JP2006024259A - Content reproducing apparatus, content recording apparatus, method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a content reproducing apparatus in which it is not required that user operation are repeated when the contents is viewed/listened a plurality of times, even if including contents such as CM, a scene not attractive, or a scene attractive and desired to be viewed/listened many times. <P>SOLUTION: This apparatus is provided with an operation reception means 11 receiving user operation about content reproduction, a content reproducing means 12 reproducing contents C based on the user operation, and a history information storing means 13 storing history information H about an operation kind for the user operation (CM skip, fast-forwarding, rewinding, or the like) and a time zone in which the user operation is done relating to the contents C. The content reproducing means 12 is provided with a reference reproducing means 12b in which the history information H stored in the history information storing means 13 is referred when the contents C are reproduced, when the history information H regarding the contents C exists, the contents C to be reproduced is reproduced conforming to the operation kind and the time zone indicated by the history information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction device, a content recording device, a method, a program, and a recording medium.

  Conventionally, contents such as movies, news programs, dramas, sports programs, and music programs are distributed by television broadcasting or radio broadcasting or distributed on recording media such as video cassette tapes, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and CDs (Compact Discs). ing. In recent years, the number of broadcast forms to be distributed has increased, the types and capacities of distributed recording media have increased, and large-capacity content has also reached the viewer. Furthermore, with recent advances in information processing equipment and network technology, content is distributed to viewers by communication via a network.

  In addition, various content playback devices are distributed for viewers to view content. The method of viewing the content by the viewer varies depending on the type of content, the type of content playback device, and the like. For example, the broadcast is received and directly output, and the broadcast is received and recorded and played back so that rewind playback is possible. In addition, the recording medium is loaded and read and reproduced, directly output from the distribution source server via the network, and part or all is downloaded from the distribution source server, stored, read from the storage location, and reproduced. It is watched by doing.

  When the viewer (user of the content playback device) views the content by the viewing method as described above, except in the case of direct output of the received broadcast signal or direct output from the network distribution source (when not viewing by playback), For content such as commercials (hereinafter abbreviated as “CM”) and non-interesting parts in the content, including the fast-forward function and CM cut function (CM skip function) already installed in the content playback device, pause, stop, and roll In some cases, the user may use a function such as return to skip the content by user operation. On the other hand, a part that attracts interest in the content may be re-viewed by a user operation using a similar function (particularly, a rewind and pause function). These functions are also used when searching for a scene that the viewer wants to view in the content. In addition, when a viewer is watching a certain TV broadcast program by playing it, when it becomes a commercial or when it is determined that the scene is not interesting, the viewer can watch a broadcast program of another channel or other input content. There are many cases (zapping).

  Here, as the CM skip function, for example, a content playback device that uses a voice characteristic (stereo / monaural / bilateral broadcasting) and skips a CM at a boundary between the main part and the CM, where the voice characteristic is switched. Proposed. Further, regarding the CM skip function, a commercial auto-cut recording device that effectively performs a commercial cut even when bilingual or two-sound broadcasting is performed during commercial broadcasting has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). . The recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 pauses recording with a first pilot signal of stereo broadcasting, performs recording during an output period of a second pilot signal of bilingual or two audio broadcasting, and performs second recording. When the pilot signal is shorter than the predetermined time, the recording tape is rewound by the output time of the second pilot signal and the recording of the commercial is erased.

  A program signal recording apparatus that can more reliably record only the main part of a program has also been proposed with regard to the CM skip function (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In the program signal recording device described in Patent Document 2, the program information acquisition unit acquires program information transmitted together with the program signal, and detects the audio mode of the program based on the program information. On the other hand, the audio mode discriminating unit discriminates the audio mode from the program signal being received, and the control unit permits the recording operation when both audio modes match, and the audio modes match. If not, recording in the recording unit is temporarily stopped.

On the other hand, for viewers, even if the content has been viewed once, the user may want to view again the content he / she likes, learning content, etc. In such a case, in the current content reproduction apparatus, the content is viewed by executing the above viewing method again.
JP-A-5-282737 JP 2003-46933 A

  However, there are scenes that do not attract interest, such as commercials, among the contents that you want to view again, and conversely, there are scenes that you are interested in and want to view again and again. That is, even if the content has been viewed once, scenes that the user does not like or are not interested in are not intended to be viewed again when viewing again. Must be fast-forwarded or skipped during this viewing. On the other hand, even if the content has been viewed once, there are scenes that the user wants to repeatedly view in the content. In such a case, it is necessary to rewind the scene that the user wants to view repeatedly during the current viewing.

  As described above, in the current content playback device, even when viewing the content again, not only the above viewing method is executed again, but also the content is viewed by repeating substantially the same user operation. Thus, it is troublesome and troublesome for the viewer to repeat such user operations.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a case where there are scenes in the content that do not attract commercials or interest, or on the contrary, those that are interested and want to watch again and again. However, when the content is viewed a plurality of times, there is no need to repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast forward, rewind, cue, etc., a content playback device, a content playback method, a content playback program, and a computer on which the program is recorded An object is to provide a readable recording medium.

  In addition, the present invention records a content on a recording medium after viewing, even if there is a scene in the content that does not attract CM or interest, or conversely, a scene that is interesting and you want to watch again and again. When viewing again, the content recording device, the content recording method, the content recording program, and the computer-readable recording on which the program is recorded need not repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast forward, rewind, and cue Another object is to provide a medium.

The present invention is constituted by the following technical means in order to solve the above-described problems.
The first technical means includes: an operation accepting unit that accepts a user operation related to content reproduction in a content reproduction device that reproduces content; and a content reproduction unit that reproduces the content based on the user operation received by the operation accepting unit. A history of storing, in association with the content, history information related to a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means and an operation type of the user operation and a time zone when the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproducing means Information storage means, and when the content reproduction means reproduces the content, the history information stored in the history information storage means is referred to and history information regarding the content to be reproduced exists. , According to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information, It is obtained by further comprising a reference reproducing means for reproducing the contents of the elephants.

  According to a second technical means, in the first technical means, the history information storage means converts the history information into content information of the content reproduced by the content reproduction means in response to a user operation accepted by the operation acceptance means. The reference playback means refers to the history information stored in the history information storage means based on the content information of the content to be played back when playing back the content, and When there is history information related to the content, the playback target content is played according to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information.

  A third technical means is the first or second technical means, wherein the reference reproduction means is a content that has been reproduced in the past and used for reproduction with respect to the content to be reproduced when reproducing the content. And a means for reproducing the content to be reproduced according to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information for the reproduced content selected by the selection means. It is characterized by.

  According to a fourth technical means, in any one of the first to third technical means, the history information stored in the history information storage means is for omitting viewing of a certain part in the content among user operations. It is characterized by including at least an operation.

  According to a fifth technical means, in any one of the first to fourth technical means, the operation accepting means includes means for accepting an operation of viewing another input video signal for a certain period as the user operation. The history information storage means stores in the history information that the fast-forward operation has been performed for the certain period when the operation is stored.

