Abstract: A method includes: storing a first data extent on a physical medium, wherein the physical medium is divided into a plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the storage blocks has a size that is different than a size of the first data extent, further wherein the first data extent is stored to a first block of the plurality of storage blocks; generating a descriptor for the first data extent, wherein the descriptor indicates that the first data extent starts within the first block of the plurality of blocks and indicates an offset from the beginning of the first block at which the first data extent starts; and storing the descriptor within the first block.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for providing media presentations to users of a media presentation system. A media presentation generally includes a plurality of media segments provided by multiple users of the media presentation system. In one or more embodiments, a user of the media presentation system may share a media presentation with a co-user. The media presentation system can provide a number of features to assist a user in sharing, filtering, and accessing media presentations.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus, for recording data in a magnetic storage medium by a shingled magnetic recording, and a method of controlling this, when a rewrite of data stored in the magnetic storage medium is instructed, copy data of a zone in which rewrite target data is stored other than the rewrite target data into a vacant zone of the magnetic storage medium; store, to the vacant zone into which the data is copied, the rewrite target data, delete by overwriting an entirety of the zone in which the rewrite target data is stored with predetermined data, and register the overwritten zone as an unused area.

Abstract: The present invention relating to an information processing device, information processing method, playing device, playing method, and program that enables playing of stereo image (3D image) contents appropriately. In the case that 3D playing using Base view video and D1 view video is instructed, “10000.ilvt (ref_to_D1-B_interleaved_file_name) described in interleaved_file_info ( ) of the PlayList file is specified, and Base view video chunks and D1 view video chunks are read out from an optical disc through a UDF file system. The Base view video chunks and D1 view video chunks that are read out are supplied to a decoder unit and played. The present invention is applicable to a playing device compatible with the BD-ROM standard.

Abstract: Compressed entertainment content such as audio or video or both includes additional aspects and operations associated their way. The compressed audio may be used to signal computers such as a telephone or reminder for an appointment. A melody line may be extracted from the audio, or the audio may be used exactly as it is. Another aspect stores traders within the entertainment content such as in MP3. Those traders are used to trigger the system to retrieve other parts of the content to be displayed at the same time that that particular part of the MP3 is being play. The content may include video or text, or maybe links to other content such as broadband content four times sensitive content. Another aspect describes encryption which is keyed to the disk ID to prevent playing oven illegally copied disk. Another aspect reads a specified amount of information then spins down the disk to conserve battery power.

Abstract: A video recording device including: a format control section defining a video file record to produce a file via a format defined having a BDMV directory and at least directories to record the video signal and to record Play List data further arranged below the BDMV directory, and forms the format so one Play Item is produced in each of segments of video scenes to be acquired and a plurality of Play Items are arranged within one piece of the Play List data; and a recording control section recording the video information on the recording medium according to the format formed by the format control section, wherein when video acquired by the camera is recorded where a first piece of Play List data is produced, Items are produced within the first piece of the Play List data without generating a new piece of Play List data.

Abstract: A video recording device including: a format control section defining a video file record to produce a file via a format defined having a BDMV directory and at least directories to record the video signal and to record Play List data further arranged below the BDMV directory, and forms the format so one Play Item is produced in each of segments of video scenes to be acquired and a plurality of Play Items are arranged within one piece of the Play List data; and a recording control section recording the video information on the recording medium according to the format formed by the format control section, wherein when video acquired by the camera is recorded where a first piece of Play List data is produced, Items are produced within the first piece of the Play List data without generating a new piece of Play List data.

Abstract: The automatic search engine recommendation technique described herein automatically recommends topic-specific search engines for user queries. In one embodiment, it automatically matches each query submitted to a non-topic specific or general search engine with one or more vertical search engines using a recommendation model and a set of features. For a given query, one embodiment of the technique suggests vertical search engines and topic-specific search results along with the search results from the general search engine.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for processing moving image files each including moving image data and identification information relating to continuity of time between the moving image file and other moving image file is arranged to perform an editing process for deleting at least a portion of the moving image data included in the moving image file, and change the identification information of the moving image file in accordance with the editing process, wherein in accordance with the editing process being preformed, identification information of at least one of the plurality of moving image files is changed to a predetermined value for discriminating that there is no continuity between the moving image file to which the editing process is performed and a moving image file which has continuity of time with the moving image file to which the editing process is performed.

