Content playback method, content playback apparatus, content recording method, and content recording medium

• US 20050041951A1
• Filed: 07/16/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Inoue, Makoto, Inoue, Akiko, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Shirai, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/00 Driving, starting, stopping record carriers not specifically of filamentary or web form, or of supports therefor; Control thereof; Control of operating function ; Driving both disc and head
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/326 used signal is a video-frame or a video-field (P.I.P.)

Abstract

Conditions for starting the playback of the next cut in the middle of the cut of a drama are assumed to be such that, for the first cut, a viewer/listener blinks two times in the detection time zone, and for the second cut, the pupil diameter of the viewer/listener has become 8 mm or more in the detection time zone. The CPU of a playback apparatus determines whether or not the conditions are satisfied when the cut is played back, and when the conditions are satisfied, the playback of the next cut is started even in the middle of the cut. In the case of music, when the rhythm of the respiration of the viewer/listener or the motion of the body is not in tune with the rhythm of the music, the playback of the next music is started even in the middle of the music.

Claims

1. A content playback method of sequentially playing back content formed of a plurality of segments of partial content, said content playback method comprising the steps of:

detecting bio-information of a viewer/listener who is playing back a segment of partial content; and

determining whether or not detected bio-information satisfies predetermined conditions, and starting playback of a next segment of partial content when the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

2. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the bio-information of the viewer/listener who is playing back partial content is detected in a detection time zone determined for each segment of partial content.

3. The content playback method according to claim 2, wherein said detection time zone is set as a time zone at the end portion of the segment of partial content.

4. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined conditions are determined for each segment of partial content.

5. A content playback apparatus for sequentially playing back content formed of a plurality of segments of partial, said content playback apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting bio-information of a viewer/listener who is playing back a segment of partial content; and

playback control means for determining whether or not detected bio-information satisfies predetermined conditions, and for starting playback of a next segment of partial content when the predetermined conditions are satisfied.

6. The content playback apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said playback control means determines whether or not the bio-information detected by said detection means in a detection time zone determined for each segment of partial content satisfies predetermined conditions.

7. The content playback apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said detection time zone is set as a time zone at the end portion of the segment of partial content.

8. The content playback apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said predetermined conditions are determined for each segment of partial content.

9. A content recording method comprising the steps of, when content formed of a plurality of segments of partial is content are to be recorded on a recording medium:

setting conditions, which are related to bio-information of a viewer/listener who is playing back a segment of partial content, for starting playback of a next segment of partial content during playback of a current segment of partial content; and

recording, on a recording medium, data indicating conditions in such a manner as to be associated with a corresponding segment of partial content.

10. A content recording medium having recorded thereon content formed of a plurality of segments of partial content and data indicating conditions, which are related to the bio-information of a viewer/listener who is playing back a segment of partial content, for starting playback of a next segment of partial content during playback of a current segment of partial content.