Patent ID: 7215876

Claim:
A decoding apparatus for decoding video object units each of which includes a plurality of pieces of picture data, the decoding apparatus comprising: an interface operable to receive inputs of a first video object unit and reproduction section information that includes reproduction start time information indicating a start point of a reproduction section, the first video object unit including a piece of picture data corresponding to the start point; a video decoder operable to decode a plurality of pieces of picture data included in the first video object unit to obtain a plurality of reproduction images; and a prohibiting unit operable to, if the first video object unit includes one or more pieces of picture data before the piece of picture data corresponding to the start point, prohibit output of one or more reproduction images corresponding to the one or more pieces of picture data that precede the piece of picture data corresponding to the start point, wherein the reproduction section information also includes reproduction end time information indicating an end point of the reproduction section, the interface is further operable to receive an input of a second video object unit that includes a piece of picture data corresponding to the end point, the video decoder is further operable to decode a plurality of pieces of picture data included in the second video object unit to obtain a plurality of reproduction images, the prohibiting unit is further operable to, if the second video object unit includes one or more pieces of picture data after the piece of picture data corresponding to the end point, prohibit output of one or more reproduction images corresponding to the one or more pieces of picture data that succeed the piece of picture data corresponding to the end point, the interface is further operable to receive an input of pause information, and the decoding apparatus further comprises an audio decoder operable to decode audio data included in the second video object unit to obtain reproduction audio and perform a pause process for the reproduction audio after the pause information is input.