Playback apparatus, playback method, and recording medium

• US 8,818,538 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sakata, Junichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders, Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US11/585,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,863 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 715/716, 715/727, 715/500.1, 369/30.08
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0041 in coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

Audio data are played back by a personal computer a relationship with a playback process recognized easily. Displays showing the contents of play lists are arranged and displayed so that the contents become continuous in sequence in a playback sequence from content that is currently being played back from a display of an operation element that causes an image of a playback process to appear or from a display showing the content which is currently being played back. When the playback of one piece of content of one play list from among a plurality of play lists is terminated and one piece of content of an other play list is played back, at least the content that is currently being played back and content to be subsequently played back are displayed so that the contents can be distinguished.

Claims

1. A method of reproducing multimedia items, comprising:

combining multimedia items from each of two or more play lists such that the multimedia items of the play lists are successively reproduced according to a predetermined order in a single combined play list;

displaying information associated with a first multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a first display area and information associated with a second multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a second display area different from the first display area while the first multimedia item is being reproduced; and

automatically, upon determining that reproduction of the first multimedia item is completed, changing reproduction from the first multimedia item to the second multimedia item, moving the information associated with the first multimedia item to a third display area different from the first and second display areas, moving the information associated with the second multimedia item to the first display area from the second display area, and displaying information associated with a third multimedia item in the second display area, wherein

at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the first multimedia item displayed in the third display area is different from at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the third multimedia item displayed in the second display area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon moving the information associated with the first multimedia item to the third display area, at least a part of the information associated with the first multimedia item is displayed in a de-emphasized fashion relative to the display of the information associated with the first multimedia item during playback.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the information associated with the first multimedia item is displayed in at least one of gray color and decreased luminosity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the first multimedia item includes artist name.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the first multimedia item includes a reproduction time of the first multimedia item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second and third display areas are simultaneously displayed before and after the automatically moving.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic moving and the automatically changing are performed independent of an input from a user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic moving and the automatically changing are performed without receiving an input from a user instructing the moving and changing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more play lists are of a different artist, genre, or genre and artist.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to implement a method of reproducing multimedia items, comprising:

combining multimedia items from each of two or more play lists such that the multimedia items of the play lists are successively reproduced according to a predetermined order in a single combined play list;

displaying information associated with a first multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a first display area and information associated with a second multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a second display area different from the first display area while the first multimedia item is being reproduced; and

automatically, upon determining that reproduction of the first multimedia items is completed, changing reproduction from the first multimedia item to the second multimedia item, moving the information associated with the first multimedia item to a third display area different from the first display area, moving the information associated with the second multimedia item to the first display area from the second display area, and displaying information associated with a third multimedia item in the second display area, wherein

at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the first multimedia item displayed in the third display area is different from at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the third multimedia item displayed in the second display area.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein, upon moving the information associated with the first multimedia item to the third display area, at least a part of the information associated with the first multimedia item is displayed in a de-emphasized fashion relative to the display of the information associated with the first multimedia item during playback.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second and third display areas are simultaneously displayed before and after the automatically moving.

15. The medium of claim 6, wherein the two or more play lists are of a different artist, genre, or genre and artist.

8. A playback apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to combine multimedia items from each of two or more play lists such that the multimedia items of the play lists are successively reproduced according to a predetermined order in a single combined play list; and

a display that displays information associated with a first multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a first display area and information associated with a second multimedia item, of the combined multimedia items, in a second display area different from the first display area while the first multimedia item is being reproduced,

wherein the processor is further configured to, upon determining that reproduction of the first multimedia items is completed, control changing reproduction from the first multimedia item to the second multimedia item, and control the display to automatically move the information associated with the first multimedia item to a third display area different from the first and second display areas, move the information associated with the second multimedia item to the first display area from the second display area, and display information associated with a third multimedia item in the second display area, and

wherein the processor controls the display such that at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the first multimedia item displayed in the third display area is different from at least one of a color and a luminance level of the information associated with the third multimedia item displayed in the second display area.

11. The playback apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor controls the display to simultaneously display the first, second and third display areas before and after controlling the display to automatically move the information associated with the first multimedia item.

16. The playback apparatus of claim 8, wherein the two or more play lists are of a different artist, genre, or genre and artist.