JP5133314B2 - CONTENT REPRODUCTION DEVICE, CONTENT REPRODUCTION METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a content reproduction apparatus, a content reproduction method, and a computer suitable for making it easy for a user to instantly recognize content selected as a reproduction candidate by sound or video and determining content to be reproduced. It is related with the program for realizing.

  An invention is disclosed in which a candidate desired by a user is displayed from among a plurality of displayed candidates, and the candidate is efficiently determined (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3836795

  However, there are users who find it cumbersome to look at a displayed candidate in order to determine a desired candidate. In addition, as in the case of music, there is a case where it is not possible to know what kind of music is reproduced from a name (character string) such as a music name or an artist name. Therefore, there is a need for a new technique that is suitable for allowing a user to recognize a selected candidate instantly and making it easier to determine the candidate without paying attention to the displayed candidate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is suitable for content reproduction that makes it easy for a user to recognize content selected as a reproduction candidate by voice or video and to easily determine content to be reproduced. It is an object to provide an apparatus, a content reproduction method, and a program for realizing these on a computer.

  To achieve the above object, a content playback apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a content storage unit, a selection unit, a section playback unit, a determination unit, and a content playback unit. The

  The content storage unit stores multimedia information of each of a plurality of contents and section information for designating a part of the contents.

  Content refers to, for example, multimedia information composed of music and video. In addition, in the case of music, a part of the content is any intro (prelude) section, A melody (first melody) section, rust (most exciting) section, outro (follower) section, etc. In the case of video, it refers to any section such as a section where a title (title) is shown, an opening section, an ending section, and the like.

  The selection unit selects any one of the plurality of contents as a candidate. Here, selection means an act of selecting content before determining content to be reproduced.

  When the candidate changes due to the selection, the section playback unit plays back a part of the candidate multimedia information after the change. Here, when the candidate is changed by selection, specifically, when content A is not selected, content A is selected as a playback candidate, and content A is already selected as a playback candidate. This means that content B is selected as a new reproduction candidate.

  When any one of the plurality of contents is selected as a candidate by the selection unit, the section reproduction unit temporarily reproduces a part of the content. Here, the provisional reproduction means that a part of the content is reproduced before the main reproduction is performed. Further, the main reproduction typically means that the content is reproduced from the beginning to the end.

  As a specific example, a case where the content is music composed of audio information will be described as an example. As a plurality of content candidates, there are music A, music B, and music C. As a part of the music, music A is “do”, music B is “mi”, and music C is “so”. Suppose that In this case, when the user sequentially selects music A, music B, and music C as candidates for reproduction, the sound of “do” of music A selected first is temporarily reproduced. . Subsequently, the sound of “Mi” of the second selected music B and the sound of “So” of the third selected music C are temporarily reproduced in order. When the music is temporarily reproduced by repeating the selection several times, the sound of “do” is for music A, the sound of “mi” is for music B, and the sound of “so” is for music C, respectively. The user can recognize that it is compatible. For this reason, for example, when the sound of “M” is heard, the user can instantly recognize that the music B is selected as a candidate for reproduction. That is, the user can recognize which music is selected as a reproduction candidate by listening to a part of the temporarily reproduced music.

  The determination unit determines the selected candidate as a reproduction target. Here, “determining” refers to an act of selecting content in order to perform the main reproduction on the already selected content. When the content to be played is determined by the determination unit, the content is played back.

  The content playback unit plays back the multimedia information of the determined content.

  When any of the contents is selected as a candidate by the user, a part of the content is temporarily reproduced. By listening to the provisional reproduction, the user who has recognized the content currently selected as the reproduction candidate target makes a decision, and when the content is the desired content, the provisionally reproduced content is actually reproduced.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make a user instantly recognize content selected as a playback candidate by voice or video, and to easily determine content to be played back.

  A predetermined order is determined for the plurality of contents. The predetermined order is, for example, an arbitrary order such as alphabetical order, order in which the number of reproductions is large, order determined by the user, and the like.

  When there is a first selection instruction input from the user, the selection unit selects the next content as a new candidate, and when there is a second selection instruction input, the selection unit selects a previous candidate as a new candidate. You can also

  The first selection instruction input is, for example, an input such as a ↓ button or a → button. The second selection instruction input is, for example, an input such as an ↑ button or a ← button. When the first selection instruction input or the second selection instruction input is performed, a new content candidate is selected. Specifically, candidates are changed as content A, content B, content C,... By repeating the input of the ↓ button. Further, as the input of the ↑ button is repeated, the candidates change as content C, content B, content A,.

  The determination unit can determine a candidate as a reproduction target when a determination instruction is input from the user.

  The decision instruction input is, for example, an input such as a circle button or a START button. When the determination instruction is input, the selected music is determined as a reproduction target.

