Patent Document

TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a BD playback apparatus, a display apparatus and a computer program for playing back BD content, and, for example, relates to BD playback system in which a BD playback section and a display operating section are connected to a channel in a vehicle-mounted environment. 
       BACKGROUND ART 
       [0002]    In recent years, various vehicle-mounted electronic devices have been developed accompanying the advancement of digital technology and communication technology. As a vehicle-mounted electronic device, there is a display apparatus that displays images recorded in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and a DVD or television broadcasting and similar images using an LCD or suchlike display, like a navigation system, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player and a television receiver. 
         [0003]    Patent literature 1 discloses a vehicle-mounted apparatus that switches between and displays a menu screen for a touch panel, suitable for touch panel operation, and a menu screen for a remote commander, suitable for remote commander operation, and accepts operation by a user. 
         [0004]    Also, for a vehicle-mounted multimedia device, introduction of a BD (Blu-ray Disc) is being studied. 
         [0005]    BD application formats include BDAV (Blu-ray Disc Audio &amp; Video), which is a format for a recordable BD-RE and BD-R, and BDMV (Blu-ray Disc Movie &amp; Video), which is a format for a read-only BD-ROM. BDMV provides an object layer between a title list and a playlist which a user views on a screen of a player. Objects include “MovieObject” and “BD-J Object,” and, in a title list, one title corresponds to either one these objects. A BD-J object supports Java™ language, which is also referred to as BD-J, and allows (1) Internet access, (2) downloading of related content, (3) downloading of language caption, (4) site cooperation, (5) game, and (6) downloading on a recording medium. 
       CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
       [0000]    
       
         PTL 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-96596 
       
     
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
       [0007]    However, there are the following problems to introduce a BD as vehicle-mounted multimedia device. 
         [0008]    Heretofore, whether content that is being played back is regular video and audio alone or includes interactive content (BD-J/BD-Live, for example) is not reported between a BD playback apparatus and a display/operation apparatus. 
         [0009]    Consequently, when the BD playback apparatus and display/operation apparatus require different UIs (User Interfaces), a user has to expressly switch the UI. Therefore there is a problem that a user cannot know the current situation and has to perform complex operations. 
         [0010]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a BD playback system, BD playback apparatus, display apparatus and computer program that can report the latest situation to a user or automatically offer an optimal UI while BD content is being played back. 
       Solution to Problem 
       [0011]    A blu-ray disc playback system according to the present invention has a blu-ray disc playback apparatus and a display apparatus that displays blu-ray disc content transmitted from the blu-ray disc playback apparatus, and the blu-ray disc playback system has: an interactive content identifying section that decides whether interactive content that is being played back comprises interactive content; and a control section that, when the interactive content is identified, performs a control to let a user know that interactive content is present. 
         [0012]    A blu-ray disc playback apparatus according to the present invention plays back blu-ray disc content, and this apparatus has: an interactive content identifying section that decides whether content that is being played back is interactive content; and a communicating section that transmits a decision result in the interactive content identifying section to an external device being a communicating party of the blu-ray disc playback apparatus. 
         [0013]    A display apparatus according to the present invention displays blu-ray disc content transmitted from a blu-ray disc playback apparatus, and, with this display apparatus, when content that is being played back is identified as interactive content, the blu-ray disc playback apparatus transmits this decision result to the display apparatus; and the display apparatus comprises: a communicating section that receives the decision result from the blu-ray disc playback apparatus; and a control section that performs a control to let a user know that the interactive content is being played back upon receiving the decision result in the communicating section. 
       Advantageous Effects of Invention 
       [0014]    According to the present invention, it is possible to report the latest situation to a user or automatically offer an optimal UI while BD content is being played back. For example, by providing adequate display in the middle of interactive content, a user is able to understand the situation quickly. Furthermore, it is possible to offer a necessary series of operation according to eth situation, so that a user is able to perform operation without confusion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a BD playback system according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  shows a BDMV data structure by a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B  show examples of a display section in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4A  and  FIG. 4B  show examples of a display section in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5B  show examples of a display section in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing interactive content reporting processing by a BD playback apparatus in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing interactive content output processing in a display/operation apparatus in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing interactive content output processing in a display/operation apparatus in a BD playback system according to the above embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       Embodiment 
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram showing a configuration of a BD playback system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment provides an example of applying a BD playback system to a vehicle-mounted apparatus. 
