Method and apparatus for displaying image data acquired based on a string of characters

• US 8,078,654 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okuzawa, Nozomu
• Primary Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US11/340,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20060204940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,146 Days
• Field of Search: 434/307.A
• US Class Current: 707/916
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0045 Recording G11B7/006, G11B7/0065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/916 Audio

Abstract

An information reproducing apparatus and method thereof. The information reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit, communication unit, controller, and display unit. The storage unit stores music data and at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data. The reproducing unit reproduces the music data from the storage unit. The communication unit communicates with an image data storage unit, which stores a plurality of image data each corresponding to at least one second string of characters. The controller controls acquisition of one image data from the image data storage unit via the communication unit. The one image data is acquired based on a comparison between the at least one first string of characters and the plurality of the at least one second string of characters. Further, the display unit is configured to display the acquired image data when the reproducing unit is reproducing the music data.

Claims

1. An information reproducing apparatus, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store music data and at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data, the first string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre;

a reproducing unit configured to reproduce the music data from said storage unit;

a communication unit configured to communicate with an image data storage unit, said image data storage unit storing a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to at least one second string of characters, the second string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre;

a controller configured to determine whether image data associated with the music data is stored in the storage unit and, when the image data associated with the music data is not stored in the storage unit, control acquisition of one image data from said image data storage unit via said communication unit, the one image data being acquired based on a comparison between the at least one first string of characters and the plurality of the at least one second string of characters; and

a display unit configured to display the acquired image data when the reproducing unit is reproducing the music data.

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

said controller controls the display unit to display the acquired image data in response to a user request to reproduce the music data.

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

said display unit displays a predetermined image data when the at least one first string of characters does not match any of the plurality of the at least one second string of characters.

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

the one image data is acquired based on comparing the at least one first string of characters with the plurality of the at least one second string of characters in the order of a predetermined priority.

5. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller controls the acquisition of the one image data while the reproducing unit is reproducing the music data.

6. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller edits the first string of characters based on a user input.

7. The information reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said controller determines whether the image data associated with the music data is stored in the storage unit based on whether the image data is included in attribute information, including the at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data, stored in association with the music data.

8. An information reproducing method of an information reproducing apparatus, the method comprising:

storing music data and at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data to a storage unit, the first string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre;

determining whether image data associated with the music data is stored in the storage unit;

when the image data associated with the music data is determined not to be stored in the storage unit,

communicating with an image data storage unit, said image data storage unit storing a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to at least one second string of characters, the second string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre and

controlling, by the information reproducing apparatus, acquisition of one image data from said image data storage unit via a communication unit of the information reproducing apparatus, the one image data being acquired based on a comparison between the at least one first string of characters and the plurality of the at least one of second string of characters; and

displaying, by the information reproducing apparatus, the acquired image data when the music data from said storage unit is being reproduced.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program including instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of an information reproducing apparatus, the method comprising:

storing music data and at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data to a storage unit, the first string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre;

determining whether image data associated with the music data is stored in the storage unit;

when the image data associated with the music data is determined not to be stored in the storage unit,

communicating with an image data storage unit, said image data storage unit storing a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to at least one second string of characters, the second string of characters being a title, an artist name, or a genre and

controlling, by the information reproducing apparatus, acquisition of one image data from said image data storage unit via a communication unit of the information reproducing apparatus, the one image data being acquired based on a comparison between the at least one first string of characters and the plurality of the at least one of second string of characters; and

displaying, by the information reproducing apparatus, the acquired image data when the music data from said storage unit is being reproduced.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

controlling a display unit to display the acquired image data in response to a user request to reproduce the music data.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein

the displaying step comprises displaying a predetermined image data when the at least one first string of characters does not match any of the plurality of the at least one second string of characters.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein

the one image data is acquired based on comparing the at least one first string of characters with the plurality of the at least one second string of characters in the order of a predetermined priority.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein

the controlling step comprises controlling the acquisition of the one image data while a reproducing unit is reproducing the music data.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

editing the first string of characters based on a user input.