Method for enabling displaying of a still picture at a plurality of predetermined timings during playback of recorded audio data and playback apparatus therefor

Abstract

A recording medium such as a video CD, for recording both audio and still picture data, has all audio data recorded on successive tracks within one recording region and data of all of the still pictures recorded together within another recording region as successive data sets expressing respective ones of a plurality of groups of still pictures. Each of recorded sets of track control information specifies, for the corresponding track, a still picture group which includes all of the still pictures that are to be displayed during playback of that track, those pictures (within that group) which are actually to be displayed during that playback, and respective display starting time points for the specified pictures. The playback apparatus includes a still picture data memory, and a control section which, when playback of a selected track is designated, judges whether the data of the corresponding still picture group are already stored in the memory, reads out those data and stores in the memory if necessary, and thereafter reads out the requisite still picture data from memory as indicated by the track control information of the selected track during playback of that track.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A playback apparatus for executing playback of a recording medium having recorded thereon audio data of a plurality of tracks, track control information expressing respective recording positions of said tracks on said recording medium, and still picture data expressing a plurality of still pictures, said playback apparatus including input means operable for generating input command signals for designating playback of selected ones of said tracks, playback means controllable for reading out recorded data from said recording medium, control means for automatically controlling said playback means to read out said track control information from said recording medium and responsive to said input command signals in conjunction with said track control information for controlling said playback means to read out data of selected ones of said tracks from said recording medium, still picture output means for converting still picture data read out from said recording medium to an output video signal and audio output means for converting audio data read out from said recording medium to an output audio signal, wherein 
 said recording medium is formed with an audio data recording region in which are collectively recorded said audio data of each of said tracks, a still picture data recording region in which are collectively recorded said still picture data of each of said still pictures, and a track control information recording region in which are collectively recorded a plurality of track control information sets respectively corresponding to said tracks,    each of said sets of track control information corresponding to one of said tracks includes information specifying a still picture group corresponding to said track, said specified group including all of said still pictures which have been predetermined to be respectively displayed during playback of said corresponding track,    said playback apparatus comprises a still picture data memory, and    said control means comprises means functioning, when playback of a selected track is designated by said input means, to utilize said track control information of said selected track for    controlling said playback means to read out said data of said corresponding still picture group of the selected track from said recording medium and store said data in said still picture data memory,    controlling said playback means to execute reading out of the audio data of said selected track, and supplying said audio data to said audio output means,    during said reading out of said audio data, utilizing said track control information of said selected track for reading out from said still picture data memory the data of at least one of said group of still pictures corresponding to said selected track and supplying said data to said still picture output means.    
     
     
         2 . The playback apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 each of said sets of track control information includes information which individually specifies each of one or more still pictures of said specified group as a still picture which is to be displayed during playback of said corresponding track, and information which specifies, for each of said individually specified still pictures, a time point during playback of said corresponding track at which displaying of said still picture is to be initiated, and    said control means comprises means for judging, during said reading out of the audio data of said selected track, whether a time point has been reached which is specified in said track control information of said selected track as a time point for starting display of a specified one of the still pictures of said corresponding still picture group, and when such a time point is judged to have been reached, reading out from said still picture data memory the data of said specified still picture and supplying said data to said still picture output means.    
     
     
         3 . The playback apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said control means comprises means functioning, when playback of a selected track is designated by said input means, to utilize said track control information of said selected track for 
 judging whether all data of said corresponding still picture group of said selected track are already stored in said still picture data memory    when said data of said corresponding still picture group are not judged to be already stored in said still picture data memory, controlling said playback means to read out said data of said corresponding still picture group from said recording medium and store said data in said still picture data memory, and    leaving data contents of said still picture data memory stored in an unchanged condition following termination of reading out said audio data of said selected track.    
     
     
         4 . A recording medium for audio data and still picture data, having recorded thereon audio data of a plurality of tracks, track control information expressing respective recording positions of said tracks on said recording medium, and still picture data expressing a plurality of still pictures recorded thereon, wherein said recording medium is formed with an audio data recording region in which are collectively recorded said audio data of each of said tracks, a still picture data recording region in which are collectively recorded said still picture data of each of said still pictures, and a track control information recording region in which are collectively recorded a plurality of track control information sets respectively corresponding to said tracks, and wherein each of said sets of track control information corresponding to one of said tracks is made up of information which specifies a still picture group corresponding to said track, said specified group including all of said still pictures which have been predetermined to be respectively displayed during playback of said corresponding track, information which individually specifies each of one or more still pictures of said specified group as a still picture which is to be displayed during playback of said corresponding track, and information which specifies, for each of said individually specified still pictures of said group, a time point during playback of said corresponding track at which displaying of said still picture is to be initiated.