         [0025]    In the following description, “interactive content” refers to the kind of BD content that is not formed only with video and audio content. BD-J/BD-live content is typical interactive content. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , BD playback system  100  is formed with a BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  120 . With a vehicle-mounted apparatus, BD playback apparatus  110  is a BD deck unit, and display/operation apparatus  120  is an HMI (Human Machine Interface) unit. 
         [0027]    BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  120  are provided in physically separate places and are connected by means of cabling or wireless communication. 
         [0028]    BD playback apparatus  110  is composed of disc reading section  111 , video/audio decoding section  112 , interactive content identifying section  113 , interactive content playback section  114 , and communicating section  115  (communicating section A). 
         [0029]    Display/operation apparatus  120  is composed of display section  121 , operating section  122 , HMI control section  123 , and communicating section  124  (communicating section B). 
         [0030]    Operating section  122  may be a key-operation section or may be a touch panel, a button switch, or a remote controller. 
         [0031]    Disc reading section  111  reads a BD format disc, and outputs read data to video/audio decoding section  112  and interactive content identifying section  113 . 
         [0032]    Video/audio decoding section  112  decodes the video and audio data received as input from disc reading section  111 , converts the decoded video and audio data to digital or analogue video and audio, and outputs this to outside BD playback apparatus  110 . 
         [0033]    Interactive content identifying section  113  analyzes control data received as input from disc reading section  111 , and decides whether the disc contains interactive content (BD-J, for example) and, when the disc does contain interactive content, decides whether or not to play back the interactive content. Interactive content identifying section  113  transmits the decision result to communicating section  115  and transmits data to interactive content playback section  114 . The operations of interactive content identifying section  113  will be described later in detail with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0034]    Interactive content playback section  114  plays back the data received as input from interactive content identifying section  113  on a Java™ virtual machine (VM) and outputs video and audio to outside BD playback apparatus  110 . Incidentally, the JAVA™ VM does not perform compilation into a machine language and therefore does not rely upon CPU. 
         [0035]    Communicating section  115  is connected to communicating section  124  by means of cabling or wireless communication, and outputs the overall conditions of BD playback apparatus  110  to display/operation apparatus  120  (the information including the state of playback/stop, the track number that is being played back, the playback time, indication of whether or not there is interactive content). Furthermore, communicating section  115  receives control information (including playback-start, stop, next track, fast forward, pause, disc ejection, etc.) from display/operation apparatus  120 , and control disc reading section  111 . In particular, communicating section  115  reports whether or not interactive content is being played back, as part of the conditions, to display/operation apparatus  120 . 
         [0036]    Display section  121  displays and outputs video and audio outputted from BD playback apparatus  110  and HMI control section  123 . 
         [0037]    Operating section  122  detects an input from a user using a combination of one or more of a touch panel, a button switch and a remote controller, and reports operation information to control section  123 . 
         [0038]    Based on the user input reported from HMI control section  123  and the state of BD playback apparatus  110  reported from communicating section  124 , HMI control section  123  determines and draws an HMI to display, and outputs this to display section  121 . HMI control section  123  performs a screen transition or changes display according to an input from operating section  122 . According an input from operating section  122 , HMI control section commands a control of BD playback apparatus  110  (including playback, stop, next track, fast forward, pause, disc ejection etc.) to communicating section  124 . HMI control section  123  determines the state of BD playback apparatus  110  from the input and output of communicating section  124 , and displays an adequate HMI. The details of HMI control section  123  will be described later with reference to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 . 
         [0039]    Communicating section  124  reports information received as input from BD playback apparatus  110 , to HMI control section  123 . Furthermore, communicating section  124  reports information received as input from HMI control section  123 , to BD playback apparatus  110 . 
         [0040]    Now, the operations of BD playback system  100  configured as described above, will be described. 
         [0041]    First, the interactive content identifying method which interactive content identifying section  113  uses will be described. 
         [0042]    [Interactive Content Identifying Method] 
         [0043]      FIG. 2  shows a BDMV data structure. As shown in  FIG. 2 , BDMV has a directory structure with “index.bdmv,” “MovieObject.bdmv,” “PLAYLIST,” “CLIPINF,” “STREAM,” “AUXDATA,” and “BACKUP.” 
