JP2011101348A - Chapter setting device, content recording and reproducing device, chapter setting method, program, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a chapter setting device that compensates the deviation of setting chapter caused by user's reaction time and sets a chapter start frame in the frame that the user wants at first. <P>SOLUTION: The chapter setting device includes: reference frame setting means (control section 111) that sets a frame that constitutes a content and is under reproduction at the timing of specification by user, as a reference frame; a calculation means (control section 111) that finds out the number of compensation frames according to the reproduction speed of the content; a start frame setting means (control section 111) that sets a frame away by the number of the compensation frames from the reference frame, as a start frame of the chapter; and a chapter information storage means (memory section 112) that stores chapter information for regulating the start frame. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information recording / reproducing apparatus for reproducing content data recorded on a recording medium. In particular, the present invention relates to a chapter setting device that can set a chapter start position during reproduction of content data.

  In recent years, information recording / reproducing apparatuses (content recording / reproducing apparatuses) such as DVD recorders and BD recorders that record content data on optical disks such as DVDs and BDs, read content data recorded on optical disks, and reproduce contents. ) Is popular.

  In such an information recording / reproducing apparatus, when a user views content (moving image content), the content can be divided into a plurality of chapters. Many of them have a function that can be played back. As described above, as a technique for dividing the content into a plurality of chapters when the user views the content, for example, techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 can be cited.

  In the information recording / reproducing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, chapters are automatically set to the start point position and end point position of the fast-forward area of the content data determined to be the fast-forward area, and the chapter is set. A moving image related to content data corresponding to the start point position and end point position of the fast-forward area can be reproduced for a predetermined time and displayed on the display unit. Further, in the information recording / reproducing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, automatic operation is performed in accordance with operations (pause, reproduction, stop, CM skip, fast forward, fast reverse, etc.) while the user (viewer) is viewing. Chapters can be created.

JP2007-294063 (released on November 8, 2007) JP 2008-98960 (released on April 24, 2008)

  In general, when a chapter is set by a user operation, it is ideal to set a frame desired by the user in the content as a chapter start position or a chapter end position. However, in reality, there is a certain time lag from when the user confirms the appearance of the desired frame to when the user actually performs the key operation. That is, the setting of the chapter start position or the chapter end position is shifted due to the human reaction speed. This is particularly noticeable when the content is played back at high speed such as fast forward or fast reverse, or when the content frame rate is high.

  However, in any of the information recording / reproducing apparatuses disclosed in the above patent documents, the chapter start position or the chapter end position is set at the position where the user performs the key operation. Therefore, when trying to set a chapter during high-speed playback such as fast-forward playback or fast-rewind playback of content, there is a problem that the chapter start position or chapter end position cannot be set at an accurate position desired by the user.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and a main object thereof is to realize a chapter setting device capable of setting a chapter start position that compensates for a delay caused by a human reaction time.

  In order to solve the above problems, a chapter setting device according to the present invention is a chapter setting device that sets chapters for content, and is a frame that constitutes the content at a time point specified by a user. Reference frame setting means for setting a frame being played back as a reference frame, calculation means for calculating the number of compensation frames according to the playback speed of the content, and a frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames It is characterized by comprising start frame setting means for setting as a frame and chapter information storage means for storing chapter information defining the start frame.

  In general, a certain amount of time lag occurs between the time when the user confirms the appearance of the desired frame and the time when the user actually performs a key operation. Therefore, there is a difference between the chapter start position designated by the user via the key operation and the chapter start position originally desired by the user.

  According to the above configuration, the frame being played back at the time designated by the user is set as a reference frame, the number of compensation frames is calculated according to the playback speed of the content, and the frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames is calculated as described above. Since it is set as the chapter start frame, the shift of the chapter start position can be compensated.

  Moreover, since the chapter information storage means is provided, the set chapter can be used later.

  Therefore, according to said structure, there exists an effect that a chapter start frame can be set in the position which the user originally desired. In particular, according to the above configuration, it is possible to appropriately set the chapter start frame while fast-forwarding the content (forward direction search reproduction). As a result, it is possible to suitably realize an unprecedented viewing style, such as completing chapter setting in a short time by performing chapter setting while fast-forwarding playback, and viewing a scene with chapter setting at a later time etc. Can do.

  In this specification, “content” refers to content that changes over time, and examples include moving image content and audio content.

