Information processing apparatus and information processing method

• US 7,739,618 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kohno, Tetsuya, Sakata, Junichiro, Nakamura, Takatoshi, Iriya, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shih; Haoshian
• Application Number:
  US10/451,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20040107268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,776 Days
• Field of Search: 715/716, 715/792, 715/810, 369/24, 369/27, 369/30
• US Class Current: 715/792
• 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

An information processing apparatus having an input configured to receive a first operation and a second operation input by a user, a playback unit configured to obtain predetermined data and play back the data based on the operation input by the user from the input; and a display control unit configured to control, in correspondence with a virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data, a display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level, and for controlling a display of a predetermined mark in the display screen. The display control unit also controls the display of the predetermined mark corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by the playback unit in a manner different from other non-selected marks while the predetermined mark is being selected.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

input means for receiving a first operation and a second operation input by a user;

playback means for obtaining predetermined data to play the predetermined data back based on the operation input by the user from said input means;

display control means for controlling, in correspondence with a virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data, a display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level, and for controlling a display of a predetermined mark in the display screen,

sending means for sending a signal indicating a request to send predetermined data possessed by a different information processing apparatus based on the operation input by the user from said input means; and

receiving means for receiving a predetermined data sent from the different information processing apparatus, wherein

said playback means plays back the predetermined data received by said receiving means,

said display control means controls the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level in correspondence with the virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data possessed by the different information processing apparatus,

said display control means controls the display of the predetermined mark corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by said playback means in a manner different from other non-selected marks while the predetermined mark is being selected,

when the first operation is input from said input means, said display control means controls the selection of the predetermined mark to be changed, and said playback means plays back the predetermined data corresponding to the newly selected mark, a portion of said predetermined data that is initially played back is identified by ranking and not by the input means, and

when the second operation is input from said input means, said display control means controls the display of the display screen indicating a different hierarchy level based on the virtual hierarchical structure, wherein

said virtual hierarchical structure does not store predetermined data corresponding to the predetermined mark in a hierarchical structure, but does register the predetermined mark in multiple hierarchical levels.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined mark is an icon.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined mark is a thumbnail of an image corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by said playback means.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control means controls only the selected mark to be displayed and the other marks to be unseen.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control means controls the selected mark to be displayed in an enlarged size.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display control means controls the selected mark to be displayed with an increased level of brightness.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first operation is an operation for designating at least one of a top and a bottom directions in the display screen, or for designating at least one of a left and a right directions in the display screen.

8. An information processing method comprising:

an input control step of controlling an input of a first operation and a second operation by a user;

a playback step of obtaining predetermined data based on the input operation by the user, which is controlled by processing of said input control step; and

a display control step of controlling, in correspondence with a virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data, the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level, and of controlling the display of a predetermined mark in the display screen,

a sending step of sending a signal indicating a request to send predetermined data possessed by a different information processing apparatus based on the operation input by the user from said input control step; and

a receiving step of receiving a predetermined data sent from the different information processing apparatus, wherein

said playback step plays back the predetermined data received by said receiving step,

said display control step controls the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level in correspondence with the virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data possessed by the different information processing apparatus,

processing of said display control step controls the display of the predetermined mark corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by processing of said playback step in a manner different from other non-selected marks while the predetermined mark is being selected,

when the input of the first operation is controlled by processing of said input control step, processing of said display control step controls the display of the display screen so that the selection of the predetermined mark is changed, and processing of said playback step plays back the predetermined data corresponding to the newly selected mark, a portion of said predetermined data that is initially played back is identified by ranking and not by said input control step, and

when the input of the second operation is controlled by processing of said input control step, processing of said display control step controls the display of the display screen indicating a different hierarchy level based on the hierarchical structure, wherein

said virtual hierarchical structure does not store predetermined data corresponding to the predetermined mark in a hierarchical structure, but does register the predetermined mark in multiple hierarchical levels.

9. A computer readable tangible storage medium encoded with a computer program configured to cause an information processing apparatus to execute a method, the method comprising:

an input control step of controlling an input of a first operation and a second operation by a user;

a playback step of obtaining predetermined data based on the input operation by the user, which is controlled by processing of said input control step;

a display control step of controlling, in correspondence with a virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data, the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level, and of controlling the display of a predetermined mark in the display screen,

a sending step of sending a signal indicating a request to send predetermined data possessed by a different information processing apparatus based on the operation input by the user from said input control step; and

a receiving step of receiving a predetermined data sent from the different information processing apparatus, wherein

said playback step plays back the predetermined data received by said receiving step,

said display control step controls the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level in correspondence with the virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data possessed by the different information processing apparatus,

processing of said display control step controls the display of the predetermined mark corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by processing of said playback step in a manner different from other non selected marks while the predetermined mark is being selected,

when the input of the first operation is controlled by processing of said input control step, processing of said display control step controls the display of the display screen so that the selection of the predetermined mark is changed, and processing of said playback step plays back the predetermined data corresponding to the newly selected mark, a portion of said predetermined data that is initially played back is identified by ranking and not by said input control step, and

when the input of the second operation is controlled by processing of said input control step, processing of said display control step controls the display of the display screen indicating a different hierarchy level based on the hierarchical structure, wherein

said virtual hierarchical structure does not store predetermined data corresponding to the predetermined mark in a hierarchical structure, but does register the predetermined mark in multiple hierarchical levels.

10. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive a first operation and a second operation input by a user;

a playback unit configured to obtain predetermined data and play back said data based on the operation input by the user from said input;

a display control unit configured to control, in correspondence with a virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data, a display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level, and to control a display of a predetermined mark in the display screen,

a sending unit configured to send a signal indicating a request to send predetermined data possessed by a different information processing apparatus based on the operation input by the user from said input unit; and

a receiving unit configured to receive a predetermined data sent from the different information processing apparatus, wherein

said playback unit is configured to play back the predetermined data received by said receiving unit,

said display control unit is further configured to control the display of a display screen indicating each hierarchy level in correspondence with the virtual hierarchical structure for classifying the predetermined data possessed by the different information processing apparatus,

said display control unit is further configured to control the display of the predetermined mark corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by said playback unit in a manner different from other non-selected marks while the predetermined mark is being selected,

when the first operation is input from said input, said display control unit is further configured to control the selection of the predetermined mark to be changed, and said playback unit is configured to play back the predetermined data corresponding to the newly selected mark, a portion of said predetermined data that is initially played back is identified by ranking and not by said input, and

when the second operation is input from said input, said display control unit is further configured to control the display of the display screen indicating a different hierarchy level based on the virtual hierarchical structure, wherein

said virtual hierarchical structure does not store predetermined data corresponding to the predetermined mark in a hierarchical structure, but does register the predetermined mark in multiple hierarchical levels.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined mark is an icon.

12. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined mark is a thumbnail of an image corresponding to the predetermined data which is played back by said playback unit.

13. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display control unit is configured to control only the selected mark to be displayed and the other marks to be unseen.

14. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display control unit is further configured to control the selected mark to be displayed in an enlarged size.

15. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said display control unit is further configured to control the selected mark to be displayed with an increased level of brightness.

16. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first operation is an operation for designating one of a top and a bottom directions in the display screen, or for designating one of a left and a right directions in the display screen.