  For example, the order of a plurality of contents is determined in advance as music A, music B, music C,. In addition, the sound of each content (musical piece) that is temporarily reproduced is also defined as “Do” for Music A, “Mi” for Music B, “So” for Music C,. In this case, when the user inputs the ↓ button, the music A, the music B, the music C,... Are selected as reproduction candidates in a predetermined order, and “do”, “mi”, The song is temporarily played as “So”. When the selection is repeated several times, the order of the sound that is temporarily reproduced and output is “Mi” after “Do”, “So” after “Mi”, and so on. Can be recognized. As a result, “So” is temporarily reproduced after “Mi”, and the user can instantly recognize that the sound of “So” is the music piece C. When the tentatively reproduced music is a desired music, the music (or music) to be played back can be determined because the music is determined as a reproduction target by inputting a circle button or the like.

  Further, the content storage unit further stores other section information in which another partial section that does not overlap the partial section of the content is designated.

  The other partial section is an arbitrary section that does not overlap with the partial section of the content. For example, when a partial section is an intro section, the other partial section includes an A melody section, It becomes a rust section.

  When the first time elapses without changing after the candidate is selected, the section reproducing unit further reproduces another part of the other section information.

  The first time is an arbitrary time such as 3 seconds, for example.

  For example, when content (music) is selected, the intro section is first temporarily reproduced. When the selection is maintained for a certain time or longer after the music is selected, the A melody section and the chorus section other than the intro section are provisionally reproduced next to the intro section.

  Thereby, since a plurality of different sections are reproduced for one content, it is possible to make the user recognize the content selected as the reproduction candidate instantly by voice or video, and to easily determine the content to be reproduced.

  The determination unit may determine the candidate as the reproduction target when the second time has passed without any change after the candidate is selected.

  The second time is an arbitrary time, but is preferably longer than the first time described above.

  For example, if the state in which the content (music piece) is selected is maintained for 3 seconds or more, the chorus section is temporarily reproduced. When the state where the content is selected is further maintained for 10 seconds or more, the selected content is determined as a reproduction target.

  As a result, even when there is no input for determining the playback target from the user, the playback target content is played back, so that the content can be easily determined.

  In addition, the selection unit can also maintain candidates while a part of the section is being played back.

  For example, when a part of the section is an intro section of the content, the selection is maintained until the reproduction of the intro section ends.

  Accordingly, since the content continues to be reproduced until the user can recognize the content, it is possible to easily determine the content to be reproduced.

The content can also include music having audio information.
In addition, the content reproduction apparatus extracts, for each of the plurality of songs, a section having a predetermined time length in which the volume of the music first exceeds a predetermined threshold based on the multimedia information, and the extracted section is the section. An extraction unit that is designated as information can be further provided.

  For example, the extraction unit extracts an intro section in which a sound volume equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold is output excluding a silent section until the intro section of the music is reproduced.

  The predetermined threshold is, for example, an arbitrary volume such as 30 decibels and 10% of the maximum volume.

  The predetermined time length refers to an arbitrary time length such as one measure or three seconds.

  For example, if there is a silent section or noise before the intro section of the music is played, a section from which the silent section is removed is extracted and the section is played.

  Thereby, when a candidate changes by selection, since the section with a volume is reproduced | regenerated immediately, the user can recognize a music instantly.

  The extraction unit can also extract an image indicating the title of the content for each of a plurality of contents based on the multimedia information, and specify the extracted image as the section information.

  The image indicating the title of the content is, for example, an arbitrary image that allows the user to recognize the content, such as an image indicating a title that is typically displayed first in a movie or a drama, and an image indicating the number of episodes. An image.

  For example, when the user selects content as a reproduction candidate, if the content is a video, an image indicating the title of the content is extracted. Then, an image indicating the title of the content is provisionally reproduced. Since the title of the content is included in the image, the user can instantly recognize the content by looking at the title.

  In order to achieve the above object, a content reproduction method according to another aspect of the present invention provides a content reproduction apparatus including a content storage unit, a selection unit, a section reproduction unit, a determination unit, and a content reproduction unit. The content reproduction method is executed by a content storage step, a selection step, a section reproduction step, a determination step, and a content reproduction step.

  In the content storing step, each piece of multimedia information of a plurality of contents and section information for designating a part of the contents are stored.

  In the selection step, one of a plurality of contents is selected as a candidate.

  In the section reproduction step, when a candidate changes due to selection, a part of the candidate multimedia information after the change is reproduced.

  In the determination step, the selected candidate is determined as a reproduction target.

  In the content reproduction step, multimedia information of the determined content is reproduced.

  A program according to another aspect of the present invention is configured to cause a computer to function as the above-described content reproduction device and to cause the computer to execute the above-described content reproduction method.

  The program of the present invention can be recorded on a computer-readable information recording medium such as a compact disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, digital video disk, magnetic tape, and semiconductor memory. The above program can be distributed and sold via a computer communication network independently of the computer on which the program is executed. The information recording medium can be distributed and sold independently of the computer.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to make a user instantly recognize content selected as a playback candidate by voice or video, and to easily determine content to be played back.

