JP2006318533A - Remote controller - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote controller capable of selecting a file to be reproduced next by the user while continuing the reproduction of the file being reproduced at present. <P>SOLUTION: The controller is equipped with: a read-out means 107 for reading out data being stored in a connected memory 108; a display means 103 for displaying one or more thumb-nails being included in the data read out by the aforementioned read-out means; and a transmission means 109 for transmitting an instruction to a reproducing device or recording/reproducing device for reproducing a content corresponding to the thumb-nail selected among the thumb-nails displayed by the aforementioned display means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote controller for controlling a playback device that plays back images and / or sounds, or a recording and playback device that records and plays back images and / or sounds.

  When a desired file is searched for and reproduced from a plurality of image files, audio files or image / audio files (hereinafter simply referred to as “files”) recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk drive, tape or DVD The thumbnail corresponding to each file is read from the medium, and the thumbnail is displayed on the screen. Then, the file corresponding to the thumbnail selected by the user is reproduced.

  When playing a file that is different from the file being played, the user selects skip and plays the file before and after the currently playing file. Skip until the desired file is played, or stop playing the currently playing file, display a thumbnail instead, and play the file corresponding to the thumbnail selected by the user.

  As an invention using thumbnails, for example, there is a thing disclosed in Patent Document 1.

Patent Document 1 states that “a plurality of continuous still image files are stored in a moving image file held in an SDRAM, and each of them is continuously reproduced, whereby a moving image is displayed on a monitor. When the index display button is pressed during playback of a moving image, the CPU reads the index file from the memory card and plays back a plurality of thumbnail images stored in the index file. When the operator selects a desired thumbnail image from the displayed thumbnail images, a still image file corresponding to the selected thumbnail image is reproduced, and as a result, the same still image as the selected thumbnail image is played back. The image is displayed on the entire surface of the monitor, and when the set key is pressed here, the moving image following this still image is replayed. Is the. By using an index file, it is described that short time access. "A desired recording portion.
JP 2000-175158 A

  As described above, in the conventional technique, when a certain file is being played, if another file is to be played next, it is necessary to skip until the desired file is played or to play a thumbnail. For this reason, there is a problem that the next file cannot be selected unless playback of the current file is stopped.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a remote controller that allows a user to select a file to be reproduced next while continuing to reproduce a currently reproduced file.

  According to the present invention, reading means for reading data stored in a connected memory, display means for displaying one or more thumbnails included in the data read by the reading means, and the display There is provided a remote controller comprising: transmission means for transmitting a command for reproducing content corresponding to a thumbnail selected from the thumbnails displayed by the means to a reproduction apparatus or recording / reproduction apparatus.

  In the above remote controller, the memory may be an external memory.

  The remote controller may further include a reproducing unit that internally reproduces content included in the data read by the reading unit.

  In the above remote controller, the content included in the data read by the reading means is encoded in a format different from the format of the content played back by the playback device or the recording / playback device. Also good.

  The above remote controller may further include a mobile phone function.

  According to the present invention, reading means for reading data stored in a connected memory, display means for displaying one or more thumbnails included in the data read by the reading means, and the display And transmission means for transmitting an instruction for reproducing the content corresponding to the selected thumbnail among the thumbnails displayed by the means to the reproduction apparatus or the recording / reproduction apparatus, so that the reproduction of the currently reproduced file is continued. Thus, the user can select a file to be reproduced next.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a remote controller that best represents the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, 101 is a memory, 102 is a video / audio decoding circuit, 103 is an image display unit, 104 is a speaker, 105 is a data bus, 106 is a CPU, and 107 is an external memory. An interface, 108 is an external memory, and 109 is a transmission unit.

  The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  When an external memory (for example, flash memory) 108 is inserted from the outside, the CPU recognizes the insertion through the external memory interface 107 and the data bus 105.

  The CPU 106 determines whether or not management information for managing a playback device or a recording medium of the recording / playback device that is controlled by the remote controller is recorded in the external memory 108.

  If management information or the like is not recorded in the external memory 108, the CPU 106 displays “This memory cannot reference the data of the recording / playback apparatus” on the image display unit 103. In this case, the remote controller operates as a conventional remote controller.

  On the other hand, if management information or the like is recorded in the external memory 108, the following operation is performed.

  The CPU 106 causes the data in the external memory 108 to be stored in the memory 101 via the external memory interface 107 and the data bus 105. However, the CPU 106 compares the capacities between the external memory 108 and the memory 101, and stores only management information in the memory 101 according to the result, or stores management information, image information, and the like in the memory 101. To decide.

  FIG. 2 shows management information and image information described in the external memory 108.

  With reference to FIG. 2, management information, image information, and the like will be described for each of (A), (B), (C), and (D).

