Information reproducing device for reproducing multimedia information recorded in the form of optically readable code pattern, and information recording medium storing multimedia information in the same form

Abstract

A code pattern of an information recording medium contains processing information necessary to editing data according to a restoration processing procedure for restoring multimedia information. The restoration processing procedure has a hierarchical structure of layers 1 to 5. The layer 5 has a file management function. The layer 4 has a function of collecting subset elements to create a subset and converting the same to create a data transfer unit (sector) which the layer 5 deals with. The layer 3 or lower layer has a function of reading the code pattern from the information recording medium, subjecting the code pattern to a preset restoration process and outputting the subset elements. <IMAGE> <IMAGE>

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A device for reproducing multimedia information which is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, comprising: 
       first hierarchical processing means for optically reading a code pattern from an information recording medium having a portion in which the multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, converting the read out code pattern into code data as an image, and outputting the code data to which information related to an operation of reading the code pattern is added as first processing information;  
       second hierarchical processing means for recognizing the first processing information which is output from the first hierarchical processing means to process the code data output therefrom, creating blocks by collecting the code data in units of a predetermined amount, and outputting the blocks;  
       third hierarchical processing means for extracting second processing information from data in the blocks and recognizing the second processing information, the second processing information being necessary to collect the blocks output from the second hierarchical processing means and create supermacro-blocks larger than the blocks in data amount, the third hierarchical processing means for further creating the supermacro-block based on the second processing information, extracting from the supermacro-blocks third processing information necessary to perform a process of coping with errors, recognizing the third processing information, performing the process of coping with the errors of the supermacro-blocks based on the third processing information, and creating and outputting at least one subset element;  
       fourth hierarchical processing means for extracting fourth processing information from said at least one subset element output from the third hierarchical processing means, the fourth processing information being necessary to create, from said at least one subset element, at least one subset which includes data of a predetermined unit enabling restoration of the multimedia information, and fourth hierarchical processing means for further creating and outputting said at least one subset based on the fourth processing information; and  
       outputting means for outputting the subset which is output from the fourth hierarchical processing means, as restored multimedia information.  
     
     
       2. A device for reproducing multimedia information which is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, according to  claim 1 , further comprising fifth hierarchical processing means for extracting, from the subset output from the fourth hierarchical means, file management information necessary to create, from the subset, a file which contains the multimedia information, and for managing or creating the file based on the file managing information. 
     
     
       3. A device for reproducing multimedia information which is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 1 , wherein the third hierarchical processing means includes: 
       block data linking means for reconstructing the data in the blocks based on the second processing information;  
       macro-block header constructing means for constructing macro-block header information by collecting first data in units of a plurality of blocks, the first data being provided in a predetermined position in the data reconstructed by the block data linking means; and  
       supermacro-block constructing means for constructing the supermacro-block based on the macro-block header information constructed by the macro-block header constructing means, by collecting second data, which is the data in each of the blocks other than the first data, and part of the macro-block header information.  
     
     
       4. A device for reproducing multimedia information which is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 3 , wherein the metro-block header information has at least one of an error correction check digit and an error detection check digit attached thereto; and 
       the third hierarchical processing means further includes at least one of error correction decoding means for performing error correction decoding of the macro-block header and error detection decoding means for detecting an error in the macro-block header before or after being subjected to the error correction decoding performed by the error correction decoding means.  
     
     
       5. A device for reproducing multimedia information which is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 3 , wherein the third processing information is included in the macro-block header information which constitutes the supermacro-block. 
     
     
       6. An information recording medium for recording multimedia information in the form of an optically readable code pattern: 
       a sheet-form medium; and  
       an optically readable code pattern corresponding to multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data recorded on the sheet-form medium;  
       wherein the code pattern contains processing information necessary for editing data according to a restoring processing procedure of optically reading the code pattern and restoring the multimedia information, and the restoring processing procedure includes:  
       a first hierarchical processing step of optically reading the code pattern, converting the read out code pattern into code data as an image, and outputting the code data to which information related to an operation of reading the code pattern is added as first processing information;  
       a second hierarchical processing step of recognizing the first processing information which is output in the first hierarchical processing means to process the code data output in the first hierarchical processing step, creating blocks by collecting the code data in units of a predetermined amount, and outputting the blocks;  
       a third hierarchical processing step of: extracting second processing information from data in the blocks; recognizing the second processing information, the second processing information being necessary to collect the blocks which are output in the second hierarchical processing step and create supermacro-blocks larger than the blocks in data amount; creating the supermacro-blocks based on the second processing information; extracting from the supermacro-blocks third processing information necessary to perform a process of coping with errors; recognizing the third processing information; performing the process of coping with the errors of the supermacro-blocks based on the third processing information; and creating and outputting at least one subset element;  
       a fourth hierarchical processing step of: extracting fourth processing information from said at least one subset element output from the third hierarchical step, the fourth processing information being necessary to create, from said at least one subset element, at least one subset which includes data of a predetermined unit enabling restoration of the multimedia information; and creating and outputting said at least one subset based on the fourth processing information; and  
       an outputting step of outputting the subset which is output from the fourth hierarchical processing step, as restored multimedia information.  
     
