JP6752111B2 - Content playback device and content playback method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a content reproduction device and a content reproduction method.

Conventionally, a content reproduction device for reproducing contents such as music stored in an external device such as a smartphone has been known. The content playback device acquires hierarchical information in which the content is hierarchically classified, and displays the hierarchical information by associating each layer of the hierarchical information with each layer of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-243854

However, in the conventional technique, it is necessary to add a new screen hierarchy depending on the number of layers of the hierarchy information, and if the screen hierarchy is newly designed and added, the design cost may increase.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a content reproduction device and a content reproduction method capable of suppressing a design cost.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the content reproduction device according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit, a display processing unit, and a reproduction unit. The acquisition unit acquires hierarchical information in which the contents are classified hierarchically. When the number of layers of the hierarchical information acquired by the acquisition unit is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit, the display processing unit supports items in each layer of the hierarchical information up to the number of layers of the screen. The list is displayed on the screen of the hierarchy to be displayed. When the display processing unit selects the item displayed at the bottom of the hierarchy of the screen, the reproduction unit starts reproducing the content classified under the item.

According to the present invention, the design cost can be suppressed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a content reproduction method according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a content reproduction system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of hierarchical information according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of screen information according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the display processing unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the processing content of the reproduction unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reproduction screen according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of acquisition processing executed by the content reproduction system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of playback processing executed by the content playback device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a content reproduction system according to a modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of acquisition processing executed by the content reproduction system according to the modified example of the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the display processing unit according to the modified example of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the content reproduction device and the content reproduction method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

First, the outline of the content reproduction method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a content reproduction method according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, a screen (hereinafter, list screen) in a list format (an example of list display) is shown for each layer on the display unit 24 of the content playback device 1 according to the embodiment.

Further, in FIG. 1, each layer of the list screen and each layer of the layer information 31 are associated with each other, and the items in each layer of the layer information 31 are listed on the list screen of the corresponding layer. The hierarchical information 31 is information in which the contents are classified hierarchically, and as shown in FIG. 1, for example, information having a tree structure from the first layer to the third layer.

Here, a conventional content reproduction method will be described. In the conventional content reproduction method, if the number of layers of the hierarchical information is larger than the number of layers of the list screen, the layer of the list screen is insufficient, and the layer of the hierarchical information that cannot be associated is partially overflowed. For this reason, conventionally, in order to display a list of items in the overflowing hierarchy, a new hierarchy of the list screen has been added to supplement the list.

However, if a screen hierarchy is added, it is necessary to newly design the screen hierarchy and add control of the display processing of the screen hierarchy to be added, which may increase the design cost.

Therefore, in the content reproduction method according to the embodiment, the list display is omitted for the items in the overflowing hierarchy of the hierarchy information 31, and the contents corresponding to the items in the overflowing hierarchy can be reproduced. Specifically, in the content playback device 1 according to the embodiment, first, when the number of layers of the acquired layer information 31 is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit 24, the layer information 31 up to the number of layers of the screen. List the items in each layer of the above on the screen of the corresponding layer.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the content playback device 1 associates the first layer of the layer information 31 with the first layer of the list screen, and associates the second layer of the layer information 31 with the second layer of the list screen. By associating, items are displayed in a list on each list screen.

Subsequently, the content playback device 1 according to the embodiment starts playing back the content classified under the selected item when the item displayed at the bottom of the hierarchy of the screen (list screen) is selected. I decided.

For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when "item 2-1" displayed on the list screen of the second layer is selected, the content playback device 1 is placed in the layer directly below "item 2-1". The classified contents (two in FIG. 1) are collectively started to be played back via an output device 11 such as a speaker.

That is, in the content playback device 1 according to the embodiment, when the items listed at the bottom layer of the list screen are selected, the overflowing layer items (content names in FIG. 1 and the like) are displayed on the screen of another layer. Plays all the content under the selected item without displaying it.

Therefore, since the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment does not have to display the items of the overflowing hierarchy of the hierarchy information 31, it is not necessary to newly add the hierarchy of the list screen. Therefore, the design cost can be suppressed.

The number of layers of the layer information 31 (3 layers) and the number of layers of the list screen (2 layers) shown in FIG. 1 are examples, and if the number of layers of the layer information 31 is larger than the number of layers of the list screen, these It is not limited to the number of layers.