It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the typical information processing apparatus with which the content reproduction apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention is implement | achieved. It is a schematic diagram which shows the outline | summary structure of the controller connectable to information processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the music display screen on which a some music is displayed. It is a figure which shows the example of the music display screen on which a some music is displayed. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of a content reproduction apparatus. It is a flowchart explaining a content reproduction process. It is a figure for demonstrating the temporary reproduction | regeneration of a music. It is a figure for demonstrating selection of a music. It is a figure for demonstrating selection of a music. It is a figure for demonstrating selection of a music. It is a figure which shows the state as which the music was determined as reproduction | regeneration object. It is a figure which shows the structure of the music score. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video display screen according to Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the reproduction | regeneration display example of an image | video. It is a figure which shows the reproduction | regeneration display example of an image | video.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the content reproduction apparatus of the present invention will be described. This embodiment demonstrates the case where the audio | voice information of the said music is reproduced | regenerated as a music.

  The embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the principle of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and those skilled in the art appropriately configure the configuration of the following embodiment. Other substituted embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention.

  First, a description will be given with reference to FIG. 1 showing a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus for a typical game in which a content reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is realized.

  The information processing apparatus 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an interface 104, a controller 105, an external memory 106, and a DVD (Digital Versatile). Disk) -ROM drive 107, image processing unit 108, audio processing unit 109, and NIC (Network Interface Card) 110.

  Note that the content reproduction device according to the present embodiment is executed by mounting a DVD-ROM storing a game program and data in the DVD-ROM drive 107 and turning on the information processing apparatus 100 to execute the program. Is realized.

  The CPU 101 controls the overall operation of the information processing apparatus 100 and is connected to each component to exchange control signals and data.

  The ROM 102 records an IPL (Initial Program Loader) that is executed immediately after the power is turned on, and the CPU 101 reads the program recorded on the DVD-ROM into the RAM 103 and executes it. The ROM 102 stores an operating system program and various data necessary for operation control of the entire information processing apparatus 100, and the CPU 101 reads and executes these programs.

The RAM 103 is for temporarily storing data and programs, and holds programs and data read from the DVD-ROM and other data necessary for the progress of the game.
In addition, the CPU 101 provides a variable area in the RAM 103, performs processing by directly operating the ALU on the value stored in the variable, and temporarily stores the value stored in the RAM 103 in the register. Performs an operation on the register and writes the result back to the memory.

  The controller 105 connected via the interface 104 receives an operation input performed when the user executes the game. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the appearance of the controller 105. Hereinafter, the controller 105 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, on the left side of the controller 105, an ↑ button 201, a ↓ button 202, a ← button 203, and a → button 204 that are used to perform operation input indicating up, down, left, and right are arranged.

  On the right side, a ○ button 205 used to input a decision operation, a × button 206 used to input a cancel operation, a Δ button 207 used to input an instruction such as a menu display, A square button 208 used for inputting other instructions is arranged.

  In the lower center portion, joysticks 213 and 214 for inputting instructions for designating other directions in the up, down, left, and right directions and the sizes in the directions are arranged. The joysticks 213 and 214 are provided with strain gauges, and can detect how much they are bent in which direction.

In addition, in addition to the SELECT button 209 and the START button 210, an ANALOG button 211 for instructing start / stop of analog input and an indicator 212 for displaying whether the analog input is valid or invalid are arranged in the center. Has been.
Further, an L1 button 215, an L2 button 216, an R1 button 217, and an R2 button 218 that can be used for inputting various instructions are disposed above.

  Each button 201-208, 215-218 of the controller 105 is provided with a pressure sensor, and when analog input is enabled, it can detect which button is pressed, The magnitude of the pressure of the user's pressing operation can be obtained in 256 steps from 0 to 255.

  Returning to the description of FIG. In the external memory 106 detachably connected via the interface 104, data indicating the progress of the game is stored in a rewritable manner. The user can appropriately record these data in the external memory 106 by inputting an instruction via the controller 105, for example.

  A DVD-ROM mounted on the DVD-ROM drive 107 stores a program for realizing the game and image data and sound data associated with the game. Under the control of the CPU 101, the DVD-ROM drive 107 performs a reading process on the DVD-ROM loaded therein, reads out necessary programs and data, and these are temporarily stored in the RAM 103 or the like.

  The image processing unit 108 processes the data read from the DVD-ROM by the CPU 101 or an image arithmetic processor (not shown) included in the image processing unit 108, and then processes the processed data on a frame memory ( (Not shown). The image information recorded in the frame memory is converted into a video signal at a predetermined synchronization timing and output to a monitor (not shown) connected to the image processing unit 108. Thereby, various image displays are possible.

The image calculation processor can execute a two-dimensional image overlay calculation, a transmission calculation such as α blending, and various saturation calculations at high speed.
In addition, the polygon information arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space and added with various kinds of texture information is rendered by the Z buffer method, and a rendered image is obtained by overlooking the polygon arranged in the virtual three-dimensional space from a predetermined viewpoint position. High speed execution of the obtained operation is also possible.

