File reproduction apparatus, file reproduction method, file reproduction method program and recording medium for recording file reproduction method program

Abstract

The present invention is applied to reproduction of typically a fragment movie file having a QT format. In accordance with the present invention, management information associated with each block following a first block of the fragment movie file is modified to information compatible with management information associated with the first block and real data of the file is reproduced on the basis of the modified management information.

1 . A file reproduction apparatus for reproducing a file recorded on a recording medium, wherein:
 said file is as a file containing real data and management information used for reproducing said real data;   said management information is provided for each of blocks composed of a first block and a sequence of subsequent blocks following said first bock as blocks of said real data;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks included in said real data as blocks other than said first block of said real data is provided as information including standard settings and at least some settings taking said standard settings as a reference;   said management information associated with said first block of said real data is provided as settings corresponding to said standard settings;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks is modified to settings compatible with said management information associated with said first block; and   said real data is reproduced on the basis of said   modified management information.   
   
   
       2 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said real data is video data and;   said management information is provided for each sample corresponding to a frame of said real data.   
   
   
       3 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 one piece of said management information provided for a sample is an identification showing that said sample is a random-accessible sample; and   on the basis of said identification included in said modified management information, said reproduction apparatus selectively reproduces said real data in order to reproduce said real data at a variable speed.   
   
   
       4 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 one piece of said management information is position information corresponding to a reproduction time of said real data; and   on the basis of said position information included in said modified management information, said reproduction apparatus starts a process to reproduce said real data in order to commence reproduction of said real data at a reproduction time indicated by said position information.   
   
   
       5 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said modified management information associated with a plurality of said blocks is stored in a memory as information necessary for a process to reproduce said real data; and   said modified management information associated with a block already completing said process to reproduce said real data is deleted from said memory and management information associated with a next block following a plurality of said blocks is modified to settings compatible with said management information associated with said first block, being stored in said memory.   
   
   
       6 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 said modified management information associated with a plurality of said blocks includes boundary information stored in said memory as information showing boundaries between said blocks; and   said modified management information associated with a block already completing said process to reproduce said real data is deleted from said memory by taking said boundary information as a reference.   
   
   
       7 . The file reproduction apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said modified management information is recorded onto said recording medium and used for creation of another file used for referencing said real data stored in said file as another file having an external reference format. 
   
   
       8 . A file reproduction method for reproducing a file recorded on a recording medium, wherein:
 said file is as a file containing real data and management information used for reproducing said real data;   said management information is provided for each of blocks composed of a first block and a sequence of subsequent blocks following said first bock as blocks of said real data;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks included in said real data as blocks other than said first block of said real data is provided as information including standard settings and at least some settings taking said standard settings as a reference;   said management information associated with said first block of said real data is provided as settings corresponding to said standard settings;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks is modified to settings compatible with said management information associated with said first block; and   said real data is reproduced on the basis of said modified management information.   
   
   
       9 . A program to be executed by a computer as a program implementing a file reproduction method for reproducing a file recorded on a recording medium by execution of a predetermined processing procedure, wherein:
 said file is created to as a file containing real data and management information used for reproducing said real data;   said management information is provided for each of blocks composed of a first block and a sequence of subsequent blocks following said first bock as blocks of said real data;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks included in said real data as blocks other than said first block of said real data is provided as information including standard settings and at least some settings taking said standard settings as a reference; and   said management information associated with said first block of said real data is provided as settings corresponding to said standard settings,   said processing procedure comprises the steps of:
 modifying said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks to settings compatible with said management information associated with said first block; and 
 reproducing said real data on the basis of said modified management information. 
   
   
   
       10 . A recording medium used for storing a program to be executed by a computer as a program implementing a file reproduction method for reproducing a file recorded on another recording medium by execution of a predetermined processing procedure, wherein:
 said file is created to as a file containing real data and management information used for reproducing said real data;   said management information is provided for each of blocks composed of a first block and a sequence of subsequent blocks following said first bock as blocks of said real data;   said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks included in said real data as blocks other than said first block of said real data is provided as information including standard settings and at least some settings taking said standard settings as a reference; and   said management information associated with said first block of said real data is provided as settings corresponding to said standard settings; and   said processing procedure comprises the steps of:
 modifying said management information associated with each of said subsequent blocks to settings compatible with said management information associated with said first block, 
 reproducing said real data on the basis of said modified management information.