Patent ID: 8315503

Claim:
A link information generation apparatus that records a link information file on a recording medium on which a first folder and a second folder are recorded at positions that are not in a containment relationship with each other, the first folder holding a still picture file that includes still picture data and still picture imaging time information showing an imaging time of the still picture data, the second folder holding one or more moving picture files each of which includes moving picture data, and the link information file including link information for associating the still picture data with the moving picture data, said link information generation apparatus comprising: a moving picture specification unit configured to specify, from among the moving picture data included in each of the one or more moving picture files, a still-picture-linked moving picture imaged during a time period that includes the time shown by the still picture imaging time information of the still picture data; a position information obtainment unit configured to obtain still-picture-corresponding position information that shows a temporal position in the still-picture-linked moving picture corresponding to the still picture imaging time information; and a link information generation unit configured to generate the link information that includes still picture identification information for identifying the still picture data, moving picture identification information for identifying the still-picture-linked moving picture, and the still-picture-corresponding position information, and record the link information file including the link information on the recording medium at a position not contained in any of the first folder and the second folder, wherein the moving picture data is composed of a plurality of frames imaged at predetermined time intervals, a third folder is further recorded on the recording medium at a position that is not in a containment relationship with any of the first folder and the second folder, the third folder holding a high-speed imaging auxiliary file that corresponds to a different one of the one or more moving picture files and includes an auxiliary frame imaged during a time period between adjacent frames of the plurality of frames, said moving picture specification unit is configured to further specify the high-speed imaging auxiliary file corresponding to the moving picture file that includes the still-picture-linked moving picture, and said link information generation unit is configured to generate the link information that further includes high-speed moving picture identification information for identifying the high-speed imaging auxiliary file specified by said moving picture specification unit.