Abstract: An audio control apparatus is adapted for use with an external portable electronic device having display functionality, and includes a data storage device, an operation controller operable to access and process audio data stored in the data storage device, and to output information of the audio data, a user control device operable by a user to control operation of the operation controller, and a function expanding interface coupled to the operation controller and configured to transmit the information of the audio data for reception and subsequent display by the external portable electronic device.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for editing program search information. The scene descriptive information of optical disc program is edited into a search information unit when the optical disc program is inscribed on an optical disc or optical disc program is off-line edited. Said scene descriptive information includes description of the scene elements. Then said search information unit is edited into a search information file for use in optical disc search. By means of this solution, searching of keyword information, descriptive information of the scene as well as descriptive information of scene element are unified together and directly used as information to be searched, thus the present invention, being different from the conventional search information file such as the playlist which has only the pointer information but not the descriptive information of the object to be searched, simplifies the process of enhanced search.

Abstract: A method for copy protection in which an audiovisual or audio data is divided into a plurality of portions. The plurality of portions is at least partly scrambled and prepared so as to be stored on a record carrier in the scrambled order. This is done so that a physical position on the record carrier, e.g., a sector of the record carrier, where a respective portions of the divided data is stored depends on the scrambled order.

Abstract: An optical disk apparatus which conducts overwriting of data on a rewritable optical disk or conducts write-once recording of data on a write-once optical disk includes a control unit for receiving a recording command which specifies a recording area and orders recording and receiving transfer data, and a collation unit for collating existing data on the optical disk with the transfer data. Upon reception of the recording command and the transfer data by the control unit, the existing data is collated with the transfer data by the collation unit, and overwrite recording of data in places where the transfer data is different from the existing data is conducted on the rewritable optical disk, or data in places where the transfer data is different from the existing data is recorded in an unrecorded area of the write-once optical disk.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting piracy of a software product that is distributed on a particular media type is described. Embodiments of the invention track a title load time of a software product that is distributed on a particular media type, and compare it against a benchmark load time for that media type. This comparison is used to detect if the title may have been illegally transferred or pirated to another, unauthorized media type.

Abstract: A method for copy protection in which an audiovisual or audio data is divided into a plurality of portions. The plurality of portions is at least partly scrambled and prepared so as to be stored on a record carrier in the scrambled order. This is done so that a physical position on the record carrier, e.g., a sector of the record carrier, where a respective portions of the divided data is stored depends on the scrambled order.

Abstract: A system and method for providing content offering recommendations to users based on the users' preferences. Content offerings may be assigned to a primary metagenre and one or more sub-genres, as well as a secondary metagenre (and additional sub-genres if desired). The offerings may also be identified by their source, and this information can be used with the primary/secondary metagenre/sub-genre data to prepare a listing of recommended files. The listing may be generated by first generating three match listings: 1) a strong genre match listing identifying those offerings that match two user preferred metagenres; 2) a genre/style match listing identifying those offerings whose primary metagenre and corresponding sub-genre are preferred by the user; and 3) a weak genre match listing identifying those offerings whose primary metagenre matches a user preference, but whose secondary metagenre does not.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and program products for controlling the playback of music are disclosed. In an embodiment a method for controlling the playback of music includes the steps of: initiating the playback of a first music track; stopping the playback of the first music track; initiating the playback of alternative audio content; stopping the playback of the alternative content; and determining whether to initiate the playback of the first music track or to initiate the playback of a second music track.

Abstract: A method for managing data from a host to an optical disc includes: storing data into a write data queue (WDQ) when the data of sequential write commands from the host are write-address-discontinuous; and transferring specific data from the WDQ to a write buffer when an available memory space in the WDQ is lower than a first threshold value or an available memory space in the write buffer exceeds a second threshold value.

Abstract: A method for copy protection includes providing audiovisual or audio data stored in sectors of a record carrier having a file system, and providing additional data to be stored in further sectors. The method includes generating first and second files referencing respective first and second parts of the sectors and respective further first and second parts of the further sectors, so when the first and second files are completely rendered by a playback device, respective first and second parts of the data and respective further first and second parts of the additional data are reproduced. The method also includes determining program instructions, which when executed by the playback device, control switching between reading the first file and the second file, and when the record carrier is an original, switching is controlled so only the sectors and none of the further sectors are read such that no additional data is reproduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a plurality of pieces of content data stored in a content data storage unit according to a play list defining reproduction order of the content data. The apparatus includes a play list storage unit, a request information generating unit, and a play list reconstructing unit. The play list storage unit stores the play list having a play list generating rule and identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule. The request information generating unit generates reconstruction requesting information for requesting reconstruction of the play list. The play list reconstructing unit reconstructs at least a part of the play list stored in the play list storage unit into a play list having the play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information generated by the request information generating unit.

