Information-processing apparatus, information-processing methods and programs

• US 20060031402A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Mitsuhiro, Saito, Mari, Yamamoto, Noriyuki, Tateno, Kei
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

An information-processing apparatus which can easily output an accessory content suitable for a user situation at a point of time in course of an operation to output a main content or before or after the operation is provided. The present invention includes a history-information generation section generates one or more pieces of correlation information each including at least one piece of information on the user utilizing the apparatus at a point of time the apparatus outputs an already used main content and in a time band including the point of time. A user-utilization accessory-content determination section determines an accessory content regarded as a content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new main content or before or after the operation is considered to be suitable for the user on the basis of one or more pieces of correlation information stored in the correlation-information storage section and characteristics of one or more accessory contents stored in the accessory-content storage section, and outputs the determined accessory content. The present invention can be applied to an information-processing apparatus which can output a piece of music or a picture in course of operations to read and write a mail text.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus for outputting a content of a first type and a content of a second type, comprising:

a history-information generation section for generating history information including one or more pieces of information on the user, which utilized said information-processing apparatus at a point of time said information-processing apparatus output an already used content of said first type and in a time band including said point of time;

a history-information storage section for storing one or more pieces of history information generated by said history-information generation section;

a second-type-content storage section for storing one or more contents of said second type; and

a second-type-content determination section for determining a second-type content regarded as a content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user on the basis of characteristics of one or more second-type contents stored in said second-type-content storage section and one or more pieces of history information stored in said history-information storage section.

2. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said history-information generation section generates history information including at least first characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used content of said first type and second characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used second-type content, which was output from said information-processing apparatus while said already used content of said first type was being output or before or after said already used content of said first type was output; and

said second-type-content determination section;

selects one or more pieces of history information each including first characteristic information identical with or similar to characteristic information showing characteristics of a new content of said first type among one or more pieces of history information stored in said history-information storage section; and

determines a second-type content identified by second characteristic information included in each of said selected pieces of history information as a second-type content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user.

3. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said history-information generation section generates;

first history information including at least first characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used content of said first type and first context information showing a user context at an output time of said already used content of said first type; and

second history information including at least second characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used content of said second type and second context information showing a user context at an output time of said already used content of said second type;

said history-information storage section is used for storing said first history information and said second history information;

said second-type-content determination section;

selects one or more pieces of first history information each including first characteristic information identical with or similar to characteristic information showing characteristics of a new content of said first type among one or more pieces of first history information stored in said history-information storage section;

acquires first context information included in each of said selected pieces of first history information;

selects one or more pieces of second history information each including second context information identical with or similar to said acquired first context information among one or more pieces of second history information stored in said history-information storage section; and

determines a second-type content identified by second characteristic information included in each of said selected pieces of second history information as a second-type content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user.

4. The information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprises

a data reception section for receiving a content of said first type and first context information added to said content of said first type as information showing a context of another user from another apparatus used by said other user, wherein:

said history-information generation section generates;

first history information including at least first characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used content of said first type and second context information showing a user context at an output time of said already used content of said first type; and

second history information including at least first characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used content of said first type and second characteristic information showing characteristics of an already used second-type content, which was output from said information-processing apparatus while said already used content of said first type was being output or before or after said already used content of said first type was output;

said history-information storage section is used for storing said first history information and said second history information; and

said second-type-content determination section;

selects one or more pieces of first history information each including second context information identical with or similar to first context information added to a new first-type content received by said data reception section said among one or more pieces of first history information stored in said history-information storage section;

acquires first characteristic information included in each of said selected pieces of first history information;

selects one or more pieces of second history information each including second characteristic information identical with or similar to said acquired first characteristic information among one or more pieces of second history information stored in said history-information storage section; and

determines a second-type content identified by second characteristic information included in each of said selected pieces of second history information as a second-type content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user.

5. An information-processing method adopted by an information-processing apparatus comprising:

a content-outputting section for individually outputting a content of a first type and a content of a second type;

a first storage section for storing one or more contents of said second type; and

a second storage section for storing other information different from said contents of said second type,

said information-processing method comprising the steps of;

generating history information including one or more pieces of information on the user, which utilized said information-processing apparatus at a point of time said content-outputting section output an already used content of said first type and in a time band including said point of time;

controlling an operation to store history information in said second storage section each time history information is generated in a process carried out at said step of generating history information; and

determining a second-type content regarded as a content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user on the basis of characteristics of one or more second-type contents stored in said first storage section and one or more pieces of history information stored in a process carried out at said step of controlling an operation to store history information in said second storage section.

6. A program to be executed by a computer for controlling a content-outputting apparatus comprising:

a content-outputting section for individually outputting a content of a first type and a content of a second type;

a first storage section for storing one or more contents of said second type; and

a second storage section for storing other information different from said contents of said second type,

said program comprising the steps of;

generating history information including one or more pieces of information on the user, which utilized said information-outputting apparatus at a point of time said content-outputting section output an already used content of said first type and in a time band including said point of time;

controlling an operation to store history information in said second storage section each time history information is generated in a process carried out at said step of generating history information; and

determining a second-type content regarded as a content whose output operation in course of an operation to output a new content of said first type or before or after said operation to output a new content of said first type is considered to be suitable for said user on the basis of characteristics of one or more second-type contents stored in said first storage section and one or more pieces of history information stored in a process carried out at said step of controlling an operation to store history information in said second storage section.