 2 includes the information of moving images of the 'Song A. "Here, it is assumed that the' Song A 'shows the image of the public that enters the concert hall during a period,' you ', at the beginning, followed by the actual performance and singing of Song A during a period, 't2'. VOB # 3 includes the information of moving images of an 'Interview with the singer.' VOB # 4 includes the information of moving images of the 'Song B'. V0B # 5 includes the information of moving images of the 'Song C.' VOB # 6 includes the information of moving images of the 'Song D' that ends the concert. It is assumed that 'Song D' shows the actual performance and singing of Song D during a period, 't3', followed by the image of the audience leaving the concert hall for a period, 't4. "VOB # l It includes the information of moving images of a video menu to be displayed at the beginning of the playback.The video menu is used to determine which of the 'Song A', the 'Song B', the 'Song C', the 'Song D', or the 'Interview with the singer' must be reproduced, and therefore it diversifies the VOB's reproduction trajectory. Each of the V0B # 1 to V0B # 6 includes audio information in the LPCM format (16-bit sampling) and sub-image information to display subtitles of the words of the songs. Each of the A0B # 1 to A0B # 4 includes audio information in the LPCM format (24-bit sampling). Thus, each of A0B # 1 to A0B # 4 includes audio information of a sound quality higher than that of VOB # l to VOB # 6. AOB # l includes the audio information of the 'Song B'. "The content of the audio information of the 'Song B' is the same as that of the audio information of the 'Song B' only that the audio information of the 'Song B' 'is of higher quality than that of the audio information of the' Song B '. AOB # 2 includes the audio information of the 'Song C.' The content of the audio information of the 'Song C' is the same as that of the audio information of the 'Song C' only that the audio information of 'Song C' is of higher quality than the audio information of 'Song C'. AOB # 3 includes the audio information of the 'Song # E', AOB # 4 includes audio information of 'Song # F'.