Abstract: In an information processing apparatus that stores data on a plurality of storage media, a management information generator generates management information based on which to manage an order in which data is stored on the storage media, using storage medium identification information identifying each storage medium, and a multiplexer multiplexes the management information generated by the management information generator on the data. A storage unit stores the data, including the management information multiplexed by the multiplexer, on the storage media such that the data can be easily managed and the storage media can be used in a very convenient manner.

Abstract: A method, medium, and apparatus for deleting and/or restoring time-series contents stored in a recording medium. When the time-series contents are stored in the recording medium, deleting of data that is present in a first area of a recording medium includes periodically inserting a time stamp into the contents, generating deletion data positional information based on the time stamp, the deletion data positional information representing a relative position of the deletion data within the contents, storing the deletion data positional information and the deletion data in a second area of the recording medium, and designating the first area as overwritable on the recording medium. Even if the recording medium is reloaded in another disk drive and under another operating system, data deleted from the recording medium can be easily restored.

Abstract: An electronic device can play back media items using a random playback mode. To ensure that related media items are played back in a proper order (e.g., live music is played back in concert order), the electronic device can define metadata or other data coupling related media items in a predefined or preset sequence. For example, related media items can include metadata tags identifying the previous and next media items to play back in the sequence. As another example, the electronic device can store a listing of media items of a sequence and the order in which to play them back. When the electronic device reaches a media item that is part of a preset sequence during random playback, the electronic device can identify at least the subsequent media items in the sequence, and insert the subsequent media items in the playback queue. The electronic device can then play back the entire sequence before moving to the next media item in the playback queue.

Abstract: A method for copy protection in which an audiovisual or audio data is divided into a plurality of portions. The plurality of portions is at least partly scrambled and prepared so as to be stored on a record carrier in the scrambled order. This is done so that a physical position on the record carrier, e.g., a sector of the record carrier, where a respective portions of the divided data is stored depends on the scrambled order.

Abstract: A method for copy protection in which an audiovisual or audio data is divided into a plurality of portions. The plurality of portions is at least partly scrambled and prepared so as to be stored on a record carrier in the scrambled order. This is done so that a physical position on the record carrier, e.g., a sector of the record carrier, where a respective portions of the divided data is stored depends on the scrambled order.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording data on a write-once recording medium are disclosed. In the write-once recording medium, the method includes, when a defect area is detected in the recording medium, deciding a replacement recording method for replacing the defect area, when the detected defect area is replacement recorded in a spare area, recording a position information of the defect area and a position information of the spare area in a temporary management area as a defect management information, and when the detected defect area is skipped and the data is replacement recorded in a next consecutive area, an information indicating that the skipped area is the defect area is recorded in a temporary management area as a defect management information. Thus, the write-once recording medium may be managed with more efficiency and data may be efficiently recorded on the recording medium.

Abstract: A reproduction apparatus has a player section, a content reproduction section, an interface section. The player section has a read section reading data from the record medium on which the content data containing at least one of a video data stream and an audio data stream and a reproduction control program controlling the reproduction of the content data are recorded, an input section accepting an input from a user, and an output section outputting the reproduced content data. The content reproduction section reproduces the content data according to the reproduction control program. The interface section interfaces among the content reproduction section, the reproduction control program, and the player section. When a command representing an end of the reproduced content data is described in the reproduction control program, the reproduction control program supplies the command to the interface section and the interface section executes a process corresponding to the command.

Abstract: A method of providing interactivity over a set of multiple optical storage media (90, 91) is disclosed. A logical unit, such as a playitem of a playlist is provided on a storage medium (90) of the set of optical storage media (90, 91), comprising information about contents stored on at least one other storage medium (91) of said set of optical storage media. Furthermore, a corresponding optical disc reading apparatus, optical storage medium, and a computer-readable medium, are disclosed.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and program products for controlling the playback of music are disclosed. In an embodiment a method for controlling the playback of music includes the steps of: initiating the playback of a first music track; stopping the playback of the first music track; initiating the playback of alternative audio content; stopping the playback of the alternative content; and determining whether to initiate the playback of the first music track or to initiate the playback of a second music track.

Abstract: Various disc enhancement systems and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, methods comprise retrieving information from a master optical disc; retrieving a data structure from a slave optical disc; using the information from the master optical disc to modify the data structure; and playing content from the slave optical disc in accordance with the modified data structure.