  The start frame setting means sets, as the start frame, a frame that is separated from the reference frame in the backward direction by the number of compensation frames when the playback direction of the content when setting the reference frame is a forward direction. In the case where the reproduction direction of the content at the time of setting the reference frame is the reverse direction, it is preferable to set a frame that is separated from the reference frame in the forward direction by the number of compensation frames as the start frame.

  According to the above configuration, when the playback direction is the forward direction, that is, when playback is performed in the same direction (forward direction) as normal playback, the number of compensation frames in the reverse direction (backward direction) from the reference frame. When the separated frame is set as the start frame of the chapter and the playback direction is the reverse direction (return direction), the frame separated from the reference frame in the forward direction (forward direction) by the number of compensation frames is It can be set as a chapter start frame.

  Therefore, it is possible to compensate for a delay in the reaction of the user when performing the chapter setting, and it is possible to effectively set the chapter start frame at a position originally desired by the user.

  The calculating means preferably calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to the playback speed of the content when the reference frame is set.

  In general, the above deviation is proportional to the playback speed of content.

  According to the above configuration, the calculating means calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to the playback speed of the content when the reference frame is set. There is an effect that it can be compensated for.

  Therefore, according to said structure, there exists an effect that a chapter start frame can be set effectively in the position which the user originally desired.

  The calculating means preferably calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to the frame rate of the content when the reference frame is set.

  In general, the above deviation is proportional to the frame rate of content.

  According to the above configuration, the calculation means calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to the frame rate of the content when the reference frame is set. There is an effect that it can be compensated for.

  Therefore, according to said structure, there exists an effect that a chapter start frame can be set effectively in the position which the user originally desired.

  Note that, when the content is audio content, those skilled in the art easily understand that the frame rate can be referred to as a sampling rate.

  In addition, the chapter setting device includes: a subframe setting unit that sets a frame excluding the start frame as a subframe among consecutive frames including the start frame set by the start frame setting unit; and the start frame And a display means for displaying the subframes as a list on a display unit.

  In general, the time lag from when the user confirms the appearance of his / her desired frame to when the user actually performs a key operation varies with each chapter start position setting. Therefore, there is a secondary problem that depending on the number of compensation frames calculated by the calculation means, there may be a case where the setting deviation of the chapter start position cannot be sufficiently compensated.

  In general, high-speed playback of content is performed by thinning out frames at a constant rate from normal playback (same size playback). Therefore, when trying to set the chapter start position during high-speed playback of content, there is a secondary problem that the chapter start position cannot be set for frames thinned out for high-speed playback of content. is there.

  According to the above configuration, the sub-frame setting unit sets a frame other than the start frame as a sub-frame among consecutive frames including the start frame, and the display unit sets the start frame and the sub-frame. Since the frames are displayed as a list on the display unit, the user can visually recognize the start frame and the subframe and can start viewing the content from the most appropriate frame.

  The continuous frame group including the start frame includes frames thinned out for high-speed content playback. Therefore, according to the above configuration, in one aspect, the user can start viewing the content even from a frame that is thinned out for high-speed playback of the content. In another aspect, the user can start viewing the content after recognizing frames thinned out for high-speed playback of the content.

  Further, it is preferable that the subframe setting means sets a number of frames proportional to the playback speed of the content when setting the reference frame as the subframe.

  In general, the time lag from when the user confirms the appearance of his / her desired frame to when the key is actually operated fluctuates for each setting of the chapter start position, and the setting of the chapter start position due to the fluctuation of the time lag. The deviation is proportional to the playback speed of the content.

  According to the above configuration, since the subframe setting means sets the number of frames proportional to the playback speed of the content when setting the reference frame as the subframe, even if the playback speed of the content increases There is an effect that it is possible to set a sufficient number of subframes to cover the setting deviation of the chapter start position.

  Further, it is preferable that the subframe setting means sets a number of frames proportional to the frame rate of the content when setting the reference frame as the subframe.

  In general, the setting deviation of the chapter start position due to the fluctuation of the time lag is proportional to the frame rate of the content.

  According to the above configuration, since the sub-frame setting unit sets the number of frames proportional to the frame rate of the content when setting the reference frame as the sub-frame, even if the frame rate of the content increases There is an effect that it is possible to set a sufficient number of subframes to cover the setting deviation of the chapter start position.