Figure 16B shows trajectories for reproducing the music application accompanied by images shown in Figure 16A. In FIG. 16B, the reference number 164 shows a playback path in the video-oriented playback mode d, and the reference number 166 shows a playback path in the audio-oriented playback mode. The respective objects stored on the optical disc are reproduced along a specified reproduction path. In video-oriented playback mode, the start menu corresponding to VOB # l is displayed before starting playback, and user input is expected. A user selects one of a plurality of menu items in the start menu, such selection is made by means of a remote control operation, for example. The plurality of menu items are respectively associated in advance with V0B # 2 to V0B # 6. A VOB corresponding to the menu item selected by the user is played, so that a video signal and an audio signal corresponding to the reproduced VOB are delivered. The reproduction path 164 is defined by way of branching into one of V0B # 2 to VOB # 6 after the reproduction of V0B # 1. The reproduction path 164 is defined by the information of PGC 631 (FIG. 6). In the case where the reproduction is made along the reproduction path 164, the 'Song A' corresponding to VOB # 2 is played for a period, 'TI', without a displacement, and the 'Song D' which corresponds to V0B # 6 is played for a period, 'T2', without a displacement. In the audio-oriented playback mode, VOB # 2, AOB # l, AOB # 2, VOB # 6, A0B # 3, and AOB # 4 are played in this order. However, as regards V0B # 2 and V0B # 6, only your audio information is reproduced, without reproducing your video information. As a result, an audio signal corresponding to the reproduced VOB or the reproduced AOB is broadcast. The reproduction path 166 is defined so that V0B # 2, A0B # 1, A0B # 2, V0B # 6, A0B # 3, and A0B # 4 are reproduced in this order. The reproduction path 166 is defined by the ATS program chain information 832 (FIGS. 8A and 8B). In the case where the reproduction is performed along the reproduction path 166, the 'Song A' corresponding to V0B # 2 is reproduced first, however, the first period 'ti' of the 'Song A' which does not It is convenient for audio output to be cut so that 'Song A' will be played during the 't2' period, not the entire 'TI' period. Such omission in the reproduction time is made based on displacement information (i.e., cell reproduction information of ATS 863 (Figures 8A and 8B)). After the reproduction of V0B # 2 has finished, the 'Song B' which corresponds to A0B # 1 is played with a higher quality than that of 'Song B'. After the playback of A0B # 1 has finished, the 'Song C' that corresponds to A0B # 2 is played with a higher quality than that of the 'Song C'. After the playback of A0B # 2 has finished, the 'Song D' which corresponds to VOB # 6 is played, however the last period 't4' of the 'Song D' which is not suitable for audio output is short so that the 'Song D' is reproduced for the period 't3', not the whole period 'T2'. Such omission by the reproduction time is made based on the displacement information (i.e., ATS cell reproduction information 863 (Figures 8A and 8B)). After the VOB # 6 playback has finished, the 'Song E' which corresponds to AOB # 3 is played After the AOB # 3 playback has finished, the 'Song F' which corresponds to AOB # 4 will be reproduces. Figure 17 shows an example of specific distribution of data on the optical disc. In this example, it is assumed that the directions of the optical disk are placed in ascending order from the top to the bottom. In the example shown in Figure 17, an audio zone region 32c is assigned with a smaller address than that of a video region region 32b. Alternatively, the audio region region 32c may be assigned with a larger address than that of a video region region 32b. The audio zone region 32c includes an audio manager (AMG) and two sets of audio titles (ATS # 1, ATS # 2) distributed there. The audio administrator (AMG) includes audio administrator information (AMGI) and an audio manager menu (AMG_Menu). In view of the set of audio titles (ATS # 1) is an ATS of the type pointed to by VOB, the set of audio titles (ATS # 1) only includes set information of audio titles (ATSIil). Since the set of audio titles (ATS # 2) is an ATS of the type AOB points, the set of audio titles (ATS # 2) includes set information of audio titles (ATSI # 2) and audio objects ( ATS # 2 AOBs). The video zone region 32b includes a video manager (VMG) and a set of video titles (VTS # 1) distributed there. The video administrator (VMG) includes video administrator information (VMGI) and a video administrator menu (VMG_Menu). The set of video titles (VTS # 1) includes information of video titles (VTSI # 1) and video objects (VTS # 1 VOBs). The audio administrator information (AMGI) includes table information of audio-only title search pointers (AOTT_SRPTI) which is referred to by an audio-only player, and audio title search-point table information (ATT_SRPTI) which is referred to by an audio player with video functions. The audio-only title search pointer table information (AOTT_SRPTI) only points to audio titles included in ATS # 1 and ATS # 2, while the audio title search pointer table information (ATT_SRPTI) points to not only such audio titles but also to a title of the video administrator (VMG) to achieve reproduction accompanied by images (see arrow 171). Audio title set information (ATSI # 1) includes ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PGCI # 2) to define the order of object reproduction. Since ATS # 1 does not include AOBs, the ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PGCI # 2) points to the VOBs included in VTS # 1. Specifically, ATS_PGCI # 1 points to VOB # 2 (see arrow 172), while ATS_PGCI # 2 points to V0B # 6 (see arrow) 173). Audio title set information (ATSI # 2) includes ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PGCI # 2) to define the order of object reproduction. Since ATS # 2 includes AOBs, the ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PGCI # 2) points to the AOBs in ATS # 2. Specifically, ATS_PGCI # 1 points to A0B # 1 (see arrow 174), while ATS_PGCI # 2 points to A0B # 2 (see arrow 175). The video title set information (VTSI # 1) includes information from PGC (PGCI # 1 to PGCI # 3) to define the order of object reproduction. All PGC information (PGCI # 1 to PGCI # 3) points to the VOBs in VTS # 1. Figure 18 shows an order of reproduction of objects in the video-oriented reproduction mode and an order of reproduction of objects in the audio-oriented reproduction mode. In the video-oriented playback mode, a video object (VOB # l) of the video manager - (VMG) is played first so that a start menu corresponding to VOB # l is displayed. A desired title is selected according to a user input. Once the selection of a desired title is made, the PGC information (PGC # 1, PGC # 2, and PGC # 3) of the set of video titles (VTS # 1) is played according to the pointers table of title search (TT_SRPT) serving as navigation information for the video administrator (VMG). According to this navigation information, the "Song A", the "Interview with the singer", the "Song B", the "Song C", and the "Song D" are reproduced. audio, ATT # 1, ATT # 3, ATT # 4, and ATT # 5 are played in this order, according to the table of audio-only title search pointers (AOTT_SRPT) that serves as navigation information for the administrator audio (AMG). ATT # 1 points to cell # 2 of VOB # 2 of VTS # 1 (via PGC # 1 of ATS # 1). ATT # 3 points to AOB # l (via PGC # 1) of ATS # 2). ATT # 4 points to A0B # 2 (via PGC # 2 of ATS # 2). ATT # 5 points to cell # l of VOB # 6 of VTS # 1 (via PGC # 2) of ATS # 1.) Thus, the audio only player will play the last half of the 'Song A', the 'Song B' (high quality), the 'Song C' (high quality), and the first half of the 'Song D. "The' Interview with the singer", the first half of the 'Song A', and the last half of the 'Song' n D "are not reproduced.

