CONTENTS DISPLAY DEVICE AND CONTENTS DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20090300004A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: TOKASHIKI, Mamoru, NAGASAKA, Hideo, NOBORI, Fujio
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,777 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 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Based on a content attribute serving as a coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed from an operation input unit, and the content identifier of a content of interest, a metadata storage unit is searched to select one or multiple other contents relating to the content of interest. The strength of relationship between each of the selected other contents and the content of interest is calculated based on the content attribute set as a coordinate axis, and information indicating correlation. The layout relations of other contents with the content of interest as the origin are calculated based on the content attribute serving as a coordinate axis, and the calculated strength of relationship. The display image of each of the other contents is disposed in accordance with the calculated layout relations.

Claims

1. A contents display device comprising:

a metadata storage unit configured to store metadata including at least data for generating a display image of each content, attribute data of each content, and data indicating the correlation with other contents for each content in a manner correlated with a content identifier;

operation input means configured to perform setting input of a content attribute serving as a coordinate axis at a time of displaying the display images of said contents on a display screen;

contents selecting means configured to search the metadata of said metadata storage unit based on the content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed from said operation input means, and the content identifier of a predetermined content of interest to select one or plurality of other contents relating to said content of interest;

relation calculating means configured to calculate a strength of relationship between each of said other contents selected by said contents selecting means and said content of interest based on at least the content attribute set as said coordinate axis, and information indicating said correlation;

layout relation calculating means configured to calculate a layout relations of said other contents with said content of interest as an origin based on said content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed, and said calculated strength of relationship between each of said other contents and said content of interest; and

display control means configured to obtain said other contents selected by said contents selecting means, and the display image data of said content of interest based on the stored metadata of said metadata storage unit, dispose the obtained display image of said content of interest on said origin, and dispose each of the display images of said other contents in accordance with said calculated layout relations.

2. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of said coordinate axes of which the setting input is performed through said operation input means;

and wherein said layout relation calculating means calculate said layout relations when said coordinate axes are adjacent so as to dispose the display images of other contents relating to said content of interest regarding two content attributes of said adjacent two coordinate axes on a region surrounded with said adjacent coordinate axes with the distance according to the strength of relationship of said other contents as to said content of interest.

3. The contents display device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said metadata storage unit includes information indicating selection criteria of said contents as said metadata;

and wherein said contents selecting means restrict a number of said other contents to be selected based on said selection criteria.

4. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said metadata storage unit includes predetermined user preference information as said metadata;

and wherein said relation calculating means obtain the strength of relationship between said content of interest and each of said other contents while taking said user preference information into consideration;

and wherein said layout relation calculating means determine a distance between the display image of said content of interest and the display images of said other contents based on said strength of relationship.

5. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said user preference information is preference information of a user observing said display screen.

6. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said user preference information is the preference information of a user other than a user observing said display screen.

7. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said metadata storage unit includes an access history regarding each content of a plurality of users as said metadata;

and wherein said display control means reflect the access histories of said users on the display images of said other contents to be displayed on said display screen.

8. The contents display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

instruction input means configured to perform instruction input for enlarging or reducing of said distance;

wherein said display control means display the display images of said content of interest and said other contents of said display screen with said enlarged or reduced distance of which the instruction input is performed through said instruction input means.

9. The contents display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

instruction input means configured to instruct and input the direction for moving the display image of said display screen in parallel;

wherein said display control means move the display images of the content of interest and other contents of said display screen in parallel in a direction instructed and input through said instruction input means to display said display images.

10. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said other contents include an advertising content.

11. The contents display device according to claim 1, wherein said metadata includes data regarding advertising information relevant to a content;

and wherein said advertising information is displayed in association with the display images of the content of interest and other contents of said display screen.

12. The contents display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting means configured to accept a change instruction of said content of interest;

wherein when receiving the change instruction of said content of interest, a content of interest after change, and other contents relevant thereto are obtained by said contents selecting means;

and wherein the layout relations regarding said content of interest after change and said new other contents are obtained by said relation calculating means, said layout relation calculating means, and said display control means;

and wherein the display images of said content of interest after change and said new other contents are displayed on the display screen by said display control means.

13. The contents display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

accepting means configured to accept modification input of said content attribute serving as said coordinate axis through said operation input means;

wherein when receiving modification input of said content attribute serving as said coordinate axis, new other contents relevant to said content of interest are obtained by said contents selecting means based on said content attribute after modification, and the content identifier of said predetermined content of interest;

and wherein the layout relations of said other contents are calculated with said content of interest as the origin by said layout relation calculating means based on said content attribute serving as a coordinate axis after modification, and said calculated strength of relationship between each of said other contents and said content of interest;

and wherein the display images of said content of interest and said new other contents regarding said coordinate axis after modification are displayed on the display screen by said display control means.

14. A contents display method comprising the steps of:

storing metadata including at least data for generating a display image of each content, attribute data of each content, and data indicating a correlation with other contents for each content to a metadata storage unit in a manner correlated with a content identifier;

accepting setting input of a content attribute serving as a coordinate axis for displaying the display images of said contents through an operation input unit;

searching the metadata of said metadata storage unit based on the content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed in said accepting, and the content identifier of a predetermined content of interest to select one or plurality of other contents relating to said content of interest;

first calculating of a strength of relationship between each of said other contents selected in said searching and said content of interest based on at least the content attribute set as said coordinate axis, and information indicating said correlation;

second calculating of layout relations of said other contents with said content of interest as an origin based on said content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed, and said calculated strength of relationship between each of said other contents and said content of interest; and

obtaining said other contents selected in said searching, and the display image data of said content of interest based on the stored data of said metadata storage unit, dispose the obtained display image of said content of interest on said origin, and dispose each of the display images of said other contents in accordance with said calculated layout relations.

15. A contents display device comprising:

a metadata storage unit configured to store metadata including at least data for generating a display image of each content, attribute data of each content, and data indicating a correlation with other contents for each content in a manner correlated with a content identifier;

an operation input unit configured to perform setting input of a content attribute serving as a coordinate axis at a time of displaying the display images of said contents on a display screen;

a contents selecting unit configured to search the metadata of said metadata storage unit based on the content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed from said operation input unit, and the content identifier of a predetermined content of interest to select one or plurality of other contents relating to said content of interest;

a relation calculating unit configured to calculate a strength of relationship between each of said other contents selected by said contents selecting unit and said content of interest based on at least the content attribute set as said coordinate axis, and information indicating said correlation;

a layout relation calculating unit configured to calculate layout relations of said other contents with said content of interest as an origin based on said content attribute serving as said coordinate axis of which the setting input is performed, and said calculated strength of relationship between each of said other contents and said content of interest; and

a display control unit configured to obtain said other contents selected by said contents selecting unit, and the display image data of said content of interest based on the stored metadata of said metadata storage unit, dispose the obtained display image of said content of interest on said origin, and dispose each of the display images of said other contents in accordance with said calculated layout relations.