File management method, content recording/playback apparatus and content recording program

A content recording apparatus, comprising:

• a data recorder that records a distributed object and a metadata file on a recording medium, the metadata file being an individual file comprising information related to the object and used to retrieve, categorize, and organize the object;
• and
• a metadata correspondence information recorder that creates and records, on the recording medium, a metadata correspondence management file according to a correspondence between the object and the metadata file;
• a service management information recorder that creates a directory corresponding to a service, assigns to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a service directory number uniquely assigned to said service, and creates and records, on the recording medium, a service management file indicating correspondence between the service directory number and a service identifier assigned to the service;
• and
• a package metadata file recorder that assigns a file name to and that records on the recording medium, a metadata file corresponding to a metadata file number uniquely assigned in each service directory, and creates and records on the recording medium, a metadata file group management file indicating correspondence between the metadata file number of the file and an identifier of the file.

A file management method, comprising:

• recording on a recording medium and managing a distributed object and a metadata file, the metadata file being an individual file comprising information related to the object and used to retrieve, categorize, and organize the object, wherein correspondence between an identifier of the metadata file and an identifier of the object corresponding to the metadata file is managed by a metadata correspondence management file;
• creating a directory for a service when content is distributed in package units in which related content is collected;
• creating, on the basis of the directory, a subdirectory for each package distributed from a related service and recording a metadata file corresponding to the related package;
• assigning to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a package directory number uniquely assigned to the package;
• managing, with a package management file, correspondence between the package directory number and a package identifier assigned to the package;
• recording, on the basis of the subdirectory, a file of content contained in the related package, and a file of metadata corresponding to the related content;
• assigning to the content file and to the metadata a file name that corresponds to a content number assigned in package units when the content file and the metadata file are recorded on the recording medium;
• managing, with a content file group management file, correspondence between the content number and an identifier of the content file or correspondence between the content number and an identifier of the metadata file;
• assigning to the directory a directory name that corresponds to a service directory number uniquely assigned to the service;
• managing, with a service management file, correspondence between the service directory number and a service identifier assigned to the service;
• assigning to the metadata file, a filename that corresponds to a metadata file number uniquely assigned in each service directory, when the metadata file is recorded on the recording medium;
• managing, with a metadata file group management file, correspondence between the metadata file number and an identifier of the metadata file, when the metadata file is recorded on the recording medium;
• and
• managing, with the metadata correspondence management file, correspondence between the service identifier and an identifier of the metadata file corresponding to the service identifier, correspondence between an identifier of the package and an identifier of the metadata file corresponding thereto, and correspondence between an identifier of the content file and an identifier of the metadata file corresponding thereto.