Medium, apparatus and method for recording and reproducing selectively reproducible scenes

A data recording method for recording a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes on a recording medium, the method including the steps of:

• dividing video data of each selectively reproducible scene within a particular multi-scene zone to generate scene divisions;
• applying a prescribed compressing process to each of the scene divisions;
• generating a set of scene blocks based on the compressed scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding one of the compressed scene divisions from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed;
• and
• recording the scene blocks on the recording medium.

A data reproducing method for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, and where each scene block has less than a prescribed quantity of video data regardless of the number of selectively reproducible scenes within the particular multi-scene zone, the reproducing method including the steps of:

• reading a particular scene block from the recording medium;
• storing the particular scene block read from the recording medium;
• and
• reading and reproducing a scene division from the particular scene block corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes.

A data reproducing method for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, each scene division being processed according to a prescribed data compression, the reproducing method including the steps of:

• reading a particular scene block recorded on the recording medium;
• storing the particular scene block read from the recording medium in a storage means;
• reading from the storage means a particular scene division corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes;
• and
• reproducing the particular scene division read from the storage means using a data expansion process that is related to the data compression process applied in the recording operation.

A data reproducing apparatus for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, and where each scene block has less than a prescribed quantity of video data regardless of the number of selectively reproducible scenes within the particular multi-scene zone, the data reproducing apparatus comprising:

• reproducing means for reproducing from the recording medium a particular scene block;
• storage means for storing the particular scene block reproduced by the reproducing means;
• and
• reading means for reading and recording a particular scene division corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes from the storage means.

A data reproducing apparatus for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, each scene division being processed according to a prescribed data compression, the data reproducing apparatus comprising:

• first reproducing means for reproducing from the recording medium a particular scene block;
• storage means for storing the particular scene block reproduced by the first reproducing means;
• reading means for reading from the storage means a particular scene division corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes with a data expansion process that is related to the data compression process applied in the recording operation;
• and
• second reproducing means for reproducing the particular scene division read from the storage means using a data expansion process that is related to the data compression process applied in the recording operation.

A data recording method for recording a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes on a recording medium, the method including the steps of:

• dividing each of the selectively reproducible scenes contained in a particular multi-scene zone to generate scene divisions;
• generating a set of scene blocks based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, and where a quantity of video data in each scene division is inversely related to a number of selectively reproducible scenes included in the particular multi-scene zone;
• and
• recording the scene block on the recording medium.

A data reproducing method for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, and where a quantity of video data in each scene division is inversely related to a number of selectively reproducible scenes included in the particular multi-scene zone, the reproducing method including the steps of:

• reading a particular scene block from the recording medium;
• storing the particular scene block read from the recording medium;
• and
• reading and reproducing from the storage means a scene division from the particular scene block corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes.

A data reproducing apparatus for reproducing from a recording medium a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, where the scene divisions within each scene block are multiplexed, where a quantity of video data in each scene division is inversely related to a number of selectively reproducible scenes included in the particular multi-scene zone, the data reproducing apparatus comprising:

• first reproducing means for reproducing from the recording medium a particular scene block;
• storage means for storing the particular scene block reproduced by the first reproducing means;
• reading means for reading from the storage means a particular scene division corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes with a data expansion process that is related to the data compression process applied in the recording operation;
• and
• second reproducing means for reproducing the particular scene division read from the storage means.

A data reproducing method for reproducing a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes from a recording medium, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, the scene divisions within each scene block being multiplexed, data being reproduced from within each scene block at a rate which is less than a prescribed value regardless of the number of selectively reproducible scenes within the particular multi-scene zone, the reproducing method including:

• reading a particular scene block from the recording medium;
• storing the particular scene block read from the recording medium;
• and
• reading and reproducing a scene division from the particular scene block corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes at the rate which is less than the prescribed value.

A data reproducing method for reproducing a video program containing at least one multi-scene zone having a plurality of selectively reproducible scenes from a recording medium, the video program being recorded with each selectively reproducible scene in a particular multi-scene zone being divided into a set of scene divisions, a set of scene blocks being generated based on the scene divisions, each scene block including a corresponding scene division from each selectively reproducible scene within the particular multi-scene zone, the scene divisions within each scene block being multiplexed, data being reproduced from within each scene block having multiple reproducible scene divisions at a rate which is less than a rate for reproducing data from a scene zone having a single reproducible scene division regardless of the number of selectively reproducible scenes within the particular multi-scene zone, the reproducing method including:

• reading a particular scene block from the recording medium;
• storing the particular scene block read from the recording medium;
• and
• reading and reproducing a scene division from the particular scene block corresponding to a selected one of the selectively reproducible scenes at the rate which is less than the prescribed value.