Patent ID: 7912297

Claim:
A method of image indexing for recording and/or reproducing a predetermined program and reproducing a program having a hierarchical image index, comprising: extracting an image at each of a plurality of predetermined times using a hierarchical level of the program; automatically allocating a hierarchical index to each extracted image according to the hierarchical level of the program; mapping each allocated index to a storage location of a corresponding transport stream (TS) packet of the predetermined program; constructing a tree of the extracted images having the allocated hierarchical indexes, wherein allocating hierarchical index and mapping each allocated index correlates picture data and the storage location of the TS packets corresponding to the picture data according to one or plurality of index levels which define a reproduction sequence of the TS packets, and wherein the allocation of hierarchical index, picture data and TS packets are stored in a storage unit; decoding upper layer pictures of the program to be reproduced an displaying the decoded upper level pictures; selecting a picture from among the displayed upper layer pictures, decoding lower layer pictures of the selected picture and displaying the selected picture with the lower layer pictures; selecting a picture from among the displayed lower layer pictures; determining a reproducing time of the selected picture; and determining a transport stream packet based on the determined reproducing time, and decoding an audio/video signal of the determined transport stream packet.