Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Storage medium structure – Optical track structure
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-27
2004-10-26
Hindi, Nabil (Department: 2655)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Storage medium structure
Optical track structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06810003
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording medium such as a digital video disc, or a digital versatile disc (DVD). Also, this invention relates to an apparatus for encoding an audio signal. Furthermore, this invention relates to an apparatus for decoding an audio signal. In addition, this invention relates to an optical disc player such as a DVD (digital video disc) player.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical discs for storing information include digital video discs (DVD's). A standard DVD stores a combination of an audio signal and a video signal. The audio-signal recording capacity of the standard DVD is significantly smaller than the video-signal recording capacity thereof. It is difficult to manage time-related information of the audio signal recorded on the standard DVD. It is difficult to read out information of the titles of tunes represented by the audio signal recorded on the standard DVD.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of this invention to provide an improved recording medium.
It is a second object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for encoding an audio signal.
It is a third object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for decoding an audio signal.
It is a fourth object of this invention to provide an improved optical disc player.
A first aspect of this invention provides a digital signal recording disc comprising a first area storing a first-channel digital audio signal and a second-channel digital audio signal, the first-channel digital audio signal resulting from quantizing a first-channel analog audio signal with a first quantization bit number, the second-channel digital audio signal resulting from quantizing a second-channel analog audio signal with a second quantization bit number; and a second area differing from the first area and storing information of the first and second quantization bit numbers.
A second aspect of this invention is based on the first aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first-channel digital audio signal comprises a front-channel digital audio signal and the second channel digital audio signal comprises a rear-channel digital audio signal, and the first and second quantization bit numbers are different from each other.
A third aspect of this invention provides a digital signal recording disc comprising a first area storing a first-channel digital audio signal and a second-channel digital audio signal, the first-channel digital audio signal resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a first-channel analog audio signal at a first sampling frequency, the second-channel digital audio signal resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a second-channel analog audio signal at a second sampling frequency; and a second area differing from the first area and storing information of the first and second sampling frequencies.
A fourth aspect of this invention is based on the third aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first-channel digital audio signal comprises a front-channel digital audio signal and the second-channel digital audio signal comprises a rear-channel digital audio signal, and the first and second sampling frequencies are different from each other.
A fifth aspect of this invention is based on the third aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first-channel digital audio signal comprises a front-channel digital audio signal and the second-channel digital audio signal comprises a rear-channel digital audio signal, and the first and second sampling frequencies are equal to each other, and wherein the rear-channel digital audio signal results from thinning (decimation), and the second area stores information of the thinning (the decimation).
A sixth aspect of this invention is based on the third aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first-channel digital audio signal comprises a front-channel digital audio signal and the second-channel digital audio signal comprises a low-frequency-effect-channel digital audio signal, and the first and second sampling frequencies are equal to each other, and wherein the low-frequency-effect-channel digital audio signal results from thinning, and the second area stores information of the thinning.
A seventh aspect of this invention provides a digital signal recording disc comprising a first area storing a first-channel digital audio signal and a second-channel digital audio signal, the first-channel digital audio signal resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a first-channel analog audio signal at a first sampling frequency and a first quantization bit number, the second-channel digital audio signal resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a second-channel analog audio signal at a second sampling frequency and a second quantization bit number, the second sampling frequency differing from the first sampling frequency, the second quantization bit number differing from the first quantization bit number; and a second area differing from the first area and storing information of the first and second sampling frequencies and also information of the first and second quantization bit numbers.
An eighth aspect of this invention provides a digital signal recording disc comprising a first area storing at least first-channel and second-channel digital audio signals each assigned to either a first channel group or a second channel group, the digital audio signal in the first channel group resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a first analog audio signal at a first sampling frequency and a first quantization bit number, the digital audio signal in the second channel group resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of a second analog audio signal at a second sampling frequency and a second quantization bit number; and a second area differing from the first area and storing information of the first and second sampling frequencies and information of the first and second quantization bit numbers, and also information of the assignment of the first-channel and second-channel digital audio signals to the first and second channel groups.
A ninth aspect of this invention is based on the seventh aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first area stores left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals, the left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of left-channel and right-channel stereophonic analog audio signals at a third sampling frequency, and wherein the second area stores information of the third sampling frequency.
A tenth aspect of this invention is based on the seventh aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first area stores left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals, the left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals resulting from an analog-to-digital conversion of left-channel and right-channel stereophonic analog audio signals at a third quantization bit number, and wherein the second area stores information of the third quantization bit number.
An eleventh aspect of this invention is based on the ninth aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals differ from the first-channel and second-channel digital audio signals, and the first area comprises a first sub area storing the first-channel and the second-channel digital audio signals and a second sub area storing the left-channel and right-channel stereophonic digital audio signals.
A twelfth aspect of this invention is based on the seventh aspect thereof, and provides a digital signal recording disc wherein the first-channel and second-channel digital audio signals result from an encoding process selected from among an AC-3 encoding process, an MPEG-1 encoding process, and an MPEG-2 encoding pro
Fuchigami Norihiko
Tanaka Yoshiaki
Ueno Shoji
Connolly Bove & Lodge & Hutz LLP
Hindi Nabil
Victor Company of Japan Ltd.
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