         [0044]    Interactive content identifying section  113  analyzes an index table file (index.bdmv) in a BD. 
         [0045]    The index table file contains information about titles (contents) included in the BD. 
         [0046]    There are three types of titles: 
         [0047]    First Playback 
         [0048]    The title to be executed first after a disc in inserted. Only one in a disc. 
         [0049]    Top Menu 
         [0050]    The title that is equivalent with the menu that is executed when the “menu” button on a remote controller is pressed. Only one in a disc. 
         [0051]    Title 
         [0052]    Besides the above titles, a plurality of titles may be present in a disc. 
         [0053]    Each title is either “Movie Object” (video/audio title) or “BD-J Object” (interactive title to execute BD-J). 
         [0054]    Whether “First Playback” is “Movie Object” or “BD-J Object” can be decided from the “FirstPlayback_object_type” field in the index table file. 
         [0055]    Whether “TopMenu” is “Movie Objet” or “BD-J Object” can be decided from the “TopMenu_object_type” field in the index table file. 
         [0056]    Whether “Title” is “Movie Object” or “BD-J Object” can be decided from the “Title_object_type” field in each title in the index table file. 
         [0057]    For example, if a field is “01” in binary notation, its title is “Movie Object,” or, if a field is “10” in binary notation, its title is “BD-J Object.” 
         [0058]    Based on the above criteria, interactive content identifying section  113  detects whether all titles included in an index table file are “Movie Object” or “BD-J Object.” If there is at least one “BD-J Object” in a disc, interactive content identifying section  113  decides that “interactive content is included” in the disc. 
         [0059]    Next, characteristic operation of BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  12  will be described. 
         [0060]    [Characteristic Operation of BD Playback Apparatus  110 ] 
         [0061]    Interactive content identifying section  113  of BD playback apparatus  110  decides whether BD content is playing back interactive content (BD-J/BD-live. or example) on a dynamic basis, and reports the decision result to display/operation apparatus  120  via communicating section  115 . 
         [0062]    [Characteristic Operation of Display/Operation Apparatus  120 ] 
         [0063]      FIG. 3  through  FIG. 5  show examples of display on display section  121 . As shown in  FIG. 3  through  FIG. 5 , display screen  200  of display section  121  has content display area  210  and state display area  220  above content display area  210 . State display area  220  displays “BD,” which tells that the disc is a BD, track, and playback time. 
         [0064]    HMI control section  123  decides that the content that is being played back is interactive content, and performs the following control. 
         [0065]    (1) Display an indication to the effect that a disc contains interactive content (see  FIG. 3  B). If a disc contains interactive content, “BD-J”  221  in state display area  220  indicates this. 
         [0066]    (2) Display an indication to the effect that interactive content is being played back (see  FIG. 3A ). During a playback of interactive content, state display area  220  displays “BD”, track, and display time. 
         [0067]    (3) Remove items (track number, playback time. etc.) that cannot be displayed during a playback of interactive content (see  FIG. 3  B). If there is an item that cannot be displayed while interactive content is being played back, the track and display time on state display area  220  show blanks. 
         [0068]    (4) Display that resuming is not possible upon restart after power off (resuming from the top of a disc or from the beginning of interactive content) is reported ( FIG. 4B ). If resuming is not possible upon restart after power off, “Interactive content Resuming is not possible after power off”  222  is displayed in the center of content display area  210 , nearly over the entirety of content display area  210 . Resuming here refers to the kind of operation in which a user stops and turns power off in an arbitrary place in video, and restarts video and audio from that place after power returns. The user is able to know in advance that a BD cannot be resumed and that the fact that a BD cannot be resumed after restart is not caused by operation error or deficiency. 
         [0069]    (5) Display U 1   233  necessary to operate interactive content (see  FIG. 5  B). If there us not interactive content, utilizing a dynamic change of UI by means of a touch panel, that UI is removed (see  FIG. 5A ). 
         [0070]      FIG. 6  is a flowchart showing interactive content reporting processing by BD playback apparatus  110 . The present flow is carried out per predetermined event. In this figure, “S” stands for “step.” 
         [0071]    In step S 1 , disc reading section  111  receives control data apart from video and audio. 
