INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20170315715A1
• Filed: 10/26/2015
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: FUJITA, Koji, ASAI, Satoshi, URIYA, Naohiro, TAKYU, Kenichiro, KAWATA, Minako, NAGATA, Hisanori, ONOHARA, Takashi, SOKABE, Ryo, YUASA, Naoki, HIGO, Takuma
• Granted Patent: US 10,809,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology includes a detection unit, an acceptance unit, and an image control unit. The detection unit is capable of detecting whether or not each of a plurality of reproduction apparatuses constitutes a group related to reproduction of content, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being connected to a network, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being capable of reproducing the content. The acceptance unit accepts a user operation related to constitution of the group. The image control unit outputs a group state image on the basis of a detection result by the detection unit, the group state image representing a constitution state of the group, the group state image including an image of each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses, and controls the group state image in response to the accepted user operation related to constitution of the group.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, comprising:

a detection unit that is capable of detecting whether or not each of a plurality of reproduction apparatuses constitutes a group related to reproduction of content, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being connected to a network, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being capable of reproducing the content;

an acceptance unit that accepts a user operation related to constitution of the group; and

an image control unit that outputs a group state image on the basis of a detection result by the detection unit, the group state image representing a constitution state of the group, the group state image including an image of each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses, and controls the group state image in response to the accepted user operation related to constitution of the group.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image control unit displays, when a reproduction apparatus constituting the group is detected, an image of the group including the reproduction apparatus in the group state image.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the group is a group that is capable of reproducing the same content at the same time.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a first operation of selecting an image of one of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses, and

the image control unit emphatically displays an image of a reproduction apparatus that is capable of constituting the group, in response to the first operation.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a second operation of causing an image of a non-constitution apparatus that is capable of constituting the group to move in the group state image while selecting the image of the non-constitution apparatus, the non-constitution apparatus being a reproduction apparatus that does not constitute the group, and

the image control unit displays, when a destination of the second operation is an image of the reproduction apparatus that is capable of constituting the group, an image of a group that is newly constituted of the selected non-constitution apparatus and the reproduction apparatus as the destination.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a second operation of causing an image of a non-constitution apparatus that is capable of constituting the group to move in the group state image while selecting the image of the non-constitution apparatus, the non-constitution apparatus being a reproduction apparatus that does not constitute the group, and

the image control unit displays, when a destination of the second operation is an image of a group that is already established, an image of a group that is newly constituted of the selected non-constitution apparatus and the reproduction apparatus included in the group as the destination.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a second operation of causing an image of a non-constitution apparatus that is capable of constituting the group to move in the group state image while selecting the image of the non-constitution apparatus, the non-constitution apparatus being a reproduction apparatus that does not constitute the group, and

the image control unit causes, when a destination of the second operation is a position where there is no image of another reproduction apparatus, an image of the selected non-constitution apparatus to move to the position.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a second operation, an image of a non-constitution apparatus that is capable of constituting the group being selected and moved in the group state image in the second operation, the non-constitution apparatus being a reproduction apparatus that does not constitute the group, and

the image control unit returns, when a destination of the second operation is an image of a reproduction apparatus that is not capable of constituting the group, an image of the selected non-constitution apparatus to its original position.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a third operation of causing an image of a group apparatus to move in the group state image while selecting the image of the group apparatus, the group apparatus being a reproduction apparatus that constitutes the group, and

the image control unit displays, when a destination of the third operation is a position that is away from an image of the group including the selected group apparatus, an image where the group apparatus is withdrawn from the group.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the image control unit identifiably displays one of a plurality of group apparatuses included in the group as a master apparatus, and displays, when an image of the master apparatus is selected and moved to the position that is away from the image of the group by the third operation, an image where the group is dissolved.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the acceptance unit accepts a fourth operation of selecting an image of the group, and

the image control unit outputs a reproduction information image including information related to reproduction of the content by a plurality of group apparatuses included in the group, in response to the fourth operation.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the reproduction information image includes information on content that the plurality of group apparatuses are capable of reproducing at the same time.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image control unit displays meta-information related to content that is being reproduced by the plurality of group apparatuses in the group state image.

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

the acceptance unit is a touch panel, and

the group state image is displayed on the touch panel.

15. An information processing method, comprising:

detecting whether or not each of a plurality of reproduction apparatuses constitutes a group related to reproduction of content, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being connected to a network, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being capable of reproducing the content;

accepting a user operation related to constitution of the group; and

outputting a group state image on the basis of a detection result by the detection unit, the group state image representing a constitution state of the group, the group state image including an image of each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses, and controlling the group state image in response to the accepted user operation related to constitution of the group.

16. A program that causes a computer to execute the steps of:

detecting whether or not each of a plurality of reproduction apparatuses constitutes a group related to reproduction of content, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being connected to a network, each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses being capable of reproducing the content;

accepting a user operation related to constitution of the group; and

outputting a group state image on the basis of a detection result by the detection unit, the group state image representing a constitution state of the group, the group state image including an image of each of the plurality of reproduction apparatuses, and controlling the group state image in response to the accepted user operation related to constitution of the group.