JP2009017407A - Content display apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display a contents catalogue displaying screen which is easy for a user to utilize, in a contents display apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A network player and a server recording content and contents information are connected. The content information includes information of the content name, category, prepared date, data size and metadata. When the contents catalogue displaying screen is displayed, the network player receives the contents information from the server and searches the content, wherein the content name is the same (S11), the prepared date is the same (S12), the size is the same (S13); and further, the information included in the metadata is the same (S14), based on the information. As a result, only a single content from among the same content is displayed, when the same content has been searched (S15). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content display device, and more particularly to a technique for displaying a content list screen.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a network player connected via a network to a plurality of servers on which content such as images is recorded, a content list screen that introduces content recorded on each server is displayed on a display. . Since this type of network player displays all the contents recorded on a plurality of servers on the content list screen, a plurality of the same contents may be displayed on the content list screen. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is inconvenient when searching for a desired content from the content list screen.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a content system in which, when generating a content list screen for introducing content recorded on a server, the server transmits one piece of content information in the same content to a network player. ing. However, in this system, when a plurality of servers cannot communicate with each other, or when the content standards recorded on the servers are not compatible, content information corresponding to the same content is sent to the network player. The above problem cannot be solved because it may be transmitted. Further, in the method of generating a content list screen on the server side shown in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to send the content list screen generated by the server to the client, so the processing becomes complicated.
JP 2005-44104 A

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content display device capable of displaying a content list display screen that can be easily used by a user with a simple processing procedure.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a receiving means connected via a network to a plurality of servers having a recording medium in which contents such as images are recorded, and receiving the contents and the like from the plurality of servers. And a display unit for displaying the content and the like, and a control unit for controlling the display of the content and the respective parts of the device. Content information corresponding to the content content is recorded, and the content display device determines whether the same content exists among the content recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers based on the content information content. The content determination means for determining whether or not the content is received, and the reception means includes the content in addition to the content. The content information is received from the plurality of servers, and the control means displays the content information using the receiving means when displaying the list screen of the contents recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers on the display means. When the same content determination means is received and it is determined whether or not the same content exists in the content recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers, and it is determined that the same content exists, the same content Only one content is displayed on the content list screen.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the content display device according to the first aspect, the content information includes a content name, a creation date and time, a data size, and metadata, and the same content determination unit includes the plurality of servers. Whether the same content exists among the content recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers by comparing the content name, creation date, data size, and metadata included in each content information received from It is a judgment.

  According to the present invention, when the content list screen is displayed on the display unit, the control unit determines whether or not the same content exists in the content recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers, and the same content When it is determined that there is a content, only one content is displayed on the content list screen from the same content. Therefore, unlike the invention of Patent Document 1, even when the same content is received from a plurality of servers, only one content can be reliably displayed on the content list screen from the received same content. A content list display screen that is easy for the user to use can be displayed by a simple processing procedure.

  A network player (content display device) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a network system 1 in which a network player 3 and a plurality of content servers 2 (hereinafter referred to as servers) are connected via a network 4. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the server 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the network player 3. The server 2 stores contents such as images and sounds. The network player 3 can communicate with a plurality of servers 2 and can receive various contents from the plurality of servers 2 to reproduce image contents and audio contents.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the server 2 is operated by a user and has an operation unit 22 for giving instructions to each unit, a network interface 23 for connecting to the network 4 (see FIG. 1), and contents such as images. A recorded HDD (hard disk drive; recording medium in claims), a control microcomputer 21 for controlling each part of the apparatus, and a memory 25 in which a program for operating the control microcomputer 21 is recorded. .

  In addition to the content data, the HDD 24 further stores content information corresponding to the content. The content information includes content name, category, creation date / time, data size, and metadata information. Metadata is a general term for data indicating content attribute information and the like. When the content is a TV program, the metadata corresponding to this content includes the performer of the TV program, the program content, the broadcast date and time, and the length of the content. And information such as a title are recorded. The content recorded in the metadata can be arbitrarily set according to the type of content.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the network player 3 is operated by the user and connected to the operation unit 32 for instructing each unit of the apparatus and the network 4 (see FIG. 1), and receives content, content information, and the like from the server 2. Network interface (reception means) 33 for displaying, a display (display means) 34 for displaying content and the like, and a speaker 35 for outputting sound and the like.

