Abstract:
Provided are a method of directly detecting and reproducing a main title stored in a disc in a read mode, a disc player using the same, and a computer readable medium of instructions for performing the same. The method includes determining whether a direct reproduction mode is enabled, detecting title information stored in a predetermined area of a disc when the direct reproduction mode is enabled, detecting a main title having the longest reproduction time from the detected title information detected, and reproducing the detected main title.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-55028, filed on Aug. 8, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling a disc player. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of directly detecting and reproducing a main title stored on a disc in a read mode, and a disc player using the same.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     In general, a disc player adopts an on-screen display (OSD) that is an interactive user interface to increase user convenience when reproducing data stored on a digital versatile disc or a digital video disc (DVD). Two menus are available with respect to a DVD. One of the menus is a system menu that includes a volume manager menu that can be set regardless of a type of disc and a video title set menu that can be set regardless a type of title set. The system menu can be invoked by pressing a predetermined button installed on a disc player when information stored on a disc is being reproduced. The other menu is a selection menu enabling the selection of a title or chapter stored on the disc, the selection menu being made arbitrarily by a title manufacturer. In particular, the selection menu is set to be automatically invoked after reproducing initial titles (or chapters) such as logos when driving a disc.  
         [0006]     Accordingly, when reproduction of information stored on a disc begins, a user must unavoidably view initial titles, such as various logos, which are arbitrarily recorded by a disc manufacturer, before the selection menu is reproduced and displayed on a screen. The user manipulates keys based on the selection menu to select a desired title, presses a key to select a reproduction mode, and then, view the desired title.  
         [0007]     For this reason, a conventional disc player is inconvenient since the user has to manipulate keys thereof several times in order to view a desired title stored on a disc. Further, when driving the disc, the user must unavoidably view various publicity logo screens manufactured by a disc manufacturer.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention provides a method of controlling direct reproduction of a main title, in which a main title is directly searched for on a disc and reproduced, and a disc player using the same.  
         [0009]     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a disc player, the method comprising determining whether a direct reproduction mode is enabled, detecting title information stored in a predetermined area of a disc when the direct reproduction mode is enabled, detecting a main title having the longest reproduction time from the title information detected, and reproducing the main title.  
         [0010]     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a disc player comprising a pickup that includes a laser diode, a photo diode, and various lenses, and records a signal on a disc, detects an optical signal reflected from the disc, and converts the optical signal into an electrical signal; a signal processing circuit that receives the electrical signal output from the pickup, restores the electrical signal to the original audio/video (AV) data, and converts the AV data into a signal so that the AV data can be output to a speaker or a display; a servo control circuit that controls a position of the pickup and a rotating speed of the disc; a key input unit that has a plurality of function keys and a key for setting a direct reproduction mode, and transmits key information to the system controller; and a system controller that detects title information stored in a predetermined point on the disc, detects a main title having the longest reproduction time based on the detected title information, and generates a control signal for reproducing the main title when the key information selected by the key input unit specifies that an operation mode is a direct reproduction mode. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]     The above and other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:  
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a disc player using a method of controlling direct reproduction of a main title, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling direct reproduction of a main title, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0015]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a disc player according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a disc  10 , a pickup  20 , a radio frequency (RF) signal processor  30 , an optical driver  40 , an encoder  50 , a digital signal processor (DSP)  60 , a system controller  70 , a servo controller  80 , a driver  90 , a spindle motor  100 , a sled motor  110 , an audio/video coder/decoder (AV CODEC)  120 , an AV signal processor  130 , and a key input unit  140 .  
         [0016]     In this following description, a circuit including the RF signal processor  30 , the optical driver  40 , the encoder  50 , the DSP  60 , the AV codec  120 , and the AV signal processor  130  is referred to as a signal processing circuit. A circuit including the servo controller  80  and the driver  90  is referred to as a servo control circuit.  
         [0017]     The operation of each element will now be described. Although not shown in the drawings, the pickup  20  includes a laser diode, a plurality of photo diodes, various lenses, and an actuator moving the lenses in a vertical or horizontal direction. The pickup  20  projects an optical signal onto the disc  10 , receives the optical signal reflected from the disc  10 , and converts the reflected optical signal into an electrical signal. In the pickup  20 , the plurality of photo diodes are combined to generate a tracking error signal TE and a focusing error signal FE for servo control and also generate a signal for signal processing.  
         [0018]     The RF signal processor  30  filters and equalizes the signal, for signal processing, which is output from the pickup  20 . The RF signal processor  30  also converts the result into a binary signal and outputs the binary signal to the DSP  60 .  
         [0019]     The optical driver  40  outputs an optical driving signal corresponding to an input signal in a write mode and outputs a driving signal for generating laser power at a predetermined level in a read mode.  
         [0020]     The encoder  50  converts data, which has been converted into a read format by the DSP  60 , into a bitstream and outputs the bitstream to the optical driver  40 .  
         [0021]     In the read mode, the DSP  60  processes the binary signal input from the RF signal processor  30  to restore it to the original signal, using an inside phase locked clock. In the write mode, the DSP  60  adds an error correcting code (ECC) to input digital data so that the input digital data can be converted into a write format.  
         [0022]     In the read mode, the AV codec  120  decodes the AV data input from the DSP  60  so as to extend the AV data that is compressed and encoded. In the write mode, the AV codec  120  encodes the AV data input from the AV signal processor  130  to compress the AV data.  
         [0023]     In the read mode, the AV signal processor  130  converts the AV data, which is decoded by the AV codec  120 , into an analog signal and processes the analog signal so that it can be output to a speaker (not shown) or a display (not shown).  
