Device control processing apparatus and method, display processing apparatus and method, and computer program

• US 8,365,223 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Osamu, Inada, Tetsugo, Yamada, Hideshi, Moriyama, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingvoldstad, Bennett
• Application Number:
  US12/883,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80
• US Class Current: 725/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42226 Reprogrammable remote control devices
• 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 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

An apparatus and method capable of selecting and providing content while reducing the load on a user are provided. A controlled device is determined based on content identification information. Control information corresponding to the determined controlled device is generated and output to, for example, a remote controller, and device control is performed based on a control signal from the remote controller. The user can output and view content without performing processing necessary to output the content, such as processing on a control device, a channel operation to the control device, and searching for the content storage location. Further, content cards recording content information are displayed as a card group and content information of a card at a position of a cursor is displayed.

Claims

1. A display processing apparatus for performing a process for displaying content information that is classified into genres, the display processing apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory device storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

generate display information for a plurality of content cards, the display information for displaying;

(a) some of a group of to-be-displayed cards describing content information corresponding to each of a plurality of content items as a group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present, which are tilted by a large angle so that content information is not displayed;

(b) a selected content card selected by using a user-operable selection indicator in a portion adjacent to the group of content information non-display cards as a content information display card that is tilted by a small angle so that content information is displayed;

(c) identification information about a genre corresponding to content information to be displayed,

(d) the content cards moving in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, wherein a same tilt angle of content cards among the group of to-be-displayed cards positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold is maintained while the content cards move until the predetermined threshold is reached,

set tilt angles of the content cards by which the content cards are to be tilted in such a manner that a tilt angle of a content card among the group of to-be-displayed cards, which is positioned away from the selected content card by an amount less than the predetermined threshold, is sequentially increased, and

wherein content cards that are positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than the predetermined threshold are included in the group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present.

2. The display processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display information is for displaying the content cards moving along a parametric curve in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, and

the display information is for displaying a plurality of content cards including the selected content card at a plurality of positions on a parametric curve extending to the portion adjacent to the group of content information non-display cards in such a manner that the content cards are tilted by a small angle so that content information is displayed.

6. The display processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a face of a content card is tilted based on the tilt angle.

7. The display processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display information is for displaying channel information and date-and-time information on a face of the selected content card.

8. The display processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display information is for displaying the content cards moving along a movement curve in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, the movement curve including a plurality of parametric curves having different parameters.

3. A display processing method for performing a process for displaying a plurality of content cards and content information that is classified into genres, the display processing method comprising:

displaying some of a group of to-be-displayed cards describing content information corresponding to each of a plurality of content items as a group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present, which are tilted by a large angle so that content information is not displayed;

displaying a selected content card selected by using a user-operable selection indicator in a portion adjacent to the group of content information non-display cards as a content information display card that is tilted by a small angle so that content information is displayed;

displaying identification information about a genre corresponding to content information to be displayed;

moving the content cards in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, wherein a same tilt angle of content cards among the group of to-be-displayed cards positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold is maintained while the content cards move until the predetermined threshold is reached; and

setting tilt angles of the content cards by which the content cards are to be tilted in such a manner that a tilt angle of a content card among the group of to-be-displayed cards, which is positioned away from the selected content card by an amount less than the predetermined threshold, is sequentially increased, and

wherein content cards that are positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than the predetermined threshold are included in the group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present.

4. The display processing method according to claim 3, wherein the display processing method performs a process for moving and displaying the content cards along a parametric curve in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, and displaying a plurality of content cards including the selected content card at a plurality of positions on a parametric curve extending to the portion adjacent to the group of content information non-display cards in such a manner that the content cards are tilted by a small angle so that content information is displayed.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program for performing a process for displaying a plurality of content cards and content information that is classified into genres, the computer program causing an apparatus to perform:

displaying step of displaying some of a group of to-be-displayed cards describing content information corresponding to each of a plurality of content items as a group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present, which are tilted by a large angle so that content information is not displayed, and

displaying a selected content card selected by using a user-operable selection indicator in a portion adjacent to the group of content information non-display cards as a content information display card that is tilted by a small angle so that content information is displayed;

displaying identification information about a genre corresponding to content information to be displayed;

moving the content cards in accordance with a user operation for moving the selection indicator, wherein a same tilt angle of content cards among the group of to-be-displayed cards positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than a predetermined threshold is maintained while the content cards move until the predetermined threshold is reached; and

setting tilt angles of the content cards by which the content cards are to be tilted in such a manner that a tilt angle of a card among the group of to-be-displayed cards, which is positioned away from the selected content card by an amount less than a predetermined threshold, is sequentially increased, and

wherein content cards that are positioned away from the selected content card by an amount greater than the predetermined threshold are included in the group of content information non-display cards indicating only that the cards are present.