  According to a sixth technical means, in any one of the first to fifth technical means, the content is a content made up of a plurality of small sections, and the content reproduction apparatus is configured to perform a process between individual small sections included in the content. Boundary detecting means for detecting a boundary, and the operation receiving means detects, as the user operation, a boundary detected by the boundary detecting means and receives an operation for reproducing from a specific position or an operation for reproducing only a specific region. It is characterized by having.

  According to a seventh technical means, in any one of the first to sixth technical means, the content is a content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the history information storage means is a content to be stored in the history information. It has boundary detection means for detecting the boundaries of individual subsections included, and matches the boundary obtained by the boundary detection means close to the time zone instead of the time zone in which the user operation is performed in the history information. It is characterized by memorizing the time zone.

  The eighth technical means is an operation accepting means for accepting a user operation relating to content reproduction in a content recording apparatus for recording content, and a content reproducing means for reproducing the content based on the user operation accepted by the operation accepting means. A history of storing, in association with the content, history information related to a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means and an operation type of the user operation and a time zone when the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproducing means Information storage means and content recording means for recording content on a recording medium, wherein the content recording means refers to history information stored in the history information storage means when recording content, If there is history information related to According to the operation type and time zone information indicates, it is obtained by further comprising a reference record means for recording the content of the recorded.

  According to a ninth technical means, in a content recording apparatus for recording content, an operation accepting means for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, and a content reproducing means for reproducing the content based on the user operation accepted by the operation accepting means, A history of storing, in association with the content, history information related to a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means and an operation type of the user operation and a time zone when the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproducing means Information storage means and content recording means for recording content on a recording medium, wherein the content recording means refers to history information stored in the history information storage means when recording content, If there is history information about the content As information content reproducible said recorded is in accordance with the operation type and the time period indicated, it is obtained by further comprising a reference record means for recording the history information along with the content of the recorded.

  According to a tenth technical means, in the eighth or ninth technical means, the history information storage means stores the history information of the content reproduced by the content reproducing means in response to a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means. The reference recording means refers to the history information stored in the history information storage means based on the content information of the content to be recorded when recording the content, and stores the content information in association with the content information. Recording is performed when there is history information related to the content to be recorded.

  The eleventh technical means is any one of the eighth to tenth technical means, wherein the reference recording means reproduces the content to be recorded in the past used for recording when the content is recorded. Selecting means for allowing the user to select the content that has already been recorded, means for recording the content to be recorded according to the operation type and its time zone indicated by the history information for the reproduced content selected by the selecting means, It is characterized by having.

  According to a twelfth technical means, in any one of the eighth to eleventh technical means, the history information stored in the history information storage means is for omitting viewing of a certain part in the content among the user operations. It is characterized by including at least an operation.

  In a thirteenth technical means according to any one of the eighth to twelfth technical means, the operation accepting means has means for accepting an operation of viewing another input video signal for a certain period as the user operation. The history information storage means stores in the history information that the fast-forward operation has been performed for the certain period when the operation is stored.

  According to a fourteenth technical means, in any one of the eighth to thirteenth technical means, the content is a content made up of a plurality of small sections, and the content recording apparatus is arranged between the individual small sections included in the content. Boundary detecting means for detecting a boundary, and the operation receiving means detects, as the user operation, a boundary detected by the boundary detecting means and receives an operation for reproducing from a specific position or an operation for reproducing only a specific region. It is characterized by having.

  According to a fifteenth technical means, in any one of the eighth to fourteenth technical means, the content is a content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the history information storage means is a content to be stored in the history information. It has boundary detection means for detecting the boundaries of individual subsections included, and matches the boundary obtained by the boundary detection means close to the time zone instead of the time zone in which the user operation is performed in the history information. It is characterized by memorizing the time zone.

  According to a sixteenth technical means, in a content reproduction method for reproducing content, an operation reception step for receiving a user operation related to content reproduction, and a content reproduction step for reproducing the content based on the user operation received in the operation reception step; A history of storing, in association with the content, history information regarding the operation type of the user operation and the time zone when the user operation is performed on the content played back at the content playback step in response to the user operation received at the operation receiving step An information storage step, wherein the content playback step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when the content is played back, and there is history information regarding the content to be played back. The history information indicates According work type and time zone, in which is characterized by having a reference reproduction step of reproducing the content of the reproduction object.

  According to a seventeenth technical means, in the content recording method for recording content, an operation accepting step for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, and a content replaying step for reproducing the content based on the user operation accepted in the operation accepting step; A history of storing, in association with the content, history information regarding the operation type of the user operation and the time zone when the user operation is performed on the content played back at the content playback step in response to the user operation received at the operation receiving step An information storage step; and a content recording step for recording the content on a recording medium. The content recording step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when recording the content, and records the content. It is targeted If the history information was about content, according to the operation type and the time period indicated by the subsequent history information is obtained by further comprising a reference record step of recording the contents of the recorded.

  According to an eighteenth technical means, in a content recording method for recording content, an operation receiving step for receiving a user operation related to content playback, and a content playback step for playing back the content based on the user operation received in the operation receiving step; A history of storing, in association with the content, history information regarding the operation type of the user operation and the time zone when the user operation is performed on the content played back at the content playback step in response to the user operation received at the operation receiving step An information storage step; and a content recording step for recording the content on a recording medium. The content recording step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when recording the content, Conte A reference recording step of recording the history information together with the content to be recorded so that the content to be recorded can be reproduced according to the operation type indicated by the history information and its time zone. A content recording method comprising:

  The nineteenth technical means is a program for causing a computer to function as each means in the content reproduction apparatus in any one of the first to seventh technical means.

  The twentieth technical means is a program for causing a computer to function as each means in the content recording apparatus according to any one of the eighth to fifteenth technical means.

  The twenty-first technical means is a computer-readable recording medium recording the program according to the nineteenth or twentieth technical means.

  According to the present invention, even when there are scenes in the content that do not attract commercials or interest, or on the contrary, those that are interested and want to be viewed again and again, when viewing the content multiple times. It is not necessary to repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast forward, rewind, and cue.

  Further, according to the present invention, even if there is a scene in the content that does not attract commercials or interest, or conversely, a scene that attracts interest and wants to be viewed again and again, the recording medium after viewing the content. When recording and viewing again, there is no need to repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast forward, rewind, and cue.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a content reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of content reproduction processing in the content reproduction apparatus of FIG. 1, and is also a flowchart for explaining a content reproduction method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The content playback device according to the present invention is a device for playing back content stored in any storage location, and can be suitably applied to various devices such as a hard disk recorder, a DVD recorder, a hard disk built-in DVD recorder, a video recorder, Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a television receiver with a recording / reproducing function, a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a PC) provided with a module such as a content reproducing program and a video card (also referred to as a video adapter).