  Further, the CPU 101 and the image arithmetic processor cooperate to draw a character string as a two-dimensional image in the frame memory or draw it on the surface of each polygon according to the font information that defines the character shape. Is possible. The font information is recorded in the ROM 102, but it is also possible to use dedicated font information recorded in the DVD-ROM.

  The audio processing unit 109 converts audio data read from the DVD-ROM into an analog audio signal, and outputs the analog audio signal from a speaker (not shown) connected thereto. Further, under the control of the CPU 101, sound effects and music data to be generated during the progress of the game are generated, and sound corresponding to this is output from the speaker. The sound processing unit 109 converts, for example, the sound of music reproduced as BGM or karaoke, or the sound effect reproduced in accordance with the user's button operation.

  The NIC 110 is used to connect the information processing apparatus 100 to a computer communication network (not shown) such as the Internet, and is based on the 10BASE-T / 100BASE-T standard used when configuring a LAN (Local Area Network). To connect to the Internet using an analog modem, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) modem, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) modem, cable television line A cable modem or the like and an interface (not shown) that mediates between these and the CPU 101 are configured.

In addition, the information processing apparatus 100 uses a large-capacity external storage device such as a hard disk so as to perform the same function as the ROM 102, the RAM 103, the external memory 106, the DVD-ROM attached to the DVD-ROM drive 107, and the like. You may comprise.
In addition, it is possible to adopt a form in which an input / output device such as a keyboard for receiving a character string editing input from a user and a mouse for receiving various position designations and selection inputs is connected.

  Further, instead of the information processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a general computer (general-purpose personal computer or the like) can also be used as the content reproduction apparatus according to the present invention. For example, a general computer includes an CPU, a RAM, a ROM, a DVD-ROM drive, and an NIC, as in the information processing apparatus 100, and an image processing unit having a simpler function than the information processing apparatus 100. In addition to having a hard disk as an external storage device, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, and the like can be used. In addition, a keyboard, a mouse or the like is used as an input device instead of a controller. Then, after the game program is installed, when the program is executed, it can function as a content reproduction device.

  In the following, unless otherwise noted, the content playback apparatus described later will be described by the information processing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. The content reproduction apparatus can be appropriately replaced with general computer elements as necessary, and these embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

(Description of display screen)
A music display screen displayed by the content reproduction apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. The music display screen 300 is a screen that is displayed for the user to determine the music to be reproduced from a music list composed of a plurality of music. 3A and 3B, the music display screen 300 includes a music list 301 in which a plurality of music is displayed in a list, a music display 302 (302a to 302z) in which music to be played is displayed, and a cursor 303. Is displayed.

  When the ↑ button 201 or the ↓ button 202 included in the controller 105 is pressed, the cursor 303 moves in a direction corresponding to the type of button being pressed. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the song C is selected by the cursor 303, when the ↑ button 201 is pressed, the cursor 303 moves upward and the new song B is selected. When the ↓ button 202 is pressed, the cursor 303 moves downward and a new music piece D is selected. When the ↑ button 201 and the ↓ button 202 are pressed, new songs are selected one after another. The user can select any music displayed on the music display 302 by operating the controller 105.

  When any song is selected from the song display 302 with the cursor 303, the color of the song display 302 changes to display which song is currently selected. For example, when the music display 302c is selected by the cursor 303, the color of the music display 302c changes, so that the user can recognize that the music C is currently selected.

  When the circle button 205 included in the controller 105 is pressed, the music selected by the cursor 303 is determined and the music is reproduced.

Note that the cursor 303 can also move in a direction corresponding to an input operation with the joystick 213.
Further, without displaying the cursor 303, it is possible to display which music is currently selected by changing the color of the music display 302 or the like.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, on the music display screen 300, without moving the cursor 303, when the ↑ button 201 or the like is pressed, the music display 302 selected by the cursor 303 is scrolled up and down. You can also select a song.

(Configuration of content playback device)
Next, the structure of each part of the content reproduction apparatus of this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to drawings. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the content reproduction apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the content playback apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment includes a content storage unit 401, a selection unit 402, a section playback unit 403, a determination unit 404, a content playback unit 405, and a reception unit 406. , And a display unit 407 and an extraction unit 408.

  The content storage unit 401 stores multimedia information corresponding to each of a plurality of contents. For example, the content storage unit 401 stores music information in a predetermined format such as MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) data. The content storage unit 401 stores section information in which a part of a piece of music is designated. The partial section of music is an arbitrary section such as an intro section, A melody section, rust section, or outro section of the music.

  The content storage unit 401 further stores other section information in which another section that does not overlap with a section of the music is designated. For example, when a part of the music is an intro section, the other part is an A melody section or a chorus section.

  The ROM 102, the RAM 103, the DVD-ROM, and the like operate together to function as the content storage unit 401.

