Content Presenting Device, Content Presenting Method, And Content Presenting Program

• US 20070220430A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sato, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 8,515,991 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

The present invention allows a user to select his/her desired music data easily. In the present invention, a database registration readout control module M2 detects an album name of music data corresponding to a retrieval key from a hard disk. A CD playback control module M3 and a MD playback control module M4 also detect an album name of music data corresponding to a retrieval key from a CD and a MD, respectively. A presentation image generation module M1 then generates a music presentation image including a list of album names. Therefore, music data in his/her desired types are easily presented without forcing him/her to check music data stored in various storage media. Thus, the user can select his/her desired music data easily.

Claims

1. A content presentation apparatus comprising:

database registration readout control means for controlling registration and readout to a database installed in an internal storage medium storing one or a plurality of content data;

external storage medium reproduction control means for controlling reproduction to an external storage medium storing one or a plurality of said content data; and

presentation image generation means for transmitting the same retrieval key to said database registration readout control means and said external storage medium reproduction control means to retrieve said content data in a desired type, and then generating a content presentation image including a list of a content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key notified by said database registration readout control means and said external storage medium reproduction control means, wherein

said database registration readout control means detects, based on said retrieval key supplied from said presentation image generation means, said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from said internal storage medium being under a control of said database registration readout control means, and then notifies said presentation image generation means of said detected content name; and

said external storage medium reproduction control means detects, based on said retrieval key supplied from said presentation image generation means, said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from said external storage medium being under a control of said external storage medium reproduction control means, and notifies said presentation image generation means of said detected content name.

2. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said presentation image generation means transmits an artist name as said same retrieval key to said database registration readout control means and said external storage medium reproduction control means, and receives said content name and artist name of said content data corresponding to said artist name notified by said database registration readout control means and said external storage medium reproduction control means, and then generates said content presentation image including said list of said received content name and said artist name;

said database registration readout control means detects, based on said artist name supplied from said presentation image generation means, said content name of said content data corresponding to said artist name from said internal storage medium being under the control of said database registration readout control means, and then notifies said presentation image generation means of said detected content name along with said artist name; and

said external storage medium reproduction control means detects, based on said artist name supplied from said presentation image generation means, said content name of said content data corresponding to said artist name from said external storage medium being under the control of said external storage medium reproduction control means, and then notifies said presentation image generation means of the detected content name along with said artist name.

3. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 1, comprising

communication means for transmitting said retrieval key supplied from said presentation image generation means to an external content provision device by communicating with said content provision device, and receiving content attribute information including said content name of said content data that is to be provided and corresponds to said retrieval key from the content provision device, and then supplying said received content attribute information to said presentation image generation means, wherein

said presentation image generation means generates said content presentation image including said list containing said content name included in said content attribute information supplied from said communication means and said content name notified by said database registration readout control means and said external storage medium reproduction control means.

4. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said communication means receives, after transmitting said retrieval key to said content provision device, said content attribute information, in which said content name of said content data that corresponds to said retrieval key and is to be provided, an artist name, and an address showing a provider of said content data to be provided on a network are associated with one another, from said content provision device;

said presentation image generation means supplies said content attribute information supplied from said communication means to said database registration readout control means, and then supplies, after said database registration readout control means registers said content attribute information in said database of said internal storage medium, said retrieval key to said database registration readout control means; and

said database registration readout control means registers said content attribute information supplied from said presentation image generation means in said database of said internal storage medium, and detects, based on said retrieval key supplied from said presentation image generation means, said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from said internal storage medium being under the control of said database registration readout control means, and then notifies said presentation image generation means of said detected content name along with said content name included in said content attribute information.

5. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said communication means receives, after transmitting said retrieval key to said content provision device, said content attribute information, in which said content name of said content data that corresponds to said retrieval key and is to be provided, an artist name, and an address showing a provider of said content data to be provided on a network are associated with one another, from said content provision device, and supplies said content attribute information to said presentation image generation means;

and then

when said content name associated with said address included in said list of said content provision image is selected, said communication means accesses said address associated with said selected content name, and receives part or all of said content data that is indicated by said selected content name and is transmitted in streaming format from said provider indicated by said address.

6. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said communication means receives, after transmitting said retrieval key to said content provision device, said content attribute information, in which said content name of said content data that corresponds to said retrieval key and is to be provided, an artist name, and an address showing a provider of said content data to be provided on a network are associated with one another, from said content provision device, and supplies said content attribute information to said presentation image generation means;

when said content name associated with said address included in said list of said content provision image is selected and a purchase of said content data indicated by said selected content name is requested, said communication means accesses a content purchase page indicated by said address associated with said selected content name, and downloads said content data indicated by said selected content name; and

then

said database registration readout control means stores in said internal storage medium said content data downloaded by said communication means, and registers in said database of said internal storage medium at least said content name and artist name of said downloaded content data, and a memory address on said internal storage medium.

7. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 1, comprising

detection means for detecting whether or not said external storage medium reproduction control means can access said external storage medium, wherein

when said detection means detects a fact that said external storage medium reproduction control means can access said external storage medium, said presentation image generation means transmits said retrieval key to said external storage medium reproduction control means.

8. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said external storage medium reproduction control means reproduces control data stored in a control area on said external storage medium, and generates, based on said control data reproduced, storage medium identification information to be used to identify said external storage medium, and then acquires, based on said storage medium identification information generated, medium information to be used to identify said content data stored in said external storage medium, from said internal storage medium or a medium information provision device connected via a wide area network.

9. The content presentation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

said external storage medium reproduction control means retrieves, based on said retrieval key supplied from said presentation image generation means, said medium information of said external storage medium being under the control of said external storage medium reproduction control means to detect said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from said external storage medium, and then notifies said presentation image generation means of said detected content name.

10. A content presentation method comprising:

a content name detection step of detecting, based on a retrieval key to be used to retrieve content data in a desired type, said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from an internal storage medium that stores one or a plurality of said content data and is controlled, and also detecting said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from an external storage medium that stores one or a plurality of said content data and is controlled; and

a presentation image generation step of generating a content presentation image including a list of said detected content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key.

11. A content presentation program for causing an information processing apparatus to execute:

a content name detection step of detecting, based on a retrieval key to be used to retrieve content data in a desired type, said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from an internal storage medium that stores one or a plurality of said content data and is controlled, and also detecting said content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key from an external storage medium that stores one or a plurality of said content data and is controlled; and

a presentation image generation step of generating a content presentation image including a list of said detected content name of said content data corresponding to said retrieval key.