  The content playback apparatus 1 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 includes at least an operation receiving unit 11, a content playback unit 12, and a history information storage unit 13. The content to be played back by the content playback device 1 is generally stored in a storage unit (for example, a recording medium 14 such as a hard disk or a DVD) in the content playback device 1, and the content playback device 1 It may also be content stored in a device or server having a storage unit connected to the network. The content includes not only digitally broadcasted content, collection of still image content distributed over the network, moving image content, digitally recorded content and other digital content, but also analog broadcasted content and analog recorded content. Even analog content of the above can be applied to the present invention.

  Note that, in the content reproduction apparatus 1, content for which video output or audio output is performed for the first time may not be subject to reference reproduction or history information storage for reference reproduction, which is a feature of the present invention described later. For example, what is stored in a storage unit in the content playback apparatus 1 or stored in a device or server having a storage unit connected to the content playback apparatus 1 via a network or the like becomes a target for reference playback or the like. The received broadcast signal or the signal that is directly output via the network is temporarily stored in the storage unit as a target condition for reference reproduction or the like. Therefore, a tuner, a recording medium, a network communication unit, and the like may be appropriately provided as content input means provided in the content reproduction apparatus 1. However, the contents of the present invention to be described later for content to be output for the first time. In order to execute the reference reproduction, it is necessary to store the content in any storage location in advance.

  The operation accepting unit 11 is a unit that accepts user operations relating to content reproduction, and includes various operation buttons and OSD (On Screen Display) screens provided on the main body of the content reproduction apparatus 1 and a remote controller (hereinafter referred to as a remote controller). A display means etc. are mentioned. Here, user operations include playback operations, CM skip operations, fast forward operations (including fast forward playback operations), rewind operations (including fast forward playback operations), slow playback operations, pause operations, stop operations, small operations. A section heading operation or the like is applicable, and preferably includes at least an operation for omitting viewing of a certain part in the content. Note that, in the fast forward operation, the rewind operation, and the like, the double speed is usually set in stages, and the operation for each stage may be included as the user operation here.

  The content reproduction unit 12 is a unit that reproduces the content C based on the user operation received by the operation reception unit 11. The content reproduction means 12 in the present invention includes a reference reproduction means 12b described later, and preferably also includes a normal reproduction means 12a that performs normal content reproduction.

  In response to the user operation received by the operation receiving unit 11, the history information storage unit 13 includes the operation type (CM skip, fast forward, rewind, cue, etc.) of the user operation and the content C played back by the content playback unit 12. History information H relating to a time zone during which a user operation is performed is stored in association with the content.

  In FIG. 1, the recording medium 14 as a recording destination of the history information H is illustrated as another example. However, the history information storage unit 13 performs storage processing and a storage unit serving as a storage location of the history information H. Means. The content playback apparatus 1 preferably includes this storage unit in the apparatus, and preferably includes a storage unit for storing content to be played back. Therefore, the content playback apparatus 1 includes the above-described hard disk recorder or the like. It is preferable to apply to the content recording apparatus. Here, the time may be stored as the time zone, but it is preferable to store the time from the beginning of the content because processing in later reference reproduction becomes complicated. Further, the history information H is information of a history reproduced by a user operation, and so-called user operation information, as described above, an operation for omitting viewing of a certain part in the content among the user operations. It is preferable to include at least. Further, the history information storage unit 13 may directly acquire the information of the operation received by the operation receiving unit 11 and acquire the time zone from the content playback unit 12 or may be associated with the time zone via the content playback unit 12. You may acquire collectively.

  When reproducing the content C, the reference reproduction unit 12b in the content reproduction unit 12 refers to the history information H stored in the history information storage unit 13, and there is history information H related to the content C to be reproduced. In this case, the content C to be played back is played according to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information. That is, the content C that is played back by the reference playback unit 12b with the effects of the present invention is a content that has been played back at least once before playback and the history information storage unit 13 has stored history information H. The same operation as the viewer performing a user operation such as fast-forwarding at the time of playback is automatically executed at the time of reference playback, and the user's trouble can be saved. In this way, as an example of the user's key input, for example, when the CM is skipped, the same content is reproduced again by storing the input when the user skips the CM in units of content. When the CM is skipped, it is possible to skip the CM portion by executing the user input when the CM is skipped.

  The history information storage unit 13 may include a unit that stores the history information H as one user operation for a plurality of user operations. For example, for an operation that rewinds a little after fast-forwarding, the fast-forwarding with a small amount subtracted is stored in the history information H as a user operation, and the reference playback means 12b performs fast-forwarding with the small amount subtracted. You may make it perform. This can be applied in the same way even when the double-speed fast-forward is only during the period Ta and then the 4-times fast-forward is only during the period Tb. In such a case, the history information is stored as it is. It is also possible to store information for executing fast-forwarding at a quadruple speed only during the period Ta + Tb.

  It should be noted that the content reproduction apparatus 1 may be provided with a reference reproduction mode and a normal reproduction mode, and the history information storage unit 13 and the reference reproduction unit 12b may function only in the reference reproduction mode. The reference playback mode here refers to a mode in which reference playback is possible. In consideration of the fact that viewers do not always want to perform reference playback, a reference playback button is prepared. It may be configured to execute the actual reference reproduction by pressing. In addition, in order to perform a large amount of reference reproduction by the reference reproduction means 12b, it is necessary to store history information for many contents. The history information storage process is configured to be executed in either the normal playback mode or the reference playback mode, or a mode in which preliminary history information H is stored in the normal playback mode and a mode in which it is not performed are set. It may be provided and executed only in the preliminary storage mode or the reference reproduction mode.

  Here, some examples of CM skip operation, which is a kind of user operation, storage in the history information, and reference reproduction using the history information will be described.

  In order to support CM skip, the content playback apparatus 1 may be provided with CM skip means. This CM skip means is means for detecting and skipping a commercial part in the content, and conversely, means for reproducing only the main part. And the operation reception means 11 should just provide a means to receive operation which skips a commercial part by CM skip means. Also, when performing reference playback, CM skip means may be used when a CM skip operation is performed in the previous playback. Further, regarding the CM detection, it is also possible to improve the detection accuracy of the CM portion by using image recognition and voice recognition together.

  Further, as another reproduction method using CM skip, a method of omitting a portion sandwiched between CMs may be adopted. In this case, if the content reproduction apparatus 1 includes CM detection means and predetermined period step means. Good. The CM detection means is means for detecting a commercial part in the content. The predetermined period skip means is a means for skipping a period including an arbitrary number of commercial parts in the content. The user designates an arbitrary number and time zone. And the operation reception means 11 should just provide a means to receive the operation skipped in a predetermined period skip means. For example, the reference reproduction may be performed based on history information indicating that the viewing is skipped from what number CM to what number CM.

