Multimedia optical disc storing both video titles provided with AV functions and video titles with no such functions which can instantly distinguish between such kinds of titles, and a reproduction apparatus and reproduction method for such disc

A disc reproduction apparatus for reproducing a multimedia optical disc, the multimedia optical disc comprising a title area and a manager area, wherein the title area stores a plurality of video titles, each of which is a video production and which each include route information and a plurality of pieces of video information retrieved according to the route information, wherein the manager area includes:

• an address management information area for storing a plurality of pieces of address management information each of which includes an address of one of the plurality of video titles;
• and a playback type information area for storing a plurality of pieces of playback type information, wherein the plurality of pieces of playback type information correspond to the plurality of pieces of address management information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information includes a first flag and a second flag, the first flag indicating whether a corresponding video title is retrieved according to only one piece of route information or according to a plurality of pieces of route information, and the second flag indicating whether the route information of the corresponding video title includes the branch information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information indicates that the disc reproduction apparatus can execute AV functioning in a corresponding video title if the corresponding video title is at least in one of a first case and a second case, wherein in the first case, the first flag indicates that the corresponding video title is retrieved according to one piece of route information, wherein in the second case, the second flag indicates that the route information of the corresponding video title does not include any branch information, wherein the AV functioning at least includes a search function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to search and reproduce an arbitrary portion of the video title and a feedback function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to monitor and display a reproduction elapsed time,
• the disc reproduction apparatus comprising:
• an optical pickup for optically reading data from the multimedia optical disc;
• a drive mechanism for driving the optical pickup;
• first controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to have the optical position read data from the manager area;
• a manager buffer for storing the data read by the first controlling means;
• receiving means for receiving a video title selected by an operator to be reproduced;
• calculating means for calculating an address of the video title selected by the operator by referring to the manager buffer;
• second controlling means for controlling the drive mechanism to move the optical pickup and to have the video title read from a position specified by the address calculated by the calculating means;
• judging means for judging whether the AV functioning can be executed in the video title read by the second controlling means by referring to the first flag and the second flag corresponding to the video title;
• and
• AV functioning executing means for executing the AV functioning only when the judging means judges that the AV functioning can be used in the video title.

A method, applied to a disc reproduction apparatus including a buffer, of reproducing a multimedia optical disc, the multimedia optical disc comprising a plurality of video titles, a plurality of pieces of management information, and a plurality of pieces of playback type information, wherein each of the plurality of video titles includes route information and a plurality of pieces of video information retrieved according to the route information, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of management information manages an address of a corresponding video title, wherein each of the plurality of video titles is a video production, wherein each of the plurality of pieces of playback type information includes a first flag and a second flag, wherein the first flag indicates whether a corresponding video title is retrieved according to a piece of route information or according to a plurality of pieces of route information, and the second flag indicates whether the route information of the corresponding video title includes the branch information, the method comprising:

• a first writing step of writing a piece of management information into the buffer;
• a first receiving step of receiving a video title selected by an operator to be reproduced;
• a calculating step of calculating an address of the video title selected by the operator by referring to the buffer;
• a second controlling step of reading the video title from a position specified by the address calculated by the calculating step;
• a judging step of judging whether AV functioning can be executed in the video title read in the second controlling step by referring to the first flag and the second flag corresponding to the video title, wherein the AV functioning at least includes a search function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to search and reproduce an arbitrary portion of the video title and a feedback function for allowing the disc reproduction apparatus to monitor and display a reproduction elapsed time;
• and
• an AV functioning executing step of executing the AV functioning only when the judging step judges that the AV functioning can be used in the video title.