MULTIMEDIA REPRODUCING DEVICE AND BACKGROUND IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD

• US 20100313166A1
• Filed: 04/23/2007
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujii, Takahiro, Nakayama, Ryuji
• Application Number:
  US12/299,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A menu screen generating unit generates image data for a menu screen (50) that contains a list of playing items of the digital contents. A playing screen generation unit processes the playing of the digital contents and generates image data of a playing screen that contains information on its playing content. A background generating unit generates a background area (160) including a decorative object (162) that floats in the three-dimensional space, as a background of the menu screen and the playing screen, and displaying the background area. When an instruction to play the contents is received from a user and when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the background generating unit varies the background area (160) by using an image with which a visual effect is obtained as if the user were moving toward the back of three-dimensional space from a user'"'"'s point of view.

Claims

1. A multimedia player capable of playing digital contents, comprising:

a menu screen generating unit which generates image data for a menu screen that contains a list of playing items of the digital contents;

a playing screen generation unit which processes the playing of the digital contents and generates image data of a playing screen that contains information on a playing content thereof;

a background generating unit which generates a background image for the menu screen and the playing screen and displays the background image; and

an operation unit which acquires an instruction as to content playing via a user'"'"'s operation of a user,

wherein when the instruction, as to the playing, from a user is acquired by the operation unit and when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the background generating unit varies the background image by using an image with which a visual effect is obtained as if the user were moving toward a back of three-dimensional space from a user'"'"'s point of view.

2. A multimedia player according to claim 1, wherein when any of icons contained in the menu screen is selected in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction acquired by the operation unit, icons other than the selected icon are varies in a manner such that a visual effect is obtained as if the user were moving toward a back of three-dimensional space from a user'"'"'s point of view.

3. A multimedia player capable of playing digital contents, comprising:

a menu screen generating unit which generates image data for a menu screen that contains a list of playing items of the digital contents;

a playing screen generation unit which processes the playing of the digital contents and generates image data of a playing screen that contains information on a playing content thereof;

a background generating unit which generates a background image including a decorative object that floats in a three-dimensional space, and displays the background image; and

an operation unit which acquires an instruction as to content playing via a user'"'"'s operation,

wherein when the instruction, as to the playing, from a user is acquired by the operation unit, the background generating unit varies the decorative object during the playing of the digital contents, in accordance with an output feature value of the contents thereof or the user'"'"'s operation.

4. A multimedia player according to claim 3, wherein when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the background generating unit directly uses the decorative object displayed on the menu screen for the playing screen.

5. A multimedia player according to claim 3, wherein when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the background generating unit changes the color tone of the background image.

6. A multimedia player according to claim 3, wherein the background generating unit extracts a color tone of an icon indicative of a playing item of the digital contents displayed on the menu screen and adjusts the color tone of the background image so that the color tone of the background image becomes similar to the extracted color tone thereof.

7. A method for displaying a background image, comprising:

generating image data for a menu screen that contains a list of playing items of digital contents;

generating image data of a playing screen that contains information on a playing content as the digital contents are played; and

generating a background image including a decorative object that floats in a three-dimensional space, as a background of the menu screen and the playing screen, and displaying the background image,

wherein when an instruction to play the contents is received from a user and when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the displaying varies the background image by using an image with which a visual effect is obtained as if the user were moving toward a back of three-dimensional space from a user'"'"'s point of view.

8. A computer program product executed by a computer to display an image on a display, comprising:

a generating module which generates image data for a menu screen that contains a list of playing items of digital contents;

a generating module which generates image data of a playing screen that contains information on a playing content as the digital contents are played; and

a displaying module which generates a background image including a decorative object that floats in a three-dimensional space, as a background of the menu screen and the playing screen, and displays the background image,

wherein when an instruction to play the contents is received from a user and when the menu screen shifts to the playing screen, the displaying module varies the background image by using an image with which a visual effect is obtained as if the user were moving toward a back of three-dimensional space from a user'"'"'s point of view.

9. A computer-readable recording medium having the computer program product according to claim 8 stored thereon.