As described above, it is possible to selectively reproduce only the data that is appropriate for audio reproduction in accordance with the present example of the invention. Specifically, in an audio-oriented playback mode, it is possible to cut any audio data that the author of the title considers as meaningless without being reproduced along with the images, for example, selection menus that would be reproduced in a playback mode. video-oriented that requires user interaction, the noise of an outgoing audience, and the like. Thus, the author of a given title can provide an optical disc that allows the reproduction of a title according to a selected order of the optimal playback order for the video-oriented playback mode and the optimal playback order for the playback mode oriented to audio. In addition to the present example, a user can enjoy higher quality sounds and voices in audio-oriented playback mode than in video-oriented playback mode. In the present example, it is assumed that the beginning of the reproduction is determined if the reproduction mode is a video-oriented reproduction mode or an audio-oriented reproduction mode. However, the playback mode can be changed during playback. If the playback mode is switched to video-oriented playback mode during playback under the audio-oriented playback mode, the playback order that was initially set in the audio-oriented playback mode can be maintained after the mode change. reproduction, so that the images and sounds / voices are emitted in the case where the reproduced object is a VOB. In this case, the present embodiment may be distributed so as to prohibit the system control section 93 from issuing a decryption medium restriction instruction for the decoder section of AV 85 during the reproduction of a VOB.

(Example 2) From here on, playback will be described by means of an audio player with video functions. The structure of an audio player with video functions is the same as that of the DVD player 1 shown in figure 12 only that the audio player with video functions is distributed so that the determination about whether the playback mode is going to be a video-oriented playback mode or an audio-oriented playback mode is not done before a playback process. The audio player with video functions is defined as an audio player that is specially designed for audio purposes but additionally has an image display function. Figure 19 shows the flow of a playback process by the audio player with video functions. In step S191, it is determined whether or not an optical disc is loaded in the audio player with video functions. Such a determination can be made according to, for example, a signal from an optical sensor. If it is determined that an optical disk is loaded in the audio player with video functions, the rotation of the disk is controlled so that an initialization operation is performed which causes the optical collector to search in the input region 31 (FIG. ). Thus, the reproduction process begins. In step S192, the audio manager information 900 (Figure 3) is read from the audio-region region 32c (Figure 3). This reading is made based on the information that is read from the volume file management information 32a (Figure 3).

