Reproducing apparatus, reproducing method, and reproducing program

• US 8,335,578 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ijichi, Susumu, Araki, Satoshi, Mukaiyama, Ryo, Kimura, Takaomi
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US11/776,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

The present invention provides a reproducing apparatus for reproducing a plurality of pieces of content data stored in a content data storage unit according to a play list defining reproduction order of the content data. The apparatus includes a play list storage unit, a request information generating unit, and a play list reconstructing unit. The play list storage unit stores the play list having a play list generating rule and identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule. The request information generating unit generates reconstruction requesting information for requesting reconstruction of the play list. The play list reconstructing unit reconstructs at least a part of the play list stored in the play list storage unit into a play list having the play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information generated by the request information generating unit.

Claims

1. A reproducing apparatus for reproducing a plurality of pieces of content data stored in a content data storage unit according to a play list defining reproduction order of the content data, the reproducing apparatus comprising:

a play list storage unit configured to store the play list including a play list generating rule and identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule;

a request information generating unit configured to generate reconstruction requesting information for requesting reconstruction of the play list;

a play list reconstructing unit configured to update the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit by applying the play list generating rule to the content data in response to the reconstruction requesting information generated by the request information generating unit;

a communicating unit configured to communicate with an external apparatus;

a list use history obtaining unit configured to obtain a list use history of use of the play list in reproducing the content data; and

a list attribute updating unit configured to update list attribute information of the play list according to the list use history, wherein

the request information generating unit generates the reconstruction requesting information when receiving a request to reconstruct the play list from the external apparatus via the communicating unit,

the play list reconstructing unit updates the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit based on the play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information, and

upon user instruction, the play list reconstructing unit updates the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit based on the play list generating rule and the list attribute information updated by the list attribute updating unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

2. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a clocking unit,

wherein the request information generating unit generates the reconstruction requesting information when a change from a first season to a second season is detected on a basis of clocking by the clocking unit, and

the play list reconstructing unit updates the play list having a play list generating rule related to the first season, the play list being stored in the play list storage unit, based on a play list generating rule related to the second season in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

3. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operating unit,

wherein the request information generating unit generates the reconstruction requesting information when detecting an operation of the operating unit, and

the play list reconstructing unit updates the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit based on a play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

4. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a data reproduction history obtaining unit configured to obtain a data reproduction history of a unit of the content data of the plurality of pieces of content data; and

a data attribute weighting unit configured to weight data attribute information of the content data according to the data reproduction history;

wherein the play list reconstructing unit updates the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit based on the play list generating rule and the data attribute information weighted by the data attribute weighting unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

5. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data reproduction history obtaining unit configured to obtain a data reproduction history of a unit of the content data of the plurality of pieces of the content data; and

a data attribute weighting unit configured to weight data attribute information of the content data according to the data reproduction history;

wherein the play list reconstructing unit updates the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit based on the play list generating rule and the data attribute information weighted by the data attribute weighting unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

6. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communicating unit receives the play list having the play list generating rule and the identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule from the external apparatus, and

when the play list received by the communicating unit has a play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition, the play list reconstructing unit stores the received play list in the play list storage unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

7. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the communicating unit receives a content list having the data attribute information of the content data and the identifying information of the content data from the external apparatus, and

in response to the reconstruction requesting information, using the content list received by the communicating unit, the play list reconstructing unit detects the identifying information of the content data having the data attribute information matching the play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition, and stores the play list including the detected identifying information in the play list storage unit.

8. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the play list reconstructing unit further stores the updated play list having the play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition in the play list storage unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

9. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the play list reconstructing unit updates the play list generating rules of the play lists stored in the play list storage unit according to the apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

10. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the request information generating unit generates the reconstruction requesting information when detecting that an apparatus use place has changed from a first apparatus use place to a second apparatus use place, and

the play list reconstructing unit updates the play list having a play list generating rule related to the first apparatus use place, the play list being stored in the play list storage unit, based on a play list generating rule related to the second apparatus use place in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

