Contents reproducing device

• US 8,463,106 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2007
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ejima, Takayuki, Nishida, Yoichi, Miyazaki, Akihiro, Sato, Yasunori, Ohba, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Huy T
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US12/298,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20090220217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10685 input interface, i.e. the way data enter the buffer, e.g. by informing the sender that the buffer is busy
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10703 processing rate of the buffer, e.g. by accelerating the data output
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10731 wherein the buffer I/O can be temporarily suspended, e.g. by refusing to accept further data to be buffered
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1074 involving a specific threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10759 content data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10944 Real-time recording or reproducing, e.g. for ensuring seamless playback of AV data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/005 Reproducing G11B7/0065 takes precedence

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a contents reproducing device which can perform an intermittent operation with improved responsiveness to user request. The contents reproducing device according to the present invention includes: an input operation unit (1100), a system state managing unit (1210), a system information storing unit (1220), a contents reproduction control unit (A) (1230), a state after next candidate extracting unit (1240), a contents reproduction control determining unit (1250), and a contents reproducing unit (1300). The contents reproduction control determining unit (1250) determines whether or not a candidate related to the contents reproduction control is in the state after next candidates extracted by the state after next candidate extracting unit (1240). Therefore, the contents reproducing device according to the present invention can improve responsiveness to the user request by shortening the cycle of the intermittent operation of the contents reproducing unit (1300) when it is determined that there is a possibility that a user request related to the contents reproduction control is inputted, and by lengthening the cycle of the intermittent operation of the contents reproducing unit (1300) when it is determined that there is no possibility that a user request related to the contents reproduction control is inputted.

Claims

1. A contents reproducing device comprising:

a reproduction data generating unit operable to generate reproduction data to be reproduced as contents;

a reproduction data storing unit in which said reproduction data generated by said reproduction data generating unit is stored; and

a reproduction data processing unit operable to read said reproduction data from said reproduction data storing unit in real time, and to reproduce said reproduction data read from said reproduction data storing unit, wherein

said contents reproducing device further comprises;

a reproduction data generation control unit operable to control said reproduction data generating unit to have said reproduction data generating unit perform an intermittent operation having a cycle time and a cycle start time by generating said reproduction data at a rate faster than a rate at which said reproduction data is read from said reproduction data storing unit;

an input operation unit to be operated to have said contents reproducing device transit from one state to another state; and

a system state determining unit operable to determine whether or not a state of said contents reproducing device resulting from the transition by the operation of said input operation unit has a possibility that a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit would be changed,

said reproduction data generation control unit changes the cycle time or the cycle start time of said intermittent operation, when a state of said contents reproducing device has a possibility that a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit would be changed, before a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, while said reproduction data processing unit is reproducing said reproduction data.

2. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit reduces the cycle time of said intermittent operation when said system state determining unit determines that there is a possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, and

the reduced cycle time of said intermittent operation to be performed under the condition that said system state determining unit determines that there is a possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed is smaller than the cycle time of said intermittent operation to be performed under the condition that said system state determining unit determines that there is no possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed.

3. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit increases the cycle time of said intermittent operation when said system state determining unit determines that there is no possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, and

the increased cycle time of said intermittent operation to be performed under the condition that said system state determining unit determines that there is no possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed is larger than the cycle time of said intermittent operation to be performed under the condition that said system state determining unit determines that there is a possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed.

4. A contents reproducing device of according to claim 3, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit increases the cycle time of said intermittent operation when said system state determining unit does not determine, in a predetermined period of time, that there is a possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, after determining that there is no possibility that said reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed when said input operation unit is operated.

5. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit changes said cycle of said intermittent operation by adjusting the amount of reproduction data to be generated by said reproduction data generating unit over an active stage of said intermittent operation.

6. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit has a timer, and changes said cycle of said intermittent operation by adjusting a period of an active stage of said intermittent operation by using said timer.

7. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein

said reproduction data generation control unit changes said cycle of said intermittent operation by adjusting a threshold with which the amount of reproduction data in said reproduction data storing unit is limited.

8. A contents reproducing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clock/power source control unit operable to control a clock signal and/or a power source to be provided to said reproduction data processing unit when said reproduction data generating unit is in an inactive stage of said intermittent operation.

9. A contents reproducing device comprising:

a reproduction data generating unit operable to generate reproduction data to be reproduced as contents;

a reproduction data storing unit in which said reproduction data generated by said reproduction data generating unit is stored; and

a reproduction data processing unit operable to read said reproduction data from said reproduction data storing unit in real time, and to reproduce said reproduction data read from said reproduction data storing unit, wherein

said contents reproducing device further comprises;

a reproduction data generation control unit operable to control said reproduction data generating unit to have said reproduction data generating unit perform an intermittent operation having a cycle start time by generating said reproduction data at a rate faster than a rate at which said reproduction data is read from said reproduction data storing unit;

an input operation unit to be operated to have said contents reproducing device transit from one state to another state; and

a system state determining unit operable to determine whether or not a state of said contents reproducing device resulting from the transition by the operation of said input operation unit has a possibility that a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit would be changed,

said reproduction data generation control unit changes the cycle start time of said intermittent operation, when a state of said contents reproducing device has a possibility that a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit would be changed, before a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, while said reproduction data processing unit is reproducing said reproduction data.

10. A contents reproducing device comprising:

a reproduction data generating unit that generates reproduction data to be reproduced as contents;

a reproduction data storing unit in which said reproduction data generated by said reproduction data generating unit is stored; and

a reproduction data processing unit that reads said reproduction data from said reproduction data storing unit in real time, and to reproduce said reproduction data read from said reproduction data storing unit, wherein

said contents reproducing device further comprises;

a reproduction data generation control unit that controls said reproduction data generating unit to perform an intermittent operation having a cycle time and a cycle start time by generating said reproduction data at a rate faster than a rate at which said reproduction data is read from said reproduction data storing unit;

an input operation unit that receives a user operation, upon receiving the user operation, said contents reproducing device takes either a stable state in which changing a reproducing state of the reproduction data processing unit is not possible, or a predictive state in which changing a reproducing state of the reproduction data processing unit is possible; and

a system state determining unit that determines whether the contents reproducing device is in the stable state or in the predictive state,

said reproduction data generation control unit changes the cycle time or the cycle start time of said intermittent operation, when a state of said contents reproducing device is in the predictive state, before a reproducing state of said reproduction data processing unit is changed, while said reproduction data processing unit is reproducing said reproduction data.

11. A contents reproducing device according to claim 10, wherein

the cycle time of said intermittent operation in the stable state is longer than that of in the predictive state.

12. A contents reproducing device according to claim 10, wherein

the cycle time of said intermittent operation is changed after the stable state is maintained for a predetermined period of time.