Apparatus and method for managing multimedia playback

A multimedia reproducing apparatus, comprising:

• a multimedia contents identification information transmission unit which transmits identification information on predetermined multimedia contents;
• a multimedia contents reproduction information reception unit which receives identification information identifying the predetermined multimedia contents to be reproduced and a first reproduction position information, from a multimedia management apparatus which receives the identification information and stores the first reproduction position information;
• and
• a multimedia contents reproduction unit which determines whether the received identification information corresponds to the transmitted identification information on the predetermined multimedia contents ˜and reproduces the predetermined multimedia contents based on the determination, from a reproduction position indicated by the first reproduction position;
• wherein the reproduction position is the most recently reproduced position among reproduction positions at which the predetermined multimedia contents are reproduced by at least one of multimedia reproducing apparatuses;
• transmitting a start signal to the multimedia management apparatus;
• and
• receiving an acknowledgment signal for the start signal from the multimedia management apparatus which receives the start signal and transmitting identification information for the predetermined multimedia content;
• wherein when it is determined that the multimedia contents are a DVD title, identification information may be a unique key of the DVD title generated based on a universal disk format (UDF) property by combining a video title set identifier (VTS_ID), a video title set number (VTSN).

A multimedia reproduction management method, comprising:

• receiving, predetermined identification information of the multimedia contents from a plurality of multimedia reproducing apparatuses;
• extracting, first reproduction position information of the multimedia contents indicated by the received predetermined identification information;
• and
• transmitting, first reproduction information, including (i) the predetermined identification information to identify the multimedia contents and (ii) the extracted first reproduction position information enabling the multimedia contents to be reproduced at a reproduction position included in the reproduction position information, to the multimedia reproducing apparatus;
• wherein the reproduction position is the most recently reproduced position among reproduction positions at which the multimedia contents are reproduced by at least one of multimedia reproducing apparatuses;
• transmitting a start signal to the multimedia management apparatus;
• and
• receiving an acknowledgment signal for the start signal from the multimedia management apparatus which receives the start signal and transmitting identification information for the predetermined multimedia content;
• wherein when it is determined that the multimedia contents are a DVD title, identification information may be a unique key of the DVD title generated based on a universal disk format (UDF) property by combining a video title set identifier (VTS_ID), a video title set number (VTSN).

A multimedia management apparatus, comprising:

• a multimedia reproduction information storage unit a multimedia contents reproduction position information storing unit which stores first reproduction position information;
• a multimedia contents identification information reception unit which receives predetermined identification information from multimedia reproducing apparatuses;
• a multimedia contents reproduction position information extraction unit which extracts the first reproduction position information of multimedia contents indicated by the predetermined identification information;
• and
• a multimedia contents reproduction information transmission unit which transmits first reproduction information, including the predetermined identification information and the first reproduction position information to identify the multimedia contents to be reproduced, to the multimedia reproducing apparatus;
• wherein the first reproduction position information includes a reproduction position which is the most recently reproduced position among reproduction positions at which the predetermined multimedia contents are reproduced by at least one of multimedia reproducing apparatuses;
• transmitting a start signal to the multimedia management apparatus;
• and
• receiving an acknowledgment signal for the start signal from the multimedia management apparatus which receives the start signal and transmitting identification information for the predetermined multimedia content;
• wherein when it is determined that the multimedia contents are a DVD title, identification information may be a unique key of the DVD title generated based on a universal disk format (UDF) property by combining a video title set identifier (VTS_ID), a video title set number (VTSN).

A multimedia reproduction system, comprising:

• a plurality of reproducing apparatuses which reproduce contents from an information magnetic or optical recording medium;
• and a multimedia management apparatus which stores reproduction position information indicating a location from which the contents are most recently reproduced by at least one of multimedia reproducing apparatuses and manages reproduction of the contents for the plurality of reproducing apparatuses according to the stored reproduction position information and identification information corresponding to the contents and is communicatively coupled with the plurality of reproducing apparatuses, wherein the plurality of reproducing apparatuses periodically transmits the reproduction position information and the identification information during reproduction of the contents to the multimedia management apparatus for storage such that at a later time the at least one reproducing apparatus determines a previous reproduction position according to the stored reproduction position information and identification information,
• wherein the stored reproduction position information and identification information are used to identify the multimedia contents to be reproduced;
• transmitting a start signal to the multimedia management apparatus;
• and
• receiving an acknowledgment signal for the start signal from the multimedia management apparatus which receives the start signal and transmitting identification information for the predetermined multimedia content;
• wherein when it is determined that the multimedia contents are a DVD title, identification information may be a unique key of the DVD title generated based on a universal disk format (UDF) property by combining a video title set identifier (VTS_ID), a video title set number (VTSN).