  Among (A), Take0000. avi to Take0002. avi is the name of the moving image data recorded on the playback device or the recording medium of the recording / playback device. Also, Pict0000. jpg is the name of the still image data recorded on the playback device or the recording medium of the recording / playback device. In addition, Audi0000. snd is the name of the audio data recorded on the playback device or the recording medium of the recording / playback device. Those whose extension is sam (for example, Take0000.sam) described on the right are thumbnail names of images, still images, and audio data. In addition, those having an extension of mv (for example, Take0000.mv) described on the right are names of moving image files recorded in the external memory 108. The moving image file recorded in the external memory 108 is obtained, for example, by transcoding moving image data recorded on a recording medium (rate conversion, size conversion, compression encoding method conversion, or a combination thereof). It is. A file whose extension is pic (Pict0000.pic) is a name of a still image file recorded in the external memory (108). The still image file recorded in the external memory 108 is obtained by, for example, transcoding the still image data recorded on the recording medium (compression rate conversion, size conversion, compression encoding method conversion, or a combination thereof). It is obtained. The one with the extension “aud” (audio0000.aud) is the name of the audio file recorded in the external memory 108. The audio file recorded in the external memory is obtained, for example, by transcoding audio data recorded on a recording medium (compression rate conversion, compression encoding method conversion, or a combination thereof). . However, if the capacity of the external memory 108 is sufficient, all or part of the moving image file, the still image file, and the audio file recorded in the external memory 108 are recorded on the playback device or the recording / playback device medium. May be the same. The numbers in the second column from the right and the numbers in the rightmost column indicate the start address and size of the file recorded on the recording medium, respectively.

  (B) is thumbnail information indicating the name of the thumbnail file and the address of the thumbnail file in the external memory 108. However, it is not always necessary to provide a sound thumbnail for each sound file, and a common thumbnail (for example, a thumbnail of a musical note symbol) that can be recognized as sound can be used in common. .

  (C) is image information and audio information, and indicates the names of moving image files, still image files, or audio files recorded in the external memory 108 and the addresses and sizes of those files in the external memory 108.

  (D) is an entity of a thumbnail file, a moving image file, a still image file, and an audio file.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the operation of the remote controller will be described.

  The CPU 106 copies at least all of (A), (B), (C), and (D) thumbnail files shown in FIG. To do.

  Next, the CPU 106 reads out the thumbnail file stored in the memory 101 and supplies it to the image / audio decoding circuit 102 via the data bus 105. The image / audio decoding circuit 102 decodes the supplied thumbnail file data. The CPU 106 supplies the decoded data to the image display unit 103, and the image display unit 103 displays thumbnails based on the data.

  The above operation is performed for the number of thumbnails that can be displayed on the image display unit 103. However, if the number of thumbnails is less than the displayable number, the number of thumbnails is set. Further, when there are more thumbnails than can be displayed, icons 111 and 112 (see FIG. 3) indicating the front and rear screens are displayed on the screen display unit 103, and the arrow keys 113 or 114 (see FIG. 3) are displayed according to the icons. If is pressed, a new screen is formed, and undisplayed thumbnails are displayed in order as many as possible.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the external appearance of the remote controller. The image display unit 103 illustrated in FIG. 3 corresponds to the image display unit 103 illustrated in FIG.

  When the user selects one of the one or more thumbnails displayed on the screen display unit 103 with the arrow keys 113, 114, 115, and 116 and presses the enter key 117, the CPU 106 selects the selected thumbnail. The file to be played back by the playback device or recording / playback device is determined. Then, the transmission unit 109 instructs the reproduction device or the recording / reproduction device to reproduce the file by an infrared signal or the like.

  In the above operation, the file is instructed by “the start address and the size of the file recorded on the recording medium” in (A) in the management information shown in FIG. Alternatively, the file designation may be performed by transmitting the order of the files recorded in the management information.

  As a result, even when the playback device or the recording / playback device is playing back, the remote controller can select a desired file.

  The remote controller may be provided with a preview function. That is, if a preview button 118 is pressed while a certain thumbnail is selected, a moving image, still image and sound stored in the external memory 108 are reproduced and output from the image display unit 103 and the speaker 104. Thereby, even when the playback device or the recording / playback device is playing back, the user can check the moving image, still image, and sound to be played next. This operation will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the preview button 118 is pressed, the CPU 106 determines data to be previewed from the management information shown in FIG. 2 from the thumbnail selected at that time. The address of the determined data in the external memory 108 is specified, and the moving image, still image, or audio data recorded in the external memory 108 is stored in the memory 101 via the external memory interface 107 and the data bus 105. The data stored in the memory 101 is input to the image / audio decoding circuit 102, and the moving image, still image, or audio data is decoded. When the decoded data is a moving image or a still image, an image is displayed on the image display unit 103. In addition, when the decoded data is a moving image or sound with sound, sound is reproduced from the speaker 104.

  As another embodiment, the remote controller of the present invention may include a mobile phone function 210 as shown in FIG. The mobile phone function includes an antenna, a wireless communication unit, a codec unit, a microphone, a speaker, and the like.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the remote controller by embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the external memory shown in FIG. It is a top view which shows the external appearance of the remote controller by embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the remote controller by other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Memory 102 Image audio decoding circuit 103 Image display part 104 Speaker 105 Bus 106 CPU
107 External memory interface 108 External memory 109 Transmitter

Claims (5)

Reading means for reading data stored in a connected memory;
Display means for displaying one or more thumbnails included in the data read by the reading means;
Transmitting means for transmitting a command for reproducing the content corresponding to the selected thumbnail among the thumbnails displayed by the display means to the reproducing apparatus or the recording / reproducing apparatus;
A remote controller comprising: The remote controller according to claim 1,
The remote controller, wherein the memory is an external memory. The remote controller according to claim 1,
A remote controller, further comprising: a reproducing unit that internally reproduces content included in the data read by the reading unit. The remote controller according to claim 3, wherein
A remote controller, wherein the content included in the data read by the reading means is encoded in a format different from the format of the content played back by the playback device or the recording / playback device. The remote controller according to claim 1,
A remote controller further comprising a mobile phone function.

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