  Further, the network player 3 includes a control microcomputer 31 (control means) for displaying content and controlling each part of the apparatus, a program for operating the control microcomputer 31, content information, a content list screen, and the like. And a memory 36 for storing the information.

  The control microcomputer 31 functions as the same content determination means in the claims.

  Next, the procedure in which the network player 3 displays the content list screen on the display 34 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the control microcomputer 31 of the network player 3 receives content information of content recorded in a plurality of servers 2 (S1), and uses the received content information as an arbitrary condition, for example, content included in content information. Sort on the basis of the creation date and time, etc. (S2).

  Then, the control microcomputer 31 determines whether or not the same content exists based on the content information, and when it is determined that the same content exists as a result of the determination, one of the same contents is selected. A content filtering process (S3) for selecting only content is performed, and only one selected content is displayed on the content list screen (S4).

  Next, the details of the content filtering process of S3 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, the control microcomputer 31 of the network player 3 searches for a content having the same file name based on the content information received (S11). Then, from the contents having the same file name as a result of the search in S11, the contents having the same creation date and time are searched (S12).

  Then, as a result of the search in S12, the control microcomputer 31 searches for contents having the same size from the contents having the same creation date and time (S13). As a result of this search, the sizes are the same. A search is made for content having the same information included in the content metadata (S14). As a result of this search, when contents with the same information included in the metadata are searched, these contents are regarded as the same contents, and only one content is displayed from these contents (S15).

  Here, the contents satisfying all the search conditions of S11 to S14 are regarded as the same contents. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the contents satisfying an arbitrary search condition may be regarded as the same contents.

  As described above, according to the network player 3 according to the present embodiment, when the control microcomputer 31 displays the content list screen on the display 34, it is identical to the content recorded in the HDDs 24 of the plurality of servers 2. It is determined whether or not content exists, and if it is determined that the same content exists, only one content is displayed on the content list screen from the same content. Therefore, unlike the invention of Patent Document 1, even if the same content is received from a plurality of servers 2, only one content from the received same content can be reliably displayed on the content list screen. Thus, it is possible to display a content list display screen that is easy to search for desired content and that is easy for the user to use in a simple processing procedure.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the structure of the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible in the range which does not change the meaning of invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the content filtering process is performed after sorting the content information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the content filtering process may be performed immediately after receiving the content information.

1 is a schematic diagram of a network system including a network player and a plurality of servers according to an embodiment of the present invention. The block diagram which shows the internal structure of the said server. The block diagram which shows the internal structure of the said network player. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the content list screen display process of the said network player. The flowchart which shows the detail of the content filtering process in the said content list screen display process.

Explanation of symbols

2 Content server (server)
3 Network player (content display device)
4 Network 21 Microcomputer for control (control means)
24 HDD (recording medium)
31 Control microcomputer (control means, same content judgment means)
33 Network interface (reception means)
34 Display (display means)

Claims (2)

It is connected via a network to a plurality of servers having a recording medium on which content such as images is recorded,
Receiving means for receiving the content and the like from the plurality of servers;
Display means for displaying the content and the like;
In a content display device provided with a control means for performing display of the content and the like and control of each part of the device,
Content information corresponding to the content is recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers.
The content display device further comprises the same content determination means for determining whether the same content exists in the content recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers based on the content information.
The receiving means receives the content information from the plurality of servers in addition to the content;
The control means includes
When displaying a list screen of contents recorded on recording media of the plurality of servers on the display means, the content information is received using the receiving means, and the plurality of servers are used using the same content judging means. It is determined whether or not the same content exists in the content recorded on the recording medium, and when it is determined that the same content exists, only one content from the same content is displayed on the content list screen. A characteristic content display device. The content information includes a content name, creation date, data size, and metadata,
The same content determination means includes
By comparing the content name, creation date and time, data size, and metadata included in each content information received from the plurality of servers, the same content is included in the contents recorded on the recording media of the plurality of servers. The content display device according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not it exists.

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