Abstract: A system stream contiguous reproduction apparatus to which are input one or more system streams interleaving at least moving picture data and audio data, and system stream connection information includes a system clock STC generator for producing the system clock that is used as the system stream reproduction reference clock. The system stream contiguous reproduction apparatus further includes one or more signal processing decoders that operate referenced to the system clock STC, decoder buffers for temporarily storing the system stream data transferred to the corresponding signal processing decoders, and STC selectors for selecting a system clock STC referenced by the signal processing decoders when decoding the first system stream, and another system clock STC referenced by the signal processing decoders when decoding a second system stream reproduced contiguously to the first system stream.

Abstract: An interleaving method for generating a bitstream from plural video objects containing compressed video data by arranging in the presentation order, wherein interleaved data blocks in which plural video objects are contiguously arrayed using interleaved units each longer than the shortest read time ILVUMT such that the video object presentation start and end points are aligned. The ratio between the presentation times of video objects with the shortest presentation time and video objects other than those with the shortest presentation time is within a range obtained from the shortest read time ILVUMT, the maximum jumpable distance JM, and the smallest control unit. contiguous data blocks wherein the presentation start points and end points of the video objects arrayed therein are not aligned.

Abstract: An optical disk for recording more than one system stream containing audio data and video data. The audio data and video data of the plural system streams are recorded to the optical disk, and are interleaved such that the difference between the input start times of the video data and audio data to the video buffer in the video decoder and the audio buffer in the audio decoder is less than the reproduction time of the number of audio frames that can be stored in the audio buffer plus one audio frame.

Abstract: A signal conversion recording method applies a signal recording method whereby a video signal converted to a frame rate greater than the frame rate of the signal source by repeating particular fields plural times is converted to an intermediate signal having a frame rate substantially equal to the frame rate of the original signal source by deleting these repeated redundant fields. This intermediate signal is compression coded to obtain the recording signal, and the recording signal is recorded to a recording medium together with a repeat first field flag RFF declaring whether a field was deleted, and a top field first flag TFF declaring which of the two fields in the each of the resulting frames is first on the time-base, is wherein when plural logical recording periods are provided on a single recording medium, the video signal is converted to the recording signal so that the flags hold particular values at the start and end of each recording period.

Abstract: An encoding method for producing specific encoded data by calculating the data occupancy of a decoding buffer memory of a particular size that is used when decoding the encoded data during reproduction, defining the allocated code size of a particular period based on the calculation result, and compression coding the signal of a particular period to the allocated code size. The data occupancy is calculated on the assumption that virtual encoded data is transferred to the decoding buffer memory following the transfer of the first-encoded data to the decoding buffer memory. The data occupancy when the last data in the first encoded data is decoded is calculated as the final buffer occupancy Be. The data occupancy when the encoding process producing the second encoded data is begun is an initial buffer occupancy Bi where the initial buffer occupancy Bi is less than the final buffer occupancy Be, and thus allocated code size is defined based on the change in the data occupancy.

Abstract: A system stream contiguous reproduction apparatus to which are input one or more system streams interleaving at least moving picture data and audio data, and system stream connection information includes a system clock STC generator for producing the system clock that is used as the system stream reproduction reference clock. The system stream contiguous reproduction apparatus further includes one or more signal processing decoders that operate referenced to the system clock STC, decoder buffers for temporarily storing the system stream data transferred to the corresponding signal processing decoders, and STC selectors for selecting a system clock STC referenced by the signal processing decoders when decoding the first system stream, and another system clock STC referenced by the signal processing decoders when decoding a second system stream reproduced contiguously to the first system stream.

Abstract: An optical disk for recording more than one system stream containing audio data and video data. The audio data and video data of the plural system streams are recorded to the optical disk, and are interleaved such that the difference between the input start times of the video data and audio data to the video buffer in the video decoder and the audio buffer in the audio decoder is less than the reproduction time of the number of audio frames that can be stored in the audio buffer plus one audio frame.

Abstract: An interleaving method for the presentation of a bitstream that is reproduced by selecting two or more data units from a bitstream comprising three or more data units contiguous on the same time-base. The bitstream is generated by arranging the selected data units in a particular sequence on the same time-base based on the presentation time of each data unit so that it is possible to sequentially access all data units and present only the selected data units without time-base intermittence, and is characterized by dividing the data units into shortest-read-time data units. The bitstream is generated by arranging the shortest-read-time data units in a particular sequence on the same time-base based on the shortest read time in each shortest-read-time data unit so that it is possible to sequentially access all shortest-read-time data units and present only the shortest-read-time data units of the selected data units without time-base intermittence.

Abstract: A multimedia optical disk comprising at least one information layer to which plural system streams and plural program chain information entries are recorded. The plural system streams are interleaved in group.sub.-- of.sub.-- pictures GOP units data containing at least moving pictures, and reproduction control information containing special reproduction mode information declaring the address of the next data to be reproduced according to the special reproduction mode used. The plural program chain information entries declare the system stream reproduction sequence of a program chain comprising more than one system stream. At least one system stream is shared by plural program chains. The address information of the first reproduction control information and the address information of the last reproduction control information in each system stream are recorded to the program chain information according to the system stream reproduction sequence.

Abstract: An interleaving method for generating a bitstream from plural video objects containing compressed video data by arranging in the presentation order, wherein nterleaved data blocks in which plural video objects are contiguously arrayed using interleaved units each longer than the shortest read time ILVUMT such that the video object presentation start and end points are aligned. The ratio between the presentation times of video objects with the shortest presentation time and video objects other than those with the shortest presentation time is within a range obtained from the shortest read time ILVUMT, the maximum jumpable distance JM, and the smallest control unit. contiguous data blocks wherein the presentation start points and end points of the video objects arrayed therein are not aligned.

Abstract: A signal conversion recording method applies a signal recording method whereby a video signal converted to a frame rate greater than the frame rate of the signal source by repeating particular fields plural times is converted to an intermediate signal having a frame rate substantially equal to the frame rate of the original signal source by deleting these repeated redundant fields. This intermediate signal is compression coded to obtain the recording signal, and the recording signal is recorded to a recording medium together with a repeat first field flag RFF declaring whether a field was deleted, and a top field first flag TFF declaring which of the two fields in the each of the resulting frames is first on the time-base, wherein when plural logical recording periods are provided on a single recording medium, said video signal is converted to the recording signal so that said flags hold particular values at the start and end of each recording period.

Abstract: The differential coding apparatus comprises a delay unit for storing an adjacent value, a transmission value conversion unit for assigning a transmission value to a value of difference between the value to be coded and the adjacent value in the ascending order of the absolute value of the difference value, and a variable-length coding device for assigning a code in the order that the code is increasing in code length as the transmission value increases in number. In the range in which positive and negative difference values exist, positive and negative numbers are alternately given to difference values in the order in which the difference value is increasing in distance from a center difference value of 0. In the range in which either positive or negative difference value exists, serial numbers are successively given to difference values in the order in which the difference value is increasing in distance from the difference value of 0.