Patent ID: 8861940

Claim:
A method for recording a main-view stream and a sub-view stream on a recording medium, wherein the main-view stream is to be used for monoscopic playback, wherein the sub-view stream is to be used for playback of stereoscopic video images in combination with the main-view stream, wherein the main-view stream includes a plurality of main-view pictures and at least one main-view picture header, wherein the sub-view stream includes a plurality of sub-view pictures and at least one sub-view picture header, wherein the main-view picture header includes information indicating individual encoding methods of the plurality of main-view pictures, wherein the sub-view picture header includes information indicating individual encoding methods of the plurality of sub-view pictures, wherein the method for recording comprises: encoding the plurality of main-view pictures; encoding the plurality of sub-view pictures with reference to the plurality of main-view pictures; storing information indicating the individual encoding methods of the plurality of main-view pictures into the main-view picture header; storing information indicating the individual encoding methods of the plurality of sub-view pictures into the sub-view picture header; embedding identification data for the main-view picture header and identification data for the sub-view picture header into the plurality of main-view pictures and the plurality of sub-view pictures under restrictive conditions that: specify that identification data for a picture header is to be embedded into a picture that can be decoded by retrieving from the picture header information indicating a type of encoding method of the picture; permit the identification data for the main-view picture header to be embedded only into the plurality of main-view pictures but forbid the identification data for the main-view picture header to be embedded into the plurality of sub-view pictures; and permit the identification data for the sub-view picture header to be embedded only into the plurality of sub-view pictures but forbid the identification data for the sub-view picture header to be embedded into the plurality of main-view pictures; multiplexing the plurality of main-view pictures and the main-view picture header into the main-view stream; multiplexing the plurality of sub-view pictures and the sub-view picture header into the sub-view stream; and recording the main-view stream and sub-view stream on the recording medium.