Content providing apparatus, content providing system, web site changing apparatus, web site changing system, content providing method, and web site changing method

• US 20050217459A1
• Filed: 03/09/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Murakoshi, Sho
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/081 Genre classification, i.e. descriptive metadata for classification or selection of musical pieces according to style analysis genre G10H2210/036
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/085 Mood, i.e. generation, detection or selection of a particular emotional content or atmosphere in a musical piece
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/125 Library distribution, i.e. distributing musical pieces from a central or master library
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/131 Library retrieval, i.e. searching a database or selecting a specific musical piece, segment, pattern, rule or parameter set

Abstract

Apparatus in which, with respect to a vague search request, content, such as a musical piece matching a user'"'"'s mood at that time, can easily be searched for with a simple operation. A content providing apparatus includes a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are grouped and stored. In a state in which content read from the content storage section is provided to the user, when a user input detection device detects a specific input by the user, desired content other than the provided content among the content belonging to the same group as the content being provided belongs or the content belonging to a group differing from the group to which the content being provided belongs is selected from a plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, and the content is provided to the user.

Claims

1. A content providing apparatus comprising:

a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are divided into a plurality of groups and are stored;

input detection means for detecting a first input;

means for providing a content to a user; and

provided-content changing means for selecting, from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, second content belonging to a group differing from a group to which a first content being provided belongs and causing the means for to provide the second content to the user when the first specific input is detected by the input detection means in a state in which the first content is provided to the user.

2. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the provision of the second content to the user is a provision by the playback of the second content.

3. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the provision of the second content to the user is a presentation of information for identifying the second content.

4. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone,

wherein the input detection means detects, as the specific input, a speech input of a specific word picked up by the microphone.

5. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input detection means also detects a second specific input differing from the first specific input, and

the provided-content changing means selects, from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, the second content belonging to the same group as the group to which the first content belongs and provides the second content to the user when the second input is detected by the input detection means in a state in which the first content is provided to the user.

6. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a specific operation button,

wherein the input detection means detects different operations of the specific operation button as the first input and the second input.

7. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a microphone,

wherein the input detection means detects speech inputs of two different words, picked up by the microphone, as the first input and the second input.

8. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising two specific operation buttons,

wherein the input detection means detects the operations of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively.

9. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the provided-content changing means selects and provides the second content belonging to a group differing from the group to which the first content being provided belongs based on a provision history of first content when the first input is detected by the input detection means, and selects second content belonging to the group to which the first content being provided belongs based on a provision history of the second content when the second input is detected by the input detection means.

10. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the input detection means also detects a third specific input differing from the first input and the second input, and

the provided-content changing means changes a rule used for changing to the second content to another rule when the third input is detected by the input detection means.

11. The content providing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising two specific operation buttons,

wherein the input detection means detects the operations of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and detects a different operation of the operation button for detecting the first operation as the first input and the third input.

12. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the input detection means also detects a third specific input differing from the first input and the second input, and

the provided-content changing means changes a rule used for changing to a group differing from the group to which the first content belongs to another rule when the third input is detected by the input detection means.

13. The content providing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising two specific operation buttons,

wherein the input detection means detects the operations of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and detects a different operation for the operation button for detecting the second input as the second input and the third input.

14. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising two specific operation buttons,

wherein the input detection means detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and detects, with respect to an operation button to which the first input is assigned, a different operation for the operation button, and

the provided-content changing means

selects the second content other than the first content currently being provided from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section and provides the second content to the user when the input detection means detects one of the different operations with respect to the operation button to which the first input is assigned, and

repeats the processing for providing, to the user, some of each of the plurality of pieces of content belonging to the same group in a sequence when the input detection means detects the other different operation with respect to the operation button to which the first input is assigned, and establishes the same provided content, as the provided content to the user at the time of another operation of the operation button when the input detection means detects the other operation of the operation button to which the first input is assigned.