  The selection unit 402 selects any song as a candidate from a plurality of songs based on an operation input received by the receiving unit 406 described later. For example, when the ↑ button 201 or the ↓ button 202 included in the controller 105 is pressed, the music is selected by moving the cursor 303.

  The selection unit 402 can also select the music piece as a candidate while the later-described section reproduction unit 403 reproduces a part of the music piece.

  The CPU 101 or the like operates to function as the selection unit 402.

  The section playback unit 403 reads section information (for example, MIDI data) in which a section of a part of the music is specified from the content storage unit 401 for the music selected by the selection unit 402 as a candidate, and temporarily plays the music. In addition, the section playback unit 403 temporarily plays the music sound based on the section information, supplies an audio signal accompanying the temporary playback to the speaker, and outputs the music sound from the speaker. For example, when a music piece is selected, the section reproduction unit 403 temporarily reproduces the intro section of the music piece and outputs the sound of the intro section from a speaker.

  In addition, after the music candidate is selected, the section playback unit 403 reads the other section information from the content storage unit 401 when the selected candidate continues to be maintained for a certain period of time without changing, The section can be temporarily reproduced.

  The CPU 101, the audio processing unit 109, and the like work together to function as the section reproduction unit 403.

  The determination unit 404 determines the selected music candidate as a reproduction target based on the operation input received by the reception unit 406. For example, when the O button 205 provided in the controller 105 is pressed, the selected music is determined. In addition, when the same music piece is continuously selected for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) or longer, the determination unit 404 can also determine the music piece as a reproduction target.

  The CPU 101 or the like operates to function as the determination unit 404.

  The content playback unit 405 reads the music information (for example, MIDI data) to be played back from the content storage unit 401 for the music determined by the determination unit 404 and performs main playback of the music. In addition, the content playback unit 405 plays back the music sound based on the music information, supplies an audio signal accompanying the playback to the speaker, and outputs the music sound from the speaker. For example, when the selected music piece is determined, the content reproduction unit 405 performs the main reproduction of the music piece and outputs the music sound from a speaker.

  The CPU 101, the audio processing unit 109, and the like operate in cooperation to function as the content reproduction unit 405.

  The accepting unit 406 accepts an operation input from the user. The accepting unit 406 accepts the pressing operation of the ↑ button 201 and the ↓ button 202 to move the cursor 303, and accepts the pressing operation of the ○ button 205 for determining the music. For example, an operation of moving the cursor 303 to select a song or an operation of selecting a song and temporarily playing the song are accepted as selection instruction inputs. In addition, for the music selected by the cursor 303, an operation of pressing the determination button such as the circle button 205 and the like to perform main reproduction of the music is accepted as a determination instruction input.

  The CPU 101, the interface 104, the controller 105, and the like operate in cooperation to function as the reception unit 406.

  The display unit 407 generates a music display screen or the like on which a plurality of selectable music is displayed, supplies the music display screen as a video signal to the monitor, and displays the screen.

  The CPU 101, the image processing unit 108, and the like operate in cooperation to function as the display unit 407.

  The extraction unit 408 extracts, from the section information read out from the content storage unit 401 by the section reproduction unit 403, a section having a predetermined time length in which the volume of the music first exceeds a predetermined threshold, and the extracted section is used as section information. specify. For example, when there is a silent section or noise before an intro section that is a partial section of the music, an intro section from which the silent section is removed is extracted as a section for provisional reproduction.

  The CPU 101, the ROM 102, and the like operate in cooperation to function as the extraction unit 408.

(Content playback processing)
Next, the operation of the content reproduction apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing content reproduction processing executed by the content apparatus 400 according to the present embodiment.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the CPU 101 displays a music selection screen 300 for the user to select a music on a monitor or the like. Then, the CPU 101 receives a request for selecting a music piece by a user operation input (step S101). The music is selected by moving the cursor 303 and by scrolling the music display 302.

  The music selection can be performed not only by the operation input from the user but also by the CPU 101. For example, the CPU 101 can move the cursor 303 every other second so that new songs are selected one after another.

  Next, the CPU 101 determines whether or not music is selected by an operation input from the user (step S102). As shown in FIG. 3A, for example, when the cursor 303 or the like is moved and the music display 302c is selected, the CPU 101 determines that the music C is selected.

  Note that the order of the displayed music display 302 is arbitrary. For example, the music display 302 is arranged in alphabetical order, in descending order of the number of reproductions, or in an order determined by the user.

  When no music is selected (step S102; No), the CPU 101 receives an operation input from the user and receives a request to select a music. (Step S101).

  On the other hand, when the music is selected (step S102; Yes), the CPU 101 provisionally reproduces a part of the selected music (step S103). For example, an arbitrary partial section such as an intro section of music is temporarily reproduced. When the user selects new songs one after another, the intro sections and the like of the newly selected songs are temporarily reproduced one after another.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining provisional reproduction of music. As shown in the figure, first, when the music piece A is selected as a reproduction candidate by the user, a part of the music piece A is temporarily reproduced. When the music B is selected after the partial section of the music A is temporarily reproduced, the partial section of the music B is temporarily reproduced. When music A, music B, music C,... Are selected one after another, some sections of the music are temporarily reproduced in the order of selection of music A, music B, and music C. Here, when a part of each of the music A, the music B, and the music C is a sound of “do”, “mi”, “so”, the music A, the music B, and the music C are selected in order. Then, “do”, “mi”, and “so” are temporarily reproduced.