     
       7. An information recording medium for recording multimedia information in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 6 , the restoring processing procedure further includes a fifth hierarchical processing step of extracting, from the subset output in the fourth hierarchical processing step, file management information necessary to create a file which contains the multimedia information; and managing or creating the file based on the file managing information. 
     
     
       8. An information recording medium for recording multimedia information in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 6 , wherein the third hierarchical processing step includes: 
       a block data linking sub-step of reconstructing the data in the blocks based on the second processing information;  
       a macro-block header constructing sub-step of constructing the macro-block header information by collecting first data in units of a plurality of blocks, the first data being provided in a predetermined position in the data reconstructed in the block data linking sub-step; and  
       a supermacro-block constructing sub-step of constructing the supermacro-block, based on the macro-block header information constructed in the macro-block header constructing sub-step, by collecting second data, which is the data in each of the blocks other than the first data, and part of the macro-block header information.  
     
     
       9. An information recording medium for recording multimedia information in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 8 , wherein the macro-block header information has at least one of an error correction check digit and an error detection check digit attached thereto; and 
       the third hierarchical processing step further includes at least one of an error correction decoding sub-step of performing an error correction decoding of the macro-block header and an error detection decoding sub-step of detecting an error in the macro-block header before or after being subjected to error correction decoding performed in the error correction sub-step.  
     
     
       10. An information recording medium for recording multimedia information in the form of an optically readable code pattern according to  claim 8 , wherein the third processing information is included in the macro-block header information which constitutes the supermacro-block. 
     
     
       11. A device for reproducing information, comprising: 
       
         first processing means for optically reading a code pattern from an information recording medium including a portion in which multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, and for converting the read out code pattern into image data and then outputting the image data;  
       
       
         second processing means for reproducing and outputting first given unit data from the image data output from the first processing means;  
       
       
         third processing means for extracting second processing information, which is necessary to collect the first given unit data output from the second processing means and produce second given unit data, from the first given unit data, and for producing the second given unit data based on the second processing information, and performing an error control processing of the second given unit data based on the second processing information;  
       
       
         fourth processing means for producing at least one subset which is a recognizable unit as the multimedia information, from the second given unit data subjected to the error control processing of the third processing means; and  
       
       
         outputting means for outputting the at least one subset produced by the fourth processing means, as the multimedia information. 
       
     
     
       12. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
       
         the first processing means includes means for adding first processing information regarding reading of the code pattern to the image data, and then outputting the image data including the first processing information added thereto; and  
       
       
         the second processing means includes means for recognizing the first processing information output from the first processing means, and reproducing and outputting the first given unit data from the image data output from the first processing means. 
       
     
     
       13. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 11 , wherein the third processing means includes: 
       
         third given unit data producing means for combining a plurality of first given unit data each output from the second processing means, thereby producing third given unit data;  
       
       
         second processing information constructing means for collecting information pieces dispersedly arranged in the third given unit data produced by the third given unit data producing means, thereby constructing the second processing information;  
       
       
         second given unit data processing means for combining, based on the second processing information constructed by the second processing information constructing means, data pieces of the third given unit data which are other than the second processing information, thereby producing the second given unit data; and  
       
       
         means for performing the error control processing of the second given unit data produced by the second given unit data producing means, based on the second processing information constructed by the second processing information constructing means. 
       
     
     
       14. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
       
         the first given unit data output from the second processing means includes an address of the first given unit, a size of user data in the first given unit, and the user data; and  
       
         the third given unit data producing means includes  ( i )  a memory for storing the user data output from the second processing means, and  ( ii )  a memory controller for calculating a stored position of the user data in the memory, from the address and the size of the user data, and for controlling storing of the user data in the memory, to thereby produce the third given unit data.   
     