Further, in the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment, when the contents of the hierarchical information 31 are collectively reproduced, it is possible to reproduce the contents in order from the first content and to skip the contents. 6 will be described later.

Further, in the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment, when a predetermined content is being reproduced, identification information such as a content name is displayed on the screen displayed on the display unit 24. 7 will be described later.

Next, the content reproduction system S including the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the content reproduction system S according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the content reproduction system S according to the embodiment includes a content reproduction device 1, an external device 10, and an output device 11. The content reproduction device 1 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the external device 10 and the output device 11.

The external device 10 is, for example, a terminal device such as a smartphone, a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or a wearable device (Wearable Device).

The external device 10 stores the hierarchical information 31 in which the contents are hierarchically classified. Specifically, the external device 10 acquires content from a server device (not shown) via a network, for example, classifies the content hierarchically for each item, and stores the content as hierarchical information 31.

Further, the external device 10 transmits the hierarchical information 31 to the content reproduction device 1, and when a predetermined content is selected from the hierarchical information 31 by the user, the external device 10 transmits the information of the content to the content reproduction device 1. ..

Here, the content is information reproduced by audio or video, such as a music, a moving image of a movie or a lecture at a university, or a still image such as a photograph. For example, when the content is a musical piece, it is classified into items for each artist and each album.

If the content is a university lecture, it is classified into items for each university or subject. The above-mentioned classification of items is an example, and may be, for example, a classification for each item arbitrarily set by the user.

The output device 11 is provided with, for example, a speaker or the like, and outputs the content as audio based on the information of the content such as music output from the content playback device 1. The output device 11 is not limited to the speaker, and may output the content as an image by including the display unit 24 described later, for example.

The content playback device 1 is an electronic device having a content playback function, such as a navigation device, an audio player, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player. The content reproduction device 1 is not limited to these, and any electronic device capable of displaying each layer of the layer information 31 is sufficient.

Further, the content reproduction device 1 includes a control unit 2 and a storage unit 3. The control unit 2 includes an acquisition unit 21, a display processing unit 22, a reproduction unit 23, a display unit 24, and a reception unit 25. Further, the storage unit 3 stores the hierarchical information 31 and the screen information 32.

Here, the content playback device 1 is, for example, a computer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an input / output port, and various circuits. including.

The CPU of the computer functions as the acquisition unit 21, the display processing unit 22, the reproduction unit 23, the display unit 24, and the reception unit 25 of the control unit 2, for example, by reading and executing the program stored in the ROM.

Further, at least one or all of the acquisition unit 21, the display processing unit 22, the playback unit 23, the display unit 24, and the reception unit 25 of the control unit 2 are ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). It can also be configured with hardware such as.

Further, the storage unit 3 corresponds to, for example, a RAM or an HDD. The RAM or HDD can store layer information 31, screen information 32, and information on various programs. The content playback device 1 may acquire the above-mentioned program and various information via another computer or a portable recording medium connected by a wired or wireless network.

Here, the hierarchical information 31 stored in the storage unit 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the hierarchical information 31 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the layer information 31 includes contents such as "ID for each layer" and "order".

"Each layer ID" is identification information that identifies an item in each layer. The "order" is order information indicating the order of contents. The order information is automatically determined according to, for example, a character string such as a content name, a date and time taken into the external device 10, and the like. The order information is not limited to the case where it is automatically determined, and may be manually determined, for example, by a user setting operation.

Further, the "ID for each layer" includes "first layer", "second layer", and "third layer". For example, "item 1" of the "first layer" is an item in which "item 2-1" and "item 2-2" of the "second layer" immediately below are classified. Further, "item 2-1" of the "second layer" is an item in which "content 1", "content 2" and the like of the "third layer" immediately below are classified. That is, the number of layers of "content 1" and "content 2" of the layer information 31 is "3".

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, "content a" and "content b" have the same number of layers as "2". In this way, the content reproduction device 1 acquires all the hierarchical information 31 of all layers from the external device 10 and stores them in the storage unit 3.

That is, by acquiring the layer information 31 of all layers at once, it is not necessary to access the external device 10 many times to acquire the layer information 31, so that the processing load of both the content playback device 1 and the external device 10 is increased. It can be suppressed.

The hierarchical information 31 shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and may further include, for example, image information related to the content and information on the playback time of a musical piece or the like, in addition to the content identification information and the order information.