The CPU 101 can temporarily reproduce one measure or one note that is a part of a part of a music piece, or can temporarily reproduce only one second. In the case where a part of a piece of music is temporarily reproduced, the CPU 101 can temporarily reproduce an arbitrary part.
In addition, the CPU 101 can repeatedly provisionally reproduce a part of the music piece. For example, when a part of the music is an intro section of the music, the intro section is repeated and reproduced. The number of repeated reproductions is arbitrary, and the provisional reproduction can be stopped when the reproduction is performed a predetermined number of times or more.

  Note that, when temporarily playing a partial section of a song, the CPU 101 can also extract a section of a predetermined time length in which the volume of the music is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold for the first time, and temporarily play the section. For example, if there is a silent section or noise before an intro section that is a partial section of the music, an intro section from which the silent section is removed is extracted and temporarily reproduced.

  Next, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the selected music candidate has changed, that is, whether or not the music selection is maintained (step S104). 7A to 7C are diagrams for explaining selection of music. In FIG. 7A, the music display 302b is selected by the cursor 303. In FIG. 7B, the music display 302c, which is a new music, is selected by moving the cursor 303. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 7B, when the cursor 303 moves and a new music display 302c is selected from the music display 302b, the CPU 101 determines that the music selection is not maintained.

  As shown in FIG. 7C, for example, when the cursor 303 is moved in the horizontal direction, the music display 302c that was instructed before the cursor 303 moved, the music display 302c that was instructed after the movement, Are the same, the CPU 101 determines that the music selection is maintained.

  When the selection of music is not maintained (step S104; No), the CPU 101 receives an operation input from the user and receives a request to select a music. (Step S101).

  On the other hand, when the selection of the music is maintained (step S104; Yes), the CPU 101 determines that the selected music candidate has not changed, and the selected music is determined as a reproduction target. It is determined whether or not (step S105).

  Steps S <b> 101 to S <b> 104 are repeated when the user selects new songs one after another as reproduction candidates. By repeating this step, the sound when the music is provisionally reproduced and the selected music are associated with each other and stored in the user. For example, the sound of “do” is stored in association with the music A, the sound of “mi” is stored in the music B, and the sound of “so” is stored in the music C. For this reason, when the sound “M” is output, the user can instantly recognize that the music B is selected as a candidate for reproduction. That is, the user can recognize which music is selected as a reproduction candidate by listening to a part of the temporarily reproduced music.

  When the music is determined as a playback target (step S105; Yes), the CPU 101 determines the music as a playback target (step S111), performs main playback of the determined music (step S112), and performs this processing. Exit. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which music is determined as a reproduction target. As shown in the figure, when the music is determined as a reproduction target, the CPU 101 changes the color of the music display 302 of the determined music and clearly displays that the music has been determined. You can also.

  On the other hand, when the music is not determined as a reproduction target (step S105; No), the CPU 101 temporarily reproduces another partial section of the selected music (step S106). For example, when the intro part of the music is provisionally reproduced as a partial section in step S103, the A melody section and the chorus section, which are other partial sections that do not overlap with the partial section, are provisionally reproduced. .

  For example, when some sections of the music A to the music C are temporarily reproduced, the sounds are “do”, “mi”, “so”, and some other sections that do not overlap with the some sections The sound when is temporarily reproduced is “L”, “F”, and “La”, respectively. In this case, first, when the music A is selected, the sound of “do” is provisionally reproduced. Then, when the selection of the music piece A is maintained, the “Re” sound is temporarily reproduced. For this reason, when a sound “dre” is output, the user can recognize that the currently selected music is music A. Similarly, in the case of “Miffa”, it can be recognized that the music B is selected, and in the case of “Sora”, the music C is selected. The music selected as a playback candidate by listening to the temporarily played sound is associated with the sound output by temporary playback and the selected music stored in association with each other. The user can instantly recognize whether there is any.

  The CPU 101 can also tentatively play back a part of the section and the other part of the section continuously without interruption, and after stopping the tentative playback of the part of the section, the other part of the section Can also be temporarily reproduced.

  Note that when the first measure of the intro section of the music is temporarily reproduced as a partial section, the CPU 101 performs the second measure of the intro section as another partial section that does not overlap the partial section. Temporary playback is also possible.

  Next, the CPU 101 determines whether or not the music selection is maintained (step S107). The process in step S107 is the same as that in step S104 described above.

  When the selection of music is not maintained (step S107; No), the CPU 101 receives an operation input from the user and receives a request to select a music. (Step S101).