  The chapter information includes the start frame, and the chapter information storage means stores the chapter information in association with the content every time the start frame is set by the start frame setting means. It may be.

  According to the above configuration, every time the start frame is set, the chapter information storage unit stores the chapter information including the start frame. Therefore, even after the chapter is set, the chapter information storage unit stores the chapter information. By referring to the current chapter information, there is an effect that the reproduction can be successfully started from the chapter.

  The chapter information includes the reference frame and the reproduction direction and reproduction speed of the content when the reference frame is set. The chapter information storage means sets the reference frame by the reference frame setting means. Each time the information is stored, the chapter information is stored in association with the content, and the calculation unit and the start frame setting unit may refer to the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage unit. .

  According to the above configuration, every time the reference frame is set, the chapter information storage means stores chapter information including the reference frame and the reproduction direction and reproduction speed of the content when the reference frame is set. Even after setting the chapter, the calculation means and the start frame setting means can set the start frame by referring to the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage means. The effect is that playback can be successfully started.

  Further, as described above, the content may be video content or audio content.

  The chapter setting device may include chapter information output means for outputting the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage means to the outside.

  According to said structure, since chapter information can be output outside, there exists an effect that the chapter set by the said chapter setting apparatus can be utilized in an external device. Thereby, for example, it is possible to share chapter information between the mobile terminal and the stationary device, and to perform chapter setting and content viewing according to the scene.

  The chapter setting device may include chapter information acquisition means for acquiring the chapter information from the outside, and the chapter information storage means may store the chapter information acquired by the chapter information acquisition means. .

  According to said structure, since chapter information can be acquired from the outside, there exists an effect that the chapter set in the external apparatus can be utilized in the said chapter setting apparatus. Thereby, for example, it is possible to share chapter information between the mobile terminal and the stationary device, and to perform chapter setting and content viewing according to the scene.

  In addition, the chapter setting device includes: a subframe setting unit that sets a frame excluding the start frame as a subframe among consecutive frames including the start frame set by the start frame setting unit; and the start frame And display means for sequentially displaying the sub-frames on the display unit.

  According to said structure, since the continuous frame group containing the said start frame is displayed on a display part sequentially, the user can grasp | ascertain easily the content of the chapter started from the said start frame. In addition, since the start frame and the subframe are sequentially displayed, the start frame and the subframe can be suitably displayed even if the display unit is small.

  In addition, the chapter setting device identifies a user group storage unit that stores a user group that can operate the chapter setting device, and which user of the user group the user who specified the time point is. User identification means, and the calculation means may calculate the compensation value according to the user identified by the user identification means.

  According to said structure, a user identification means identifies a user, A calculation means can calculate a compensation value using the reaction time suitable for each user. Thereby, since the chapter start frame can be determined in consideration of the difference in the reaction time by the user, there is an effect that the chapter can be set in the frame desired by the user.

  Further, the chapter setting device includes a plurality of buttons for the user to specify the time point, and the user identification unit identifies the user who has designated the time point according to which button is pressed. It may be a thing.

  According to said structure, since a user identification means identifies the user who designated the said time according to which button was pressed, it can identify a user successfully.

  The chapter setting device may include a button for the user to specify the time point, and the calculation unit may calculate the compensation value in response to pressing of the button.

  According to said structure, since a compensation value is calculated according to the said press, the said chapter start position is adjusted not only by the timing at which the said button was pressed but by the press. Therefore, since the user's intention can be reflected more, the chapter start frame can be set more appropriately.

  Further, the chapter setting device may include a button for the user to specify the time point, and the calculation unit may calculate the compensation value according to a time when the button is pressed. .

  According to the above configuration, since the compensation value is calculated according to the pressing time, the chapter start position is adjusted not only by the pressing timing of the button but also by the pressing time. Therefore, since the user's intention can be reflected more, the chapter start frame can be set more appropriately.

  The chapter setting system according to the present invention includes a chapter setting device including chapter information output means for outputting the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage means to the outside, and a content playback device for playing back the content. The content playback system includes a chapter information acquisition unit that acquires the chapter information output from the output unit of the chapter setting device, and the acquisition unit acquires the chapter information. And chapter information storage means for storing chapter information.

  According to the above configuration, since chapter information can be transferred from the chapter setting device to the content reproduction device, the chapter set by the chapter setting device can be used in the content reproduction device. Thereby, for example, it is possible to share chapter information between the mobile terminal and the stationary device, and to perform chapter setting and content viewing according to the scene.

