Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and image processing program

1. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens, in which the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents pertain to a predetermined sound or image; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed a predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents instead of the main content.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control means returns the display on the main screen to the main content when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control means limits switching of the display on the main screen until a characteristic state of the sub-contents displayed on the main screen ends.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control means reverses and displays a video of the sub-contents on the main screen.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising recording means for recording the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main content is a broadcast program or game content.

8. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means,

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed a predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents instead of the main content,

wherein the control means returns the display on the main screen to the main content when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and

wherein the control means includes reproducing means for reproducing the main content, and when reproduction of the main content is stopped and an end time of the main content is determined, the reproducing means reproduces the main content such that the reproduction is completed by the end time.

9. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means,

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed a predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents instead of the main content, and

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed the predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents from a scene a predetermined time earlier than a scene in which the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceeding the predetermined threshold is detected.

10. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means,

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed a predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents instead of the main content, and

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceeding the predetermined threshold are simultaneously detected from plural sub-contents, the control means displays all or a part of the plural sub-contents on the main screen.

11. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means,

wherein, when the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents exceed a predetermined threshold, the control means displays the sub-contents instead of the main content, and

wherein the control means changes the display of the sub-contents displayed on the main screen according to a transition of the characteristic amounts.

12. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens; and

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means,

wherein the characteristic amounts are volumes of sounds or magnitudes of sound signals at a predetermined frequency of the sub-contents or degrees of matching of videos of the sub-contents and a predetermined image.

13. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting means for detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens;

control means for switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means; and

sound outputting means for outputting sound of the main content displayed on the main screen and sounds of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens,

wherein the control means controls the sound outputting means based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting means.

14. An image processing apparatus that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, comprising:

a displaying unit operable to display a main-content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

a detecting unit operable to detect characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens, in which the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents pertain to a predetermined sound or image; and

a control unit operable to switch the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected by the detecting unit.

15. An image processing method that can display a predetermined content as a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, the method comprising:

displaying a main content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens, in which the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents pertain to a predetermined sound or image; and

switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected.

16. A computer readable medium having stored therein a program for displaying a predetermined content on a predetermined main screen or predetermined sub-screens, the program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

displaying a main content on the main screen and sub-contents on the sub-screens;

detecting characteristic amounts of the sub-contents displayed on the sub-screens, in which the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents pertain to a predetermined sound or image; and

switching the display on the main screen based on the characteristic amounts of the sub-contents detected.