In step S193, the audio title search pointer table 902 (FIG. 9) of the audio manager information 900 is referenced. In step S194, the AOTT / AVTT 961 flag of the audio title category is read. 931. In step S195, the value of the AOTT / AVTT flag 961 is checked. If the value of the AOTT / AVTT flag 961 is a value representing AOTT, the process is moved to step S196. If the value of the AOTT / AVTT flag 961 is a value representing AVTT, the process moves to step S198. In step S196, an ATS number 934 and an intra-ATS title number 935 are acquired in the table of audio title search pointers 902. In step S197, the subroutine is called 'REPRODUCTION OF TITLE É? AUDIO ORIENTED PLAYING MODE "(Figure 14B) Details of the reproduction process have already been described with reference to Figure 14B In step S198, the subroutine is called 'REPRODUCTION OF TITLE IN VIDEO-ORIENTED PLAYING MODE' (Figure 13B) Details of the reproduction process have already been described with reference to Figure 13B. is Thus, in the reproduction by means of the audio player with video functions, the reproduction of a title in the audio-oriented playback mode and the reproduction of a title in the video-oriented playback mode are automatically changed depending on the value of the AOTT / AVTT 961 flag. In step S199, it is determined whether the title is the last title to be reproduced or not. If the determination in step S199 is 'Yes', the reproduction process is terminated, if the determination in step S199 is 'No', the process returns to step S193. Next, a specific example of reproduction by the audio player with video functions will be described, with reference to figure 18. They are played ATT # 1, ATT # 2, ATT # 3, ATT # 4, and ATT # 5 in This order, according to the table of audio title search pointers (ATT_SRPT) that serves as navigation information for the audio administrator (AMG) They play ATT # 1, ATT # 3, ATT # 4, and ATT # 5 in the same way as in the case of being played according to the table of search pointers of audio-only titles (AOTT_SRPT). ATT # 2 includes a description to cause title # 2 of the video manager (VMG) to be played. As a result, the audio player with video functions plays only the sounds and voices of the last half of the 'Song A', the 'Song B' (high quality), the 'Song C' (high quality), and the first half of the 'Song D' as in the case of an audio only player, while the audio player with video functions plays the start menu (V0B # 1 ') of the audio manager (AMG) and the' Interview with the singer "along with the images The difference between the table of audio title search pointers (ATT_SRPT) and the table of search pointers of audio-only titles (AOTT_SRPT) is that only ATT_SRPT is able to point to a title in the region of the video area. In the example shown in Figure 18, ATT # 2 points to a title in the video area region. The concept of groups of titles is introduced due to such differences. Titles within a group of titles must always be played consecutively. In the example shown in Figure 18, A0TT_SRPT includes the title groups AOTT_GR # l and AOTT_GR # 2. ATT # 1 belongs to AOTT_GR # l. ATT # 3, ATT # 4, and ATT # 5 belong to A0TT_GR # 2. The title groups ATT_GR # 1, ATT_GR # 2, and ATT_GR # 3 are included in ATT_SRPT. ATT # 1 belongs to ATT_GR # 1. ATT # 2 belongs to ATT_GR # 2. ATT # 3, ATT # 4, and ATT # 5 belong to ATT_GR # 3. Due to this construction, the consistency with respect to the order of reproduction and the title numbers between the audio player with video functions and the audio-only player is maximized, thereby avoiding the user's bewilderment regarding the order of reproduction and titles. Figure 20A shows a specific example of table information of title search pointers. Management information about the five ATT # 1 to ATT # 5 titles is described in the audio title search pointer table information (ATT_SRPTI) and in the table information of search pointers of audio-only titles (AOTT_SRPTI). ATT # 2 in ATT_SRPTI points to a title (TT # 2 of VTS # 1) of the video manager (VMG). Accordingly, TT # 2 of VTS # 1 will be played during playback by the audio player with video functions. On the other hand, the column of the administration information that corresponds to ATT # 2 in AOTT_SRPTI is blank. Therefore, VTS # 1 TT # 2 is not played during playback by the audio only player. Figure 20B shows a specific example of the ATS program string information table (ATS PGCIT) of an ATS (ATS # 2) of the AOB point type. In this example, the ATS program string information table (ATS_PGCIT) includes two ATS program chain information units (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PGCI # 2). The ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1) includes a program and a cell, designating cell # l of AOB # l. The ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 2) includes a program and a cell, designating cell # l of AOB # 2. Figure 20C shows a specific example of the ATS program chain information table (ATS_PGCIT) of an ATS (ATS # 2) of the VOB point type. In this example, the ATS program string information table (ATS_PGCIT) includes two ATS program string information units (ATS_PGCI # 1, ATS_PCGI # 2). The ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 1) includes a program and a cell, designating cell # 2 of VOB # 2 of VTS # 1. The ATS program string information (ATS_PGCI # 2) includes a program and a cell, which designates cell # l of VOB # 6 of VTS # 1.