Next, the screen information 32 stored in the storage unit 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of screen information 32 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the screen information 32 includes contents such as a "menu screen", a "list screen", and a "playback screen". Note that, in FIG. 4, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, information indicating the contents of each screen is schematically illustrated.

The "menu screen" is information indicating a display mode of the menu screen. The "list screen" is information indicating a display mode of the list screen of each layer. The "reproduction screen" is information indicating a display mode of the reproduction screen.

That is, the display processing unit 22, which will be described later, uses the screen of the screen information 32 as a template. Further, the display processing unit 22 associates the above-mentioned hierarchical information 31 with the list screen except for the menu screen and the playback screen among the screens included in the screen information 32, and this point will be described later with reference to FIG.

The control unit 2 displays a list of the items of the hierarchy information 31 acquired from the external device 10 in association with the hierarchy of the screen, and starts playing back the contents classified under the items selected by the user.

The acquisition unit 21 acquires the hierarchical information 31 in which the contents are hierarchically classified. Specifically, when the external device 10 is connected, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the layer information 31 of all layers automatically transmitted from the external device 10 and stores it in the storage unit 3.

The acquisition unit 21 basically does not acquire the layer information 31 from the external device 10 after acquiring the layer information 31, but for example, a predetermined time or more has passed since the layer information 31 was acquired. In that case, the hierarchical information 31 may be updated.

Further, although the acquisition unit 21 has decided to acquire the layer information 31 of all layers, for example, the layer information 31 may be acquired for each request of the user. Such a point will be described later with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

When the number of layers of the layer information 31 acquired by the acquisition unit 21 is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit 24, the display processing unit 22 displays items in each layer of the layer information 31 up to the number of screen layers. Display each list on the screen of the corresponding hierarchy.

Here, the processing contents of the display processing unit 22 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the display processing unit 22 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows a case where the menu screen, the list screen, and the playback screen are displayed on the display unit 24.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the display processing unit 22 adds the first layer of the layer information 31 directly under the "playlist" on the menu screen. In other words, the display processing unit 22 prohibits associating the first layer of the layer information 31 with the layer immediately above the list screen of the first layer.

This takes into account that the display specifications of the menu screen are predetermined. Therefore, by not associating the hierarchical information 31 with the menu screen, it is not necessary to change the display specifications of the menu screen, and the design cost can be suppressed. Since the same applies to the playback screen, the description thereof will be omitted.

Subsequently, the display processing unit 22 associates the layer information 31 with each layer of the list screen. Specifically, the display processing unit 22 associates the first layer of the list screen with the first layer of the layer information 31. As a result, when the "playlist" is selected by the user, the display processing unit 22 switches the screen from the menu screen to the first layer of the list screen to display the "item 1" in a list.

Further, the display processing unit 22 associates the second layer of the list screen with the second layer of the layer information 31. As a result, when "item 1" is selected by the user, the display processing unit 22 switches from the first layer to the second layer of the list screen to "item 2-1" and "item 2-2". Is displayed in a list.

Then, when the item displayed on the second layer of the list screen is selected, the display processing unit 22 switches from the second layer of the list screen to the playback screen. That is, the display processing unit 22 causes the reproduction unit 23, which will be described later, to reproduce the content without displaying the third layer overflowing with the layer information 31.

As a result, it is not necessary to add a hierarchy of the list screen for displaying the third hierarchy, so that the design cost can be suppressed. The details of the above-mentioned reproduction screen will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

Further, when the number of layers of the layer information 31 is less than the number of layers of the list screen, the display processing unit 22 skips the remaining layers of the list screen and directly displays the playback screen. As a result, the user's operation on the surplus list screen can be omitted.

Next, returning to FIG. 2, the reproduction unit 23 will be described. When the display processing unit 22 selects an item displayed at the bottom of the screen hierarchy, the playback unit 23 starts playing the content classified under the selected item. The specific processing content of the reproduction unit 23 will be described later with reference to FIG.

The display unit 24 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays information on the screen passed from the display processing unit 22 under the control of the display processing unit 22. The display unit 24 is not limited to the liquid crystal display, and may be, for example, a touch panel display.

The reception unit 25 receives a change instruction to the contents arranged before or after the rank when the contents of a predetermined rank in the order of the contents are being played. The reception unit 25 receives, for example, a user operation on the skip buttons 25a and 25b displayed on the playback screen as a change instruction, and this point will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

Next, the processing content of the reproduction unit 23 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the processing content of the reproduction unit 23 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a diagram in which the contents reproduced by the reproduction unit 23 are arranged in the order of reproduction.