  A content recording / playback apparatus according to the present invention includes the chapter setting apparatus.

  According to said structure, there can exist an effect similar to said chapter setting apparatus.

  A chapter setting method according to the present invention is a chapter setting method for setting a chapter for content, and is a frame that constitutes the content, and a frame that is being played back at a time point designated by a user is a reference frame. A reference frame setting step to set as a frame, a calculation step to calculate the number of compensation frames in accordance with the playback speed of the content, and a start frame setting to set a frame separated from the reference frame as the start frame of the chapter And a step.

  According to said method, there can exist an effect similar to the said chapter setting apparatus.

  Further, a program for operating the chapter setting device or the content recording / playback device according to the present invention, wherein the program causes a computer to function as each of the above-described means, and a computer recording these programs A readable recording medium is also included in the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the chapter setting device according to the present invention is a chapter setting device that sets chapters for content, and is a frame that constitutes the content, and is being played back at the time designated by the user. Reference frame setting means for setting a frame as a reference frame, calculation means for calculating the number of compensation frames according to the playback speed of the content, and a frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames is set as the start frame of the chapter Starting frame setting means.

  Thus, it is possible to compensate for a shift in chapter setting caused by a time lag from when the user confirms the appearance of the desired frame to when the key operation is actually performed, and to set the chapter at a position originally desired by the user. There is an effect that can be done.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the information recording / reproducing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows the chapter setting in embodiment, Comprising: (a) shows the case where a chapter start position is set during normal reproduction | regeneration, (b) is the case where a chapter start position is set during reverse reproduction | regeneration (C) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during double-speed fast-forward playback, and (d) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during double-speed fast reverse playback. (E) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during the triple speed fast forward reproduction, and (f) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during the triple speed fast reverse reproduction. Is. It is a figure which shows an example of the chapter information management table in embodiment. In the embodiment, an example of an image displayed when reproducing a content set with a chapter start position is shown, (a) shows an example of content information, and (b) shows a content A. FIG. 4C shows an example of an image displayed when the content B is reproduced, FIG. 5C shows an example of an image displayed when the content B is reproduced, and FIG. An example of the displayed image is shown. It is a figure which shows an example of the chapter information management table in the modification 1 of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the setting of the chapter start position and subchapter setting in the modification of embodiment, Comprising: (a) shows the case where a chapter start position is set during normal reproduction, (b) is during reverse reproduction Fig. 6 shows the case where the chapter start position is set, (c) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during double-speed fast-forward playback, and (d) shows during double-speed fast reverse playback. The chapter start position is set. (E) shows the case where the chapter start position is set during triple fast-forward playback. (F) is the chapter set during triple fast-rewind playback. This shows the case where the start position is set. It is a figure which shows an example of the chapter information management table in the modification 2 of embodiment. FIG. 9 shows an example of an image displayed when content with a chapter start position set is reproduced in Modification 2 of the embodiment, and (a) shows an image displayed when content A is reproduced. An example is shown, (b) shows an example of an image displayed when the content B is reproduced, and (c) shows an example of an image displayed when the content C is reproduced. is there. It is a figure which shows exchange of the content data and chapter information in this invention, Comprising: (a) shows the case where the setting of a chapter start position is performed inside an information recording / reproducing apparatus, (b) shows a chapter. This shows a case where the start position is set outside the information recording / reproducing apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the portable information terminal in the modification 4 of embodiment. 10 shows an example of an image displayed when content A is reproduced in Modification 5 of the embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the operation part in the modification 6 of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the chapter information management table in the modification 6 of embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the reaction time table in the modification 6 of embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the operation part in the modification 7 of embodiment. It is a graph which shows an example of the relationship between the correction | amendment rate of pressing or pushing time and reaction time in the modification 7 of embodiment, (a) shows the relationship between the correction | amendment rate of pressing and reaction time, (B) shows the relationship between the pressing time and the correction rate of the reaction time. It is a figure which shows an example of the chapter information management table in the modification 7 of embodiment.

  An embodiment of an information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, first, the configuration of the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. Note that examples of the information recording / reproducing apparatus according to the present embodiment include a DVD (BD) player and a DVD (BD) recorder.

