Method and apparatus for visual search control of digital video files

A method of visual search control of digital video files, comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing digital video files in storage means in a data format in which each digital video file contains:
• normal playback data to be read out in a normal playback mode;
• fast forward and fast reverse data to be read out in fast forward and fast reverse modes;
• and a frame management information containing an entry for each frame in the normal playback data and the fast forward and fast reverse data, where each entry registers a frame number of said each frame, and a switching target frame number indicating the frame number of a next frame to be read out next when a mode switching occurs;
• (b) receiving a mode switching request along with a currently displayed frame number from a user terminal;
• (c) looking up an entry in the frame management information of an appropriate one of the digital video files which registers the frame number identical to the currently displayed frame number received along the mode switching request at the step (b), to obtain the switching target frame number registered therein;
• and
• (d) carrying out the mode switching requested by the mode switching request received at the step (b) by making an access to the next frame indicated by the switching target frame number obtained from the entry looked up at the step (c), reading out digital video data starting from the next frame from an appropriate one of the normal playback data and the fast forward and fast reverse data stored in the storage means, and transferring the read out digital video data to the user terminal.