         [0024]     The servo controller  80  generates a driving voltage for driving the actuator of the pickup  20  to move an optical lens of the pickup  20  in a vertical or horizontal direction, using the tracking error signal TE and the focus error signal FE. In a seek mode, the servo controller  80  generates a driving voltage for driving the sled motor  110  to move the pickup  20  to a desired track, in response to a control signal generated by the system controller  70 . Also, the servo controller  80  generates a driving voltage for driving the spindle motor  100 , the driving voltage corresponding to a desired spindle motor rotating speed determined by the system controller  70 .  
         [0025]     When the driving voltage generated by the servo controller  80  is applied to the driver  90 , the driver  90  generates a driving current for driving the spindle motor  100  and the sled motor  110 , and generates a driving current for driving the pickup  20  so as to control focusing or tracking of the optical lens of the pickup  20 .  
         [0026]     The key input unit  140  includes a variety of function keys for operating the disc player. The key input unit  140  may be installed on a body of the disc player so that function key information can be input to the system controller  70  via a wire connection. If necessary, the key input unit  140  may be a remote controller that controls the disc player via a wireless connection. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a direct reproduction function key is further installed on the key input unit  140  so that the direct reproduction function key is pressed to enable a direct reproduction mode. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the direction reproduction mode is selected in a menu screen using a menu key of the key input unit  140 .  
         [0027]     The system controller  70  controls overall operations of the disc player. In particular, when an operation mode corresponding to key information selected by the key input unit  140  is the direct reproduction mode, the system controller  70  searches for title information stored in a lead-in zone of the disc  10 , detects a main title of the longest reproduction time from the searched title information, and controls the servo controller  70  to reproduce the detected main title.  
         [0028]     Hereinafter, a method of controlling direct reproduction of a main title, according to an embodiment of the present invention, will be described with reference to the block diagram of the disc player shown in  FIG. 1  and a flowchart of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0029]     First, the system controller  70  determines whether an operation mode is changed to a direct reproduction mode in step S 201 . The direct reproduction mode can be selected using the direct reproduction function key installed on the key input unit  140  or selected in a menu screen using a menu key.  
         [0030]     If it is determined in step  201  that the operation mode is changed to the direct reproduction mode, the system controller  70  detects title information recorded on the disc  10  in step S 202 . More specifically, when the direct reproduction mode is enabled, the system controller  70  sends the servo controller  80  a command of moving the pickup  20  to the lead-in zone of the disc  10 . In response to the command, in order to move the pickup  20  to the lead-in zone, the servo controller  80  generates a driving voltage for driving the sled motor  110  and outputs the driving voltage to the driver  90 . Next, the driver  90  converts the driving voltage into a driving current for driving the sled motor  110  and applies the driving current to the sled motor  110 , thus moving the pickup  20  to the lead-in zone. Next, the title information is detected in the lead-in zone of the disc  10  by the pickup  20 , reproduced by the RF signal processor  30  and the DSP  60 , and decoded by the system controller  70 .  
         [0031]     After step  202 , the system controller  70  decodes the title information recorded on the disc  10  and determines whether there is more than one title in step S 203 .  
         [0032]     If more than one title is recorded on the disc  10 , the system controller  70  analyzes the detected title information, selects a title having the longest reproduction time from the titles, and determines the selected title as a main title in step S 204 .  
         [0033]     Next, the system controller  70  controls the elements of the disc player to reproduce the determined main title in step S 205 .  
         [0034]     More specifically, the system controller  70  reads, from the determined title information, location information regarding a point on the disc  10  where the main title is recorded, and transmits the read location information of the main title and a seek command to the servo controller  80 . Next, the servo controller  80  generates a driving voltage for driving the sled motor  110  so that the pickup  20  can be moved to a track of the disc  10  corresponding to the point on the disc  10  specified in the location information of the main title transmitted from the system controller  70 . After moving the pickup  20  to the track of the disc  10  where the main title is stored, the main title is reproduced.  
         [0035]     When it is determined in step S 203  that only one title is stored on the disc  10 , the title is determined to be a main title and step S 205  is performed.  
         [0036]     If the direct reproduction mode is not enabled, the system controller  70  controls a current operation mode to be performed in step S 206 .  
         [0037]     Accordingly, when a user selects the direct reproduction mode in the disc player, the main title is immediately reproduced. In this case, it is possible to prevent a user from viewing initial titles, such as logos, which are arbitrarily recorded on a disc by a disc manufacturer.  
         [0038]     As described above, according to the present invention, a disc player can be controlled to directly search for and reproduce a main title stored on a disc in a direct reproduction mode, thus enabling the main title to be rapidly reproduced without reproducing initial titles, such as logos, which are arbitrarily recorded by a disc manufacturer.  
         [0039]     The present invention can be realized as a method, an apparatus, a system, and so on. When the present invention is realized as software, constitutional elements of the present invention are code segments that execute necessary operations. Programs or code segments may be stored in a processor readable medium or may be transmitted by a transmission medium or by a computer data signal combined with a carrier in a communication network. The processor readable medium may be any medium, such as an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a ROM, a flash memory, an erasable ROM, a floppy disc, an optical disc, a hard disc, an optical fiber medium, or a radio frequency (RF) network, which can store or transmit information. The computer data signal may be any signal which can be transmitted through a transmission medium such as an electronic network channel, an optical fiber, air, an electromagnetic field, or an RF network.  
         [0040]     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.