     
       15. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
         the first given unit data output from the second processing means includes an address of the first given unit, an error - state flag of the address, a size of user data in the first given unit, and the user data; and    
         the third given unit data producing means includes  ( i )  a memory for storing the user data output from the second processing means, and  ( ii )  a memory controller for calculating a stored position of the user data in the memory, from the address and the size of the user data, and for controlling storing of the user data in the memory with the error - state flag of the address, to thereby produce the third unit data.   
     
     
       16. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
         the third processing means further includes lost position information producing means for producing a lost position information representing a lost position of information with the address of the first given unit and the error - state flag of the address; and    
       
         the means for performing the error control processing performs the error control processing of the second given unit data using the lost position information produced by the lost position information producing means. 
       
     
     
       17. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 15 , wherein: 
       
         the data pieces of the third given unit data which are other than the second processing information are interleaved, and at least one of an error correction check digit and an error detection check digit is added to the data pieces of the third given unit data;  
       
         the second given unit data producing means produces the second given unit data by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third unit data based on the second processing information; and    
         the means for performing the error control processing includes error correction decoding means and error detection decoding means, said error correction decoding means being provided for performing error correction decoding on the second given unit data produced by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third given unit data by using lost position information representing a lost position of information, which is based on an address of the first given unit and an error - state flag of the address, and said error detection decoding means being provided for performing error detection on the second given unit data produced by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third given unit data or on the second given unit data subjected to the error correction decoding of the error correction decoding means.   
     
     
       18. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 17 , wherein the second processing information includes a parameter regarding the interleaving of the data pieces of the third given unit data and a parameter regarding at least one of an error correction code to which the error correction check digit is added and an error detection code to which the error detection check digit is added. 
     
     
       19. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
       
         the data pieces of the third given unit data which are other than the second processing information are interleaved, and at least one of an error correction check digit and an error detection check digit is added to the data pieces of the third unit data;  
       
         the second given unit data producing means produces the second given unit data by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third given unit data based on the second processing information; and    
         the means for performing the error control processing includes error correction decoding means and error detection decoding means, said error correction decoding means being provided for performing error correction decoding on the second given unit data produced by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third given unit data, and said error detection decoding means being provided for performing error detection on the second given unit data produced by de - interleaving the data pieces of the third given unit data or on the second given unit data subjected to the error correction decoding of the error correction decoding means.   
     
     
       20. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 19 , wherein the second processing information includes a parameter regarding the interleaving of the data pieces of the third given unit data and a parameter regarding at least one of an error correction code to which the error correction check digit is added and an error detection code to which the error detection check digit is added. 
     
     
       21. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
       
         the third processing means further includes fourth given unit data producing means for producing at least one fourth given unit data from the second given unit data subjected to the error control processing, based on third processing information included in the second processing information; and  
       
       
         the fourth processing means extracts fourth processing information, which is necessary for producing said at least one subset from said at least one fourth given unit data produced by the fourth given unit data producing means, from the fourth given unit data, and then produces and outputs said at least one subset based on the fourth processing information. 
       
     
     
       22. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 11 , which further comprises: 
       
         fifth processing means for extracting fifth processing information which is necessary for producing a file from the at least one subset output from the fourth processing means, and for producing the file based on the fifth processing information. 
       
     
     
       23. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 11 , wherein: 
       
         interleaving processing is performed on the second processing information, and at least one of an error correction check digit and an error detection check digit is added to the second processing information; and  
       
         the third processing means includes  ( i )  de - interleave means for performing de - interleaving processing on the second processing information, and  ( ii )  at least one of error correction decoding means and error detection decoding means, said error correction decoding means being provided for performing error correction decoding on the second processing information subjected to the de - interleaving processing of the de - interleave means, and said error detection decoding means being provided for performing error detection on the second processing information subjected to the de - interleaving processing of the de - interleave means or subjected to the error correction decoding of the error correction decoding means.   
     
     
       24. An information recording medium including a portion in which multimedia information is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, the multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information, and digital code data, wherein: 
         the information recording medium is adapted to be used by an information reproducing apparatus which comprises  ( i )  first processing means for optically reading the code pattern, converting the code pattern into image data, and outputting the image data,  ( ii )  second processing means for reproducing and outputting first given unit data from the image data output from the first processing means,  ( iii )  third processing means for extracting second processing information, which is necessary to collect the first given unit data output from the second processing means and produce second given unit data, from the first given unit data, and for producing the second given unit data based on the second processing information, and performing an error control processing of the second given unit data based on the second processing information,  ( iv )  fourth processing means for producing at least one subset which is a recognizable unit as the multimedia information, from the second given unit data subjected to the error control processing of the third processing means, and  ( v )  outputting means for outputting the at least one subset produced by the fourth processing means, as the multimedia information; and    
       
         the code pattern includes the second processing information. 
       
