Method and apparatus for DVD-video playback and automatic disc change control

A DVD-video playback apparatus operable to stores a plurality of DVD discs and selectively play back one of the DVD discs, the DVD-video playback apparatus comprising:

• a memory operable to store monitor specification information specifying the relationship between identification information of each DVD disc and one or more titles selected from among titles recorded on the DVD disc, that are monitored during playback of the DVD disc;
• a disc-change unit operable to change a playback-target DVD disc among the plurality of DVD discs;
• a monitored-title setting unit operable to set the one or more titles corresponding to the identification information of the playback-target DVD disc which are specified by the monitor specification information as one or more monitored titles;
• a playback unit operable to play back the titles recorded on the playback-target DVD disc in accordance with navigation data recorded on the playback-target DVD disc;
• and
• a disc-change controller operable to command the playback unit to stop playing back the playback-target DVD disc and the disc-change unit to change the playback-target DVD disc when playback of the one or more monitored titles is completed.

A presentation playback apparatus operable to store a plurality of recording discs, each recording disc storing one or more presentations and playback control information for controlling a playback sequence of the one or more presentations, and selectively play back one of the recording discs, the presentation playback apparatus comprising:

• a disc-change unit operable to change a playback-target recording disc among the plurality of recording discs;
• a monitored presentation setting unit operable to select one or more presentations from among the presentations recorded on the playback-target recording disc in accordance with the size of each presentation and set the selected one or more presentations as one or more monitored presentations;
• a playback unit operable to play back the presentations recorded on the playback-target recording disc in accordance with the playback control information recorded on the playback-target recording disc;
• and
• a disc-change controller operable to command the playback unit to stop playing back the playback-target recording disc and the disc-change unit to change the playback-target recording disc when playback of the one or more monitored presentations is completed;
• wherein the recording discs include recording discs in which a presentation to be played back last is not defined.

A presentation playback apparatus operable to store a plurality of recording discs, each recording disc storing one or more presentations and playback control information for controlling a playback sequence of the one or more presentations, and play back one of the recording discs, the presentation playback apparatus comprising:

• a memory operable to store monitor specification information specifying the relationship between identification information of each recording disc and one or more presentations selected from among the presentations recorded on the recording disc, the selected one or more presentations being monitored during playback of the recording disc;
• a disc-change unit operable to change a playback-target recording disc among the plurality of recording discs;
• a playback unit operable to play back the presentations recorded on the playback-target recording disc in accordance with the playback control information recorded on the playback-target recording disc;
• a user request receiving unit operable to receive a recording disc change request issued by a user;
• a playback history manager operable to manage a playback history of presentations recorded on the playback-target recording disc from the selection of the corresponding recording disc as the playback-target recording disc until the current time;
• a monitor-specification-information setting unit operable to update the monitor specification information so that the identification information of the playback-target recording disc corresponds to one or more presentations which have already been played back according to the playback history;
• a monitored presentation setting unit operable to set the one or more presentations corresponding to the identification information of the playback-target recording disc which are specified by the monitor specification information as one or more monitored presentations;
• and
• a disc-change controller operable to command the playback unit to stop playing back the playback-target recording disc and the disc-change unit to change the playback-target recording disc when playback of the one or more monitored presentations is completed or when the user request receiving unit receives the recording disc change request.

An automatic disc change control method used in a DVD disc playback apparatus operable to store a plurality of DVD discs and selectively plays back one of the DVD discs for controlling an operation of changing a playback-target DVD disc among the plurality of DVD discs, the automatic disc change control method comprising the acts of:

• selecting one or more titles selected from among titles recorded on the playback-target DVD disc in accordance with the size of each title;
• setting the selected one or more titles as one or more monitored titles;
• playing back the titles recorded on the playback-target DVD disc in accordance with navigation data recorded on the playback-target DVD disc;
• and
• stopping playback of the playback-target DVD disc and changing the playback-target DVD disc when playback of the one or more monitored titles is completed.

An automatic disc change method for controlling an operation of changing a playback DVD disc among a plurality of DVD discs, said method comprising the acts of:

• providing a disc identifier and a monitor status table;
• generating a monitored title list table for the disc identity and register title numbers in the monitored title status table;
• playing back a title recorded on the playback DVD disc;
• updating playback status in the monitored status table;
• stopping disc playback;
• and
• selecting a new playback DVD disc from said plurality of DVD discs.