Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Condition indicating – monitoring – or testing – Including radiation storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-05
2001-04-24
Edun, Muhammad (Department: 2651)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Condition indicating, monitoring, or testing
Including radiation storage or retrieval
C369S047360, C369S275300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222805
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk for storing digital data of multimedia data including audio information and moving image information that are associated with each other, as well as an apparatus and a method for reproducing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, CDs (compact disks) and DVD-VIDEOs are known as optical disks for storing and reproducing audio information.
A CD is an optical disk having a diameter of 12 cm. A CD carries audio information stored thereon which has been quantized by using a linear PCM method.
A DVD-VIDEO is an optical disk having a diameter of 12 cm. A DVD-VIDEO carries audio information stored thereon which has been quantized by using a linear PCM method for an AC3 method.
In answer to the developments in digital processing technology concerning sounds/voices in recent years, various methods have been proposed in addition to the above-mentioned.
However, the author of an application encounters the problem of having to choose which method to use for the sounds/voices in creating a disk title. On the other hand, a user encounters the problem of not being able to reproduce all kinds of disk titles without having reproduction apparatuses corresponding to such various methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided 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 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.
In one embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes.
In another embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating whether or not an audio coding mode in the first audio attributes differs from an audio coding mode in the second audio attributes and whether or not a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs from a number of channels in the second audio attributes.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reproduction apparatus for reproducing an optical disk, the optical disk including 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, the reproduction apparatus including: a reading section for reading the management information from the management region; and reproduction section for reproducing one of the first audio data and the second audio data based on audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus and the management information.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes.
In still another embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating whether or not an audio coding mode in the first audio attributes differs from an audio coding mode in the second audio attributes and whether or not a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs from a number of channels in the second audio attributes.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for reproducing an optical disk, the optical disk including 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, the reproduction method including: a step of reproducing one of the first audio data and the second audio data based on audio reproduction capabilities of a reproduction apparatus for performing the reproduction and the management information.
In one embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating a difference between the first audio attributes and the second audio attributes.
In another embodiment of the invention, the management information includes information indicating whether or not an audio coding mode in the first audio attributes differs from an audio coding mode in the second audio attributes and whether or not a number of channels in the first audio attributes differs from a number of channels in the second audio attributes.
Thus, the invention described herein makes possible the advantage of providing an optical disk which allows the reproduction of sounds/voices which match the audio reproduction capabilities of the reproduction apparatus, as well as an apparatus and a method for reproducing such a multimedia disk.
This and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying figures.
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Taiwanese Office Action for Application No. 87112984 and English translation.
International Search Report for Application No. PCT/JP98/03516; Mailed on Jan. 11, 1999.
Kozuka Masayuki
Mori Yoshihiro
Yamauchi Kazuhiko
Edun Muhammad
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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