(Configuration of information recording / reproducing apparatus 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1. The information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 includes an HDD unit 101, an optical disc drive unit 102, an interface unit 103, a decoder unit 104, an input / output interface unit (chapter information output unit, chapter information acquisition unit) 105, a television output interface unit 106, an operation unit ( Operation input device) 110, control unit (reference frame setting unit, start frame setting unit, calculation unit, subframe setting unit, display unit, user identification unit) 111, storage unit (chapter information storage unit, user group storage unit) 112 And a display unit 113. Each of these members will be described in detail below.

(HDD unit 101)
When an instruction to read content data is input from the control unit 111 via the interface unit 103, the HDD unit 101 reads the content data written in the hard disk for each predetermined information unit and passes through the interface unit 103. To the decoder unit 104. Further, content data input from the outside via the interface unit 103 is written to the hard disk.

  Further, in place of the HDD unit 101, for example, a nonvolatile memory such as a flash memory may be used.

(Optical disk drive unit 102)
When an instruction to read content data is input from the control unit 111 via the interface unit 103, the optical disc drive unit 102 reads the content data written on the optical disc for each predetermined information unit and passes through the interface unit 103. And output to the decoder unit 104. In addition, content data input from the outside via the interface unit 103 is written to the optical disc.

(Interface unit 103)
The interface unit 103 performs predetermined signal processing on content data input from the outside and chapter information described later output from the control unit 111, and outputs the processed signal to the HDD unit 101 and the optical disc drive unit 102. The interface unit 103 performs predetermined signal processing on the content data output from the HDD unit 101 and the optical disc drive unit 102 and outputs the processed data to the decoder unit 104.

(Decoder unit 104)
The decoder unit 104 performs a predetermined restoration process on content data input via the interface unit 103 and outputs the restored content data to the input / output interface unit 105 and the control unit 111.

(I / O interface unit 105)
The input / output interface unit 105 performs predetermined signal output processing on the content data output from the decoder unit 104, and the content data is transmitted through wired transfer means such as HDMI, USB, and wired LAN, or wireless transfer means such as Bluetooth and wireless LAN. Or content data to a recording medium such as microSD or SD.

  The input / output interface unit 105 performs predetermined signal processing on content data input through a wired transfer unit such as HDMI, USB, or wired LAN, or a wireless transfer unit such as Bluetooth or wireless LAN, and outputs the content data to the control unit 111. To do.

(TV output interface unit 106)
The television output interface unit 106 performs predetermined signal output processing on the content data output from the control unit 111, and outputs the content data to a television (not shown) through the transfer unit. An example of the transfer means is HDMI.

(Operation unit 110)
The operation unit 110 receives an instruction from the user and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the instruction to the control unit 111.

  Specifically, the operation unit 110 receives, from the user, recording, 1x normal playback (hereinafter referred to as normal playback), 1x reverse playback (hereinafter simply referred to as reverse playback), fast forward playback, fast reverse playback, chapters. When receiving an instruction to set the start position, etc., operation signals such as a recording instruction signal, a normal reproduction instruction signal, a reverse reproduction instruction signal, a fast forward reproduction instruction signal, a fast reverse reproduction instruction signal, and a chapter start position setting instruction signal, respectively. Is output to the control unit 111.

  In addition, the operation unit 110 receives an instruction to display information (hereinafter referred to as content information) such as the title of the content recorded on the optical disc or the HDD, the date and time when the content was recorded, and the content genre from the user. The content information display instruction signal is output to the control unit 111.

(Storage unit 112, display unit 113)
The storage unit 112 is a memory for storing chapter information. Since the details of the chapter information will be described later, the detailed description thereof is omitted here. The display unit 113 displays symbols and characters according to the content playback state (normal playback, reverse playback, fast forward playback, fast reverse playback, etc.) and, as will be described later, based on chapter information, It is a display which displays.

(Control unit 111)
Upon receiving an instruction from the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 controls the HDD unit 101, the optical disc drive unit 102, the interface unit 103, the decoder unit 104, the input / output interface unit 105, the television output interface unit 106, and the storage unit 112. . The control unit 111 also controls an encoder (not shown) and a tuner (not shown) that supplies content data to the encoder.

  Further, the control unit 111 sets the chapter start position in response to an input from the user via the operation unit 110. Note that the details of the chapter start position setting process will be described in detail below, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

(Overview of chapter start position setting process)
Next, the outline of the chapter frame (chapter start frame) setting process in the control unit 111 will be described on the assumption that serial numbers (frame numbers) are assigned to the frames of the content in the order of normal reproduction. In the following, a frame with the frame number p is referred to as a frame p.

