Content management system, content management method and computer program

• US 20060074888A1
• Filed: 10/03/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tamura, Misa
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957

Abstract

The invention provides a user with a key or a visual clue to a desired content. There is provided a random search mode searching the content randomly when a user has no object for searching the content, and a specific search mode with object or search condition specified. The search condition is randomly generated or the content is extracted regardless of the search condition under the random search mode while the content is extracted based on the search condition such as a media type of the content input by the user or other content attributes.

Claims

1. A content management system managing many contents accumulated in plural devices, comprising:

a command inputting section specifying a content search mode and a content search condition;

a screen format generating section generating a screen format in a two- or three-dimensional display form likened to infinite outer space;

a content searching section searching the plural devices with the content stored according to the specified search condition; and

a content presenting section controlling so that information on each content retrieved by the content searching section is displayed and output by mapping respectively on a star on the outer space of the screen format.

2. A content management system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a random search mode searching the content randomly when a user has no object for searching the content; and

a specific search mode with object or search condition specified;

wherein the content searching section,

generates the search condition randomly or extracts the content regardless of the search condition under the random search mode, and

extracts the content based on the search condition input through the command input section under the specific search mode.

3. A content management system according to claim 1, wherein the content presenting section, in which a distance from a center of the outer space to the star indicates a matching degree of the search condition with the content allocated to the star, maps the content multidimensionally based on the matching degree by displaying the outer space three-dimensionally.

4. A content management system according to claim 1, wherein the content presenting section defines a fitness for the search condition, a matching degree with a user'"'"'s preference and other meanings, for a distance from the center of the outer space to each content mapped on the star and a distance between stars, a direction from the center, a screen size and so on.

5. A content management system according to claim 1, further comprising a group registering section registering a content group mapped on an area within a range of a predetermined radius from the center of the outer space and within a predetermined angle as a group.

6. A content management system according to claim 1, wherein the outer space indicates a space for presenting the content stored in plural devices.

7. A content management method managing many contents accumulated in plural devices, comprising:

a command inputting step of specifying a content search mode and a content search condition;

a screen format generating step of generating a screen format in a two- or three-dimensional display form likened to infinite outer space;

a content searching step of searching the plural devices with the content stored according to the specified search condition; and

a content presenting step of controlling so that information on each content retrieved in the content searching step is displayed and output by mapping respectively on a star on the outer space of the screen format.

8. A content management method according to claim 7, further comprising:

a random search mode searching the content randomly when a user has no object for searching the content; and

a specific search mode with object or search condition specified;

wherein, in the content searching step,

the search condition is randomly generated or the content is extracted regardless of the search condition under the random search mode and

the content is extracted based on the search condition input in the command input step under the specific search mode.

9. A content management method according to claim 7, wherein, in the content presenting step, a distance from a center of the outer space to the star indicates a matching degree of the search condition with the content allocated to the star, and the content is multidimensionally mapped based on the matching degree by displaying the outer space three-dimensionally.

10. A content management method according to claim 7, wherein, in the content presenting step, a fitness for the search condition, a matching degree with a user'"'"'s preference and other meanings are defined for a distance from the center of the outer space to each content mapped on the star and a distance between stars, a direction from the center, a screen size and so on.

11. A content management method according to claim 7 further comprising a group registering step of registering a content group mapped on an area within a range of a predetermined radius from the center of the outer space and within a predetermined angle as a group.

12. A content management method according to claim 7, wherein the outer space indicates a space for presenting the content stored in plural devices.

13. A computer program described in a readable format so as to perform a process for managing many contents accumulated in plural devices on a computer system, comprising:

a command inputting step of specifying a content search mode and a content search condition;

a screen format generating step of generating a screen format in a two- or three-dimensional display form likened to infinite outer space;

a content searching step of searching the plural devices with the content stored according to the specified search condition; and

a content presenting step of controlling so that information on each content retrieved in the content searching step is displayed and output by mapping respectively on a star on the outer space of the screen format.