  On the other hand, when the selection of the music is maintained (step S107; Yes), the CPU 101 determines that the selected music candidate has not changed, and the selected music is determined as a reproduction target. It is determined whether or not (step S108). The process in step S108 is the same as that in step S105 described above.

  When the music is determined as the reproduction target (step S108; Yes), the CPU 101 determines the music as the reproduction target (step S111), performs the main reproduction of the determined music (step S112), and performs this processing. Exit.

  On the other hand, when the music is not determined as a reproduction target (step S108; No), the CPU 101 temporarily reproduces an arbitrary section of the selected music (step S109). FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the composition of a musical score. Note that the notes displayed on the musical score in FIG. For example, in step S106, when the chorus section of the music is provisionally reproduced as another partial section, the CPU 101 can also provisionally reproduce the next section following the chorus section as shown in FIG. Also, the music can be temporarily reproduced from the intro section that is the first of the music following the chorus section.

  The CPU 101 can also extract an arbitrary section musically connected to another partial section that is provisionally reproduced, and temporarily reproduce the arbitrary section so as to be connected to the other partial section. For example, a section having the same chord, a section having a pitch deviated from the pitch by a consonant pitch, and the like are extracted and temporarily reproduced.

  Next, the CPU 101 determines whether or not music selection is maintained (step S110). The process of step S110 is the same as that of step S104 and step S107 mentioned above.

  When selection of music is not maintained (step S110; No), the CPU 101 receives an operation input from the user and receives a request to select music. (Step S101).

  On the other hand, when the selection of the music is maintained (step S110; Yes), the CPU 101 determines that the selected music candidate has not changed, and determines the selected music as a reproduction target. (Step S111), the determined music is played back (Step S112), and the process is terminated.

  With the above processing, the user can instantly recognize the music selected as the playback candidate by voice, and the music to be played can be easily determined.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, an example in which sound is reproduced has been described. In the present embodiment, an example in which video is reproduced will be described. In addition, about the structure which is common in the above-mentioned embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted using the same reference number.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video screen display according to the second embodiment. The video display screen 500 is a screen displayed for the user to determine a video to be reproduced from a video list composed of a plurality of videos. On the video display screen 500, a video list 501 in which a plurality of videos are displayed in a list, a video display 502 (502a to 502z) in which reproduced videos are displayed, and a cursor 503 are displayed as shown in FIG. The The video list 501 is arbitrary, for example, a list list of broadcast TV videos, a list list in which a plurality of videos are recorded, and the like. The user can select an arbitrary video displayed on the video display 502 by moving the cursor 503 by operating the controller 105.

  In addition to audio information, the content storage unit 401 further stores video information, partial section information of the video information, and other partial section information. The partial section is an arbitrary section such as a title section in which a title is displayed, an opening section, a main section, and an ending section. The other part of the section is an arbitrary section that does not overlap with the part of the section.

  The selection unit 402 and the determination unit 404 select and determine a video based on an operation input received by the reception unit 406 described later.

  When the video is selected / determined by the user, the section playback unit 403 and the content playback unit 405 read the video information from the content storage unit 401 and play back the video. Further, the section playback unit 403 and the content playback unit 405 play back video based on video information, supply a video signal accompanying playback to the monitor, and output the video from the monitor.

  11A and 11B are diagrams showing examples of video reproduction display. For example, when the video display 502c is selected, the section playback unit 403 can temporarily playback an enlarged video obtained by enlarging the video displayed on the video display 502c, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B.

  The display unit 407 generates a video display screen 500 or the like on which a plurality of selectable videos are displayed, supplies the video display screen 500 as a video signal to the monitor, and displays the screen.

  The extraction unit 408 extracts arbitrary sections such as a title section, an opening section, a section in which the main character appears, a main section, an ending section, and the like from the video information. Further, the extraction unit 408 can also extract a section excluding an advertisement section or the like in the video by a known method.

The reproduction process according to the present embodiment is the same as the content reproduction process according to the first embodiment by replacing “music” shown in FIG. 5 with “video”. When a video is selected by the user, the CPU 101 temporarily reproduces a part of the selected video. For example, an arbitrary section such as a title section or an opening section is extracted, and the arbitrary section is temporarily reproduced. Then, when the selected video is determined as a playback target, the video is fully played back.
It should be noted that the video to be temporarily reproduced and the main reproduced is arbitrary such as a moving image or a still image.

  For example, when the user selects content as a playback candidate, a video (image) indicating the title of the selected content is extracted, and the video is temporarily played back. Since the video contains the title of the content, the user can associate the temporarily reproduced video with the selected content by looking at the title. For this reason, it is possible to instantly recognize the currently selected content by watching the video including the title of the content.

  With the above processing, it is possible to make the user recognize the video selected as the playback candidate instantly and to easily determine the video to be played back.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation and application are possible.

