Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and information processing program

• US 20080209325A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takaoka, Ryo, Arishima, Yoshiaki, Narahara, Tatsuya, Fujiwara, Nobuyuki, Suito, Taro, Murayama, Takashi, Yanase, Kazuhiro, Karimoto, Takashi, Yorikane, Yasuaki, Sugiuchi, Rui, Isono, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,826,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/025 'Virtual' control panels, e.g. Graphical User Interface [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/462 Content or additional data management, e.g. creating a master electronic program guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end, controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a content-list creating unit for selecting, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list; a content-list selecting unit for selecting out of plural content lists created by the content-list creating unit, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and a display control unit for causing a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected by the content-list selecting unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a content-list creating unit that selects, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list;

a content-list selecting unit that selects out of plural content lists created by the content-list creating unit, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and

a display control unit that causes a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected by the content-list selecting unit.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content-list creating unit creates the content list on the basis of a subject selected out of plural subjects set in advance.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content-list creating unit selects, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of contents added after a date and time when the content list is displayed on the display unit last time among the recorded program contents, the information contents concerning receivable program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, and the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content-list selecting unit adjusts priorities of the content lists on the basis of at least one of the contents of the content lists and the situation during user operation and selects, on the basis of the priorities after the adjustment, plural content lists to be displayed.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the content-list selecting unit selects a pattern of a layout in causing the display unit to display the plural content list out of plural patterns and selects plural content lists displayed in a layout corresponding to the selected pattern, and

the display control unit causes the display unit to display the plural content lists selected by the content-list selecting unit in the layout corresponding to the pattern selected by the content-list selecting unit.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display the plural content lists immediately after startup of the information processing apparatus or when a specific command is inputted.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select a keyword corresponding to a present date and time out of keywords registered in association with specific date and times and selecting contents having information including the selected keyword.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents that are not viewed and have high user preference out of the recorded program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, and the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents to be automatically deleted out of the recorded program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, or the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents not reproduced at a predetermined percentage or more or for a predetermined time or more out of the recorded program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, or the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents with large numbers of times of reproduction and late reproduction date and times out of the recorded program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, or the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents in which arbitrary reproduction positions are set by a user out of the recorded program contents, the contents acquired from the outside, or the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents out of the recorded program contents and the contents acquired from the outside that are recorded a predetermined period before a present date and time and selected small numbers of times.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the subjects is defined to create, when content recorded a predetermined period before a present date and time is present in the recorded program contents or the contents acquired from the outside, an image indicating that the content recorded the predetermined period before the present date and time is present, and

the content-list creating unit creates the image on the basis of the subject instead of the content list.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the subject is defined to create an image indicating the content recorded the predetermined period before the present date and time is present and showing a message for urging a user to perform predetermined operation for the content.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the subjects is defined to create, when program contents continuing as identical series are present in the recorded program contents and program content, series of which can be discriminated as having ended from program information, is present in the program contents, an image indicating that the program content, series of which have been ended, is present, and

the content-list creating unit creates the image on the basis of the subject instead of the content list.

17. An information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the subject is defined to create an image indicating that the program content, series of which have been ended, is present and showing a message for urging a user to perform predetermined operation for the content.

18. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select contents related to at least one of information representing a taste of a user and information set by the user out of the contents acquired from the outside and the contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance.

19. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information contents concerning the receivable program contents are formed by data for a predetermined number of days and include program information for each of program contents receivable in each day.

20. An information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein one of the subjects is defined to select keywords often appearing concentratedly on one day as contents out of the data for the predetermined number of days delivered as the information contents at a time.

21. An information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

one of the subjects is defined to select keywords often appearing concentratedly on one day out of the data for the predetermined number of days delivered as the information contents at a time, extract sentences including the selected keywords out of data on a certain day, and select sentences most plainly representing contents of sentences extracted from the extracted sentence as contents, and

the content-list creating unit selects, on the basis of a number of keywords forming the sentences and a number of sentences in which the keywords are included, the sentences most plainly representing the contents of the extracted sentences out of the extracted sentences to thereby create a content list.

22. An information processing apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

one of the subjects is defied to select program information that belongs to a predetermined genre and has a high user preference as contents out of the program information included in the data for the predetermined number of days delivered as the information contents at a time, and

the content-list creating unit extracts keywords same as keywords representing characteristics of program contents registered in advance out of respective pieces of program information belonging to a predetermined genre included in the data for the predetermined number of days delivered as the information contents at a time, gives the extracted keywords to the program information, from which the keywords are extracted, as the characteristics of the program contents, and selects program information that belongs to the predetermined genre and has high user preference out of the program information to thereby create a content list.

23. An information processing apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a storing unit that stores information contents delivered in past several days among information contents delivered at least once in one day, wherein

one of the subjects is defined to program information that has a large number of keywords forming the program information and small similarity with program information selected last time out of the information contents delivered in the past several days, and

the content-list creating unit selects, on the basis of the subject, program information that has a large number of keywords forming the program information and small similarity with program information selected last time out of the information contents delivered in the past several days stored in the storing unit to thereby create a content list.

24. An information processing method, comprising the steps of:

selecting, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in an information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list;

selecting out of plural content lists created in the content-list creating step, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and

causing a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected in the content-list selecting step.

25. An information processing program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute the steps of:

selecting, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list;

selecting out of plural content lists created in the content-list creating step, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and

causing a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected in the content-list selecting step.