     
     
       25. An information recording medium according to  claim 24 , wherein the information processing apparatus further comprises fifth processing means for extracting fifth processing information which is necessary to produce a file from the at least one subset produced by the fourth processing means, and for producing the file based on the fifth processing information. 
     
     
       26. A method of reproducing information, comprising: 
       
         a first step of optically reading a code pattern from an information recording medium including a portion in which multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, and then converting the read code pattern into image data, and outputting the image data;  
       
       
         a second step of reproducing and outputting first given unit data from the image data output in the first step;  
       
       
         a third step of extracting second processing information, which is necessary to collect the first given unit data output in the second step and produce second given unit data, from the first given unit data, and for producing the second given unit data based on the second processing information, and performing an error control processing of the second unit data based on the second processing information;  
       
       
         a fourth step of producing at least one subset which is a recognizable unit as the multimedia information, from the second given unit data subjected to the error control processing in the third step; and  
       
       
         a fifth step of outputting the at least one subset produced in the fourth step, as the multimedia information. 
       
     
     
       27. A device for reproducing information, based on a code pattern which is optically read from an information recording medium including a portion in which multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, said device comprising: 
       
         data reproducing means for optically reading the code pattern, and reproducing first given unit data from the read code pattern;  
       
       
         processing information extracting means for extracting processing information from the first given unit data reproduced by the data reproducing means, said processing information being necessary to produce second given unit data from the first given unit data;  
       
       
         first error correcting means for performing error correction on the processing information extracted by the processing information extracting means;  
       
       
         data producing means for producing the second given unit data from the first given unit data based on the processing information subjected to the error correction performed by the first error correcting means; and  
       
       
         second error correcting means for performing error correction on the second given unit data produced by the data producing means. 
       
     
     
       28. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 27 , wherein the second error correcting means performs the error correction on the second given unit data based on the processing information subjected to the error correction performed by the first error correcting means. 
     
     
       29. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 27 , wherein the processing information is adapted to be subjected to interleaving processing, and the processing information extracting means includes means for performing de- interleaving processing on the processing information.   
     
     
       30. A device for reproducing information according to  claim 27 , wherein when the data producing means collects a plurality of the first given unit data, the processing information is dispersedly arranged in the plurality of first given unit data. 
     
     
       31. An information recording medium including processing information and a portion in which multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, wherein the information recording medium is adapted to be used by a device for reproducing information which comprises ( i )  data reproducing means for optically reading the code pattern, and reproducing first given unit data from the read code pattern,  ( ii )  processing information extracting means for extracting the processing information from the first given unit data reproduced by the data reproducing means, said processing information being necessary to produce second given unit data from the first given unit data,  ( iii )  first error correcting means for performing error correction on the processing information extracted by the processing information extracting means,  ( iv )  data producing means for producing the second given unit data from the first given unit data based on the processing information subjected to the error correction performed by the first error correcting means, and  ( v )  second error correcting means for performing error correction on the second given unit data produced by the data producing means.   
     
     
       32. An information recording medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the second error correcting means in the device performs the error correction on the second given unit data based on the processing information subjected to the error correction performed by the first error correcting means. 
     
     
       33. An information recording medium according to  claim 31 , wherein the processing information is adapted to be subjected to interleaving processing, and the processing information extracting means in the device includes de- interleave means for performing de - interleaving processing on the processing information.   
     
     
       34. An information recording medium according to  claim 31 , wherein when the data producing means in the device collects a plurality of the first given unit data, the processing information is dispersedly arranged in the plurality of first given unit data. 
     
     
       35. A method of reproducing information based on a code pattern which is optically read from an information recording medium including a portion in which multimedia information containing at least one of audio information, video information and digital code data is recorded in the form of an optically readable code pattern, said method comprising: 
       
         optically reading the code pattern, and reproducing first given unit data from the read code pattern;  
       
       
         extracting processing information from the reproduced first given unit data, said processing information being necessary to produce second given unit data from the first given unit data;  
       
       
         performing error correction on the extracted processing information;  
       
       
         producing the second given unit data from the first given unit data based on the error corrected processing information; and  
       
       
         performing error correction on the produced second given unit data.