Content reproducing apparatus, audio reproducing apparatus and content reproducing method

• US 20070204744A1
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Sano, Akane, Inoue, Makoto, Sako, Yoichiro, Shirai, Katsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 84/612
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

A content reproducing apparatus is disclosed which includes: a sensor; a discrimination circuit configured to discriminate whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from the sensor; a storage configured to store contents; a reproduction circuit configured to reproduce the contents; and a control circuit configured to supply the reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from the storage in accordance with a discrimination output from the discrimination circuit.

Claims

1. A content reproducing apparatus comprising:

a sensor;

a discrimination circuit configured to discriminate whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from said sensor;

a storage configured to store contents;

a reproduction circuit configured to reproduce said contents; and

a control circuit configured to supply said reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from said storage in accordance with a discrimination output from said discrimination circuit.

2. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an analysis circuit configured to analyze tempos of said first movement or said second movement of said user in accordance with said detection output from said sensor;

wherein said analysis circuit changes analysis algorithms for analyzing said tempos based on said discrimination output from said discrimination circuit; and

said control circuit retrieves contents from said storage in accordance with the tempo analyzed by said analysis circuit.

3. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in accordance with said tempo analyzed by said analysis circuit, said control circuit selects a predetermined play list from a plurality of play lists derived from said contents classified by a predetermined tempo, and retrieves applicable contents from said storage in accordance with the selected play list.

4. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in accordance with said discrimination output from said discrimination circuit, said control circuit selects a predetermined play list from a plurality of play lists derived from said contents classified by a predetermined tempo, and retrieves applicable contents from said storage in accordance with the selected play list.

5. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first movement and said second movement of said user are walking and running, respectively.

6. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination circuit includes at least a period detection circuit configured to discriminate whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on periodicity of peaks in a waveform derived from said detection output from said sensor.

7. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination circuit includes at least an amplitude detection circuit configured to discriminate whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on amplitude of peaks in a waveform derived from said detection output from said sensor.

8. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination circuit includes at least an autocorrelation circuit configured to discriminate whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on autocorrelation calculations of said detection output from said sensor.

9. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discrimination circuit includes:

a plurality of detection circuits each configured to detect whether said movement of said user is walking or running by use of one of algorithms different from one another on the basis of said detection output from said sensor; and

a determination circuit configured to determine whether said movement of said user is walking or running by evaluating detection outputs from said plurality of detection circuits and output the result of the discrimination as said discrimination output.

10. A content reproducing method comprising the steps of:

discriminating whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from a sensor; and

supplying a reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from a storage storing said contents in accordance with a discrimination output from said discriminating step.

11. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

changing analysis algorithms for analyzing tempos of said first movement or said second movement of said user based on said discrimination output from said discriminating step; and

analyzing said tempos of said first movement or said second movement of said user by use of the analysis algorithm changed in said analysis algorithm changing step.

12. The content reproducing method according to claim 11, wherein, in accordance with results from said analyzing step, said supplying step selects a predetermined play list from a plurality of play lists derived from said contents classified by a predetermined tempo, and retrieves applicable contents from said storage in accordance with the selected play list.

13. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, in accordance with said discrimination output from said discriminating step, said supplying step selects a predetermined play list from a plurality of play lists derived from said contents classified, and retrieves applicable contents from said storage in accordance with the selected play list.

14. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, wherein said first movement and said second movement of said user are walking and running, respectively.

15. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, wherein said discriminating step includes at least discriminating whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on periodicity of peaks in a waveform derived from said detection output from said sensor.

16. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, wherein said discriminating step includes at least discriminating whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on amplitude of peaks in a waveform derived from said detection output from said sensor.

17. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, wherein said discriminating step includes at least discriminating whether said movement of said user is walking or running based on autocorrelation calculations of said detection output from said sensor.

18. The content reproducing method according to claim 10, wherein said discriminating step includes:

a plurality of steps each arranged to detect whether said movement of said user is walking or running by use of one of algorithms different from one another on the basis of said detection output from said sensor; and

determining whether said movement of said user is walking or running by evaluating detection outputs from said plurality of detecting steps and output the result of the discrimination as said discrimination output.

19. A storage medium which stores a computer-readable program for causing a computer to execute a procedure comprising the steps of:

discriminating whether a movement of a user is a first movement or a second movement based on a detection output from a sensor; and

supplying a reproduction circuit with contents retrieved from a storage storing said contents in accordance with a discrimination output from said discriminating step.