  Also, as another playback method using CM detection, even if playback operation is actually performed using fast forward, rewind, etc., there is a slight deviation from what the user intends because of the reaction speed, and when playback is performed again This deviation may be corrected. In that case, the content reproduction apparatus 1 includes the above-described CM detection unit, and the history information storage unit 13 causes the CM detection unit to detect the commercial part when storing the history information, and associates the detected commercial part with the user operation. And the time zone may be stored. However, it is necessary to determine whether it is an operation to skip the CM portion close to the CM portion in the time zone in which the user operation is performed. Also, when playback is performed after the i-th CM by fast-forwarding or the like, information such as playback after the i-th CM is stored as history information, and the i-th CM detection means performs the reference playback when performing reference playback. Just jump after the CM.

  Regarding the cueing operation, the content reproduction apparatus 1 may be provided with a boundary detection unit that detects a boundary between individual small sections included in the content. Then, the operation accepting unit 11 detects, as a user operation, a boundary detected by the boundary detecting unit, and accepts an operation for reproducing from a specific position or an operation for reproducing only a specific area (an operation for jumping and reproducing from the position). May be provided. However, content compatible with this embodiment is content composed of a plurality of small sections.

  Further, the history information storage means 13 may be provided with boundary detection means for detecting the boundaries of individual subsections included in the content to be stored in the history information H. This boundary detection means can also be called content analysis means. Then, the history information storage unit 13 uses the boundary obtained by the boundary detection unit near the time zone instead of the time zone in which the user operation is performed in the history information H, similarly to the correction of the deviation by the CM detection described above. What is necessary is just to memorize | store the time slot | zone corresponding to. However, content compatible with this embodiment is content composed of a plurality of small sections. In this embodiment, the content is analyzed by boundary detection, and the deviation between the user operation and the user's intention can be corrected by correcting the time zone in which the user operation was performed to the detected time zone.

  Next, processing in the reference playback mode among the content playback processing in the content playback apparatus 1 as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, it is determined whether or not a playback operation has been performed (step S1). When a playback operation is performed among user operations related to content playback and the playback operation is accepted, the process proceeds to step S2. Here, the playback operation is not only the pressing of the playback button, but also operations such as pressing the fast forward button, the rewind button, the cue button, etc. It is assumed that not only the reproduction operation but also the reference reproduction operation is included. Here, the reference reproduction operation may be handled as an operation when the reproduction button is pressed in the reference reproduction mode. However, a fast-forward operation, a rewind operation, and the like may be regarded as simple operations unless the playback button is pressed thereafter, and may not proceed to the following steps.

  In step S2, it is determined whether or not a reference reproduction operation has been performed. If the reproduction operation in step S1 is a reference reproduction operation, the process proceeds to step S3. If not, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S3, history information for the reproduced content is searched. After step S3, if there is history information corresponding to the playback content through the determination of presence / absence of corresponding history information (step S4), the history information indicates the content with reference to the history information. Reference reproduction according to the operation type and its time zone is executed (step S5). The process in step S5 ends with a stop process from a user (not shown).

  On the other hand, if there is no history information corresponding to the playback content in step S4, the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, the content is normally played back. Then, it is determined whether or not a user operation has been performed (step S7). If not, the user operation is performed or the process proceeds to step S10 to wait for the end of reproduction. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S7 that the user operation has been performed, processing corresponding to the operation is executed (step S8), and the operation type of the user operation and the time zone in which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced in the content reproduction step Is stored (step S9). The process corresponding to the operation executed in step S8 corresponds to, for example, a process of fast-forwarding reproduction when the user operation is a fast-forward operation. Note that the order of steps S8 and S9 is not limited, and the end of reproduction is awaited when both the processes are completed (step S10). Further, even when a stop operation is performed as a user operation, the stop process may be executed to store the stop operation in the history information, and then it is determined in step S10 that the reproduction has ended. On the other hand, unless it is determined in step S10 that the reproduction has ended, the processes in steps S8 and S9 are repeated.

  As described above, according to the content reproduction apparatus and method according to the present embodiment, operation information (key input such as reproduction after fast-forward) when the user reproduces is stored for each content that can be reproduced by recording or the like. In addition, when the content is played back again, the content is played back according to the recorded operation information, so that the CM or interest is not attracted to the content, or vice versa. Even when there is a scene to be re-viewed, there is no need to repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast-forward, rewind, and cue when viewing the content a plurality of times.

  Further, in the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the history information may be stored in association with the content information of the content. Such an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Explained.

  The history information storage unit 13 in the embodiment described here stores history information in association with the content information of the content C reproduced by the content reproduction unit 12 in response to the user operation received by the operation reception unit 11. . Note that the content information refers to information such as the content of the subsections in the content, information on time zones, producers, performers, copyright information, genres, etc. Information that can be suitably used in this embodiment is time zones. Information. In the case of analog content, the content information may be obtained by requesting user input. Further, when reproducing the content C, the reference reproduction unit 12b refers to the history information stored in the history information storage unit 13 based on the content information of the content C to be reproduced, and reproduces the content C to be reproduced. If there is history information related to the item, the content to be reproduced is reproduced according to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to search history information of content related to the content to be played back using the content information as a key, and therefore history information of the content itself to be played back exists in the storage unit. Even if there is no history information of similar contents, in particular, history information of specific contents with the same playback order of sub-partitions or contents with CMs played back in the same specific cycle exists in the storage unit, reference playback is possible. Is possible. For example, in a continuous drama or the like, the CM scene often has the same timing each time. Therefore, by applying the key input once stored to the next drama, the CM can be skipped even when the next drama is reproduced. Furthermore, in news programs broadcast daily, information such as sports and stocks tend to be broadcast at approximately the same time. The user's operation to reproduce only a specific area in the content is recorded, and when the content broadcast on the next day or later is reproduced, the recorded user's operation is executed. You can play only the part you want to see.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, content that has been reproduced in the past and that uses the history information may be selected by the user (viewer) when performing reference reproduction. The embodiment will be described next with reference to FIG.

  The reference reproduction means 12b in the embodiment described here includes the following selection means and reproduction means. The selection means is a means for causing the user to select a content that has been reproduced in the past and is used at the time of reproduction for the content C to be reproduced when the content C is reproduced. The reproduction means is means for reproducing the content to be reproduced in accordance with the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information for the reproduced content selected by the selection means. Here, the content that has been reproduced in the past may naturally be the same as the content C, but may be different from the content C.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to select content related to the content to be subjected to reference reproduction based on the user's judgment, and reference reproduction utilizing the user's judgment is possible.

  Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, you may make it respond | correspond to zapping operation as user operation. The operation receiving means 11 in this embodiment includes means for receiving an operation (zapping operation) for viewing other input video signals for a certain period as a user operation. When the history information storage means 13 stores the operation, it is assumed that the fast-forward operation has been performed for a certain period, and the history information is stored in the history information, so that the optimum reference reproduction can be performed.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, reference playback is also a kind of playback. Therefore, even when content reference playback is executed, user operations other than stop are accepted, and processing such as steps S7 to S10 in FIG. 2 is performed. It may be configured to execute and store the history information in a form to be added and refer to it at the next reference reproduction. Here, for example, when the second reproduction (reference reproduction) is executed based on the history information stored by the first reproduction and the fast forward operation is performed in a predetermined section, the following reference is made. At the time of reproduction (during the third reproduction), processing such as fast-forwarding the predetermined section based on the second reproduction is performed.