(Example 3) Next, an optical disc will be described which allows switching of the audio information to be reproduced depending on the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus, as well as an apparatus and a method for reproducing it. The structure of the reproduction apparatus of the present example is the same as that of the DVD player 1 shown in FIG. 12 only that the reproduction apparatus of the present example is distributed so that the determination as to whether the reproduction mode will be a Video-oriented playback mode or an audio-oriented playback mode is not performed before a playback process. The reproduction apparatus of the present example is defined as an audio player that is specially designed for audio purposes. The data structure stored in the optical disk is the same as the data structure stored in the optical disk according to example 1. Figure 21A shows exemplary data to be stored in the optical disk. AOB # l is obtained by expressing the 'Song A' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM, sampling frequency (48 kHz), bit quantization number (16 bits), number of channels (2), AOB # 2 is obtained by expressing the 'Song B' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM; sampling frequency (96 kHz); bit quantization number (24 bits); number of channels (2). AOB # 3 is the same content as that of A0B # 2 but expressed in different audio attributes of it. Specifically, A0B # 3 is obtained by expressing the 'Song B' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM, sampling frequency (48 kHz), bit quantization number (16 bits), number of channels (2), A0B # 4 is obtained by expressing the 'Song C' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM; sampling frequency (96 kHz); bit quantization number (24 bits); number of channels (6). AOB # 5 is the same content as AOB # 4 but expressed in different audio attributes of it. Specifically, AOB # 5 is obtained by expressing the 'Song C' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM, sampling frequency (96 kHz), bit quantization number (24 bits), number of channels (2), AOB # 6 is obtained by expressing the 'Song D' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM; sampling frequency (96 kHz); bit quantization number (24 bits); number of channels (2). A0B # 7 is the same content as that of AOB # 6 but expressed in different audio attributes of it. Specifically, AOB # 7 is obtained by expressing the 'Song D' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM, sampling frequency (48 kHz), bit quantization number (16 bits), number of channels (6), VOB. #l represents the 'Song E'. VOB # l includes two audio streams (Stream # l, Stream # 2). The audio stream (Stream # l) is expressed according to the following audio attributes: DTS; number of channels (6). The audio stream (Stream # 2) is expressed according to the following audio attributes: LPCM; sampling frequency (96 kHz); bit quantization number (24 bits); number of channels (2). AOB # 8 is obtained by expressing the 'Song F' according to the following audio attributes: LPCM, sampling frequency (48 kHz), bit quantization number (16 bits), number of channels (2). data allows each playback device to reproduce the voices and sounds with the highest quality and performance possible with its own audio playback capabilities, for example, different sounds / voices will be played when an optical disc having the data structure shown is loaded in figure 21A in a reproduction apparatus with audio reproduction capabilities such as LPCM, sampling frequency (96 kHz), number of channels (6), compared to those that are reproduced when the optical disk having the data structure shown in Figure 21A is loaded into a playback apparatus with audio reproduction capabilities such as LPCM; sampling frequency (48 kHz); DTS. Figure 21B shows the reproduction order of the data of Figure 21B using a reproduction apparatus with the following reproduction capabilities: LPCM; sampling frequency (96 kHz); number of channels (6). In this case, A0B # 1, A0B # 2, A0B # 4 are reproduced in this order, as shown in Figure 2IB, followed by either A0B # 6 or A0B # 7. It is previously determined whether AOB # 6 or AOB # 7 will be played, depending on the preference between multichannel capabilities and quality. Such a decision is made according to a user input or the attributes of the reproduction apparatus. After this, Stream # 2 of V0B # 1 and AOB # 8 are played. Thus, reproduction is performed with the highest quality and performance available given the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus. Figure 21C shows the reproduction order of the data of Figure 2IB using a reproduction apparatus with the following reproduction capabilities: LPCM; sampling frequency (48 kHz); DTS. In this case, AOB # l and AOB # 3 are played in this order, as shown in Figure 21C. Since the sampling frequencies for AOB # 4 and AOB # 5 are both 96 kHz, A0B # 5 is played back by converting the sampling frequencies down to 48 kHz. After this, A0B # 7, Stream # l of V0B # 1, and A0B # 8 are played. Thus, reproduction is performed with the highest quality and performance that are available given the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus. The PGC data block structure is adopted to achieve such selective reproduction. Figure 22 shows the data structure of a PGC block. In the example shown in Figure 22, PGC # 1 and PGC # 2 of ATS # 1; PGC # 2 and PGC # 3 of ATS # 2; PGC # 4 and PGC # 5 of ATS # 2; and PGC # 6 and PGC # 7 of ATS # 2 each constitutes a block of PGC. The audio-only title search pointer table (AOTT_SRPT) that indicates the playback order describes ATT # 1 to ATT # 6. Two PGCs in the PGC block are pointed from the same title. Figures 23A to 23E show a specific example of title search / PGC structure. Figure 23A shows a specific example of the title search pointer table (ATT_SRPT). An ATS number, an intra-ATS title number, and an intra-ATT program number are described for each of ATT # 1 through ATT # 6. From these descriptions, the PGC to which an ATT points can be known. Thus, the object to be reproduced is specified. Figure 23B shows a specific example of an ATS (ATS # 2) of the type AOB points. An intra-ATS title number, a block mode, a block type, an audio encryption mode, and a channel number are described for each of PGC # 1 through PGC # 8. The intra-ATS title numbers are designated by means of a title search pointer. The block mode indicates what portion of the PGC block is inside. In block mode, O is stored if it is not a PGC block, '1' is stored if the PGC is the first PGC of the block; "3" is stored if the PGC is the last PGC of the block The block type indicates the degree of differences between the PGCs that constitute a PGC block In the block type, it is stored O "if it is not a block of PGC; * 1"is stored if the audio encryption mode is different, '2' is stored if the number of channels is different; "3" is stored if both the audio encryption mode and the number of channels are different.With reference to the type of block, the reproduction apparatus can easily know which current is appropriate for its own reproduction capabilities. Program information is omitted from this example.

