Large capacity recording medium, method and apparatus for reproducing data from a large-capacity recording medium, and method and apparatus for recording data on a large-capacity recording medium

An information-reproducing apparatus for reproducing information from a recording medium that includes at least one title set area having at least one data file comprising a plurality of data cells each storing data to be reproduced, and a volume management area including a volume management file comprising a volume information file manager portion, a video object menu portion containing video objects, comprised of at least one menu data cell, for presenting menu information pertaining to the contents of title sets stored in the title set areas of the recording medium, comprising:

• reading means for reading a volume information file management table contained in the volume information file manager portion of the volume management area;
• storage means for storing the volume information file management table;
• a processing section that controls reproduction of information from the recording medium,
• wherein the processing section accesses the stored volume information file management table to cause the reading means to retrieve a volume menu program chain information block table from the volume information file manager portion of the recording medium and stores the volume menu program chain information block table to be stored in the storage means,
• wherein the processing section accesses the stored volume menu program chain information block table to retrieve volume menu program chain information block table information identifying a number of languages available for presenting the menu information and a volume menu language block search pointer table, and
• wherein the processing sections causes the reading means to access a volume menu language block stored in the volume information file manager portion and containing information pertaining to an order in which the menu data cells in the video objects in the video object menu portion are to be output to present the menu information by comparing a language code set in the processing section to a language code associated with the volume menu language block stored in the volume menu language block search pointer table;
• and
• a reproduction section that receives the menu data cells in accordance with the information contained in the volume menu language block and converts the data cells into signals for presenting the menu information.

A method of reproducing information from a recording medium that includes at least one title set area having at least one data file comprising a plurality of data cells each storing data to be reproduced, and a volume management area including a volume management file comprising a volume information file manager portion and a video object menu portion containing video objects comprised of at least one menu data cell, for presenting menu information pertaining to the contents of a title sets stored in the title set areas of the recording medium, comprising the steps of:

• reading a volume information file management table contained in the volume information file manager portion of the volume management area;
• storing the volume information file management table reproduced from the recording medium;
• accessing the stored volume information file management table to identify a location of a volume menu program chain information block table;
• retrieving the volume menu program chain information block table from the volume information manager portion of the recording medium at the location;
• storing the volume menu program chain information block table;
• accessing the stored volume menu program chain information block table to retrieve volume menu program chain information block table information identifying a number of languages available for presenting the menu information and a volume menu language block search pointer table;
• accessing a volume menu language block stored in the volume information manager portion and containing information pertaining to an order in which the menu data cells in the video objects in the video object menu portion are to be output to present the menu information by comparing a language code to a language code associated with the volume menu language block stored in the volume menu language block search pointer table;
• and
• processing the menu data cells in accordance with the information contained in the volume menu language block to convert the data cells into signals for presenting the menu information.

An information-recording apparatus comprising:

• means for generating at least one title set containing at least one data file comprising a plurality of data cells each containing data;
• means for generating a volume management file comprising a volume information file manager portion, and a video object menu portion containing video objects, comprised of at least one menu data cell, for presenting menu information pertaining to the contents of title sets stored in the title set areas of a recording medium, the volume information file manager portion comprising:
• a volume information file management table,
• a title search pointer table identifying the start address of each title set area, the start address of the title search pointer table being identified in the volume information file management table, and
• a volume menu program chain information block table, the start address of the volume menu program chain information block table being identified in the volume information file management table, the volume menu program chain information block table comprising:
• volume menu program chain information block table information identifying the number of languages available for the menu information,
• a volume menu language block search pointer table, and
• a volume menu language block containing information pertaining to an order in which the menu data cells in the video objects in the video object menu portion are output to present the menu information, the start address of the volume menu language block being identified in the volume menu language block search pointer table;
• and
• means for recording the at least one title set in title set area in the recording medium and for recording the volume management file in a separate portion of the recording medium such that the at least one title set is read after the volume management file.

A method of recording information in a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

• generating at least one title set containing at least one data file comprising a plurality of data cells each containing data;
• generating a volume management file comprising a volume information file manager portion, and a video object menu portion containing video objects, comprised of at least one menu data cell, for presenting menu information pertaining to the contents of title sets stored in the title set areas of the recording medium, the volume information file manager portion comprising:
• a volume information file management table,
• a title search pointer table identifying the start address of each title set area, the start address of the title search pointer table being identified in the volume information file management table, and
• a volume menu program chain information block table, the start address of the volume menu program chain information block table being identified in the volume information file management table, the volume menu program chain information block table comprising:
• volume menu program chain information block table information identifying the number of languages available for the menu information,
• a volume menu language block search pointer table, and
• a volume menu language block containing information pertaining to an order in which the menu data cells in the video objects in the video object menu portion are output to present the menu information, the start address of the volume menu language block being identified in the volume menu language block search pointer table;
• and
• recording the at least one title set in title set area in the recording medium and recording the volume management file in a separate portion of the recording medium such that the at least one title set is read after the volume management file.