Information record medium and apparatus for reproducing the same

Abstract

An information record medium ( 1 ) is provided with: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information ( 210 ) which are different in recording method are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information ( 211 ) required to reproduce the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area is recorded. The control information recorded on the control information recording area includes a plurality of first division information for identifying first division units ( 260 ) respectively so as to divide each of the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area by the first division units respectively. The first division information, which indicates that the audio information divided by the first division units belongs to a same first division unit, is provided for each of the plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method. The plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method, which are identified by the first division information, are recorded on recording positions different from each other in the audio information recording area.

1 - 17 . (canceled)  
     
     
         18 . An information record medium comprising: 
 an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information are recorded; and    a control information recording area on which control information to reproduce the audio information is recorded,    wherein the control information includes first division information for identifying a first division unit,    second division information for identifying a plurality of second division units by dividing a plurality of audio information as a reproduction unit, and    management information for correlating the first division unit and the plurality of second division units with each other so that the plurality of second division units are associated with the first division unit,    wherein each of the second division units associated with one first division unit is recorded in a lump, and the respective second division units are kept separate from each other, and    wherein the information record medium further comprises reproduction control information for indicating a position of each of the second division units.    
     
     
         19 . An information recording medium according to  claim 18 , wherein the management information is provided for each of the second division units.  
     
     
         20 . An information reproduction apparatus for reproducing an information record medium comprising: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information to reproduce the audio information is recorded, wherein the control information includes first division information for identifying a first division unit, second division information for identifying a plurality of second division units by dividing a plurality of audio information as a reproduction unit, and management information for correlating the first division unit and the plurality of second division units with each other so that the plurality of second division units are associated with the first division unit, wherein each of the second division units associated with one first division unit is recorded in a lump, and the respective second division units are kept separate from each other, and wherein the information record medium further comprises reproduction control information for indicating a position of each of the second division units, 
 the apparatus comprising:    a reading device which reads record information from the record medium;    a reproduction device which reproduces the audio information; and    a controller which controls the reading device and the reproducing device,    wherein the controller selects one of the plurality of second division units and controls the reading device and the reproduction device so that the selected second division unit is reproduced based on the reproduction control information corresponding with the selected second division unit.    
     
     
         21 . An information reproduction apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller selects the one of the plurality of second division units based on an ability to reproduce the audio information in the information reproduction apparatus.  
     
     
         22 . An information reproduction apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the controller selects the one of the plurality of second division units recorded with a recording method to reproduce the audio information in the information reproduction apparatus.  
     
     
         23 . An information reproduction apparatus according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 a input device which inputs a reproduction condition,    wherein the controller controls the reproduction device based on the reproduction condition.    
     
     
         24 . An information reproduction apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the reproduction condition indicates a recording method to be reproduced.  
     
     
         25 . An information reproduction apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the management information is provided for each of the second division units.  
     
     
         26 . An information reproduction method of reproducing an information record medium comprising: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information to reproduce the audio information is recorded, wherein the control information includes first division information for identifying a first division unit, second division information for identifying a plurality of second division units by dividing a plurality of audio information as a reproduction unit, and management information for correlating the first division unit and the plurality of second division units with each other so that the plurality of second division units are associated with the first division unit, wherein each of the second division units associated with one first division unit is recorded in a lump, and the respective second division units are kept separate from each other, and wherein the information record medium further comprises reproduction control information for indicating a position of each of the second division units, 
 the method comprising the processes of:    reading record information from the record medium;    reproducing the audio information; and    controlling the process of reading and the process of reproducing,    wherein the process of controlling selects one of the plurality of second division units and controls the reading device and the reproduction device so that the selected second division unit is reproduced based on the reproduction control information corresponding with the selected second division unit.    
     
     
         27 . An information reproduction method according to  claim 26 , wherein the process of controlling selects the one of the plurality of second division units based on an ability to reproduce the audio information in the information reproduction apparatus.  
     
     
         28 . An information reproduction method according to  claim 26 , wherein the process of controlling selects the one of the plurality of second division units recorded with a recording method to reproduce the audio information in the information reproduction apparatus.  
     
     
         29 . An information reproduction method according to  claim 26 , further comprising the processes of: 
 inputting a reproduction condition,    wherein the processes of controlling controls the process of reproducing based on the reproduction condition.    
     
     
         30 . An information reproduction method according to  claim 29 , wherein the reproduction condition indicates a recording method to be reproduced.  
     
     
         31 . An information reproduction method according to  claim 26 , wherein the management information is provided for each of the second division units.  
     
     
         32 . An information recording apparatus comprising: 
 an audio information recording device which records audio information on an audio information recording area by dividing the audio information into a plurality of division units; and    a control information recording device which records management information and control information on a control information recording area, the management information being information for managing the plurality of division units by correlating the plurality of division units with a management unit, the control information being information for performing a reproduction control of the division units for the management unit,    wherein the audio information recording device records the division units so that the respective division units are kept separate from each other, and    wherein the control information recording device records a position information on the control information recording area, the position information being information for indicating a position of each of the division units.    
     
     
         33 . An information recording apparatus according to  claim 32 , the control information recording device records the control information and the position information for each of the division units on the control information recording area.  
     
     
         34 . An information recording method comprising the processes of: 
 recording audio information on an audio information recording area by dividing the audio information into a plurality of division units; and    recording management information and control information on a control information recording area, the management information being information for managing the plurality of division units by correlating the plurality of division units with a management unit, the control information being information for performing a reproduction control of the division units for the management unit,    wherein the process of recording audio information records the division units so that the respective division units are kept separate from each other, and    wherein the process of recording control information records a position information on the control information recording area, the position information being information for indicating a position of each of the division units.    
     
     
         35 . An information recording method according to  claim 34 , the process of recording control information records the control information and the position information for each of the division units on the control information recording area.