The reproduction unit 23 determines the reproduction order of the contents according to the order information included in the layer information 31. Further, the reproduction unit 23 sets divisions 50, 51, and 52 between the contents arranged in the determined reproduction order.

Specifically, the delimiter 50 at time t1 indicates the end position of "content 1" and the start position of "content 2". The delimiter 51 at time t2 is the end position of "content 2" and indicates the start position of "content 3". The delimiter 52 at time t3 indicates that it is the end position of "content 3" and the start position of "content 4". Further, the reproduction position indicates the time during which the reproduction unit 23 is currently reproducing.

The reproduction unit 23 starts reproduction from the first content in the order included in the order information. Specifically, the reproduction unit 23 starts reproduction from time t0, which is the start position of "content 1", and continuously reproduces until time t4, which is the end position of "content 4".

That is, the reproduction unit 23 automatically reproduces "content 1" to "content 4" without stopping. As a result, all the contents are played without the user selecting the contents to be played, so that the number of operations by the user can be reduced.

In addition, when the reception unit 25 receives the change instruction, the reproduction unit 23 reproduces the contents arranged in front or behind. For example, the reception unit 25 receives a user operation on the skip buttons 25a and 25b (see FIG. 7) as a change instruction.

Specifically, for example, when "content 2" is being reproduced, the reproduction unit 23 advances the reproduction position to the break 51 at time t2 when it receives a previous change instruction. On the other hand, when the reproduction unit 23 receives the backward change instruction when the "content 2" is being reproduced, the reproduction position is returned to the break 50 at the time t1.

Further, the playback unit 23 moves the playback position to the time t0, which is the start position of the "content 1", when it receives the change instruction to the back again within a predetermined time after returning to the break 50 of the time t1. .. In this way, even when a plurality of contents are continuously reproduced, it is possible to easily find the cue of each content.

The reproduction unit 23 may automatically return the reproduction position to the time t0 after reproducing until the time t4. That is, the reproduction unit 23 may perform repeat reproduction. As a result, the content does not stop, so that the user does not have to perform the operation of playing the content many times, and the troublesomeness of the user can be reduced.

Next, the reproduction screen output by the display processing unit 22 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reproduction screen according to the embodiment. Note that FIG. 7 shows only an example of the reproduction screen, and the reproduction screen is not limited to this.

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, five regions 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 exist on the reproduction screen. Further, the playback screen includes a skip button 25a and a skip button 25b for receiving the above-mentioned change instruction.

When the predetermined content is being reproduced by the reproduction unit 23, the display processing unit 22 displays the identification information for identifying the content. Specifically, the display processing unit 22 displays the “hierarchy ID” (see FIG. 3) of the hierarchy corresponding to the positions of the three areas 40, 41, and 42, respectively.

For example, in the area 40, the “ID for each layer” of the lowest layer (third layer in FIG. 3) of the layer information 31 is displayed. Further, in the area 41, the “ID for each layer” of the layer one level higher than the lowest layer of the layer information 31 (second layer in FIG. 3) is displayed, and in the area 42, the layer one level higher than the lower layer (FIG. 3). The "ID for each layer" of the first layer of 3) is displayed.

Here, it is assumed that the reception unit 25 accepts the user operation to the skip button 25a as the above-mentioned previous change instruction. At this time, the display processing unit 22 starts playing the "content 3" (see FIG. 6) arranged next to the "content 2" by the playback unit 23, and displays the area 40 from the "content 2". Change to "Content 3".

That is, the display processing unit 22 displays the content while switching the identification information of the content according to the reproduction position of the reproduction unit 23. As a result, the user can always keep track of the content currently being played.

Further, the display processing unit 22 may display information other than the identification information on the reproduction screen. For example, the display processing unit 22 causes the area 43 to display the time indicating the order and the playback position according to the order information of the content being played, and causes the area 44 to display the image information according to the content being played. May be good.

The image information may be acquired from a server device (not shown) by the content playback device 1 via a network, or if the image information is stored in the external device 10 in advance, the image information is obtained from the external device 10. You may get it.

Further, in FIG. 7, the identification information is displayed in the areas 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 where the display position is fixed. For example, the identification information is displayed so as to flow in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction of the playback screen. You may.

