Playback apparatus and method

• US 20060174291A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takai, Motoyuki, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Sakai, Yuichi, Sasaki, Toru, Yamashita, Kosei
• Application Number:
  US11/336,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174291A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/93 Regeneration of the television signal or of selected parts thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a playback apparatus including a receiving unit for receiving entered instruction information for content to be played back; a storage unit for storing the instruction information received through the receiving unit; and a processing unit for reflecting a process corresponding to the instruction information stored in the storage unit on the content at predetermined timing depending on the playback state of the content.

Claims

1. A playback apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving entered instruction information for content to be played back;

storage means for storing the instruction information received through the receiving means; and

processing means for reflecting a process corresponding to the instruction information stored in the storage means on the content at predetermined timing depending on a playback state of the content.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

updating means for performing at least one of addition, change, replacement, and deletion of the instruction information stored in the storage means in response to new instruction information when the new instruction information is received through the receiving means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means includes at least one of an information input device, a body sensor, and an environmental sensor, the information input device including a keyboard and/or a pointing device, the body sensor detecting body motion of a user and a change in body information, the environmental sensor detecting a change in environment including temperature, weather, direction, geography, lightness, environmental sound, and/or time information.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing means performs as the process at least one of a content control process of controlling effects, tempo, chord progression, sound volume, or picture quality, a changing process of changing a processing path for content data constituting content, and a content playback-position shifting process involving fast-forward, fast-rewind, or skip.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the receiving means includes the body sensor, the receiving means includes as the body sensor at least one of an acceleration sensor, a shock sensor, a global positioning system, a direction sensor, a bending sensor, a pressure sensor, a video signal analyzer, a pyroelectric sensor, an infrared radiation sensor, and a charge potential sensor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the content to be played back is associated with timing information to designate the predetermined timing, and

the processing means specifies timing to reflect a process corresponding to the instruction information on the content based on the timing information associated with the content.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining means for externally obtaining timing information to designate timing to reflect a process corresponding to the instruction information on the content, wherein

the processing means specifies timing to reflect a process corresponding to the instruction information on the content based on the timing information obtained through the obtaining means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating means for generating timing information to designate the predetermined timing from the content to be played back, wherein

the processing means specifies timing to reflect a process corresponding to the instruction information on the content based on the timing information generated by the generating means.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

change receiving means for receiving change information related to the timing information; and

changing means for adding, changing, or deleting the timing information based on the change information received through the change receiving means.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content includes a piece of music, a video, a change in light, and physical motion of an object including a robot.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the content is a piece of music, the timing information presents division information specifying a bar or bars of the piece of music and musically distinctive change points including a start of a refrain, an end thereof, a start of singing, and an end thereof.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when the content is a video, the timing information presents distinctive change points including scene change points, cut change points, and chapter change points.

13. A playback method comprising the steps of:

receiving entered instruction information for content to be played back;

storing the received instruction information; and

reflecting a process corresponding to the stored instruction information on the content at predetermined timing depending on a playback state of the content.

14. A playback apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit for receiving entered instruction information for content to be played back;

a storage unit for storing the instruction information received through the receiving unit; and

a processing unit for reflecting a process corresponding to the instruction information stored in the storage unit on the content at predetermined timing depending on a playback state of the content.