In the example shown in Figure 23B, PGC # 2 and PGC # 3 are blocks that have different audio encryption modes; specifically, PGC # 2 has a sampling frequency of 96 kHz, while PGC # 3 has a sampling frequency of 48 kHz. PGC # 4 and PGC # 5 are blocks that have different channel numbers; specifically, PGC # 4 has six channels, while PGC # 5 has two channels. PGC # 6 and PGC # 7 are blocks that have different audio encoding modes and different channel numbers; specifically, PGC # 6 has a sampling frequency of 96 kHz and two channels, while PGC # 7 has a sampling frequency of 48 kHz and six channels. Figure 23C shows a specific example of an ATS (ATS # 1) of the VOB point type. In this example, PGC # 1 and PGC # 2 have different audio encryption modes and different numbers of channels; specifically, PGC # 1 has a DTS audio encryption mode and six channels, while PGC # 2 has an LPCM audio encryption mode and two channels. Figure 23D shows the audio attributes of the ATS ATS management table # 2. Figure 23E shows the audio attributes of the ATS ATS management table # 1.

Figures 24A and 24B show the flow of a reproduction process in which the audio information to be reproduced is changed, depending on the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus. The flow to the acquisition of the ATS number and the intra-ATS title number is the same as in the reproduction process in the audio-oriented reproduction mode shown in Figure 14A, and its description is omitted. In step S165 in Fig. 14A, the subroutine of 'TITLE PLAYBACK IN AUDIO-ORIENTED PLAYBACK MODE' is called in Fig. 24A instead of the 'TITLE PLAYBACK IN AUDIO-ORIENTED PLAYBACK MODE' sub-routine. Figure 14B. In step S241, the audio title set information 801 (FIG. 8A) is read from the set of audio titles 800 corresponding to the designated ATS number 954. In addition, various attribute information is read (steps S242, S243) . In step S244, by searching through the ATS_PGC 851 category of the ATS program string information search pointers 832, the ATS_PGC 851 category is located which includes an intra-ATS 872 title number that matches with the designated intra-ATS title number 955.

If the block type 874 of the localized ATS_PGC category 851 is not 0, (step S245), the ATS program string information 833 has a PGC block structure. One of the two ATS program chain information units 833 is selected in the PGC block that will be reproduced (step S246). Such selection is executed by means of a subroutine 'SELECTING PGC IN THE BLOCK' (Figure 24B) After this, the selected ATS program string information 833 is read to be retained within the reproduction apparatus (step S247) The ATS program information 862 to be reproduced is acquired according to the order of entry into the ATS program chain information unit 833 (step S248) .A program is played according to the program information of the program. ATS 862. In the reproduction of the program, the ATS cell reproduction information 863 is acquired sequentially (step S249), the address of an object (AOB or VOB) that is pointed by the cell is calculated (step S250); and the object is reproduced based on that address (step S251) Steps S249 to S251 are repeated until the last cell to be reproduced is reached The title reproduction is terminated as the reproduction of the last program is completed.

Figure 24B shows the flow of a reproduction process in the subroutine 'SELECTING PGC IN THE BLOCK. "If there is no block reproduction designation or the block reproduction designation is addressed to the first PGC (step S261), it is determined whether the first PGC is reproducible or not (step S262). If the type of the block is 1 (step S264), the audio encryption mode is read (step S265), and it is determined whether the sounds / voices are reproducible or not (step S266). If the sounds / voices are reproducible, the selection of PGCs is terminated after steps S267 and S268. If the sounds / voices are not reproducible, the next PGC is selected (step S263). If the block type is 2 (step S269), the number of channels is read (step S270), and it is determined whether the sounds / voices are reproducible or not (step S271). If the sounds / voices are reproducible, the selection of PGCs is completed after steps S267 and S268. If the sounds / voices are not reproducible, the next PGC is selected (step S263). If the block type is 3 (step S272), the audio coding mode and the number of channels are read (step S273), and it is determined whether the sounds / voices are reproducible or not (step S274). If the sounds / voices are reproducible, the selection of PGCs is completed after steps S275 and S276. If the sounds / voices are not reproducible, the next PGC is selected. If the block type is not 1, 2, or 3, an error process is performed (step S279). If the current PGC is not reproducible and the current PGC is already the last PGC, an error process is performed because no reproducible PGCs were found (step S278). It is possible to select which of a plurality of PGCs included in a PGC block is played in accordance with a user's operation or command. It will be appreciated that, in order for a PGC to be reproduced, the reproduction apparatus must be able to reproduce that PGC. This function will be effective in the case of an external decoder, D / A converter, etc., where the reproduction apparatus itself does not know its reproduction capabilities. In the case where the reproduction apparatus is capable of reproducing any of a plurality of PGCs included in the PGC block, the following methods are available: a method in which the first PGC (PGC # 1) is reproduced and a method in which that a flag (precedence reproduction control information) indicating which of a plurality of PGCs should take precedence in reproduction.

