Information storage medium with aggregate attribute information, and apparatus for reproducing the same

A reproduction apparatus for an information storage medium comprising:

• a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced independently of each other;
• aggregate audio information each including one or more of the unit audio information;
• unit attribute information indicating attributes of the unit audio information included in the aggregate audio information;
• and aggregate attribute information including the unit attribute information corresponding to the aggregate audio information recorded on the storage medium, the apparatus comprising:
• a reading unit for reading information from the information storage medium;
• a storage unit for storing the aggregate attribute information read by the reading unit;
• an input unit for receiving, from a user, a reproduction instruction designating a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced successively;
• and
• a reproduction unit for setting the attribute for the reproduction based on the aggregate attribute information stored in the storage unit and for reproducing the unit audio information designated by the user in accordance with the attribute set, wherein said reproduction unit comprising:
• an obtaining unit for obtaining the attribute corresponding to each of the plurality of unit audio information designated by the user from the aggregate attribute information stored in the storage unit;
• a determining unit for determining whether or not the obtained attributes of the unit audio information to be successively reproduced are identical;
• and
• an attribute change unit for starting an attribute setting of the unit audio information to be reproduced next immediately after the reproduction of the unit audio information currently reproduced, if the determining unit determines that the attributes are different.

A reproduction apparatus for an information storage medium comprising:

• a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced independently of each other;
• aggregate audio information each including one or more of the unit audio information;
• and unit attribute information indicating attributes of the unit audio information included in the aggregate audio information, the apparatus comprising:
• a reading unit for reading information from the information storage medium;
• a table producing unit for obtaining the unit attribute information corresponding to the aggregate audio information recorded on the storage medium from the reading unit and for producing an aggregate attribute information table;
• a storage unit for storing the aggregate attribute information table produced by the table producing unit;
• an input unit for receiving, from a user, a reproduction instruction designating a plurality of the unit audio information to be reproduced successively;
• and
• a reproduction unit for setting the attribute for the reproduction based on the aggregate attribute information table stored in the storage unit and for reproducing the unit audio information designated by the user in accordance with the attribute set, wherein said reproduction unit comprising:
• an obtaining unit for obtaining the attributes corresponding to each of the plurality of unit audio information designated by the user from the aggregate attribute information table stored in the storage unit;
• a determining unit for determining whether or not the obtained attributes of the unit audio information to be successively reproduced are identical;
• and
• an attribute change unit for starting an attribute setting of the unit audio information to be reproduced next immediately after the reproduction of the unit audio information currently reproduced, if the determining unit determines that the attributes are different.

A reproduction method of an information storage medium comprising:

• a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced independently of each other;
• aggregate audio information each including one or more of the unit audio information;
• unit attribute information indicating attributes of the unit audio information included in the aggregate audio information;
• and aggregate attribute information including the unit attribute information corresponding to the aggregate audio information recorded on the storage medium, the method comprising the steps of:
• reading the aggregate attribute information from the information storage medium to store the read information into a storage unit;
• receiving, from a user, a reproduction instruction designating a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced successively;
• setting the attribute for the reproduction based on the aggregate attribute information stored in the storage unit;
• and
• reproducing the unit audio information designated by the user in accordance with the attribute set, wherein said reproducing step comprising the steps of
• obtaining the attributes corresponding to each of the plurality of unit audio information designated by the user from the aggregate attribute information stored in the storage unit;
• determining whether or not the attributes of the unit audio information to be reproduced successively are identical;
• and
• starting an attribute setting of the unit audio information to be reproduced next immediately after the reproduction of the unit audio information currently reproduced, if it is determined in the determining step that the attributes are different.

A reproduction method of an information storage medium comprising:

• a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced independently of each other;
• aggregate audio information each including one or more of the unit audio information;
• and unit attribute information indicating attributes of the unit audio information included in the aggregate audio information, the apparatus comprising:
• reading the unit attribute information corresponding to the aggregate audio information recorded on the storage medium to produce an aggregate attribute information table;
• storing the aggregate attribute information table produced into a storage unit;
• receiving, from a user, a reproduction instruction designating a plurality of unit audio information to be reproduced successively;
• setting the attribute for the reproduction based on the aggregate attribute information table stored in the storage unit;
• and
• reproducing the unit audio information designated by the user in accordance with the attribute set, wherein said reproducing step comprising the steps of:
• obtaining the attributes corresponding to each of the plurality of unit audio information designated by the user from the aggregate attribute information table stored in the storage unit;
• determining whether or not the attributes of the unit audio information to be successively reproduced are identical;
• and
• starting an attribute setting of the unit audio information to be reproduced next immediately after the reproduction of the unit audio information currently reproduced, if it is determined in the determining step that the attributes are different.