  The control unit 111 compensates for the setting deviation of the chapter start position caused by the user reaction time and sets the chapter frame.

  First, upon receiving a chapter start position setting instruction signal output from the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 sets the frame currently displayed on the display unit as a reference frame.

  Next, the control unit 111 calculates a compensation value based on the content reproduction condition at the time when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input.

  The compensation value D can be calculated by D = s * k * n when the playback speed of the content at the time when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input is “n times speed”. Here, s is a code factor that takes s = + 1 if the “reproduction direction” is “feed” and s = −1 if the “reproduction direction” is “return”. Further, k represents a delay coefficient resulting from the human reaction speed. The specific value of k is expressed as follows: k ≧ t * r, where t is the reaction time from when a human visually recognizes an object and reacts by hand movement, and the frame rate of content playback is r frames / second. It can be determined as the smallest integer that satisfies.

  Note that k * n excluding the sign factor s from the definition of the compensation value D is called the number of compensation frames.

  Further, the control unit 111 determines a chapter frame from the reference frame based on the calculated compensation value.

  Specifically, when the reference frame is a frame m, the control unit 111 sets a frame N with a frame number N determined by N = m−D as a chapter frame.

  As described above, the control unit 111 can compensate for the deviation of the chapter start position setting caused by the reaction time of the user, and can set the chapter start position for the frame originally intended by the user. Further, by storing the information of the frame in which the chapter start position is set in the memory, the content can be reproduced from the frame desired by the user at the next reproduction of the content.

  As described above, since the chapter start position can be set at the position originally desired by the user even during fast forward playback, it is possible to easily set the chapter start position appropriately while fast-forwarding the content. It is. That is, in one usage mode of the present invention, the user can complete chapter setting in a short time by performing chapter setting while performing fast-forward playback in the information recording / reproducing apparatus.

  Also, for example, when the information recording / reproducing apparatus is a portable device, the chapter start position is set every time chapter setting is performed in a short time while the content is fast-forwarded and played when time is available on the go. By storing the frame information set in the memory in the memory as a chapter information table, when the content is slowly played back later to return to the home, the frame desired by the user is determined based on the information stored in the chapter information table. The content can be reproduced from.

(Specific example of chapter start position setting processing)
Next, the chapter frame setting process in the control unit 111 will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS.

  In the following description, it is assumed that the content playback frame rate is 15 frames / second and the human reaction time is 0.24 seconds. Therefore, the delay coefficient k is determined as k = 4 as a minimum integer satisfying k ≧ 0.24 * 15.

  Here, a case will be described in which the user instructs the operation unit 110 to set a chapter start position while a frame before “frame 31” is displayed on the television screen.

  2A to 2F show the frame number of the frame that the control unit 111 sets as a chapter frame when the user instructs setting of the chapter start position during the reproduction of the content, and the control unit 111 has a chapter number. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the frame number of the latest frame output to the TV output interface unit 106 by the control unit 111 at the time when the start position setting instruction signal is input, where (a) is during normal playback, and (b) is a diagram. During reverse playback, (c) is during double-speed fast-forward playback, (d) is during double-speed fast-forward playback, (e) is during triple-speed fast-forward playback, and (f) is during chapter-speed fast-forward playback. The case where the setting is instructed is shown.

  Here, in FIGS. 2A to 2F, a circle represents a frame output from the control unit 111 to the television output interface unit 106. In other words, this is a frame displayed on the television screen. In this section, it is assumed that the delay time from when the control unit 111 outputs a frame until the frame is displayed on the television can be ignored. However, the present invention can be applied even when the delay time cannot be ignored. Processing in this case will be described later. Also, the ● mark represents a frame that is output from the control unit 111 to the television output interface unit 106 and is a reference frame set by the control unit 111. In addition, ◎ indicates a frame that is output from the control unit 111 to the television output interface unit 106 and set by the control unit 111.

(Chapter start position setting during normal playback of content)
First, setting of the chapter start position during normal playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, during normal playback of content, the control unit 111 outputs all frames output from the decoder unit 104 to the television output interface unit 106.