  Although the content reproduction apparatus and method according to the present invention have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the features of the present invention can be similarly applied to the recording of content. The content recording apparatus and method to which the features of the present invention are applied is a content recording apparatus and method according to each of the above-described embodiments, in which content is recorded on a recording medium so that the same reproduction as that performed by the reference reproduction unit is possible Therefore, the description of the above-described content reproduction apparatus and method can be diverted, and only the differences will be basically described next.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a content recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of content recording processing in the content recording apparatus of FIG. 3, and is also a flowchart for explaining a content recording method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

  The content recording apparatus 2 as another embodiment of the present invention stores user operations in units of content, and records (dubs) the content on a recording medium such as a DVD or an HDD, whereby the same content is recorded. By executing the process related to the user operation stored when reproducing from the recording medium, it is possible to omit the user operation again. As described above, the content recording device according to the present invention is a device for recording content stored in any storage location, and is suitable for various devices such as a hard disk recorder, a DVD recorder, a hard disk built-in DVD recorder, and a video recorder. Furthermore, it can be applied to a television receiver with a recording / playback function, a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a PC) equipped with a module such as a content recording program and a video card (also referred to as a video adapter). It is.

  As a content input means provided in the content recording apparatus 2, a tuner, a recording medium, a network communication means, and the like may be provided as appropriate. However, the content of the present invention is not limited to content to be output for the first time. In order to execute a certain reference recording (reference recording), it is necessary to store the content in any storage location in advance.

  The content recording apparatus 2 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3 includes at least an operation accepting unit 11, a content reproducing unit 12, a history information storage unit 13, and a content recording unit 15. The content to be recorded by the content recording device 2 is generally stored in a storage unit (for example, a recording medium 14 such as a hard disk or a DVD) in the content recording device 2, and the content recording device 2 It may also be content stored in a device or server having a storage unit connected to the network.

  Here, the content recording unit 15 is a unit that records content on a recording medium, and includes at least a reference recording unit 15b described later. The operation accepting unit 11, the content reproduction unit 12, and the history information storage unit 13 are the same as those described for the content reproduction device, and the application forms thereof are also the same. However, in the content recording device 2, the content reproduction unit No reference reproduction means (reference reproduction means 12b in FIG. 1) is required in FIG. 12, and normal reproduction means 12a for performing normal content reproduction may be provided.

  When recording the content C, the reference recording unit 15b refers to the history information stored in the history information storage unit 13, and if there is history information H related to the content C to be recorded, the history information H The content C to be recorded is recorded according to the operation type indicated by and the time zone. The content recorded by the reference recording unit 15b may be one obtained by deleting an unnecessary part from the original content C, or one obtained by performing slow reproduction. Therefore, in the reference recording unit 15b, content that can be reproduced in the same manner as the reproduction by the reference reproduction unit 12b is recorded on the recording medium.

  As another form of the reference recording means 15b, when recording the content C, the history information stored in the history information storage means 13 is referred to and there is history information H related to the content C to be recorded. The history information H is recorded together with the recording target content C so that the recording target content can be reproduced according to the operation type indicated by the history information H and the time zone. In this embodiment, the content recorded by the reference recording means 15b is the same as the original content C, but the history information H is associated with it and recorded on the recording medium. Accordingly, even in this form, the reference recording means 15b records content that can be reproduced in the same manner as the reproduction by the reference reproduction means 12b on the recording medium.

  Similarly to the content reproduction apparatus, the history information storage unit 13 may include a unit that stores the history information H as one user operation for a plurality of user operations. For example, for an operation that rewinds a little after fast-forwarding, the fast-forwarding with a small amount subtracted is stored in the history information H as a user operation, and the reference recording means 15b performs the fast-forwarding with the small amount subtracted. You may record on the recording medium 14 so that it may perform. This can be applied in the same way even when the double-speed fast-forward is only during the period Ta and then the 4-times fast-forward is only during the period Tb. In such a case, the history information is stored as it is. It is also possible to store information for executing fast-forwarding at a quadruple speed only during the period Ta + Tb.

  Note that the reference recording mode and the normal recording mode are also provided in the content recording device 2 as the reference playback mode and the normal playback mode are provided in the content playback device, and the history information storage means 13 is provided only in the reference recording mode. The reference recording means 15b may be functioned. The reference recording mode here refers to a mode in which reference recording is possible, and a reference recording button is prepared in consideration of the fact that the viewer does not always want to perform reference playback. It may be configured to execute actual reference recording by pressing. Also, in order to be able to execute many reference recordings by the reference recording unit 15b, it is necessary to store history information for many contents. The history information storing process is configured to be executed in either the normal recording mode or the reference recording mode, or a mode in which preliminary history information H is stored in the normal recording mode and a mode in which it is not performed are set. It may be provided and executed only in the preliminary recording mode or the reference recording mode.

  Also, CM skip operation, which is a kind of user operation, storage in history information, reference recording using the history information, and reference recording using boundary detection means such as reference recording based on cueing operation Is basically the same as that exemplified in the content reproduction apparatus, except that reference recording is performed instead of reference reproduction.

  Next, processing in the reference recording mode among the content recording processing in the content recording apparatus 2 as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, it is determined whether or not a recording operation has been performed (step S21). When a recording operation is performed among user operations related to content recording, and the recording operation is accepted, the process proceeds to step S22. Here, the recording operation includes not only a normal recording operation but also a reference recording operation. Here, the reference recording operation may be handled as an operation when the recording button is pressed in the reference recording mode.

  In step S22, it is determined whether or not a reference recording operation has been performed. If the recording operation in step S21 is a reference recording operation, the process proceeds to step S23, and if not, the process proceeds to step S26. In step S23, history information for the recorded content is searched. After step S23, if there is history information corresponding to the recorded content through determination of the presence / absence of corresponding history information (step S24), the history information indicates the content with reference to the history information. Reference recording according to the operation type and its time zone is executed (step S25). The process in step S25 ends with a stop process from a user (not shown). On the other hand, if there is no history information corresponding to the recorded content in step S24, the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, the content is normally recorded. The process in step S26 is terminated by a stop process from a user (not shown).

  As described above, according to the content recording apparatus and method according to the present embodiment, for each content that can be reproduced by recording or the like, the operation information (key input such as reproduction after fast forward) when the user reproduces is stored. In addition, when recording the content on the recording medium, the content is recorded in accordance with the recorded operation information. Therefore, the content or the scene that does not attract interest in the content, Even when there is a scene that you want to watch again, there is no need to repeat user operations such as CM skip, fast forward, rewind, and cue when playing content recorded on the recording medium. .

  Further, in the embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the history information may be stored in association with the content information of the content. Such an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Explained.

