Optical disc player system and method of controlling a decoding unit in the optical disc player system to read encoded bitstream data from a buffer memory

Abstract

In a method of controlling multiple decoders in an optical disc player system to read encoded bitstream data divided into multiple sectors from a buffer memory, one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory is read according to a reading pointer associated with one of the decoders that sent out a bitstream request. When a header portion of the sector that is being read from the buffer memory indicates a bitstream type corresponding to that of the bitstream request, a data portion of the sector is transferred to the decoder that sent out the bitstream request, and the reading pointer is adjusted to point to a next one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory. An optical disc player system for implementing the method is also disclosed.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A method of controlling a decoding unit in an optical disc player system to read encoded bitstream data from a buffer memory, the encoded bitstream data being divided into a plurality of sectors, each of which includes a data portion, and a header portion for indicating a bitstream type of the data portion, the decoding unit including a set of different decoders, each of which is used to decode data with a specific bitstream type, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) determining whether one of the decoders sent out a bitstream request;    (b) reading one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory according to a reading pointer that is associated with said one of the decoders that sent out the bitstream request;    (c) determining whether a portion of said one of the sectors being read from the buffer memory is the header portion;    (d) determining whether the header portion of said one of the sectors that is being read from the buffer memory indicates a bitstream type corresponding to that of the bitstream request upon determining that the portion of said one of the sectors is the header portion; and    (e) transferring the data portion of said one of the sectors that is being read from the buffer memory to said one of the decoders that sent out the bitstream request upon determining that the bitstream type indicated by the header portion of said one of the sectors corresponds to that of the bitstream request, and adjusting the reading pointer to point to a next one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory after reading of said one of the sectors has been completed.    
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the decoders include at least one of a video decoder for decoding video data, an audio decoder for decoding audio data, a sub-picture decoder, and a navigation decoder.  
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the header portion includes a sector ID, a pack header and a packet header.  
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 (f) upon determining that the bitstream type indicated by the header portion of said one of the sectors being read from the buffer memory does not correspond to that of the bitstream request, adjusting the reading pointer to point to the next one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory, reading the header portion of the next one of the sectors, and proceeding back to step (d).    
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein each of the sectors stored in the buffer memory is defined to be in a used state when the data portion thereof has been completely read, and is defined to be in an unused state when otherwise.  
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein, in step (f), the reading pointer is adjusted to point to the next one of the sectors stored in the buffer memory that is in the unused state.  
     
     
         7 . An optical disc player system, comprising: 
 a buffer memory for storing encoded bitstream data, the encoded bitstream data being divided into a plurality of sectors, each of which includes a data portion, and a header portion for indicating a bitstream type of the data portion;    a header scanning controller connected to said buffer memory;    a decoding unit connected to said header scanning controller, said decoding unit including a set of different decoders, each of which is used to decode data with a specific bitstream type, each of said decoders being capable of sending a bitstream request for reading encoded bitstream data stored in said buffer memory to said header scanning controller; and    a reading pointer recorder connected to said header scanning controller and storing a plurality of reading pointers associated with said decoders;    said header scanning controller reading one of the sectors stored in said buffer memory according to the reading pointer from said reading pointer recorder that is associated with one of said decoders that sent out the bitstream request when said header scanning controller receives the bitstream request from said one of said decoders;    said header scanning controller transferring the data portion of said one of the sectors that is being read from said buffer memory to said one of the decoders that sent out the bitstream request when the header portion of said one of the sectors that is being read from said buffer memory indicates a bitstream type corresponding to that of the bitstream request, and enabling said reading pointer recorder to adjust the reading pointer to point to a next one of the sectors stored in said buffer memory after reading of said one of the sectors has been completed.    
     
     
         8 . The optical disc player system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said decoders include at least one of a video decoder for decoding video data, an audio decoder for decoding audio data, a sub-picture decoder, and a navigation decoder.  
     
     
         9 . The optical disc player system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the header portion includes a sector ID, a pack header and a packet header.  
     
     
         10 . The optical disc player system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said header scanning controller enables said reading pointer recorder to adjust the reading pointer associated with said one of said decoders that sent out the bitstream request to point to a next one of the sectors stored in said buffer memory, and reads the header portion of the next one of the sectors when the bitstream type indicated by the header portion of said one of the sectors being read from said buffer memory does not correspond to that of the bitstream request.  
     
     
         11 . The optical disc player system as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each of the sectors stored in said buffer memory is defined by said header scanning controller to be in a used state when the data portion thereof has been completely read, and to be in an unused state when otherwise.  
     
     
         12 . The optical disc player system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said header scanning controller enables said reading pointer recorder to adjust the reading pointer to point to the next one of the sectors stored in said buffer memory that is in the unused state when the bitstream type indicated by the header portion of said one of the sectors being read from said buffer memory does not correspond to that of the bitstream request.