15. The content providing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising two specific operation buttons,

wherein the input detection means detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and detects, with respect to an operation button to which the second input is assigned, a different operation for the operation button, and

the provided-content changing means

selects the second content other than the first content currently being provided from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section and provides the second content to the user when the input detection means detects one of the different operations with respect to the operation button to which the second input is assigned, and

repeats the processing for providing, to the user, some of each of the plurality of contents belonging to the differing group in a desired sequence when the input detection means detects the other different operation with respect to the operation button to which the second input is assigned,

and establishes the same provided content as the provided content to the user at the time of another operation of the operation button when the input detection means detects the other operation of the operation button to which the second input is assigned.

16. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display section; and

selection operation means for performing a selection input in a state in which a selection-prompting display is displayed on the display section,

wherein items used for searching for content are displayed on the display section, and content stored in the content storage section is directly selected by selecting the displayed items by the selection operation means.

17. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the provided-content changing means selects a classification differing from a classification to which the first content currently being provided based on provision history of a classification of the first content.

18. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input detection means also detects a third specific input differing from the first input, and

the provided-content changing means changes the rule used for changing to a group differing from the group to which the first content being provided belongs to another rule when the input detection means detects the third input.

19. The content providing apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

one specific operation button,

wherein the input detection means detects different operations of the one specific operation button as the first input and the third input.

20. The content providing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

one specific operation button,

wherein the input detection means detects different operations with respect to the one specific operation button, and

the provided-content changing means selects content other than the content currently being provided from the second the content stored in the first content storage section and provides the second content to the user when the input detection means detects one of the different operations, repeats the processing for providing, to the user, some of each of a plurality of contents belonging to the different group in a sequence when the input detection means detects the other different operation and, when the input detection means detects a second operation of the operation button, establishes the some provided content as provided content to the user at the time of the other operation of the operation button.

21. A content providing apparatus comprising:

a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are stored in such a manner as to correspond to search information having attribute information for a plurality of search items, the search information being used to search for each piece of content;

input detection means for detecting a plurality of operation inputs corresponding to the search items; and

provided-content changing means for selecting, from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, a second content other than a first content currently being provided among the content belonging to the search item corresponding to the detected operation input and for providing the second content to a user when the input detection means detects one of the plurality of operation inputs in a state in which one of the plurality of pieces of content is provided to the user.

22. The content providing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein, when the input detection means detects another operation input, separately from the plurality of operation inputs, that does not correspond to any of the search items, the provided-content changing means selects the second content that is not related to the search items from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, and provides the second content to the user.

23. The content providing apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising:

storage means for storing information for identifying a provided content before the first content is changed by the provided-content changing means,

wherein there is provided means for reading preceding provided content from the content storage section based on storage information of the storage means so as to return to a preceding content-providing state when it is detected that the user has made an input for returning to the preceding content-providing state.

24. A content providing system comprising:

a content distribution server; and

a content reception terminal connected to the content distribution server over a communication network, content being distributed from the content distribution server to the content reception terminal in response to a content obtaining request from the content reception terminal,

wherein the content reception terminal comprises;

means for providing a first content received from the content distribution server to a user;

input detection means for detecting a first input by the user; and

content obtaining request transmission means for transmitting a first content obtaining request for requesting obtainment of a second content differing from the first content currently being provided to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the first input in a state in which the first content is provided to the user, and

the content distribution server comprises;

a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are divided into a plurality of groups and are stored; and

provided-content changing means for selecting, from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, the second content belonging to a group different from a group to which the first content currently being distributed belongs, and for providing the second content to the content reception terminal when the first content obtaining request is received from the content reception terminal to which the first content is distributed.

25. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the provision to the content reception terminal is provision of some or all of the selected content.

26. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the provision to the content reception terminal is presentation of information for identifying selected content.

27. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the content reception terminal comprises a microphone, and the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects a speech input of a specific word, picked up by the microphone, as the specific input.

28. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the input detection means of the content reception terminal also detects a second specific input differing from the first input,

the content obtaining request transmission means of the content reception terminal transmits, to the content distribution server, a second content obtaining request for requesting the obtainment of the second content differing from the first content currently being provided when the input detection means detects the second specific input in a state in which the content is provided to the user, and

the provided-content changing means of the content distribution server selects, from the plurality of pieces of content stored in the content storage section, desired content belonging to the same group as a group to which the first content being distributed belongs, and provides the second content to the content reception terminal when the second content obtaining request is received from the content reception terminal to which the first content is distributed.

29. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the content reception terminal comprises one specific operation button, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects different operations with respect to the one specific operation button as the first input and the second input.

30. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the content reception terminal comprises a microphone, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects speech inputs of two different words, picked up by the microphone, as the first input and the second input.

31. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the content reception terminal comprises two specific microphones, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively.

32. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the provided-content changing means selects the second content belonging to a group differing from the group to which the first content currently being provided belongs based on a provision history of the first content provided to the content reception terminal and provides the second content to the content reception terminal when the input detection means detects the first input, and selects the second content belonging to the group to which the first content currently being provided belongs on the provision history of the first content currently being provided to the content reception terminal when the input detection means detects the second input.

33. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the input detection means of the content reception terminal also detects a third specific input differing from the first input and the second input,

the content reception terminal sends a third content obtaining request in response to the third input to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the third input, and

the provided-content changing means of the content distribution server receiving the third obtaining request changes a rule used for changing to the second content in the group to which the first content currently being provided belongs to another rule.

34. The content providing system according to claim 33, wherein the content reception terminal comprises two specific operation buttons, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and also detects different operations for the operation button for detecting the first input as the first input and the third input.

35. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the input detection means of the content reception terminal also detects a third specific input different from the first input and the second input,

the content reception terminal sends a third content obtaining request in response to the third input to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the third input, and

the provided-content changing means of the content distribution server receiving the third obtaining request changes a rule used for changing to a group differing from the group to which the first content currently being provided to the content reception terminal belongs to another rule.

36. The content providing system according to claim 35, wherein the content reception terminal comprises two specific operation buttons, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, respectively, and also detects a different operation for the operation button for detecting the second input as the second input and the third input.

37. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the content reception terminal comprises two specific operation buttons,

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, and also detects a different operation for the operation button with respect to the operation button to which the first input is assigned,

the content obtaining request transmission means of the content reception terminal transmits the first content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects one of the different operations of the operation button to which the first input is assigned, and also transmits a third content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the other different operation of the operation button to which the first input is assigned, and

the provided-content changing means repeats the processing for providing, to the user, some of each of a plurality of pieces of content belonging to the same group as the group to which the content currently being provided to the content reception terminal belongs in a desired sequence when the content distribution server receives the third content obtaining request, and establishes the content specified by content identification information as content provided to the content reception terminal when a content obtaining request containing the content identification information is received.

38. The content providing system according to claim 28, wherein the content reception terminal comprises two specific operation buttons,

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects the operation of the two specific operation buttons as the first input and the second input, and also detects a different operation for the operation button to which the second input is assigned,

the content obtaining request transmission means of the content reception terminal transmits the second content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects one of the different operations of the operation button to which the second input is assigned, and transmits a third content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the other different operation of the operation button to which the second input is assigned, and

the provided-content changing means repeats the processing for providing, to the user, some of each of a plurality of contents belonging to the same group as the group to which the content currently being provided to the content reception terminal belongs in a desired sequence when the content distribution server receives the third content obtaining request and establishes the content specified by content identification information as content provided to the content reception terminal when a content obtaining request containing the content identification information is received.

39. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the content reception terminal comprises:

a display section; and

selection operation means for performing a selective input in a state in which a display for prompting a selection is performed on the display section, and

the content reception terminal functions to display items used to search for content on the display section and to make a request for directly selecting content stored in the content storage section of the content distribution server by selecting the displayed items by the selection operation means.

40. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the provided-content changing means of the content distribution server selects a classification differing from the classification to which the first content currently being provided belongs based on a history provided to the content reception terminal with respect to each classification of the content.

41. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the input detection means of the content reception terminal also detects a specific third input differing from the first input,

when the input detection means detects the third input, the content reception terminal sends, to the content distribution server, a third content obtaining request differing from the content obtaining request in response to the third input, and

the provided-content changing means of the content distribution server receiving the third obtaining request changes a rule used for changing to a group different from the group to which the first content currently being provided belongs to another rule.

