Recording medium, playback apparatus, recording method, and playback method

A playback apparatus that performs playback of a title recorded on a recording medium, and execution of an application, comprising:

• a module manager operable to select, based on an index table, a title from among a plurality of titles;
• and
• a module operable to execute the application,
• wherein
• the recording medium stores thereon the index table and a plurality of operation mode objects,
• the index table (a) shows a plurality of titles in correspondence with the plurality of operation mode objects, and (b) shows which of a movie mode and a virtual machine mode each of the operation mode objects is for,
• the operation mode object for the movie mode includes a navigation command expressing a control procedure,
• the operation mode object for the virtual machine includes an application management table and cache management information,
• the application management table shows (a) one or more applications to be controlled by managing, as a life cycle, the title that corresponds to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode and (b) with respect to each of the one or more applications, whether to run the application automatically or not,
• the cache management information (a) shows, of files that compose the one or more applications, which file is to be read to a cache before audio-visual playback of the title corresponding to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode when said title becomes a current title, (b) includes entries in one-to-one correspondence with the applications for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table, each entry (i) being information instructing a playback apparatus to read, to a cache, the corresponding application, for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table and (ii) being assigned a predetermined position in an order, and
• the module first reads to the cache an application corresponding to an entry assigned a highest of the positions, and then starting from an application corresponding to an entry having a next highest position in the order, successively reads to the cache applications corresponding to remaining entries in descending order of the corresponding positions.

A recording method for generating volume data and obtaining a recording medium that stores the volume data thereon, wherein

• a recording step of recording an index table and a plurality of operation mode objects in the volume data,
• the index table (a) shows a plurality of titles in correspondence with the plurality of operation mode objects, and (b) shows which of a movie mode and a virtual machine mode each of the operation mode objects is for,
• the operation mode object for the movie mode includes a navigation command expressing a control procedure,
• the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode includes an application management table and cache management information,
• the application management table shows (a) one or more applications to be controlled by managing, as a life cycle, the title that corresponds to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode and (b) with respect to each of the one or more applications, whether to run the application automatically or not,
• the cache management information (a) shows, of files that compose the one or more applications, which file is to be read to a cache before audio-visual playback of the title corresponding to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode when said title becomes a current title, (b) includes entries in one-to-one correspondence with the applications for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table, each entry (i) being information instructing a playback apparatus to read, to a cache, the corresponding application, for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table and (ii) being assigned a predetermined position in an order, and
• the positions assigned to the entries instruct the playback apparatus to first read to the cache an application corresponding to an entry assigned a highest of the positions, and then starting from an application corresponding to an entry having a next highest position in the order, successively read to the cache applications corresponding to remaining entries in descending order of the corresponding positions.

A playback method that performs playback of a title recorded on a recording medium, and execution of an application, comprising:

• a manager step of selecting, based on an index table, a title from among a plurality of titles;
• and
• a module step of executing the application,
• wherein
• the recording medium stores thereon an index table and a plurality of operation mode objects,
• the index table (a) shows a plurality of titles in correspondence with the plurality of operation mode objects, and (b) shows which of a movie mode and a virtual machine mode each of the operation mode objects is for,
• the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode includes a navigation command expressing a control procedure,
• the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode includes an application management table and cache management information,
• the application management table shows (a) one or more applications to be controlled by managing, as a life cycle, the title that corresponds to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode and (b) with respect to each of the one or more applications, whether to run the application automatically or not,
• the cache management information (a) shows, of files that compose the one or more applications, which file is to be read to a cache before audio-visual playback of the title corresponding to the operation mode object for the virtual machine mode when said title becomes a current title, (b) includes entries in one-to-one correspondence with the applications for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table, each entry (i) being information instructing a playback apparatus to read, to a cache, the corresponding application, for which the life cycle is defined in the application management table and (ii) being assigned a predetermined position in an order, and
• the module step first reads to the cache an application corresponding to an entry assigned a highest of the positions, and then starting from an application corresponding to an entry having a next highest position in the order, successively reads to the cache applications corresponding to remaining entries in descending order of the corresponding positions.