Machine-readable data medium having interactive reproduction procedures with menu restoration after branching, a reproduction apparatus and method of restoring a menu

A reproduction apparatus for a disc having a data region for storing data, including a plurality of video objects, each video object having a plurality of data units, which include moving picture data, sub-picture data and control data to be effective within a time period in which the corresponding moving picture data is reproducible, the sub-picture data including a menu image;

• and
• the control data including address information, which shows a storage position of an initial data unit out of the plurality of data units, necessary to provide the menu image, when the menu image is displayed and a branching operation is performed from the menu image, the address information is different than a branch address from where the branch operation is initiated,
• the reproduction apparatus comprising:
• a reading member for reading the data from the disc;
• a memory for storing the read data;
• a reproduction member for reproducing the moving picture data and sub-picture data read by the reading member and outputting the moving picture data and sub-picture data as a video signal for display;
• a receiving member for receiving a user's input in response to the menu image;
• and
• a control member comprising:
• a detection member for detecting when a branch operation, from a present display of the menu image, to a temporary reproduction of another object is received;
• a call member for storing the address information to provide the menu image and designating the reproduction member to reproduce the other object when the branch operation is detected;
• and
• a resume member for resuming reproduction of the menu image based on the stored address information after the reproduction of the other object is completed.

A reproduction apparatus for reproducing from a disc, a data stream, including a plurality of video objects, each video object having a plurality of data units, which include moving picture data, sub-picture data an control data to be effective within a time period in which the corresponding moving picture data is reproducible, the sub-picture data including a menu image;

• and
• the control data including address information which shows a storage position of an initial data unit out of the plurality of data units on the disc, necessary to provide the menu image, when the menu image is displayed and a branching operation is performed from the menu image, the address information is different than a branch address from where the branch operation is initiated,
• the reproduction apparatus comprising:
• an input member for inputting the data from the disc;
• a memory for storing the input data stream;
• a reproducing member for reproducing the moving picture data and sub-picture data read by the input member and outputting the moving picture data and sub-picture data as a video signal for display;
• and
• a receiving member for receiving a user's input;
• a control member comprising:
• a detection member for detecting when a branch operation, from a present display of the menu image, to a temporary reproduction of another object is received;
• a call member for storing the address information to provide the menu image and designating the reproduction member to reproduce the other object when the branch operation is detected;
• and
• a resume member for resuming reproduction of the menu image based on the stored address information after the reproduction of the other object is completed.

A method for reproducing data from a disc, the data including a plurality of video object, each video object having a plurality of data units, which include moving picture data, sub-picture data and control data to be effective within a time period in which the corresponding moving picture data is reproducible, the sub-picture data including a menu image and the control data, including address information which shows a position of an initial data unit out of the plurality of data units on the disc, necessary to provide the menu image, when the menu image is displayed and a branching operation is preformed from the menu image, the address information is different than a branch address from where the branch operation is initiated,

• the method includes the steps of:
• reading the data from the disc;
• decoding the data including the initial data unit to reproduce a menu image;
• receiving a user input in response to the menu image;
• branching to another image in response to the user input during reproduction of an object other than the initial object;
• storing the address information necessary to provide the menu image which is different than a branch address from where the branch operation is initiated upon execution and return from the branching operation;
• and
• and resuming reproduction of the menu image based on the stored address information.

A reproduction system for reproducing interactive moving picture images comprising:

• a recording medium comprising a data area for storing a plurality of objects, each having sub-picture data and moving picture data, wherein the data area includes a plurality of small areas, each of which includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area, with the object in the data area being stored over consecutive small areas;
• the first sub-area stores the moving picture data having a predetermined reproduction time period and the sub-picture data that is reproducible within the same time period, the sub-picture data being a menu image which includes a plurality of items for display;
• the second sub-area stores control information including item control data for responding to a user's operation applied onto a menu image reproduced in the first sub-area in the same small area and auxiliary control data for substituting for a user's operation when the user does not select an item on the menu image;
• and
• a reproduction apparatus comprising:
• readout means for reading data on the recording medium,
• reproduction means for reproducing the moving picture data and sub-picture data in the first sub-area read by the readout means and outputting the moving picture data and sub-picture data as a video signal for display;
• reception means for receiving a user's operation applied onto the menu image;
• first control means for responding to the user's operation according to the item control data read from the second sub-area by the readout means;
• and
• second control means for substituting for the user's operation according to the auxiliary control data read from the second sub-area by the readout means, wherein
• the sub-picture data in the first sub-areas in a predetermined section of the object constitutes a still image;
• and
• the auxiliary control data includes address information which shows a storage position of the first small area in the predetermined section in order to return to the still image data after a branch to another object occurred,
• the first control means comprising:
• holding means for holding item number, selection color, activation color, command for each item, end time, and forced item number by analyzing control information every time the second sub-area is read by the readout means;
• item control means for controlling a change of state of each item according to a user's operation received by the reception means;
• item display control means for instructing the reproduction means on the selection color and the activation color of the item on the menu image;
• and
• execution means for executing the command of the item placed into the activated state,
• and the second control means comprising:
• detection means for detecting when the user's operation received by the reception means is a designation of a temporary reproduction of another object;
• call means for storing the address information and designating the reproduction means to reproduce the other object when the reproduction designation is detected;
• and
• resume means for resuming reproduction of the still image object based on the stored address information after the reproduction of the other object is completed.

A reproduction system for reproducing interactive images comprising:

• a recording medium having a data region for storing data, including a plurality of video objects, each video object having a plurality of data units, which include moving picture data, sub-picture data and control data to be effective within a time period in which the corresponding moving picture data is reproducible, the sub-picture data including a menu image;
• the control data including address information, which shows a storage position of an initial data unit out of the plurality of data units, necessary to provide the menu image, when the menu image is displayed and a branching operation is performed from the menu image, the address information is different than a branch address from where the branch operation is initiated;
• and
• a reproduction apparatus comprising:
• a reading member for reading the data from the recording medium;
• a memory for storing the read data;
• a reproduction member for reproducing the moving picture data and sub-picture data read by the reading member and outputting the moving picture data and sub-picture data as a video signal for display;
• a receiving member for receiving a user's input in response to the menu image;
• and
• a control member comprising:
• a detection member for detecting when a branch operation, from a present display of the menu image, to a temporary reproduction of another object is received;
• a call member for storing the address information to provide the menu image and designating the reproduction member to reproduce the other object when the branch operation is detected;
• and
• a resume member for resuming reproduction of the menu image based on the stored address information after the reproduction of the other object is completed.