Information storage medium, method and apparatus for reproducing information from the information storage medium and a recording apparatus and recording method for recording video data on the information storage medium

A reproduction apparatus for reproducing a video signal from an information storage medium provided with a data recording area which includes;

• a video object to be produced, which is recorded in the data recording area, the video object comprising a number of video object units, which are arranged consecutively,
• each of the video object units comprising a pack sequence containing a navigation pack and video packs following the navigation pack,
• the navigation pack having a picture information including address information and a picture category relating to a reference picture, the picture category being determined in compliance with the importance level in respect to the reference picture,
• the video pack including a packet, a sequence of the packets constituting a stream of nal units which include a first group of the nal units contributing to produce the reference picture and a second group of the nal unit not contributing to produce the reference picture,
• each of the nal units including a nal header and data payload, the nal header including reference item information which describes that the nal unit belongs to the first group and contributes to produce the reference picture, and a type of data of the payload, and
• the reference item information indicating the priority of the nal unit, which is determined in accordance with the category of the reference picture;
• said apparatus comprising:
• a search unit configured to search for the video object unit in the recording area and to read out the pack sequence in reference to the picture information;
• a de-multiplexer configured to demultiplex the video pack from the read out video object unit;
• a decoder configured to pick up the nal units from the demultiplexed video packs and decode a combination of the nal units contributing to the production of a reference picture belonging to the category of a high importance level to a reference picture in reference to the priority of the nal unit, and
• an output unit to output the video signal of the reference picture.

A method of reproducing a video signal from the information storage medium which includes;

• a video object to be produced, which is recorded in the data recording area, the video object comprising a number of video object units, which are arranged consecutively,
• each of the video object units comprising a pack sequence containing a navigation pack and video packs following the navigation pack,
• the navigation pack having a picture information including address information and a picture category relating to a reference picture, the picture category being determined in compliance with the importance level in respect to the reference picture,
• the video pack including a packet, a sequence of the packets constituting a stream of nal units which include a first group of the nal units contributing to produce the reference picture and a second group of the nal unit not contributing to produce the reference picture,
• each of the nal units including a nal header and data payload, the nal header including reference item information which describes that the nal unit belongs to the first group and contributes to produce the reference picture, and a type of data of the payload, and
• the reference item information indicating the priority of the nal unit, which is determined in accordance with the category of the reference picture,
• said method comprising:
• searching for the video object unit in the recording area and to read out the pack sequence in reference to the picture information;
• demultiplex the video pack from the read out video object unit;
• picking up the nal units from the demultiplexed video packs and decode a combination of the nal units contributing to the production of a reference picture belonging to the category of a high importance level to a reference picture in reference to the priority of the nal unit, and
• outputting the video signal of the reference picture.

A recording apparatus for recording a video object in a recording area of the information storage medium, comprising:

• an encode unit configured to encode an input video signal to a stream of nal units each including a nal header and a data payload, allocate the nal units in packets to produce a video elementary stream of packets and allocate the packets in packs, respectively, to produce a MPEG video stream, the nal units being classified into a first group of the nal units contributing to produce a reference picture and a second group of the nal units not contributing to produce the reference picture, the nal unit header including reference item information which describes that the nal unit belongs to the first group and contributes to produce the reference picture, and a type of data of the payload, and the reference item information indicating the priority of the nal unit, which is determined in accordance with the category of the reference picture;
• a navigation pack producing unit configured to produce navigation packs each having a picture information including address information and a picture category relating to a reference picture, the picture category being determined in compliance with the importance level in respect to the reference picture;
• a multiplexer configured to multiplex the navigation packs and video packs and arrange the video packs so as to follow the navigation pack to produce video object units;
• a formatter configured to produce a video object including number of video object units successively arranged therein, and
• a recording unit configured to record the video object in the recording area of the information storage medium.

A recording method recording a video object in a recording area of the information storage medium, comprising:

• encoding an input video signal to a stream of nal units each including a nal header and a data payload, allocating the nal units in packets to produce a video elementary stream of packets and allocating the packets in packs, respectively, to produce a MPEG video stream, the nal units being classified into a first group of the nal units contributing to produce a reference picture and a second group of the nal units not contributing to produce the reference picture, the nal unit header including reference item information which describes that the nal unit belongs to the first group and contributes to produce the reference picture, and a type of data of the payload, and the reference item information indicating the priority of the nal unit, which is determined in accordance with the category of the reference picture;
• producing navigation packs each having a picture information including address information and a picture category relating to a reference picture, the picture category being determined in compliance with the importance level in respect to the reference picture;
• multiplexing the navigation packs and video packs and arranging the video packs so as to follow the navigation pack to produce video object units;
• producing a video object including a number of video object units successively arranged therein, and
• recording the video object in the recording area of the information storage medium.

A system comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit a video data from a server to a client;
• said video data including
• a video object to be produced, which is recorded in the data recording area, the video object comprising a number of video object units, which are arranged consecutively,
• each of the video object units comprising a pack sequence containing a navigation pack and video packs following the navigation pack,
• the navigation pack having a picture information including address information and a picture category relating to a reference picture, the picture category being determined in compliance with the importance level in respect to the reference picture,
• the video pack including a packet, a sequence of the packets constituting a stream of nal units which include a first group of the nal units contributing to produce the reference picture and a second group of the nal unit not contributing to produce the reference picture,
• each of the nal units including a nal header and data payload, the nal header including reference item information which describes that the nal unit belongs to the first group and contributes to produce the reference picture, and a type of data of the payload, and
• the reference item information indicating the priority of the nal unit, which is determined in accordance with the category of the reference picture.