         [0072]    In step S 2 , interactive content identifying section  113  determines whether or not interactive content is contained. The method of deciding whether or not interactive content is contained has been described above. 
         [0073]    If interactive content is not contained, in step S 3 , interactive content identifying section  113  reports to communicating section  115  that “interactive content is not included” and “interactive content is being stopped,” and this flow is finished. Communicating section  115  transmits this reporting result to communicating section  124  of display/operation apparatus  120 . 
         [0074]    If interactive content is not included, in step S 4 , interactive content identifying section  113  decides whether or not to play back an interactive content. Whether or not to play back interactive content is decided by means of automatic playback mode and also by means of user operation. 
         [0075]    When interactive content is not played back, in step S 5 , interactive content identifying section  113  reports to communicating section  115  that “interactive content is included” and “interactive content is being stopped,” and this flow is finished. Communicating section  115  transmits a reporting result to communicating section  124  of display/operation apparatus  120 . 
         [0076]    When interactive content is played back, in step S 6 , interactive content identifying section  113  commands a content playback to interactive content playback section  114 . 
         [0077]    In step S 7 , interactive content identifying section  113  reports to communicating section  115  that “interactive content is included” and “interactive content is being played back,” and this flow is finished. Communicating section  115  transmits this reporting result to communicating section  124  of display/operation apparatus  120 . 
         [0078]      FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8  are flowcharts showing interactive content output processing in display/operation apparatus  120 . 
         [0079]    In step S 11 , operating section  122  acquires input information. 
         [0080]    In step S 12 , HMI control section  123  decides whether or not there is an input from operating section  122 , and the step moves to step S 13  when there is an input or moves to step S 14  when there is not an input. 
         [0081]    In step S 13 , HMI control section  123  commands a control of BD playback apparatus  110  to communicating section  124 . Here, HMI control section  123  performs a control to acquire the state of BD playback apparatus  110 . 
         [0082]    In step S 14 , HMI control section  123  acquires the state of BD playback apparatus  110  from communicating section  124 . 
         [0083]    In step S 15 , HMI control section  123  decides whether or not interactive content is contained. HMI control section  123  decides whether or not interactive content is contained from an interactive content report received as input from BD playback apparatus  110  via communicating section  124 . 
         [0084]    If interactive content is not contained, in step S 16 , HMI control section  123  outputs to display section  121  an indication to the effect that the disc contain does not contain interactive content, and the present flow is finished. As shown in  FIG. 3A , display section  12  displays that the disc does not contain interactive content. 
         [0085]    In above step S 15 , if interactive content is contained, in step S 17 , HMI control section  123  outputs to display section  121  an indication to the effect that the disc contains interactive content. 
         [0086]    In step S 18 , HMI control section  123  decides whether or not it is the time to start playing back interactive content, and if it is not the time to start playing back interactive content, the present flow is finished. 
         [0087]    If it is the time to start playing back interactive content, in step S 19 , HMI control section  123  outputs a U for operating interactive content to display section  121 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , display section  121  displays UI  223  for operating interactive content. 
         [0088]    In step S 20 , HMI control section  123  outputs to display section  121  an indication to the effect that resuming is not possible upon restart after power off. As shown in  FIG. 4B , display section  121  displays “Interactive content Resuming is not possible after power off”  222  in the center of content display area  210 , nearly over the entirety of content display area  210 . 
         [0089]    The fact that resuming is not possible after power off may be notified via audio. For example, an audio synthesizing LSI (not shown) may send notification to a user via audio. Both display and audio may be used to give notification to a user. 
         [0090]    In step S 21 , HMI control section  123  decides whether or not it is the time to finish playing back interactive content, and if it is not the time to finish playing back interactive content, the present flow is finished. 
         [0091]    If it is the time to finish playing back interactive content, in step S 22 , HMI control section  123  outputs a U for operating video and audio to display section  121 . As shown in  FIG. 5B , display section  121  displays UI  223  for operating interactive content. 
         [0092]    In step S 23 , HMI control section  123  decides whether or not interactive content is being played back, and, if interactive content is being played back, the step moves to step S 24 , or, if interactive content is not being played back, the step moves to step S 26 . 
         [0093]    In step S 24 , HMI control section  123  output to display section  121  an indication to the effect that interactive content is being played back. Display section  121  displays that interactive content is being played back, as shown in  FIG. 3A . 
