Method for reproducing audio documents with the aid of an interface comprising document groups and associated reproducing device

• US 20060200769A1
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Vigoroux, Jean-Ronan, Grasland, Izabela, Henry, Jean-Baptiste, Chevallier, Louis
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/022 Control panels
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of reproduction by a reproduction apparatus for reproducing audio documents forming part of a set of documents. The method comprises a prior step of partitioning of the documents of the set into groups of documents whose audio parameters exhibit a similitude, making it possible to determine at least one document representing each group by taking into account its audio parameters. Then, an identifier of a document representing the group is reproduced graphically and/or in a sound manner. In this way, the user can take note of the type of music involved and can select this group by virtue of the graphical identifier. He can activate a command making it possible to go from one group to another, he can also select a group and reproduce the documents of this group. The invention also relates to a reproduction apparatus furnished with a user interface allowing reproduction.

Claims

1. Method of reproduction within an audio documents reproduction apparatus wherein it comprises the following steps:

partitioning of the documents into groups of documents possessing at least one similar audio characteristic,

determination of at least one audio document representing each group,

positioning of a plurality of audio documents in a space, the positioning of an audio document being dependent on at least one characteristic of the document, the user occupying a position in the said space,

reproduction of at least one identifier of a document representing a group, the reproduced identifier or identifiers having a position situated at a distance less than a determined distance with respect to the position of the user in the space.

2. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein it comprises a step of introducing commands for navigating group wise, each command activating the reproduction of at least one identifier representing the graphically emphasized group.

3. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein it comprises a step of introducing a command activating the reproduction of audio documents within the group whose identifier is reproduced, the reproduction of audio documents being performed in a predetermined order.

4. Method of reproduction according to claim 1, wherein the step of determination comprises a step of representation of the documents in a space whose number of dimensions is equal to the number of audio parameters, and whose documents are associated with points disposed within this space, the determination of a document of the group as representative of this group depending on the distance between the the points associated with the documents of the group and the point associated with this document.

5. Method of reproduction according to claim 4;

wherein the step of representation comprises a step of projection onto a space of determined dimension of the points associated with the documents of the set and possessing as coordinates the audio parameters, the calculation of distance between the equibarycentre of the group and the point associated with this document being performed in the projection space.

6. Method of reproduction according to claim 4;

wherein the documents representing a group are associated with points whose distances from the equibarycentre of the points of the documents of the group lie in a determined interval.

7. Method of reproduction according to claim 4;

wherein the predetermined order of reproduction of the documents of a group consists in commencing with that whose point is the closest to the barycentre, and thereafter in taking those situated further and further away.

8. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein a representative document of a group possesses low-level parameters whose values are close to the average of the values of the documents of the group.

9. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein if several documents are representatives of a group, the reproduction of each of the documents is performed sequentially during a determined period.

10. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein it comprises a step of reception by the reproduction apparatus of the values of the audio parameters, these values participating in the step of partitioning and in the step of determination of the documents representing the groups.

11. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein the reproduced identifier is of sound nature.

12. Method of reproduction according to claim 1;

wherein the reproduced identifier is of graphical nature.

13. Audio documents reproduction apparatus comprising a means of command introduction wherein it comprises furthermore

a means of calculation for partitioning documents into groups of documents possessing at least one similar audio characteristic,

a means of determination of at least one document representing each group,

a means of calculation of positioning data associated with each document in a space, the data being determined by at least one characteristic specific to the document, a positioning datum also being assigned to the position of the user within the space,

a means of selection of at least one document representing a group, the selected document or documents having a position situated at a distance less than a determined distance with respect to the position of the user in the space,

a means of reproduction of at least one identifier of at least one document representing a group.

14. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein it furthermore comprises a groupwise navigation commands introduction means, each command activating the reproduction of at least one identifier representing the graphically emphasized group.

15. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein it comprises a means of introduction of a command activating the means of reproduction of audio documents within the group whose identifier is reproduced, the reproduction of audio documents being performed in a predetermined order.

16. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according claim 13;

wherein it comprises a means of representation of the documents in a space whose number of dimensions is equal to the number of audio parameters, and whose documents are associated with points disposed within this space, the means of determination of at least one document representing a group takes into account the distance between the equibarycentre of the points associated with the documents of the group and the point associated with this document.

17. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 16;

wherein the means of determination of at least one document representing a group chooses those/that whose point is closest to the equibarycentre of the points of the documents of the group.

18. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 15;

wherein the means of reproduction reproduces the documents commencing with that whose point is closest to the barycentre of the points associated with the documents of the group, and thereafter those situated further and further away from the barycentre.

19. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein the means of determination of at least one document representing a group chooses those/that whose values of the audio characteristics are close to the average of the values of the documents of the group.

20. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein if the means of determination has chosen several documents representing a group, the means of reproduction sequentially reproduces each identifier of the documents chosen during a determined period.

21. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein the means of reproduction reproduces at least one sound identifier.

22. Audio documents reproduction apparatus according to claim 13;

wherein the means of reproduction reproduces at least one graphical identifier.