11. The reproducing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the request information generating unit detects the apparatus use condition each time one piece of the content data is reproduced according to the play list having the play list generating rule related to a first apparatus use condition, and generates the reconstruction requesting information when detecting that the apparatus use condition has changed from the first apparatus use condition to a second apparatus use condition, and

the play list reconstructing unit updates the play list having a play list generating rule related to the first apparatus use condition based on a play list generating rule related to the second apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

12. A reproducing method comprising:

generating reconstruction requesting information for requesting reconstruction of a play list defining reproduction order of a plurality of pieces of content data, the play list including a play list generating rule and identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule; and

updating the identifying information by applying the play list generating rule to the content data in response to the reconstruction requesting information;

obtaining a list use history of use of the play list in reproducing the content data; and

updating list attribute information of the play list according to the list use history, wherein

in the generating, the reconstruction requesting information is generated when a request to reconstruct the play list from an external apparatus is received, and

in the updating, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in a play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information, and

in the updating, upon user instruction, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule and the updated list attribute information in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

13. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the generating, the reconstruction requesting information is generated when a change from a first season to a second season is detected on a basis of clocking by a clocking unit, and

in the updating, the play list having the play list generating rule related to the first season is updated, the play list being stored in a play list storage unit, based on a play list generating rule related to the second season in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

14. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the generating, the reconstruction requesting information is generated when an operation of an operating unit is detected, and

in the updating, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in a play list storage unit is updated based on a play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

15. The reproducing method according to claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining a data reproduction history of a unit of the content data of the plurality of pieces of the content data; and

weighting data attribute information of the content data according to the data reproduction history;

wherein in the updating, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule and the weighted data attribute information in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

16. The reproducing method according to claim 12, further comprising:

obtaining a data reproduction history of a unit of the content data of the plurality of pieces of the content data; and

weighting data attribute information of the content data according to the data reproduction history;

wherein in the updating, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule and the weighted data attribute information in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

17. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein the play list having the play list generating rule and the identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule is received from the external apparatus, and

when the received play list has a play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition, the updating includes storing the received play list in the play list storage unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

18. The reproducing method according to claim 16,

wherein a content list having the data attribute information of the content data and the identifying information of the content data is received from the external apparatus, and

in response to the reconstruction requesting information, using the received content list, the updating includes detecting the identifying information of the content data having the data attribute information matching the play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition, and storing the play list including the detected identifying information in the play list storage unit.

19. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the updating, the play list having the play list generating rule corresponding to the apparatus use condition is stored in a play list storage unit in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

20. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the updating, the play list generating rules included in a plurality of the play lists stored in a play list storage unit are updated according to the apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

21. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the generating, the reconstruction requesting information is generated when an apparatus use place has changed from a first apparatus use place to a second apparatus use place, and

in the updating, the play list having the play list generating rule related to the first apparatus use place, the play list being stored in a play list storage unit, is updated based on a play list generating rule related to the second apparatus use place in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

22. The reproducing method according to claim 12,

wherein in the generating, the apparatus use condition is detected each time one piece of the content data is reproduced according to the play list having the play list generating rule related to a first apparatus use condition, and the reconstruction requesting information is generated when the apparatus use condition has changed from the first apparatus use condition to a second apparatus use condition, and

in the updating, the play list having the play list generating rule related to the first apparatus use condition is updated based on a play list generating rule related to the second apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

generating reconstruction requesting information for requesting reconstruction of a play list defining reproduction order of a plurality of pieces of content data, the play list including a play list generating rule and identifying information for identifying the content data matching the play list generating rule; and

updating the identifying information by applying the play list generating rule to the content data in response to the reconstruction requesting information;

obtaining a list use history of use of the play list in reproducing the content data; and

updating list attribute information of the play list according to the list use history, wherein

in the generating, the reconstruction requesting information is generated when a request to reconstruct the play list from an external apparatus is received, and

in the updating, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in a play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule corresponding to an apparatus use condition in response to the reconstruction requesting information, and

in the updating, upon user instruction, the identifying information included in the play list and stored in the play list storage unit is updated based on the play list generating rule and the updated list attribute information in response to the reconstruction requesting information.