Multimedia reproduction device and menu screen display method

• US 20070160345A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Ryuji, Umemura, Kojiro, Sakai, Masaharu, Hiramatsu, Shuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/230
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A small-size digital device requires preferable operability and user-friendliness of the user interface. In a multimedia reproduction device (10), an operation unit (40) acquires an instruction concerning content reproduction via a user operation. A read-out unit (44) reads out a content from an external recording medium mounted as a content data storage area. A storage unit (80) holds data on a plurality of function icons symbolizing a plurality of content reproduction function types and data on a plurality of media icons symbolizing the external recording medium types. A display processing unit (46) processes menu screen display and content reproduction. A menu control unit (48) generates image data on a menu screen where a plurality of function icons and a plurality of media icons are arranged two-dimensionally according to a user instruction.

Claims

1. A multimedia player capable of playing back digital contents, comprising:

a control which acquire an instruction related to playback of a content via a user'"'"'s instruction;

a reader which reads the content from an external storage medium installed in the multimedia player to serve as an area for storing data for the content;

a storage which stores data for a plurality of function icons representing respective types of playback functions for playing back respective types of contents, and data for a plurality of medium icons representing respective types of external storage mediums that can be installed in the multimedia player;

a display processor which displays an on-screen menu related to playback of the content and processes playback of the content thus read; and

a menu controller which generates image data for the on-screen menu in which the plurality of function icons and at least one of the plurality of medium icons are arranged in a two-dimension array, wherein

the reader reads, from the external storage medium installed in the multimedia player, a menu item image visually representing a summary of the content stored in the external storage medium, before a user provides an instruction to playback the content, and

the menu controller places the multiple function icons in a first direction on a screen, places the medium icons in a second direction that crosses the first direction on the screen, visually highlights the medium icon located in the neighborhood of an intersection between an array in the first direction and an array in the second direction as a focus of attention, and displays the menu item image read from the external storage medium corresponding to the highlighted medium icon, in the neighborhood of the highlighted medium icon, before the user provides an instruction to playback the content.

2. The multimedia player according to claim 1, wherein the reader reads, from a predetermined area in the external storage medium installed in the multimedia player, the menu item image generated according to a predetermined rule related to image size, and

the menu controller generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending the menu item image with an array of function icons and an array of medium icons.

3. The multimedia player according to claim 1, wherein the image generated according to the rule and read by the reader comprises a foreground image of a size that does not interfere with the array of function icons, and a background image on which is superimposed the array of functional icons, and

the menu controller generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending at least one of the foreground image and the background image with the array of function icons.

4. The multimedia player according to claim 1, wherein the reader reads, from the external storage medium installed in the multimedia player, a content icon representing a content stored in the external storage medium, and

the menu controller places the content icon thus read at a position of the medium icon or in the neighborhood thereof.

5. The multimedia player according to claim 4, wherein the content icon read by the reader from the external storage medium installed in the multimedia player comprises an icon in a moving image format and an icon in a still image format, and

the menu controller highlights the content icon in the moving image format as a focus of attention and does not highlight the content icon in the still image format.

6. The multimedia player according to claim 1, wherein the reader reads, from the external storage medium installed in the multimedia player, control information indicating whether the content stored in the external storage medium is access-restricted,

the storage further stores user-configured restriction configuration data designating whether to activate access restriction, and

if the control information specifies that the content stored in the external storage medium corresponding to the medium icon in focus be access-restricted, and if the restriction configuration data specifies activation of access restriction, the menu controller displays an associated menu item image on the condition that information necessary to lift access restriction is entered by the user.

7. A method of displaying an on-screen menu by an apparatus capable of playing back digital contents, comprising:

reading a content from an external storage medium installed in the apparatus to serve as an area for storing data for the content played back in the apparatus;

reading, from a predetermined storage, data for a plurality of function icons representing respective types of playback functions for playing back respective types of contents, and data for a plurality of medium icons representing respective types of external storage mediums that can be installed in the apparatus; and

displaying an on-screen menu related to playback of the content and playing back the content read;

generating image data for the on-screen menu in which the plurality of function icons and at least one of the plurality of medium icons are arranged in a two-dimensional array, wherein

the reading reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, a menu item image visually representing a summary of the content stored in the external storage medium, before a user provides an instruction to playback the content, and

the generating places the multiple function icons in a first direction on a screen, places the medium icons in a second direction that crosses the first direction on the screen, visually highlights the medium icon located in the neighborhood of an intersection between an array in the first direction and an array in the second direction as a focus of attention, and displays the menu item image read from the external storage medium corresponding to the highlighted medium icon, in the neighborhood of the highlighted medium icon, before the user provides an instruction to playback the content.

