Patent ID: 7076149

Claim:
A method for controlling a system for processing a plurality of data units stored on a storage medium, the system adapted to process a sequence of the data units in accordance with one of a plurality of possible playmodes comprising standard, random and programmed playmodes, the method comprising the steps of: (A) playing back the data units according to one of the plurality of playmodes during a PLAY mode of operation, (B) determining which of the possible playmodes are actually available for actuation during playback of the data units on the storage medium, and generating an on-screen display menu displaying the actually available playmodes to thereby provide to a user, during the PLAY mode of operation, an opportunity to select another one of the actually available playmodes, the plurality of playmodes including a standard playmode representing a default sequence, a random playmode representing a random sequence and programmed playmode representing a sequence specified by a user, without interrupting playback of a current sequence of data units, and (C) in response to user selection of a new playmode, changing the playback sequence of the data units in accordance with the newly selected playmode.