(Example 4) In the case where a disc includes video-oriented content and audio-oriented content, or where the same disc can be reproduced by players having different reproduction methods, the title author wishes to predict a certain reproduction environment. Such an environment of reproduction includes the ways of seeing / listening of the users, for example, that they definitely wish to reproduce images or that they wish to give priority to sounds / voices over images, for example. Examples of players that have different reproduction methods include video players for video-oriented playback, audio-only players for audio-oriented playback, or audio players with video functions for audio-oriented playback that are also capable of reproducing images . With respect to the reproduction of a title, it is very desirable for an author of any title to be able to define a reproduction situation, in accordance with such types of reproducers and environmental conditions, so that the t intention of the author is properly understood by whom see / listen This would promote the creation of even higher qua titles. In the present example, the data structure and operation of a player makes it possible to create such titles. The fundamental data structure, the structure of the player, and the operation of the player are the same as those described in Example 1. 1. A case where reproduction is not made by means of an audio only player (see figure 25): In the case where it is desirable that the images are always reproduced, reproduction by an audio only player can be prohibited. To achieve this, for example, a disk structure can be adopted that does not include ATS's but includes ATS's that indicate VTS titles in the AMT ATT_SRPT, as shown in figure 25. This disk structure allows a player to audio only does not play anything, while allowing an audio player with video functions to play sounds / voices together with images, as a video player does (except for navigation commands and the like). The sounds / voices that are available in this case are within the limits of what is defined for video players and is mandatory for audio players. 2. A case where an audio player with video functions is intended to perform the same reproduction as the reproduction by means of a video player (reproduction with priority to the images) (see figure 26): An audio-only player can be allowed only play sounds / voices, while allowing an audio player with video functions to play priority images over sounds / voices. To achieve this, for example, a disk structure can be adopted that only includes ATS's type points VOB and that also includes ATTs in the ATT_SRPT and AOTT_SRPT of the AMG so that ATS's PGCs of the VOB point type point to VOBs in the region of video area, and that includes an ATS that represents a VTS title at the start of the ATT_SRPT, as shown in figure 26. This disk structure allows an audio-only player to play only the voices / sounds of the VOBs in the region of the video area according to the AOTT_SRPT, while allowing an audio player with video functions to play the sounds / voices of the VOBs in the region of the video area along with images. The sounds / voices that are available in this case are within the limits of what is defined for video players and is mandatory for audio players. 3. A case where it is intended that an audio player with video functions reproduce sounds / voices of the same qua as, or of higher qua than, that provided by a video player (see figures 27 and 28): An audio only player is able to reproduce sounds / voices of higher qua than that provided by a video player. An audio player with video functions can be allowed to selectively reproduce sounds / voices of the same qua as, or higher quality than, that provided by a video player. To achieve this, for example, a disk structure that includes ATT 's type AOB points and that includes ATTs in the ATT_SRPT and AMG A0TT_SRPT can be adopted so that ATS's PGCs point to AOBs, and include an ATS that represents a title of a VTS on the ATT_SRPT, as shown in figures 27 and 28. This disc structure allows an audio-only player to reproduce sounds / voices of higher quality than that defined for a video player, while allows an audio player with video functions to reproduce sounds / voices of higher quality than, or of the same quality as, provided by a video player. The difference between the reproduction method illustrated in figure 27 and the reproduction method illustrated in figure 28 is whether an audio player with video functions gives priority to the reproduction of sounds / voices accompanied by images or the reproduction of sounds / high quality voices In the example of figure 27, sounds / voices accompanied by images are associated with a group of titles that carry a smaller number than that with which high quality sounds / voices are associated. In the example of figure 28, high quality sounds / voices are associated with a group of titles that have a smaller number than the one with which the sounds / voices are associated with images. During operation with a remote control or something similar, groups of titles are normally played in the order of group numbers of titles, so that groups of titles bearing smaller numbers are likewise reproduced first. It will be appreciated, also, that it is possible to reproduce either sounds / voices accompanied by high quality images or sounds / voices through a menu. 4. A case where an audio player with video functions is intended to reproduce high quality sounds / voices (see figure 29): Both an audio-only player and an audio player with video functions can be allowed to reproduce sounds / voices from high quality. To achieve this, a disk structure including ATS's that point to AOB and include ATTs in the ATT_SRPT and AMG's A0TT_SRPT can be adopted so that ATS's PGCs point to AOBs, and that the VOBs in the video area region never point from the audio zone region, as shown in Figure 29. This disk structure allows both an audio-only player and an audio player with video functions to play high-quality sounds / voices, while allows a video player to play sounds / voices accompanied by images.