Next, the procedure of the acquisition process executed by the content reproduction system S according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of acquisition processing executed by the content reproduction system S according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the content reproduction device 1 and the external device 10 are connected to each other via a wired or wireless device (step S101). Subsequently, the external device 10 transmits the layer information 31 of all layers to the content playback device 1 (step S102).

Subsequently, the content reproduction device 1 stores the layer information 31 of all layers acquired from the external device 10 in the storage unit 3 (step S103). Subsequently, the content playback device 1 requests the storage unit 3 to acquire the hierarchical information 31 according to the user's operation (step S104). Subsequently, the content reproduction device 1 acquires the hierarchical information 31 in response to the acquisition request from the storage unit 3 (step S105), and ends the process.

Next, the procedure of the reproduction process executed by the content reproduction apparatus 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of the reproduction process executed by the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, first, the acquisition unit 21 acquires the layer information 31 from the external device 10 (step S201). At this time, the acquisition unit 21 stores the acquired hierarchical information 31 in the storage unit 3. Subsequently, the display processing unit 22 determines whether or not the number of layers of the layer information 31 is larger than the number of layers of the screen (step S202).

When the number of layers of the layer information 31 is larger than the number of layers of the screen (step S202, Yes), the display processing unit 22 displays a list of the layer information 31 of each layer up to the number of layers of the screen (step S203).

Subsequently, the display processing unit 22 detects that the item displayed at the bottom of the screen hierarchy is selected by the user (step S204). Subsequently, the reproduction unit 23 starts reproducing the contents classified under the selected item (step S205), and ends the process.

On the other hand, in the determination process of step S202, the display processing unit 22 shifts the process to step S204 when the number of layers of the layer information 31 is equal to or less than the number of layers of the screen (steps S202, No).

As described above, the content reproduction device 1 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 21, a display processing unit 22, and a reproduction unit 23. The acquisition unit 21 acquires the hierarchical information 31 in which the contents are hierarchically classified. When the number of layers of the layer information 31 acquired by the acquisition unit 21 is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit 24, the display processing unit 22 displays items in each layer of the layer information 31 up to the number of screen layers. Display each list on the screen of the corresponding hierarchy. When the display processing unit 22 selects an item displayed at the bottom of the screen hierarchy, the playback unit 23 starts playing the content classified under the item. As a result, it is not necessary to add a new screen hierarchy, so that the design cost can be suppressed.

In the above-described embodiment, the acquisition unit 21 automatically acquires the layer information 31 of all layers when the external device 10 is connected, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each operation of the user is not limited to this. The hierarchical information 31 may be acquired. This point will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a content reproduction system S according to a modified example of the embodiment. In the modified example shown below, the description will be focused on the differences from the above-described embodiment, and the description will be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals to the same components.

As shown in FIG. 10, the content reproduction device 1 according to the modified example of the embodiment is different from the above embodiment in that the hierarchical information 31 acquired from the external device 10 is not stored in the storage unit 3. That is, the content reproduction device 1 acquires the layer information 31 directly from the external device 10 each time.

Specifically, when an item displayed in a predetermined screen hierarchy is selected, the acquisition unit 21 acquires each layer information corresponding to the layer immediately below the item. The layer information is information in which the layer information 31 is divided into layers. Then, the display processing unit 22 displays a list of items included in each layer information acquired by the acquisition unit 21.

For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the user selects a "playlist" displayed on the menu screen, the acquisition unit 21 acquires information on each layer of the first layer from the external device 10. Then, the display processing unit 22 displays the acquired layer information of the first layer in a list on the list screen of the first layer.

Subsequently, the acquisition unit 21 acquires information on each layer of the second layer from the external device 10 when, for example, the user selects "item 1" displayed on the list screen of the first layer. Then, the display processing unit 22 displays the acquired layer information of the second layer in a list on the list screen of the second layer.

That is, in the content reproduction device 1 according to the modified example of the embodiment, each time the user selects an item, the information of each layer of the layer immediately below is acquired. As a result, it is not necessary to store the hierarchical information 31 of all layers in the storage unit 3, so that the storage capacity of the storage unit 3 can be suppressed.