         [0094]    In step S 25 , HMI control section  123  sends an output to display section  121  by removing the items that cannot be displayed while interactive content is played back (for example, the track number). Display section  121  shows display by removing the items that cannot be shown while interactive content is played back, as shown in  FIG. 3B . 
         [0095]    If interactive content is not being played back in above step S 23 , in step S 26 , HMI control section  123  removes the display showing that interactive content is being played, and sends an output to display section  121 . Display section  121  presents a display by removing the items that cannot be displayed while interactive content is played back, as shown in  FIG. 5A . 
         [0096]    In step S 27 , HMI control section  12  sends an output to display section  121  showing items that cannot be displayed while interactive content is played back. As shown in  FIG. 5B , display section  121  shows display by removing the items that cannot be displayed while interactive content is played back. 
         [0097]    As described above, with the present embodiment, BD playback system  100  is composed of BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  120 . BD playback apparatus  110  has interactive content identifying section  113 . Interactive content identifying section  113  analyzes control data received as input from disc reading section  111 . Then, interactive content identifying section  113  decides whether a disc contains interactive content, and, when the disc does contain interactive content, decides whether or not to play back the interactive content. Furthermore, display/operation apparatus  120  has HMI control section  123  that decides the state of BD playback apparatus  110  from an input from communicating section  124  and displays an adequate HMI. Upon deciding that interactive content is present, HMI control section  123  performs a control to report to the user that interactive content is present. 
         [0098]    By means of the above control, HMI control section  123  presents adequate display during interactive content, so that a user is able to understand the situation quickly. 
         [0099]    By means of the above operation sequence according to the situation the user is able perform operation without confusion. In particular, when interactive content is present, by reporting that resuming is not possible after power is turned off, unnecessary confusion can be avoided. To be more specific, in the field of a personal computer (hereinafter “PC”), it is possible to realize a resuming function by a method of saving all information in a memory. Consequently, it is anticipated that a user who is accustomed to using a PC tends to believe that interactive content executed on a vehicle-mounted device can be resumed. By this means, in the field of a vehicle-mounted device, it is not easy to implement a resuming function due to various restrictions such as memory capacity, power supply environment and so on. Consequently, letting know a user in advance that there is no resuming function as with the present embodiment, is useful to prevent a user from unnecessary confusion. As described above, the present embodiment is suitable for use in a multimedia device control system in a vehicle-mounted environment. 
         [0100]    The above descriptions show an embodiment of the present invention by way of example and by no means limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0101]    For example, although BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  120  are provided separately, it is equally possible to provide these as one. Also, any channel may content between BD playback apparatus  110  and display/operation apparatus  120 . Channel may be a bus network that is prescribed by, for example, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 High Performance Serial Bus (hereinafter IEEE1394) or by the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) protocol. The communication method may be cabling or wireless communication. 
         [0102]    Furthermore, although the term “BD playback system” has been used with the present embodiment for ease of explanation, other terms such as “device cooperating apparatus,” “vehicle-mounted communication apparatus” and “multimedia device control system” may be used as well. 
         [0103]    Furthermore, the types, number and connection method of the circuit components to constitute the above BD playback apparatus, including the communication section, memory section and others, are by no means limited to the above-described embodiment. 
         [0104]    Also, a program for making the above-described BD playback system may be implemented. This program may be then stored in a computer-readable recording medium. 
         [0105]    The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-274877, filed on Oct. 24, 2008, including the specification, drawings and abstract, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
       [0106]    The BD playback system, BD playback apparatus, display apparatus and computer program according to the present invention are suitable for use with a multimedia device in a vehicle-mounted environment. Also, the present invention is by no means limited to a vehicle-mounted environment and is equally applicable to any and all apparatuses as long as a device-cooperating apparatus in which a BD playback section and a display/operation section cooperate is present. 
       REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       [0000]    
       
           100  BD playback system 
           110  BD playback apparatus 
           120  Display/operation apparatus 
           111  Disc reading section 
           112  Video/audio decoding section 
           113  Interactive content identifying section 
           114  Interactive content playback section 
           115 ,  124  Communicating section 
           121  Display section 
           122  Operating section 
           123  HMI control section

Technology Category: 5