Multimedia playing apparatus utilizing synchronization of scenario-defined processing time points with playing of finite-time monomedia item

Abstract

A multimedia playing apparatus plays hypermedia titles each consisting of a plurality of monomedia objects including at least one finite time monomedia object such as a video object, which is formatted as a sequence of fixed-length playing sections such as video frames and functions as a base-axis object for providing a timing reference. The apparatus executes playing of a hypermedia title in accordance with processing time points specified as respective numbers of the playing sections, and stores and utilizes a plurality of sets of synchronization trigger data each of which designates that playing of a specific monomedia object other than the base-axis object is to be started, or is to be ended, at a specific processing time point, with the synchronization trigger data sets being successively accessed and used as the corresponding processing time points are respectively reached during playing of the hypermedia title.