Content playback method and content playback apparatus

• US 8,358,906 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2005
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Takai, Motoyuki, Terauchi, Toshiro, Sako, Yoichiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Yamashita, Kosei, Inoue, Makoto, Asukai, Masamichi, Shirai, Katsuya, Makino, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hailu, Teshome
• Application Number:
  US11/665,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,653 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/239
• US Class Current: 386/239
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0686 Timers, rhythm indicators or pacing apparatus using electric or electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/40 Rhythm
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/391 Automatic tempo adjustment, correction or control
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs

Abstract

By allowing the movement of a user to affect the playback of content, the entertainment characteristic or uplifting spirits derived from content playback itself can be enhanced. The timing at which the user places his/her foot on the ground while walking or the timing at which the user shakes or changes from swinging in one direction to swinging to another direction is detected. Then, content, such as a music piece or moving pictures, is played back by allowing the timing of beats or bars of the music piece or the timing of scene changes or cut changes of the moving pictures to be synchronized with the timing of the movement of the user.

Claims

1. A content playback method comprising:

detecting movements of a user;

driving a content material reader to read out content from a content materials database, wherein the content is divided into a plurality of sections according to a timing of the content;

generating, from the sections of the content, output-content for being played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements, wherein the output-content comprises portions of sections spliced together such that start timings of sections in the output-content are synchronized with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements; and

playing back the output-content such that beginnings of sections in the output-content are played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements,

wherein the output-content is generated in real time as the movements of the user are detected such that synchronization of start timings of the sections in the output-content with the movements is maintained when a user movement rate changes.

2. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the feature is a start point, an end point, a maximal point, a minimal point, a maximum peak point, or a minimal peak point of the movement.

3. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the feature is a timing at which the user places his/her foot on the ground while walking.

4. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the feature is a timing at which the user shakes or changes from swinging in one direction to swinging in another direction.

5. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the content is a music piece and the timing is a timing of a beat or a bar of the music piece.

6. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the content is moving pictures and the timing is a timing of scene changes or cut changes of the moving pictures.

7. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the content is still images and the timing is a timing of switching the still images.

8. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein information indicating the timing is recorded on a recording medium in association with the content.

9. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the detecting a movement includes predicting a next movement from the previous movement detect results.

10. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the output-content is generated so as to be played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements by:

detecting a time difference Δ

t between a timing t_c of an ending of a given section S_n played back as output-content and a timing t_m of a given movement of a user, where Δ

t=t_c−

t_m; and

expanding or shortening the duration T_n+1 of a next section S_n+₁ in the output-content by a factor of (T*−

Δ

t)/T_n, where T* is a duration between the given movement and a prior movement, and T_n is a duration of the given section S_n.

11. The content playback method according to claim 1, wherein the output-content is generated so as to be played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements by:

selecting, at a time when a given section S_n is being played back as output-content, between (i) generating subsequent output-content by repeating a portion of the given section as output-content and (ii) generating subsequent output-content by terminating the playback of the given section S_n early and outputting a next section S_n+1 as output-content, based on a timing of a detected movement of the user, such that a beginning of the next section S_n+1 in the output-content is synchronized with the detected movement of the user.

12. A content playback apparatus comprising:

detection means for detecting movements of a user;

a content material reader for reading out content from a content materials database, wherein the content is divided into a plurality of sections according to a timing of the content;

a content generator for generating, from the sections of content read by the content material reader, output-content for being played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements, wherein the output-content comprises portions of sections spliced together such that start timings of sections in the output-content are synchronized with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements; and

playback means for playing back the output-content such that beginnings of sections in the output-content are played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements,

wherein the content generator is configured to generate output-content in real time as the movements of the user are detected such that synchronization of start timings of the sections in the output-content with the movements is maintained when a user movement rate changes.

13. The content playback apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the detection means is fixed at part of the body of the user or at an article worn or carried by the user.

14. The content playback apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the content is a music piece and the timing of the content comprises a beat or a bar of the music piece.

15. The content playback apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the content is moving pictures and the timing of the content comprises scene changes or cut changes of the moving pictures.

16. The content playback apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the content is still images and the timing of the content comprises a timing of switching the still images.

17. The content playback method according to claim 12, wherein the detecting a movement includes predicting a next movement from the previous movement detect results.

18. The content playback method according to claim 12, wherein the content generator is configured to generate the output-content so as to be played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements by:

detecting a time difference Δ

t between a timing t_c of an ending of a given section S_n played back as output-content and a timing t_m of a given movement of a user, where Δ

t=t_c−

t_m; and

expanding or shortening the duration T_n+1 of a next section S_n+1 in the output-content by a factor of (T*−

Δ

Δ

t)/T_n, where T* is a duration between the given movement and a prior movement, and T_n is a duration of the given section S_n.

19. The content playback method according to claim 12, wherein the content generator is configured to generate the output-content so as to be played back in synchronization with a feature, a cycle, or a rhythm of the movements by:

selecting, at a time when a given section S_n is being played back as output-content, between (i) generating subsequent output-content by repeating a portion of the given section S_n as output-content and (ii) generating subsequent output-content by terminating the playback of the given section S_n early and outputting a next section S_n+1 as output-content, based on a timing of a detected movement of the user, such that a beginning of the next section S_n+1 in the output-content is synchronized with the detected movement of the user.