Interactive User Interface for Blu-ray Disc Reproduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current Blu-ray disc standard lacks methods for displaying a list of video contents on a screen, user interface functions for navigating video content, multiple angle selection, and subtitle functionality, limiting user interaction and flexibility in reproducing video content across different apparatus models.
Innovation Solution
A reproducing apparatus and method that combines decoded moving picture and subtitle data with program code to create an interactive user interface, allowing for flexible display of operation screens, multiple angle selection, and independent control of subtitles and buttons, using a non-real time stream and real time stream input, storage, and combination of image and subtitle data according to program code.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the current Blu-ray disc standard is used without additional interactive function specifications, then the recording capacity and picture quality are maintained at high levels, but the user interface flexibility and interactivity are severely limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal interactive function specification that can be applied across different Blu-ray disc reproducing apparatus regardless of manufacturer or model. The scenario description language and menu screen composition methods defined in the invention provide a common interface standard that enables consistent user interaction across diverse hardware platforms, resolving the contradiction between interface flexibility and device complexity by establishing a universal protocol layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the interactive function into distinct components: scenario description language for defining reproduction order and branches, menu screen composition methods for displaying video content lists, and user input processing for cursor control and selection. This segmentation allows each component to be independently standardized and implemented, providing flexibility without overwhelming system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If no standard method for displaying video content lists and navigating menus is prescribed, then the reproducing apparatus can maintain simple hardware design, but users cannot easily navigate and select video content across different apparatus models
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the Blu-ray disc itself to provide the interactive interface functionality through prerecorded scenario data and menu screen information. The disc contains all necessary instructions for displaying video content lists, navigating menus, and processing user selections, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for complex proprietary software implementations in each reproducing apparatus.
3Reliability
If interactive functions like menu screens and branch selections are not standardized, then the reproducing apparatus remains simple to manufacture, but compatibility across different apparatus models deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by defining and standardizing the interactive function specifications, scenario description language, and menu screen composition methods before mass production of Blu-ray disc players. This advance standardization ensures that all reproducing apparatus manufactured afterward will be compatible with the same interactive protocols, guaranteeing cross-apparatus compatibility without requiring complex proprietary adaptations for each device model.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the Blu-ray disc standard focuses only on recording capacity without prescribing user interface functions, then the disc capacity and transfer speed are maximized, but the user cannot interactively control video content reproduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary scenario description language that acts as a mediator between the raw video content data and the user interface. This scenario language provides a structured intermediate representation that defines reproduction order, branches, and menu screen compositions, enabling rich interactive functionality without requiring complex direct control structures between the disc data and user interface hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
For a content-prerecorded large capacity disc-shaped recording medium, a user interface having high flexibility is accomplished. Button image data, corresponding sound data as an effect sound, and control commands for the sound data and image data are multiplexed with a stream and recorded on the disc. A scenario reproduced from the disc is stored in a buffer 104. The image data and sound data are stored in a buffer 105. Image data is read from the buffer 105 in accordance with a scenario and expanded to a graphics plane 133. In addition, corresponding sound data is read from the buffer 105 and reproduced by a sound player 106D. When a button image is varied in accordance with a state change of the button, an effect sound is reproduced. As a result, a more effective user interface is accomplished.