  The section playback unit 403 can also temporarily play music and video at an arbitrary speed. The section playback unit 403 temporarily plays back the intro section of the selected music piece, for example, at 5 × speed, as in the so-called “intro quiz”. Each time the same music or the like is selected, the music or the like can be reproduced while changing the reproduction speed to 4 × speed, 3 × speed, 2 × speed, or 1 × speed. The section playback unit 403 can arbitrarily change the playback speed according to the number of selections of music and video.

  In addition, the section playback unit 403 can gradually increase the playback time for temporary playback according to the number of times a song and video are selected. For example, when a music or the like is first selected, the playback time is set to 0.5 seconds, and when the same music or the like is selected again, the playback time is set to 1 second. Each time the number of selections increases, the playback time can be increased to 2 seconds, 3 seconds,...

  The content reproduction apparatus 400 corresponds to a so-called “consumer video game apparatus”, but the present invention can be realized as long as it can reproduce audio and video. Therefore, the present invention can be realized on various computers such as a mobile phone, a portable game device, a karaoke apparatus, and a general business computer. For example, the present invention can be realized when audio or video read from a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM is reproduced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a content playback apparatus and content suitable for making it easy to determine the content to be played back by allowing the user to instantly recognize the content selected as a playback candidate by voice or video. A reproduction method and a program can be provided.

100 Information processing apparatus 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 RAM
104 Interface 105 Controller 106 External Memory 107 DVD-ROM Drive 108 Image Processing Unit 109 Audio Processing Unit 110 NIC
201 ↑ button 202 ↓ button 203 ← button 204 → button 205 ○ button 206 × button 207 Δ button 208 □ button 209 SELECT button 210 START button 211 ANALOG button 212 indicator 213 joystick 214 joystick 215 L1 button 216 L2 button 217 R1 button 218 R2 Button 300 Music display screen 301 Music list 302 (302a to 302z) Music display 303 Cursor 400 Content playback device 401 Content storage unit 402 Selection unit 403 Section playback unit 404 Determination unit 405 Content playback unit 406 Reception unit 407 Display unit 408 Extraction unit 500 Video display screen 501 Video list 502 (502a to 502z) Video display 503 Cursor

Claims (5)

Each piece of multimedia information of a plurality of contents, section information specifying a section of the content, other section information specifying another section not overlapping with a section of the content, A content storage unit that stores a part of the musically connected part of the other part,
A selection unit that selects one of the plurality of contents as a candidate;
When the candidate is changed by the selection, a part of the multimedia information of the candidate after the change is reproduced, and after the first time has passed since the candidate was selected, the other section information A section playback unit for playing back some other sections;
A determination unit that determines the selected candidate as a reproduction target;
A content playback unit for playing back the multimedia information of the determined content,
The section playback unit plays back the musically connected part from when the other part of the section is played back until the playback target is determined by the determination unit. Content playback device. A content storage unit that stores multimedia information of each of a plurality of contents and section information that specifies a section of a part of the contents;
A selection unit that selects one of the plurality of contents as a candidate;
A section playback unit that plays back a part of the candidate multimedia information after the change when the candidate is changed by the selection;
A determination unit that determines the selected candidate as a reproduction target;
A content playback unit for playing back the multimedia information of the determined content,
The section playback unit is
The number of times that any of the plurality of contents is selected as a candidate is obtained, and the reproduction is performed at a reproduction speed that is associated with the obtained number of times in advance. The content playback device according to claim 1 or 2,
The section playback unit is
Content playback apparatus characterized by increasing the length of the plurality of either the more the number of times that has been selected as candidates for the some sections of the content. Each piece of multimedia information of a plurality of contents, section information specifying a section of the content, other section information specifying another section not overlapping with a section of the content, A content playback apparatus having a content storage unit that stores a part of a musically connected part of another section, a selection unit, a section playback unit, a determination unit, and a content playback unit Content playback method executed by
The selection unit selects any one of the plurality of contents as a candidate;
When the candidate changes due to the selection, the section playback unit plays a part of the candidate multimedia information after the change, and when the first time elapses without changing after the candidate is selected. A section playback step for playing back another part of the other section information;
The determining unit determining the selected candidate as a reproduction target; and
The content playback unit includes a content playback step of playing back multimedia information of the determined content,
In the section playback step, the section playback section plays back the musically connected section from when the other part of the section is played back until the playback target is determined by the determination unit. A content playback method characterized by: Computer
Each piece of multimedia information of a plurality of contents, section information specifying a section of the content, other section information specifying another section not overlapping with a section of the content, A content storage unit for storing a part of the musically connected part of the other part,
A selection unit for selecting one of the plurality of contents as a candidate;
When the candidate is changed by the selection, a part of the multimedia information of the candidate after the change is reproduced, and after the first time has passed since the candidate was selected, the other section information A section playback unit that plays back some other sections,
A determination unit for determining the selected candidate as a reproduction target;
A content playback unit for playing back the multimedia information of the determined content;
Function as
The section playback unit functions to play back a part of the musically connected section from when the other part of the section is played back until the playback target is determined by the determination unit. A program characterized by

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