  The history information storage unit 13 in the embodiment described here stores history information in association with the content information of the content C reproduced by the content reproduction unit 12 in response to the user operation received by the operation reception unit 11. . Details regarding the content information are as described above. Furthermore, when recording the content, the reference recording unit 15b refers to the history information stored in the history information storage unit 13 based on the content information of the content C to be recorded, and stores the content C in the recording target content C. Recording is performed when related history information H exists.

  According to the present embodiment, it is possible to search for history information of content related to the content to be recorded using the content information as a key. Therefore, history information of the content itself to be recorded exists in the storage unit. Even if not, if there is history information of similar content, in particular, history information of specific content with the same playback order of small sections or content with CMs played back in the same specific cycle, the reference recording Is possible. Such an example is as described above in the description of the content reproduction apparatus, and is different in that reference recording can be performed instead of reference reproduction.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the user (viewer) may select the content that has been reproduced in the past and uses the history information when performing reference recording. The embodiment will be described next with reference to FIG.

  The reference recording unit 15b in the embodiment described here includes the following selection unit and reproduction unit. The selection unit is a unit that, when recording the content C, causes the user to select a content that has been reproduced (or recorded) in the past and used for recording with respect to the content C to be recorded. The reproduction means is means for recording the content C to be recorded in accordance with the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information for the reproduced (or recorded) content selected by the selection means. Here, the content that has been reproduced in the past may naturally be the same as the content C, but may be different from the content C. In addition, content that has been recorded in the past may naturally be the same as the content C, but may be different from the content C. However, in order to select a previously recorded content by the selection means, the reference recording means 15b needs to store the content and history information in association with each other in the recording medium 14.

  According to this embodiment, it is possible to select content related to the content to be reference-recorded based on the user's judgment, and reference recording can be made using the user's judgment.

  Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, you may make it respond | correspond to zapping operation as user operation. The operation accepting means 11 in this embodiment includes means for accepting an operation (zapping operation) for viewing other input video signals for a certain period as a user operation. When the history information storage means 13 stores the operation, it is assumed that the fast-forward operation has been performed for a certain period, and the history information is stored in the history information, so that the optimum reference recording can be performed.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, since reference recording is also considered as a kind of reproduction, even when content reference recording is executed, user operations other than stop are accepted, and processing such as steps S7 to S10 in FIG. May be configured so that history information is additionally recorded and referred to at the time of the next reference recording. Here, for example, when reference recording (corresponding to the second playback) is being executed based on the history information stored by the first playback, if a fast forward operation is further performed in a predetermined section, In the case of the reference recording, processing such as fast-forwarding the predetermined section based on the first reference recording (corresponding to the second reproduction) is performed.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a content reproduction / recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. As another embodiment of the present invention, a content playback / recording apparatus in which the content playback apparatus described in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the content recording apparatus described in FIGS. 3 and 4 are combined will be described with reference to FIG. explain.

  The content playback / recording apparatus 3 according to this embodiment includes at least a normal playback unit 12a, a content playback unit 12 including a reference playback unit 12b, a history information storage unit 13, and a content recording unit 15 including at least a reference recording unit 15b. The reference reproduction described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and the reference recording described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 may be executed individually. Details of the processing are as described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a program playback / recording apparatus as a configuration example of a content playback / recording apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, description of a part common to each embodiment mentioned above is abbreviate | omitted.

  The program recording / playback apparatus 20 includes an antenna 21, a tuner 22, a decoding unit 23, a reference processing unit 24, an encoding unit 25, an output control unit 26, a network interface (hereinafter abbreviated as I / F) unit 27, an input unit 28, An external recording medium I / F unit 29, a storage unit 30, a CPU 31, a memory 32, and a system bus 33 are provided. The storage unit 30 is configured by a magnetic disk or the like, and the memory 32 is configured by a ROM, a RAM, or the like, and includes a tuner 22, a decoding unit 23, a reference processing unit 24, an encoding unit 25, an output control unit 26, a network I / F unit 27, The input unit 28, the external recording medium I / F unit 29, the storage unit 30, the CPU 31, and the memory 32 are connected to each other via a system bus 33. The decoding unit 23, the reference processing unit 24, the encoding unit 25, the output control unit 26, the CPU 31, the memory 32, the system bus 33, and other parts may be configured as a system large scale integration (LSI).

  Further, the program recording / playback apparatus 20 includes a remote controller (hereinafter abbreviated as a remote controller) 42 for remotely inputting various operations to the program recording / playback apparatus 20, a speaker 43 which is an audio data output apparatus, and an image data output apparatus. A display device 44 such as a certain CRT (Cathode-ray Tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PDP (Plasma Display Panel), ELD (Electroluminescence Display), DVD, video tape, memory capable of recording audio and video data, semiconductor An external recording medium 45 such as an HD is configured, the speaker 43 and the display device 44 are connected via the output control unit 26, and the external recording medium 45 is detachably connected via the external recording medium I / F unit 29. , Net Through the workpiece I / F section 27 to be connected to a network 41 such as the Internet. The input unit 28 includes a light receiving unit and inputs an operation signal from the remote controller 42.

  Here, as described above, the program recording / playback apparatus 20 of the present invention can be suitably applied to, for example, a hard disk recorder, a DVD recorder, a hard disk built-in DVD recorder, and the like, and further applied to a personal computer having a tuner function. May be. In the description here, a DVD recorder with a built-in hard disk will be described as a representative example.

  In FIG. 6, a tuner 22 demodulates a broadcast signal from a broadcast wave received by an antenna 21 and separates it into a video signal component, an audio signal component (and information related to content). Here, the information regarding the content may be acquired from electronic program guide data (hereinafter referred to as EPG data). The EPG data includes, for example, information on each program such as program name, genre, broadcast time zone (start time / end time), performers, program content (synopsis), and other than obtaining from broadcast waves, EPG distribution You may make it acquire via the network 41 from server apparatuses, such as a service provider which provides a service. The broadcast wave may be a digital broadcast wave (BS, CS, terrestrial wave) or an analog broadcast wave.

  When recording a program using an analog broadcast wave, the tuner 22 demodulates a high-frequency signal (analog modulation signal) received via the antenna 21 and inputs the separated video signal and audio signal to the encoding unit 25. The encoding unit 25 encodes the input video signal and audio signal by, for example, the MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) method. The encoded video signal and audio signal are stored in the storage unit 30 or the external recording medium 45.

  The reference processing unit 24 performs normal playback processing and recording processing, but also executes reference playback processing and reference recording processing according to the present invention. In this case, a program transmitted from the tuner 22 or a program decoded by the decoding unit 23 through an input of a user operation by the user at the input unit 28 is encoded by the encoding unit 25, and is subjected to reference reproduction and reference recording. The program is stored in the storage unit 30. In the reference processing unit 24, the history information according to the present invention is stored in the storage unit 30 in accordance with the user operation, and the reference reproduction or reference recording target program is also stored in the storage unit 30 for reference recording. At this time, the program is stored in the storage unit 30 or the external recording medium 45.

