Method for presenting menu buttons

Abstract

Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are; e.g., “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the menu may contain buttons that can be selected through the keys on the remote control, but that don't have any images or text associated. This allows creating “invisible buttons” that automatically execute commands upon selection. Further, a sound or sound sequence; e.g., melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. Such menu data may be stored; e.g., on a Blu-ray disc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Method for decoding a menu data segment, the method comprising the steps of:
 detecting within the menu data segment data corresponding to a plurality of menu items belonging to a menu page;   extracting from the menu data segment for each menu item of the plurality of menu items at least first data defining whether the item is selectable and second data defining whether the item has graphic representation data associated;   decoding data corresponding to first menu items to produce selectable display data, wherein the first menu items are menu buttons and have graphic representation data associated;   decoding data corresponding to second menu items to produce non-selectable display data, wherein the second menu items have graphic representation data associated; and   decoding data corresponding to third menu items to produce selectable and invisible menu elements, wherein the third menu items have no associated graphic representation data, and wherein the third menu items are menu buttons that are automatically activated upon selection,   wherein at least the data corresponding to said first and second menu items have the same data structure within said menu page.   
     
     
         2 . Storage medium on which the menu data segment capable of being decoded by the method according to  claim 1  is recorded, the menu data segment comprising:
 the data corresponding to a plurality of menu items, the at least first data and second data, wherein the data corresponding to a plurality of menu items include the data corresponding to first menu items, the data corresponding to second menu items and the data corresponding to third menu items. 
 
     
     
         3 . Method for recording on a removable storage medium the menu data segment capable of being decoded by the method according to  claim 1 , the menu data segment comprising:
 the data corresponding to a plurality of menu items and the at least first data and second data, wherein the data corresponding to a plurality of menu items include the data corresponding to first menu items, the data corresponding to second menu items and the data corresponding to third menu items.