Abstract: An electronic equipment is provided that includes a playlist with a plurality of media objects, each associated with a ranking from a hierarchy of rankings, ranging from a highest ranking to a lowest ranking. The electronic equipment includes a media player section configured to play the plurality of media objects. The media player section has a random play function, which is operable to randomly access media objects associated with the highest ranking for play by the media player section. The media player section also includes a tracking function to lower the ranking associated with the randomly accessed media objects from the highest ranking to a lower ranking. If there are no media objects associated with the highest ranking, the tracking function is operable to raise the ranking associated with each of the plurality of the media objects until at least one media object is associated with the highest ranking.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an interactive disk reproducing method using a network. The present method downloads various content-related information and the latest contents associated with A/V data pre-recorded on a placed interactive disk from a remote content-providing server connected through a network before reproduction of the placed interactive disk, and makes presentation of video or audio reproduced from the interactive disk along with contents already-received from the server while synchronizing presentation time of the A/V data and the contents with reference to the downloaded content-related information.

Abstract: A recording/reproducing unit for recording/reproducing information data on/from a recording medium, an initialization unit for initializing the recording medium in one of a first initialization mode in which information data recorded in all recording areas of the recording media is erased and a second initialization mode in which management data for information data recorded on the recording medium is erased from certain areas of the recording medium and erasion is not performed on other recording areas, and a control unit for controlling the initialization unit in accordance with an instruction to shut off a power of the apparatus during initialization, wherein processing by the initialization unit is changed between a case where the power-off instruction is received during initialization in the first initialization mode and a case where the power-off instruction is received during initialization in the second initialization mode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an interactive disk reproducing method using a network. The present method downloads various content-related information associated with A/V data pre-recorded on a placed interactive disk from a remote content-providing server connected through a network, and makes presentation of video or audio reproduced from the interactive disk along with contents received from the server while synchronizing presentation time of the A/V data and the contents with reference to the downloaded content-related information.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing frame rates during multimedia playback are described herein. The ideal playback timing associated with video data is determined. If an actual playback timing of the video data lags the ideal playback timing, a frame rate associated with the video data is varied using a smoothing function to recover toward the ideal playback timing. An iterative frame-dropping algorithm is applied to vary the frame rate in accordance with the smoothing function. The smoothing function incorporates as a variable an average delay associated with playback of frames in the video data.

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprising a recording portion for recording moving image data on a recording medium, a recording instruction portion for instructing start and temporary stop of recording the moving image data, a playlist processing portion for producing playlist data indicating a reproduction procedure of the moving image data of a plurality of clips recorded on the recording medium; and a control portion for displaying on a display device a representative image indicating each clip of the moving image data designated in the playlist during temporary stop of recording the moving image data.

Abstract: A recording medium, method, and apparatus for reproducing text subtitle streams are disclosed. A microcomputer initially reads a set of PlayItems and a SubPlayItem included in a PlayList which is recorded on a recording medium, and it further reads synchronization information included in the SubPlayItem. Each PlayItem is configured to reproduce at least one main AV stream, and the SubPlayItem is configured to reproduce a text subtitle stream. The synchronization information indicates a presentation start time of the SubPlayItem on a global time axis of the PlayList. When the PlayList is randomly accessed at a random access time on the global time axis, the microcomputer calculates a corresponding access time on a time axis of the SubPlayItem. Then a text subtitle decoder decodes for presentation a dialog presentation segment with the closest dialog start time after the corresponding access time on the axis of the SubPlayItem.

Abstract: Improved techniques and graphical user interfaces that enable users to shuffle a group of media items in accordance with categories associated with the media items are disclosed. According to one aspect, techniques can operate to categorically shuffle media items having categories associated therewith. According to another aspect, a user interface control can be graphically presented to a user to assist the user in selecting a shuffle setting. The shuffle setting provided by the user affects the nature of the shuffle. For example, the shuffle setting can impact the likelihood that two adjacent media items in the group of media items will be from the same one or more categories following the shuffle.

Abstract: Provided is a method of managing a playlist. In an environment in which a content is being reproduced in a contents reproducing apparatus, it is possible to create a playlist according to a user's preference or to reproduce contents conveniently with a single input of a number key without going through several operations, thereby improving user convenience when reproducing contents.

Abstract: The track information table has: decrypting information corresponding to each track; file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers; and index information showing positions in the files. A function for adding the header to the track of the index information is provided. The decrypting information corresponding to the selected track, the file pointer information, and the index information are read out from the track information table. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information. Position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. The latter half data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and added to the track in which coupling has been instructed, thereby newly forming a file with a header.