  When the reference processing unit 24 performs reference reproduction of a program recorded in advance in the storage unit 30, the history information stored in the storage unit 30 is read out as it is or after the program read out from the storage unit 30 is decoded by the decoding unit 23. Perform reference playback accordingly. In addition, when reference recording is performed by the reference processing unit 24, similarly, the history information is referred to, encoded by the encoding unit 25 as necessary, and overwritten on the original program, or new from the original program. save.

  When reproducing analog broadcast recording data, the video signal and audio signal stored in the storage unit 30 or the external recording medium 45 are output to the decoding unit 23, and the decoding unit 23 converts the input video signal and audio signal into MPEG. The data is decoded by the method and output to the output control unit 26. However, in the case of reference reproduction, the information is output to the output control unit 26 while referring to the history information. The output control unit 26 controls display output based on the decoded video signal to cause the display device 44 to output video, and controls audio output based on the audio signal to cause the speaker 43 to output audio. Here, when a user operation is performed, the history information is acquired and stored in the storage unit 30. The viewer can view an analog broadcast program corresponding to each signal of the art.

  When recording a program using digital broadcast waves, the tuner 22 demodulates a high-frequency signal (digital modulation signal) received via the antenna 21 and stores the separated video signal, audio signal, and content information in the storage unit 30 or The data is output and stored in the external recording medium 45 and input to the reference processing unit 24. However, in the case of reference recording, a program is acquired from the storage unit 30, and the program is overwritten or separately recorded on the storage unit 30 or the external recording medium 45 while referring to history information. In the case of a digital broadcast wave, the processing in the reference processing unit 24 is the same, except that content information received as a broadcast wave can be used.

  When reproducing recorded data of digital broadcasting, the video signal and audio signal stored in the storage unit 30 or the external recording medium 45 are output to the decoding unit 23, and the decoding unit 23 decodes the input video signal and audio signal. And output to the output control unit 26. However, in the case of reference reproduction, the information is output to the output control unit 26 while referring to the history information. The output control unit 26 controls display output based on the decoded video signal to cause the display device 44 to output video, and controls audio output based on the audio signal to cause the speaker 43 to output audio. Here, when a user operation is performed, the history information is acquired and stored in the storage unit 30. The viewer can view a digital broadcast program corresponding to each signal described above.

  Here, regarding each embodiment described above, regarding processing of various information when applied as a program in a general-purpose computer such as a PC, a mobile computer such as a PDA (personal digital assistant), or a mobile phone, A brief description will be given with reference to a configuration example of a general information processing apparatus applicable to the present invention shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, 50 is an information processing device, 51 is a CPU (central processing unit), 52 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), 53 is a hard disk drive (HDD), 54 is an input device, 55 is a display device, and 56 is a communication device. , 57 is an output device, 58 is a system bus, and 59 is an external recording medium.

  Information handled in this system is temporarily accumulated in the RAM 52 during the processing, and thereafter stored in a storage means such as the HDD 53, and is read out, corrected, and written by the CPU 51 as necessary. A program for causing the computer to function as each unit of the content reproduction apparatus (content reproduction program) or a program for causing the computer to execute each step of the content reproduction method is stored in each ROM, HDD 53, and the like. Is executed by reading. Similarly, a program for causing the computer to function as each unit of the content recording apparatus (content recording program) or a program for causing the computer to execute each step of the content recording method is also stored in each ROM, HDD 53, and the like. It is executed by reading out by the CPU 51. As can be understood from the above description, the content reproduction program and the content recording program have overlapping portions, and when both are incorporated, only one of the overlapping portions is sufficient.

  In addition, the progress and result of the process are presented to the user through a display device 55 such as a CRT, LCD, PDP, or ELD. If necessary, the user can input from the input device 54 such as a keyboard or mouse (pointing device). It is only necessary to input parameters and responses such as user operations necessary for processing. The content reproduction or recording program may be provided with a graphical user interface (GUI) for the display device 55 so as to be easy for the user to use. The communication device 56 is a device for performing communication by connecting to a network or the like, and serves as a content input path together with the HDD 53. Note that the CPU 51, RAM 52, HDD 53, input device 54, display device 55, communication device 56, and other output devices 57 such as a printer may be connected by a bus 58 or the like.

  As described above, when the present invention is applied to a PC or the like, an LSI (Large Scale Integration) chip for image drawing, a memory (VRAM) for holding a screen image, and a terminal for connecting to a display device From the viewpoint of processing speed, it is preferable to mount an expansion card (video adapter) that is configured from the above and adds a screen display function to a PC.

  As described above, each embodiment has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 focusing on the content reproduction and / or recording apparatus and method of the present invention. However, as described in FIG. A content reproduction program and / or a content recording program for causing an information processing device (for example, a computer) as a device in each of the above-described embodiments to function as each unit, or a computer to perform a processing procedure of the device or each step of the method. The content reproduction program and / or the content recording program to be executed may be used, or may be a recording medium that can be read by an information processing device that records the content reproduction program and / or the content recording program.

  An embodiment of a recording medium storing a program and data for realizing a content reproduction and / or recording function according to the present invention will be described. As the recording medium, specifically, various CDs, MOs (magneto-optical disks), DVDs, FDs, flash memories, various other ROMs, RAMs, and the like can be assumed. This function is facilitated by recording and distributing the program on these recording media. Then, the information processing apparatus such as the computer illustrated in FIG. 7 is loaded with the recording medium as described above, and the content reproduction and / or recording program is read by the information processing apparatus, or the information processing apparatus is provided. The content reproduction and / or recording function according to the present invention can be executed by storing the content reproduction and / or recording program in a recording medium and reading it out as necessary.

It is a figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the content reproduction apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the example of a content reproduction process in the content reproduction apparatus of FIG. 1, and is also a flowchart for demonstrating the content reproduction method which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the content recording apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the example of a content recording process in the content recording apparatus of FIG. 3, and is also a flowchart for demonstrating the content recording method which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of 1 structure of the content reproduction | regeneration / recording apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the program recording / reproducing apparatus as one structural example of the content reproduction / recording apparatus which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the general information processing apparatus applicable to this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Content reproduction apparatus, 2 ... Content recording apparatus, 3 ... Content reproduction / recording apparatus, 11 ... Operation reception means, 12 ... Content reproduction means, 12a ... Normal reproduction means, 12b ... Reference reproduction means, 13 ... History information storage means 14, recording medium, 15 ... content recording means, 15a ... normal recording means, 15b ... reference recording means, 20 ... program recording / playback device, 21 ... antenna, 22 ... tuner, 23 ... decoding section, 24 ... reference processing section, 25 ... Encoding unit, 26 ... Output control unit, 27 ... Network I / F unit, 28 ... Input unit, 29 ... External recording medium I / F unit, 30 ... Storage unit, 31, 51 ... CPU, 32 ... Memory, 33 , 58 ... System bus, 41 ... Network, 42 ... Remote controller, 43 ... Speaker, 44, 55 ... Display device, 45, 59 ... External recording medium, 5 ... information processing apparatus, 52 ... RAM, 53 ... HDD, 54 ... input apparatus, 56 ... communication device, 57 ... output device, C ... content, H ... history information.

