IP Library Granted Patent US 8,875,204
Granted Patent B2
US 8,875,204 · App. 13/239,871 · Granted Oct 28, 2014

Information processor, information processing method and program

Inventor: Naohisa Kitazato (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
H04N21/854H04H60/13H04H20/93H04H20/38
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,875,204
App. No.
13/239,871
Granted
Oct 28, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An information processor includes: a content acquisition section adapted to acquire linked content that includes a plurality of scenarios, each made up of content data and control information used to control the reproduction of the content data; a control information acquisition section adapted to acquire the control information; and a reproduction control section adapted to control the reproduction of the linked content by reproducing the content data according to the control information, wherein the control information acquisition section acquires, as an event adapted to allow a move from the current scenario to another scenario, the control information including an absolute time-of-day event that occurs at a specific date and time on the scenario time axis, and the reproduction control section allows a move from the current scenario to another scenario if the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

Claims (36)

1. An information processor comprising:

a content acquisition section adapted to acquire linked content that includes a plurality of scenarios, each of the plurality of scenarios being made up of content data and control information used to control the reproduction of the content data;

a control information acquisition section adapted to acquire the control information associated with one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information identifying another one of the plurality of scenarios to which the one of the plurality of scenarios is linked; and

a reproduction control section adapted to control the reproduction of the linked content by reproducing the content data associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios according to the control information associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios, wherein

the control information acquisition section acquires, as an event adapted to allow a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information including an absolute time-of-day event that occurs at a specific date and time on scenario time axis, and

the reproduction control section allows a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

2. The information processor of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to

acquire, as the event, the control information including a predetermined time frame of the absolute-time-of-day event delimited by start and end points on the scenario time axis, and

allow the move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs in the predetermined time frame.

3. The information processor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to

receive television broadcast content that is broadcast via a broadcasting network; and

switch content used to display the other of the plurality of scenarios, to which the move is made from the one of the plurality of scenarios, from the linked content to the television broadcast content when the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

4. The information processor of claim 3 , wherein the circuitry is configured to

acquire the control information, associated with the television broadcast content, including information used to identify the television broadcast content, and

display the television broadcast content received according to the control information associated with the television broadcast content.

5. The information processor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to forcefully cause the move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

6. The information processor of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs and when so instructed by a user operation.

7. A method of an information processor for reproducing linked content, the method comprising:

acquiring linked content that includes a plurality of scenarios, each of the plurality of scenarios being made up of content data and control information used to control the reproduction of the content data;

acquiring the control information associated with one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information identifying another one of the plurality of scenarios to which the one of the plurality of scenarios is linked;

controlling, by the information processor, the reproduction of the linked content by reproducing the content data associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios according to the control information associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios;

acquiring, as an event adapted to allow a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information including an absolute time-of-day event that occurs at a specific date and time on a scenario time axis; and

allowing, by the information processor, a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling an information processor, the program causing a computer of the information processor to perform the method according to claim 7 .

9. An information processor comprising:

circuitry configured to

acquire linked content that includes a plurality of scenarios, each of the plurality of scenarios being made up of content data and control information used to control the reproduction of the content data,

acquire the control information associated with one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information identifying another one of the plurality of scenarios to which the one of the plurality of scenarios is linked,

control the reproduction of the linked content by reproducing the content data associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios according to the control information associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios,

acquire, as an event adapted to allow a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios, the control information including an absolute time-of-day event that occurs at a specific date and time on a scenario time axis, and

allow a move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs.

10. The information processor of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is configured to

determine a current time-of-day when the content data associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios is being reproduced according to the control information, and

allow the move from the one of the plurality of scenarios to the other one of the plurality of scenarios when the absolute time-of-day event occurs based on the determined current time-of-day.

11. The information processor of claim 9 , wherein the control information including the absolute time-of-day event includes start and end times of the absolute time-of-day event.

12. The information processor of claim 9 , wherein the control information associated with the one of the plurality of scenarios includes, and defines, the absolute time-of-day event.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF THE ENTIRE INTEREST SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT RECITED IN THE DOCUMENT Recorded Nov 21, 2016
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SATURN LICENSING LLC
Reel/Frame 040658/0124 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2011
From: KITAZATO, NAOHISA
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026949/0532 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61498163 · Jun 17, 2011
Provisional Application 61388999 · Oct 1, 2010
Related Publication 20120084824A1 · Apr 5, 2012