Digital video apparatus user interface

1. A method for controlling a system for processing a plurality of data units stored on a storage medium, the system adapted to process a sequence of the data units in accordance with one of a plurality of possible playmodes comprising standard, random and programmed playmodes, the method comprising the steps of:

(A) playing back the data units according to one of the plurality of playmodes during a PLAY mode of operation,

(B) determining which of the possible playmodes are actually available for actuation during playback of the data units on the storage medium, and generating an on-screen display menu displaying the actually available playmodes to thereby provide to a user, during the PLAY mode of operation, an opportunity to select another one of the actually available playmodes, the plurality of playmodes including a standard playmode representing a default sequence, a random playmode representing a random sequence and programmed playmode representing a sequence specified by a user, without interrupting playback of a current sequence of data units, and

(C) in response to user selection of a new playmode, changing the playback sequence of the data units in accordance with the newly selected playmode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (B) comprises the step of generating the on-screen display menu includes overlaying the menu onto a video display which allows the user to select one of the plurality of playmodes while continuing to watch the playback of the data units in a background portion of the video display.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein step (B) is preceded by the step of determining whether a mode of operation enabling selection of one of the plurality of playmodes during the PLAY mode of operation is enabled; and

performing steps (B) and (C) only if the mode of operation enabling modification of the plurality of playmodes during the PLAY mode of operation is enabled.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of determining whether user modification of a playmode is enabled is preceded by the step of determining whether the system is in the PLAY mode of operation.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the system comprises a DVD player and the storage medium comprises a DVD disk;

the DVD disk includes a plurality of chapters; and

the plurality of playmodes represent respectively different sequences of chapters.

6. The method of claim 1 , step (C) is preceded by the step of allowing the user to select whether the newly selected playmode will be effective for all future playbacks or only the current playback.

7. Apparatus for processing data units stored on a storage medium according to a particular playback sequence, the apparatus comprising:

playback circuitry for accessing and processing data units stored on the storage medium during a PLAY mode of operation;

a user control device for receiving user input; and

a control unit, coupled to the playback circuitry and the user control device, for conditioning the playback circuitry to activate the PLAY mode of operation and process the data units in a particular playback sequence in response to user selection of one of a plurality of playmodes, wherein

the control unit determines which of a plurality of possible playmodes are actually available for actuation during playback of the data units on the storage medium and is coupled to an on-screen display control for generating an on-screen display menu displaying the actually available playmodes for providing to a user during the PLAY mode of operation an opportunity to select from among the actually available playmodes associated with the data units, the plurality of playmodes including a standard playmode representing a default sequence, a random playmode representing a random sequence and programmed playmode representing a sequence specified by a user, without interrupting the PLAY mode of the playback circuitry, and, in response to user selection of a new playmode, changing the playback sequence of the data units in accordance with the newly selected playmode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the on-screen display menu is overlaid over the video for allowing the user to select one of the plurality of playmodes while watching a playback of a current sequence of data units in a background portion of the video display.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control unit determines whether a mode of operation enabling selection of one of the plurality of playmodes during the PLAY mode of operation is enabled; and provides an opportunity to select a new playmode without interrupting the PLAY mode only if the mode of operation enabling modification of the plurality of playmodes during the PLAY mode of operation is enabled.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the playback circuitry comprises means for accessing and processing data from a DVD disk and the storage medium comprises a DVD disk, wherein the DVD disk includes a plurality of chapters; and the plurality of playmodes represent respectively different sequences of chapters.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control unit provides an on-screen display to allow the user to select whether the newly selected playmode will be effective for all future playbacks or only the current playback.