Information processing system and information processing device

1. An information processing system wherein a plurality of information processing devices are connected via a network, wherein the information processing device comprises:

a playback processing unit operative to execute a playback process of content data that is to be played back;

a control unit operative to execute a communication tool with which grouped users convey information with each other via the network; and

a display processing unit operative to generate a content image from the content data to be displayed on a display, wherein:

the control unit defines a display area for the communication tool to be executed, based on a plurality of types of display instruction information, where each type of display instruction information defines respective display requirements, including: (i) whether or not the communication tool is permitted; and (ii) whether or not the display area for the communication tool is permitted to be superimposed on the content image for display on the display,

each of the plurality of types of display instruction information is associated in an attribute table with a respective time period within the playback time of the content data during which the communication tool is permitted to be invoked in accordance with the respective type of display instruction information, where at least two of the respective times periods are different, and

the control unit defines the display area for the communication tool to be executed based on the type of display instruction information and the associated time period from the attribute table, such that the display area for the communication tool is displayed in accordance with the respective display requirements of the plurality of types of display instruction information and the associated respective time periods within the playback time of the content data.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the communication tool is a chat tool, and the control unit defines a display area of a chat window for the chat tool to be executed based on the type of display instruction information.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein in case that the type of display instruction information that is defined for content data to be played back indicates that it is allowed to superimpose the display area for the communication tool on the content image, the display processing unit generates an image to be displayed wherein the display area for the communication tool is superimposed on the content image.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the types of display instruction information includes information that specifies a respective area on the display in which the display area for the communication tool is defined.

5. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein in case that one or more of the plurality of types of display instruction information that are defined for the content data to be played back indicates that it is forbidden to superimpose the display area for the communication tool on the content image, the display processing unit generates an image to be displayed wherein the content image to be played back and displayed is scaled down and the display area for the communication tool is disposed in an area where the content image is not displayed.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein in case that one or more of the plurality of display instruction information that are defined for the content data to be played back indicates that the communication tool is not permitted to be executed on a display on which the content image is displayed, the control unit defines a display area for the communication tool on a display different from the display on which the content image is displayed.

7. The information processing system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control unit retains an order of precedence of the plurality of types of display instruction information, and

the control unit determines which of the plurality of types of display instruction information to use based on the retained order of precedence.

8. An information processing device comprising:

a playback processing unit operative to execute a playback process of content data that is to be played back;

a control unit operative to execute a communication tool with which grouped users convey information with each other via the network; and

a display processing unit operative to generate a content image from the content data to be displayed on a display, wherein:

the control unit defines a display area for the communication tool to be executed, based on a plurality of types of display instruction information, where each type of display instruction information defines respective display requirements, including: (i) whether or not the communication tool is permitted; and (ii) whether or not the display area for the communication tool is permitted to be superimposed on the content image for display on the display,

each of the plurality of types of display instruction information is associated in an attribute table with a respective time period within the playback time of the content data during which the communication tool is permitted to be invoked in accordance with the respective type of display instruction information, where at least two of the respective times periods are different, and

the control unit defines the display area for the communication tool to be executed based on the type of display instruction information and the associated time period from the attribute table, such that the display area for the communication tool is displayed in accordance with the respective display requirements of the plurality of types of display instruction information and the associated respective time periods within the playback time of the content data.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program, the computer program comprising:

a module configured to execute a playback process of content data that is to be played back;

a module configured to execute a communication tool with which grouped users convey information with each other via the network; and

a module configured to generate a content image from the content data to be displayed on a display, wherein:

the module configured to execute the communication tool defines a display area for the communication tool to be executed, based on a plurality of types of display instruction information, where each type of display instruction information defines respective display requirements, including: (i) whether or not the communication tool is permitted; and (ii) whether or not the display area for the communication tool is permitted to be superimposed on the content image for display on the display,

each of the plurality of types of display instruction information is associated in an attribute table with a respective time period within the playback time of the content data during which the communication tool is permitted to be invoked in accordance with the respective type of display instruction information, where at least two of the respective times periods are different, and

the module configured to execute the communication tool defines the display area for the communication tool to be executed based on the type of display instruction information and the associated time period from the attribute table, such that the display area for the communication tool is displayed in accordance with the respective display requirements of the plurality of types of display instruction information and the associated respective time periods within the playback time of the content data.