8. The method of displaying an on-screen menu according to claim 7, wherein the reading reads, from a predetermined area in the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, the menu item image generated according to a predetermined rule related to image size, and

the generating generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending the menu item image with an array of function icons and an array of medium icons.

9. The method of displaying on-screen menu according to claim 7, wherein the image generated according to the rule and read in the reading comprises a foreground image of a size that does not interfere with the array of function icons, and a background image on which is superimposed the array of functional icons, and

the generating generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending at least one of the foreground image and the background image with the array of function icons.

10. The method of displaying an on-screen menu according to claim 7, wherein the reading reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, a content icon representing a content stored in the external storage medium, and

the generating places the content icon thus read at a position of the medium icon or in the neighborhood thereof.

11. The method of displaying an on-screen menu according to claim 10, wherein the content icon read from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus comprises an icon in a moving image format and an icon in a still image format, and

the generating highlights the content icon in the moving image format as a focus of attention and does not highlight the content icon in the still image format.

12. The method of displaying an on-screen menu according to claims 7, wherein the reading reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, control information indicating whether the content stored in the external storage medium is access-restricted,

the reading further reads user-configured restriction configuration data designating whether to activate access restriction, and

if the control information specifies that the content stored in the external storage medium corresponding to the medium icon in focus be access-restricted, and if the restriction configuration data specifies activation of access restriction, the generating displays an associated menu item image on the condition that information necessary to lift access restriction is entered by the user.

13. A computer program product for displaying an on-screen menu by an apparatus capable of playing back digital contents, comprising:

an acquiring module which acquires an instruction related to playback of a content via a user'"'"'s instruction;

a reading module which reads the content from an external storage medium installed in the apparatus to serve as an area for storing data for the content played back in the apparatus;

a storing module which stores data for a plurality of function icons representing respective types of playback functions for playing back respective types of contents, and data for a plurality of medium icons representing respective types of external storage mediums that can be installed in the apparatus; and

a processing module which displays an on-screen menu related to playback of the content and plays back the content read;

a generating module which generates image data for the on-screen menu in which the plurality of function icons and at least one of the plurality of medium icons are arranged in a two-dimensional array, wherein

the reading module reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, a menu item image visually representing a summary of the content stored in the external storage medium, before a user provides an instruction to playback the content, and

the generating module places the multiple function icons in a first direction on a screen, places the medium icons in a second direction that crosses the first direction on the screen, visually highlights the medium icon located in the neighborhood of an intersection between an array in the first direction and an array in the second direction as a focus of attention, and displays the menu item image read from the external storage medium corresponding to the highlighted medium icon, in the neighborhood of the highlighted medium icon, before the user provides an instruction to playback the content.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the reading module reads, from a predetermined area in the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, the menu item image generated according to a predetermined rule related to image size, and

the generating module generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending the menu item image with an array of function icons and an array of medium icons.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the image generated according to the rule read by the reading module comprises a foreground image of a size that does not interfere with the array of function icons, and a background image on which is superimposed the array of functional icons, and

the generating module generates the image data for the on-screen menu by visually blending at least one of the foreground image and the background image with the array of function icons.

16. The computer program product according to any one of claims 13, wherein the reading module reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, a content icon representing a content stored in the external storage medium, and

the generating module places the content icon thus read at a position of the medium icon or in the neighborhood thereof.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, wherein the content icon read from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus comprises an icon in a moving image format and an icon in a still image format, and

the generating module highlights the content icon in the moving image format as a focus of attention and does not highlight the content icon in the still image format.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the reading module reads, from the external storage medium installed in the apparatus, control information indicating whether the content stored in the external storage medium is access-restricted,

the storing module further stores user-configured restriction configuration data designating whether to activate access restriction, and

if the control information specifies that the content stored in the external storage medium corresponding to the medium icon in focus be access-restricted, and if the restriction configuration data specifies activation of access restriction, the generating module displays an associated menu item image on the condition that information necessary to lift access restriction is entered by the user.

19. A computer readable recording medium which stores a computer program product according to claims 13.