. A case where a video player is prohibited from playing (see figure 30): A video player may be prohibited from playing. To achieve this, a disk structure can be adopted that does not include a region of video area, as shown in Figure 30. This disk structure prohibits a video player from playing a disc due to the lack of a region. of video area, but it allows both an audio player with video functions and an audio-only player to play equally high quality sounds / voices.

Thus, by selecting an appropriate data structure, the author of a title may designate the reproduction method for a video player, an audio player with video functions, and an audio-only player. In addition, it is possible to change the reproduction method of the player at the beginning or in the middle of the reproduction of a disc, by means of a distribution such that the player can be determined to behave either as a video player or as a player. audio with video functions or as an audio only player depending on whether or not a screen is connected to the player or whether or not image playback is allowed.

(Example 5) In the case of a video disc, First_Play_PGC is defined as a region to describe an order that is executed automatically when the disc is inserted because this becomes necessary for the use of a menu and the need to carry out various configurations of the player through orders. However, since an audio player does not necessarily require a menu and the video attributes can be distributed, there is no need to set configurations through commands before starting playback. However again, if the audio player did not start playing until the 'play' key was pressed after inserting a disc, as in the case of a CD, it would be inconvenient because the user would be required to perform Hereinafter, a disc data structure and a reproduction method for a player that contemplates automatic execution while conforming to the aforementioned nature of audio players will be described. Since the fundamental and the structure of the player are the same as those described in example 1, the following description will be oriented to the differences: Figure 31 shows the audio administrator information data structure (AMGI). audio (AMGI_MAT), although not described in detail in example 1, includes a self-reproducing flag (AP_INF) .The value '1"of the flag a of self-reproduction means that the reproduction will start in ATT # 1 of title groupil. Once a disc is inserted, an audio player reads the audio manager and sets several attributes. After the completion of the initial setup, the audio player reads the autoreproduction flag. If the value of the autoreproduction flag is 1, playback will start at ATT # 1 of groupttl title. That is, the disc will start playing sounds / voices immediately after insertion without requiring the user to perform another operation. Thus, the need to press a 'Play' key after the insertion of a disc while achieving a reproduction as intended by the author can be eliminated.

Industrial application In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an optical disk which stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second audio attributes obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes. which are different from the first audio attributes, and administration information to enable the reproduction of some of the first audio data and the second audio data. Some of the first audio data and the second audio data are reproduced based on the capabilities of the playback apparatus and the management information. As a result, it becomes possible to reproduce sounds / voices that match the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus. Many other modifications will be apparent to and can easily be made to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and essence of this invention. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the appended claims be limited to the description as set forth, but rather that the claims be broadly construed.

Claims

1. An optical disk comprising: a data region; and a management region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second audio data obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes that are different of the first audio attributes, and the administration region stores management information to enable selective reproduction of one of the first audio data and the second audio data. An optical disk according to claim 1, wherein the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes. An optical disk according to claim 1, wherein the management information includes information indicating whether an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not in an audio encryption mode in the second audio attributes and whether a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs or not from a number of channels in the second audio attributes. 4. An apparatus for reproducing an optical disk, the optical disk comprises a data region and an administration region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second data. of audio obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes which are different from the first audio attributes and the administration region stores management information to enable selective reproduction of some of the first audio data and second audio data, the reproduction apparatus comprises: a reading section for reading the administration information of the administration region; and a playback section for reproducing some of the first video data and the second video data based on the playback capabilities of the playback apparatus and the management information. 5. A reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes. 6. A reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the administration information includes information indicating whether an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not from an audio encryption mode in the second attributes and if a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs or not from a number of channels in the second audio attributes. 7. A method for reproducing an optical disc, the optical disc comprises a data region and an administration region, wherein the data region stores first audio data obtained by expressing audio information in accordance with first audio attributes and second data of audio obtained by expressing the audio information in accordance with second audio attributes which are different from the first audio attributes, and the administration region stores management information to enable selective reproduction of some of the first audio data and the second audio data, the reproduction method comprises a step of reproducing one of the first audio data and the second audio data based on the audio reproduction capabilities of a reproduction apparatus to effect reproduction and information of administration. A reproduction method according to claim 7, wherein the administration information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes. 9. A reproduction method according to claim 7, wherein the administration information includes information indicating whether an audio encryption mode in the first audio attributes differs or not from an audio encryption mode in the second attributes. audio and if a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs or not "from a number of channels in the second audio attributes.