Abstract: A method of reproducing information, and more particularly, a method of playing an optical recording medium storing music files by which a user can load only desired directories from the optical recording medium to reproduce the music files contained therein. Directories are searched from the optical recording medium and are displayed on a screen if the optical recording medium is driven. Desired ones of the directories are selected from the displayed directories and are loaded. Information corresponding to the loaded directories is reproduced. Only a directory selected by a user is loaded and reproduced. Thus, disc-loading time is saved so that the user can rapidly reproduce desired information.

Abstract: Decrypting information corresponding to a selected track, file pointer information, and index information are read out from a track information table having the decrypting information corresponding to each track, the file pointer information showing one of a plurality of files with headers, and the index information showing a position in the file. The header of the file with the header is read out on the basis of the file pointer information and position information in the file corresponding to the index information is detected from the header. A part of data of the file is read out on the basis of the position information and the read-out data is decrypted on the basis of the decrypting information.

Abstract: A track management method includes steps of obtaining track information from a play order table having track information entries arranged in a predetermined play order, the track information corresponds to a track to be deleted and points to a track descriptor in a track information table; obtaining the track descriptor, the track descriptor including a decryption key corresponding to the track to be deleted and pointer information that points to one of a plurality of part descriptors in a part information table; advancing the predetermined play order for a subset of the plurality of track information entries that follow the track to be deleted in the predetermined play order; reading the one of a plurality of part descriptors; separating in a file system a data block that is a part of a file specified by part pointer information in the part descriptor from the file managed by the file system and freeing the data block on the file system, the part pointer information pointing to a part of the file that includ

Abstract: A recording apparatus comprising a recording portion for recording moving image data on a recording medium, a recording instruction portion for instructing start and temporary stop of recording the moving image data, a playlist processing portion for producing playlist data indicating a reproduction procedure of the moving image data of a plurality of clips recorded on the recording medium; and a control portion for displaying on a display device a representative image indicating each clip of the moving image data designated in the playlist during temporary stop of recording the moving image data.

Abstract: A recording apparatus of the present invention includes a management information processing portion for generating management information describing a reproducing procedure for reproducing a series of information data by designating positions of from a head to an end of the series of information data recorded during a period of from an instruction of a record start to an instruction of a record stop at the time of a recording operation of moving image data to a recording medium, a playlist processing portion for selecting a part of the series of information data in accordance with a predetermined condition at the time of the recording operation of the information data to generate the series of information data, and a recording portion for recording the management information and the playlist information on the recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention includes a condition setting portion configured to set a condition used to select titles to be registered in a play list among a plurality of titles recorded on a recording medium, a retrieval portion configured to retrieve titles corresponding to a set condition by making reference to management information recorded on the recording medium, and a registration portion configured to register retrieved titles in the play list.

Abstract: An audio device is compatible with a recordable medium such as a CD-R. The audio device manages track files in each session of the recordable medium and displays the session containing the file of an arbitrary track on a display. For example, each session is regarded as a virtual disk and the name of the virtual disk corresponding to the session containing the track is displayed. Accordingly, the device can be used like a CD-changer with a better operationality, and the user can easily find a desired track from the many tracks recorded on the CD-R and play it back. Also, the device automatically plays back a track of the latest session first.

Abstract: A DVD auto-changer includes a controller, and in the DVD auto-changer, an all-repeat-mode that a plurality of disks stocked are exchanged to be successively reproduced can be set. The controller determines whether the all-repeat-mode is set or not, and unconditionally reproduces a story portion upon exchanging the disks when the all-repeat-mode is set. In other words, the controller obtains a start address of the story portion, and reproduces it from the start address.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reading multisession discs in which both standard CD-DA format and compressed music formats, such as MP3, may be utilized on the same disc. High speed reading of data into shock proof memory, analysis of available memory and storage of analyzed record structures are used to provide playback of music in both formats and, if desired, in a random playback order.

Abstract: DVD 1? has recording information areas VOR, AOR in which recording information is recorded and reproducing procedure information recording areas VNA, ANA in which reproducing procedure information indicating reproducing procedures of the recording information is recorded. In addition, this DVD 1? has an integrated reproducing procedure information recording area GNA in which an integrated reproducing procedure information is recorded. The integrated reproducing procedure information indicates reproducing procedures to sequentially reproduce a plurality of recording information including recording information recorded in other DVD. Upon reproducing, the recording information recorded astride a plurality of DVDs is reproduced in accordance with the integrated reproducing procedure information.