Information record medium, apparatus for recording the same and apparatus for reproducing the same

Claim 2

An information record medium (1: DVD) according to claim 1, characterized in that said time unit address informations (200) are recorded such that, if the time search into one of said second data groups (20: CELL) which contains one address indicated by one of said time unit address informations is prohibited, said one address is written by use of a specific value to indicate a prohibition of the time search.

Claim 3

An information record medium (1: DVD) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said management information (PGCI, 11, 2) comprises second data group information (300) indicating a reproduction time (302) of each second data group (20: CELL), an address (303) of respective one of said first data groups (30: VOBU) which is located at a head of said each second data group, and an address (304) of respective one of said first data groups which is located at an end of said each second data group.

Claim 4

An information record medium (1: DVD) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least a part of said record information (42, 43, 44) is compressed and recorded on said record track (la) with variable compression rate, and said time unit is pre-compression time unit.

Claim 5

An information recording apparatus (S1) for recording information onto an information record medium (1: DVD) having a record track (la) recorded with record information to be reproduced by an information reproducing apparatus (S2), which comprises a read means (80), performs a reproduction of said record information while relatively moving said read means along said record track and is able to perform a time search of moving said read means across said record track on the basis of access information to access said record information, characterized in that said information recording apparatus comprises: an access information generation means (72) for generating said access information (41, 51: DSI) corresponding to said record information (42, 43, 44); and a record means (75, 76, 77, 78) for recording said record information and said access information onto said record track such that said record information and said access information are divided into a plurality of first data groups (30: VOBU), each of which is a unit able to be accessed by said information reproducing apparatus and each of which comprises said record information and said access information, and are divided into a plurality of second data groups (20: CELL), each of which is a unit able to be logically divided in the reproduction by said information reproducing apparatus and each of which comprises a series of said first data groups arranged along said record track among said first data groups, for further recording management information (PGCI, 11, 2) collectively at one portion of said record track, said management information comprising a plurality of time unit address informations (200) each indicating an address of respective one of said first data groups to which said record information in every predetermined time unit belongs, and discontinuity information (201) indicating whether or not two addresses, which are indicated to be apart from each other by one time unit by said time unit address informations, belong to a same one of said second data groups, for every time unit address information, and for still further recording first data group search information (400) so as to be included in said access information, said first data group search information indicating addresses of said series of said first data groups, which belong to a same one of said second data groups to which said first data group including said access information belongs, more finely than said predetermined time unit.

Claim 6

An information recording apparatus (S1) according to claim 5, characterized in that: said information recording apparatus further comprises an input means (ST, 71) for inputting a search prohibit information to prohibit the time search into an arbitrary one of said second data groups (20: CELL); and said record means (75, 76, 77, 78) records said time unit address informations (200) such that, if the time search into one of said second data groups which contains one address indicated by one of said time unit address informations is prohibited by said search prohibit information, said one address is written by use of a specific value.

Claim 7

An information recording apparatus (S1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said record means (75, 76, 77, 78) compresses and records at least a part of said record information (42, 43, 44) on said record track (la) with variable compression rate, and said time unit is pre-compression time unit.

Claim 8

An information reproducing apparatus (S2) for reproducing an information record medium (1: DVD) comprising a data structure stored in said information record medium and including: record information (42, 43, 44) and access information (41, 51: DSI) to access said record information recorded on a record track (la) such that said record information and said access information are divided into a plurality of first data groups (30: VOBU), each of which is a unit able to be accessed and each of which comprises said record information and said access information, and are divided into a plurality of second data groups (20: CELL), each of which is a unit able to be logically divided in a reproduction and each of which comprises a series of said first data groups arranged along said record track among said first data groups; and management information (PGCI, 11, 2) collectively recorded at one portion of said record track, and comprising a plurality of time unit address informations (200) each indicating an address of respective one of said first data groups to which said record information in every predetermined time unit belongs, and discontinuity information (202) indicating whether or not two addresses, which are indicated to be apart from each other by one time unit by said time unit address informations, belong to a same one of said second data groups, for every time unit address information, said access information comprising first data group search information (400) indicating addresses of said series of said first data groups, which belong to a same one of said second data groups to which said first data group including said access information belongs, more finely than said predetermined time unit, characterized in that said information reproducing apparatus comprises: a read means (80) for reading information recorded at a predetermined read position on said record track; a movement means (101, 102, 103) for relatively moving said read means along said record track or across said record track; a demodulation means (81 to 97) for demodulating the information read by said read means; a specification means (98) for specifying a target time for the time search; a target set means (100) for (i) judging whether said discontinuity information corresponding to said target time indicates a continuity or discontinuity when said target time is specified by said specification means, (ii) setting an address indicated by said time unit address information corresponding to said target time as a primary search target if it is judged to indicate the continuity, (iii) judging whether or not one of said second data groups, which includes the address indicated by said time unit address information corresponding to said target time, and one of said second data groups, which includes the address corresponding to said target time, are coincident to each other if it is judged to indicate the discontinuity, (iv) setting the address indicated by said time unit address information corresponding to said target time as the primary search target if it is judged to be coincident, and (v) setting an address, which is apart by one time unit from the address indicated by said time unit address information corresponding to said target time, as the primary search target if it is not judged to be coincident; and a control means (100) for controlling said movement means, said read means and said demodulation means to (i) move said read means to said set primary search target, (ii) read and demodulate said first data group search information included in said access information of one of said first data groups which is located at said primary search target, and (iii) further move said read means toward the address corresponding to said target time from said primary search target within one of said second data groups in accordance with said demodulated first data group search information.

Claim 9

An information reproducing apparatus (S2) according to claim 8, in which said time unit address informations (200) are recorded such that, if the time search into one of said second data groups (20: CELL) which contains one address indicated by one of said time unit address informations is prohibited, said one address is written by use of a specific value to indicate a prohibition of the time search, characterized in that: said target set means (100) judges whether or not the address indicated by said time unit address information corresponding to said target time has the specific value, when said target time is specified by said specification means (98); and said control means (100) performs no control to move said read means (80) toward said primary search target in correspondence to said target time if it is judged to have the specific value by said target set means.

Claim 10

An information reproducing apparatus (S2) according to claim 8 or 9, in which said management information (PGCI, 11, 2) comprises second data group information (300) indicating a reproduction time (302) of each second data group (20: CELL), an address (303) of respective one of said first data groups (30: VOBU) which is located at a head of said each second data group, and an address (304) of respective one of said first data groups which is located at an end of said each second data group, characterized in that said target set means (100) judges whether or not one of said second data groups, which includes the address indicated by said time unit address information (200) corresponding to said target time, and one of said second data groups, which includes the address corresponding to said target time, are coincident to each other, on the basis of said second data group information.

Claim 11

An information reproducing apparatus (S2) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that: said control means (100) controls said read means (80), said movement means (101, 102, 103) and said demodulation means (81 to 97) to read and demodulate said time unit address informations (200) and said discontinuity information (201) in advance of the time search; and said target set means (100) comprises a memory (100a) for storing said time unit address informations and said discontinuity information demodulated in advance, and performs a judgment by use of said stored informations.

Claim 12

An information reproducing apparatus (S2) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, in which at least a part of said record information (42, 43, 44) is compressed and recorded on said record track (1a) with variable compression rate, and said time unit is pre-compression time unit, characterized in that said demodulation means (81 to 97) expands and demodulates said record information read by said read means.