Claims (21)

  In a content playback apparatus for playing back content, an operation accepting unit that accepts a user operation related to content playback, a content playback unit that plays back the content based on a user operation accepted by the operation accepting unit, and an accepting by the operation accepting unit History information storage means for storing, in association with the content, history information regarding the operation type of the user operation and a time zone during which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproduction means. The content reproduction means refers to the history information stored in the history information storage means when reproducing the content, and if there is history information regarding the content to be reproduced, an operation indicated by the history information According to the type and its time zone, the content to be played is Content playback apparatus characterized by having a reference reproducing means for raw.   The history information storage means stores the history information in association with the content information of the content reproduced by the content reproduction means in response to the user operation accepted by the operation acceptance means, and the reference reproduction means reproduces the content When referring to the history information stored in the history information storage unit based on the content information of the content to be played back, if there is history information related to the content to be played back, The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content to be reproduced is reproduced according to an operation type indicated by history information and a time zone thereof.   The reference playback means is a selection means for causing the user to select a content that has been played back in the past and used for playback when the content is played back, and the playback selected by the selection means. The content playback apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for playing back the content to be played back according to an operation type and a time zone indicated by history information for the completed content.   4. The history information stored in the history information storage unit includes at least an operation for omitting viewing of a certain part of the content among user operations. 5. The content reproduction device described.   The operation accepting means includes means for accepting an operation of viewing another input video signal for a certain period as the user operation, and the history information storage means is configured to store the operation during the certain period. 5. The content reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the history reproduction information is stored in the history information as if the fast-forward operation was performed.   The content is content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the content reproduction apparatus includes boundary detection means for detecting a boundary between individual small sections included in the content, and the operation receiving means is configured as the user operation. The content according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising means for detecting a boundary by the boundary detection means and receiving an operation of reproducing from a specific position or an operation of reproducing only a specific area. Playback device.   The content is content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the history information storage means includes boundary detection means for detecting boundaries of individual small sections included in the content to be stored in the history information, and the history 7. A time zone that matches a boundary obtained by the boundary detection means, which is close to the time zone, is stored instead of the time zone during which a user operation is performed in the information. The content reproduction device according to item.   In a content recording apparatus for recording content, operation accepting means for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, content reproducing means for reproducing the content based on a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means, and accepting by the operation accepting means History information storage means for storing history information related to the operation type of the user operation and a time zone during which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproduction means, in association with the content; Content recording means for recording on a recording medium, wherein the content recording means refers to history information stored in the history information storage means when recording content, and history information relating to the content to be recorded Is present, the operation type indicated by the history information And according to the time zone, the contents recording device characterized by having a reference recording means for recording the content of the recorded.   In a content recording apparatus for recording content, operation accepting means for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, content reproducing means for reproducing the content based on a user operation accepted by the operation accepting means, and accepting by the operation accepting means History information storage means for storing history information related to the operation type of the user operation and a time zone during which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced by the content reproduction means, in association with the content; Content recording means for recording on a recording medium, wherein the content recording means refers to history information stored in the history information storage means when recording content, and history information relating to the content to be recorded Is present, the operation type indicated by the history information And the like the content to be recorded that can be reproduced in accordance with the time zone, the contents recording device characterized by having a reference recording means for recording the history information along with the content of the recorded.   The history information storage means stores the history information in association with the content information of the content reproduced by the content reproduction means in response to the user operation accepted by the operation acceptance means, and the reference recording means records the content When referring to the history information stored in the history information storage unit based on the content information of the content to be recorded, recording is performed when there is history information related to the content to be recorded. The content recording apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein   The reference recording means, when recording the content, for the content to be recorded, a selection means for allowing the user to select a content that has been reproduced in the past and used for recording, and the reproduction selected by the selection means 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a unit configured to record the content to be recorded in accordance with an operation type indicated by history information for the completed content and a time zone thereof. Content recording device.   12. The history information stored in the history information storage unit includes at least an operation for omitting viewing of a certain part in the content among user operations. The content recording device described.   The operation accepting means includes means for accepting an operation of viewing another input video signal for a certain period as the user operation, and the history information storage means is configured to store the operation during the certain period. The content recording apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein the history information is stored in the history information as if the fast forward operation was performed.   The content is content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the content recording apparatus includes boundary detection means for detecting a boundary between individual small sections included in the content, and the operation receiving means is configured as the user operation. 14. The content according to claim 8, further comprising means for detecting a boundary by the boundary detection means and receiving an operation of reproducing from a specific position or an operation of reproducing only a specific area. Recording device.   The content is content composed of a plurality of small sections, and the history information storage means includes boundary detection means for detecting boundaries of individual small sections included in the content to be stored in the history information, and the history 15. The time zone that coincides with the boundary obtained by the boundary detection means that is close to the time zone, instead of the time zone during which a user operation is performed, is stored in the information. The content recording device according to item.   In a content reproduction method for reproducing content, an operation reception step for receiving a user operation related to content reproduction, a content reproduction step for reproducing the content based on the user operation received in the operation reception step, and an operation reception step A history information storage step for storing history information related to the operation type of the user operation and a time zone in which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced in the content reproduction step in association with the content. The content reproduction step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when reproducing the content, and if there is history information regarding the content to be reproduced, the history information is Operation type and time According, content playback method characterized by having a reference reproduction step of reproducing the content of the reproduction object.   In a content recording method for recording content, an operation accepting step for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, a content replaying step for replaying the content based on a user operation accepted in the operation accepting step, and accepting in the operation accepting step A history information storage step for storing history information related to an operation type of the user operation and a time zone in which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced in the content reproduction step in association with the content; A content recording step for recording on a recording medium, wherein the content recording step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when recording the content, and relates to the content to be recorded Wear If the information was, according to the operation type and the time period indicated by the subsequent history information, the content recording method characterized by having a reference recording step of recording the contents of the recorded.   In a content recording method for recording content, an operation accepting step for accepting a user operation related to content reproduction, a content replaying step for replaying the content based on a user operation accepted in the operation accepting step, and accepting in the operation accepting step A history information storage step for storing history information related to an operation type of the user operation and a time zone in which the user operation is performed on the content reproduced in the content reproduction step in association with the content; A content recording step for recording on a recording medium, wherein the content recording step refers to the history information stored in the history information storage step when recording the content, and history information relating to the content to be recorded A reference recording step of recording the history information together with the recording target content so that the recording target content can be played back according to the operation type and the time zone indicated by the history information. Content recording method.   The program for functioning a computer as each means in the content reproduction apparatus of any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7.   The program for functioning a computer as each means in the content recording device of any one of Claims 8 thru | or 15.   A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 19 or 20 is recorded.

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