42. The content providing system according to claim 41, wherein the content reception terminal comprises one specific operation button, and

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects a different operation for the one specific operation button as the first input and the third input.

43. The content providing system according to claim 24, wherein the content reception terminal comprises one specific operation button,

the input detection means of the content reception terminal detects a different operation for the one specific operation button,

the content obtaining request transmission means of the content reception terminal transmits the content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects one of the different operations, and transmits another content obtaining request to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects the other different operations, and

the provided-content changing means repeats the processing for providing, to the content reception terminal, some of each of a plurality of contents belonging to a group different from the group to which the first content currently being provided to the content reception terminal belongs in a sequence when another content obtaining request is received, and establishes the content specified by content identification information as the provided content to the content reception terminal when the content obtaining request containing the content identification information is received.

44. A content providing system comprising:

a content distribution server including a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are stored in such a manner as to correspond to search information having attribute information for a plurality of search items, the searching information being used to search for each piece of content; and

a content reception terminal connected to the content distribution server over a communication network, content being distributed from the content distribution server to the content reception terminal in response to a content obtaining request from the content reception terminal,

wherein the content reception terminal comprises;

means for providing content received from the content distribution server to a user;

input detection means for detecting a plurality of operation inputs corresponding to the search items; and

content obtaining request transmission means for transmitting a request for obtaining content corresponding to the detected operation input to the content distribution server when the input detection means detects one of the plurality of operation inputs, and

the content distribution server comprises;

determination means for determining which search item the content obtaining request belongs to when the content obtaining request is received from the content reception terminal; and

distribution content changing means for reading, from the content storage section, second content other than a first content currently being provided to the content reception terminal from among the content belonging to the search item determined by the determination means and for distributing the second content to the content reception terminal.

45. The content providing system according to claim 44, wherein, in the content reception terminal, when the input detection means detects another operation input that does not correspond to any of the search items separately from the plurality of operation inputs, the content obtainment requesting means transmits a request for obtaining the second content that is not related to the search items to the content distribution server, and

in the content distribution server, when the determination means determines that the request for obtaining desired content that is not related to the search items is received, the distribution content changing means reads the second content that is not related to the search items from the content storage section and distributes the the second content to the content reception terminal.

46. A Web site changing apparatus comprising:

a uniform resource locator storage section in which URLs of a plurality of grouped Web sites are stored;

input detection means for detecting a specific input; and

URL changing means for reading, from the URL storage section, the URL of another Web site other than the Web site currently being presented among the URLs of the Web sites belonging to a group differing from the Web site being presented, accesses the associated URL, and shifts to a state in which the page of the desired Web site is presented when the input detection means detects the specific input when one page of the Web site is presented to a user.

47. The Web site changing apparatus according to claim 46, wherein said input detection means also detects a second input different from the first input, and

the URL changing means reads, from the URL storage section, the URL of the another Web site other than the Web site currently being presented from among the URLs of the Web sites belonging to the same group as that of the Web site being presented, accesses the associated URL, and shifts to the page of the another Web site when the input detection means detects the second input when the page of the Web site is presented to the user.

48. A content providing method for reading content from a content storage section in which a plurality of pieces of content are stored in such a manner as to be divided into a plurality of groups and for providing the content to a user, the content providing method comprising the steps of:

selecting, from content stored in the content storage section, a second content belonging to a group differing from a group to which a first content being provided belongs when a specific input by a user is detected in a state in which one of the pieces of content is provided to the user; and

providing the second content to the user.

49. A Web site changing method for changing a page of a Web site to be presented to a user to the page of the Web site of a URL read from a URL storage section in which URLs of a plurality of grouped Web sites are stored, the Web site changing method comprising the steps of:

reading, from the URL storage section, the URL of a a second Web site other than a first Web site being presented from among the URLs of the Web sites belonging to a group different from the first Web site when a specific input by a user is detected when one page of the Web site is presented;

accessing the associated URL; and

shifting to a state in which the page of the second Web site is presented.