Next, the procedure of the acquisition process executed by the content reproduction system S according to the modified example of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure of acquisition processing executed by the content reproduction system S according to the modified example of the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the content playback device 1 and the external device 10 according to the modified example of the embodiment are communicably connected via wire or wireless (step S301). The content playback device 1 transmits a request for acquiring each layer information from the external device 10 according to the user's operation (step S302). Subsequently, the external device 10 transmits each layer information corresponding to the acquisition request to the content reproduction device 1 (step S303), and ends the process.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the content playback device 1 applied when the number of layers of the layer information 31 is one more than the number of layers of the screen (list screen) has been described, but the number of layers of the layer information 31 is the number of layers of the screen. It is applicable even when there are two or more layers more than the number of layers. This point will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the processing contents of the display processing unit 22 according to the modified example of the embodiment. In FIG. 12, a case where the number of layers of the layer information 31 is two more than the number of layers of the screen is shown as an example. Further, in FIG. 12, it is assumed that the number of layers of the layer information 31 is "4" and the number of layers of the screen (list screen) is "2".

As shown in FIG. 12, the display processing unit 22 displays the first layer of the layer information 31 in association with the first layer of the list screen, and displays the second layer of the layer information 31 as the second layer of the list screen. It is displayed in association with.

Then, the playback unit 23, for example, when the user selects "item 2-1" in the second layer of the layer information 31, "content 1" and "content 2" classified under "item 2-1". , "Content 3" and "Content 4" are played.

That is, the content playback device 1 according to the modified example of the embodiment is the content of the selected item when the content is in the lower layer (fourth layer) of the layer immediately below the selected item (third layer). Play all the contents under it.

In FIG. 12, the case where the number of layers of the layer information 31 is two more than the number of layers of the screen has been described, but the same applies even when the number of layers of the layer information 31 is three or more more than the number of layers of the screen. Processing can be performed.

As a result, no matter how many layers of the layer information 31 are, it is not necessary to newly design the layers of the screen, so that the design cost can be suppressed.

Further effects and variations can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. For this reason, the broader aspects of the invention are not limited to the particular details and representative embodiments expressed and described as described above. Therefore, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1 Content playback device 2 Control unit 3 Storage unit 10 External device 11 Output device 21 Acquisition unit 22 Display processing unit 23 Playback unit 24 Display unit 25 Reception unit 31 Hierarchical information

Claims (7)

An acquisition unit that acquires hierarchical information that classifies content hierarchically,
When the number of layers of the hierarchical information acquired by the acquisition unit is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit, the screen of the layer corresponding to the items in each layer of the layer information up to the number of layers of the screen. The display processing unit that displays a list of each
Content characterized by including a playback unit that starts playback of the content classified under the item when the item displayed in the lowest layer of the screen hierarchy is selected by the display processing unit. Playback device. The hierarchical information includes each layer information divided for each layer.
The acquisition unit is
When the item displayed in the predetermined hierarchy of the screen is selected, the layer information corresponding to the layer immediately below the item is acquired, and the information of each layer is acquired.
The display processing unit
The content reproduction device according to claim 1, wherein the items included in the layer information acquired by the acquisition unit are displayed in a list. Further provided with a storage unit for storing the hierarchical information,
The acquisition unit is
The layer information of all layers is acquired and stored in the storage unit.
The display processing unit
When the item displayed in the predetermined layer of the screen is selected, the item corresponding to the layer immediately below the item is displayed in a list based on the layer information stored in the storage unit. The content reproduction device according to claim 1. The hierarchical information includes order information indicating the order of the contents.
The acquisition unit is
When the item listed in the lowest layer of the hierarchy of the screen is selected by the display processing unit, the order information of the content classified under the item is acquired.
The playback unit
The content reproduction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reproduction is started from the first content in the order included in the order information acquired by the acquisition unit. Further provided is a reception unit that receives a change instruction to the content arranged before or after the order when the content of a predetermined order in the order is being played.
The playback unit
The content reproduction device according to claim 4, wherein when the reception unit receives the change instruction, the content arranged in front of or behind the reception unit is reproduced. The hierarchical information includes identification information that identifies the content.
The display processing unit
The content reproduction device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the content is being reproduced by the reproduction unit, the identification information of the content is displayed. The acquisition process to acquire hierarchical information that classifies content hierarchically,
When the number of layers of the layer information acquired by the acquisition step is larger than the number of layers of the screen that can be displayed on the display unit, the screen of the layer corresponding to the items in each layer of the layer information up to the number of layers of the screen. The display processing process to display a list of each
Content including a playback step of starting playback of the content classified under the item when the item displayed in the lowest layer of the screen hierarchy is selected by the display processing step. Playback method.

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