Abstract: The present invention is associated with an information processing apparatus and method adapted to enhance the reproduction speed in fast-forward reproduction for example and provide a stable reproducing operation. A file information read unit 106 acquires FAT tables based on cluster written with the cluster numbers of next data for AV files stored in a PC card type HDD 103, sorts the acquired FAT tables in a predetermined sequence, generates conversion tables in unit of one AV file on the basis of the sorted FAT tables, and stores the generated tables in a RAM 108. In the reproduction of a predetermined AV file, a file read unit 107 reads the AV file from a PC card type HDD 103 on the basis of these conversion tables and outputs this AV file to an output unit 111 via a decoder unit 110. The present invention is applicable to personal computers and household electric appliances.

Abstract: A code-pattern processing apparatus wherein a streak processor extracts a binary data string as a streak constituting a part of a marker only when the run length in the raster direction of input binary image data is within a predetermined range. An adjacency determination unit and Xmin and Xmax comparators compare the streak with attribute data of the immediately preceding line supplied from an attribute data memory. An attribute data generator generates attribute data corresponding to the comparison result. This attribute data is newly written or overwritten on old data in the attribute data memory. If it is determined that there is no streak of a line of interest and attribute data of the immediately preceding line is present, a circumscribed quadrilateral extraction unit outputs the values of the attribute data of the immediately preceding line as the coordinate values of a circumscribed quadrilateral.