  When the user instructs setting of a chapter start position via the operation unit 110 (for example, when a determination button on the operation unit 110 is pressed), a chapter start position setting instruction signal is input to the control unit 111. The control unit 111 sets “frame 31”, which is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input, as a reference frame.

  Subsequently, since “reproduction speed” = “1 × speed” and “reproduction direction” = “feed”, the control unit 111 sets the compensation value D to D = s * k * n = + 1 * 4 * 1 = 4. Calculated by

  Further, since “reference frame” = “frame 31” and “compensation value” = “4”, the control unit 111 calculates the frame number N of the chapter frame by N = m−D = 31−4 = 27. Then, the frame 27 is set as a chapter frame.

(Chapter start position setting during 1x reverse playback of content)
Next, the case of setting the chapter start position during reverse playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, during the 1 × reverse playback of the content, the control unit 111 outputs all frames output from the decoder unit 104 to the television output interface unit 106.

  When the user instructs setting of the chapter start position via the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 sets “frame 31”, which is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input, as a reference frame. Set as.

  Subsequently, since “reproduction speed” = “1 × speed” and “reproduction direction” = “return”, the control unit 111 sets the compensation value D to D = s * k * n = −1 * 4 * 1 = -4.

  Further, since “reference frame” = “frame 31” and “compensation value” = “− 4”, the control unit 111 calculates the frame number N of the chapter frame by N = m−D = 31 + 4 = 35. The frame 35 is set as a chapter frame.

(Chapter start position setting during 2x fast-forward playback of content)
Next, setting of the chapter start position during double-speed fast-forward playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (c), during double-speed fast-forward playback of content, the control unit 111 equally thins out one frame into two frames from all the frames output from the decoder unit 104, and outputs to the television. The data is output to the interface unit 106.

  When the user instructs setting of the chapter start position via the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 uses “frame 31” that is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input as a reference frame. Set.

  Subsequently, since “reproduction speed” = “double speed” and “reproduction direction” = “feed”, the control unit 111 sets the compensation value D to D = s * k * n = + 1 * 4 * 2 = 8. Calculated by

  Further, since “reference frame” = “frame 31” and “compensation value” = “8”, the control unit 111 calculates the frame number N of the chapter frame by N = m−D = 31−8 = 23. Then, the frame 23 is set as a chapter frame.

  The chapter start position can be set in the same manner during double-speed fast-rewinding of the content, triple-speed fast-forwarding, and triple-speed fast-rewinding (see FIGS. 2D, 2E, and 2F). In the above description, the case of content (video content) including video and audio has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to content (audio content) including only audio. In audio content, the compensation value D may be determined using a sampling rate instead of a frame rate. Note that there may be a difference in the reaction time of the user when setting chapters between content that contains video (video content) and content that does not contain video (audio content). The compensation value D may be determined by having a separate time, selecting an appropriate reaction time according to the type of content.

(Chapter information management table)
When the chapter frame is set by the above-described processing, the control unit 111 records information (chapter information) regarding the set chapter frame in the chapter information management table recorded in the storage unit (chapter information storage unit) 112. A chapter information management table in which chapter information is recorded will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the chapter information management table. As shown in FIG. 3, the chapter information management table includes, as chapter information, a content ID, a chapter number, a playback speed and a playback direction when a chapter start position is set, a frame number of a frame set as a reference frame, In addition, frame numbers of frames set as chapter frames are recorded in association with each other.

  Note that the chapter information A in FIG. 3 performs the chapter start position setting process as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B on the content whose content ID is “A” (hereinafter referred to as content A). The chapter information B is the chapter start position as shown in (c) and (d) of FIG. 2 with respect to the content whose content ID is “B” (hereinafter referred to as content B). FIG. 2 (e) and FIG. 2 (f) show the chapter information when the setting process is performed. The chapter information C corresponds to the content whose content ID is “C” (hereinafter referred to as content C). This is chapter information when a chapter start position setting process is performed.

  Here, the “content ID” is identification information given to each content in order to distinguish different contents. For example, the content ID may be automatically created by the control unit 111 based on the title of the content, the broadcast time, or the like, or may be appropriately input by the user via the operation unit 110. Good.

  The “chapter number” indicates the number of chapters that are set in the content having the same content ID.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the chapter start position is set to the content A as shown in FIG. 2A first, the chapter number is “1”, the playback speed is “1 × speed”, The playback direction is “feed”, the frame number of the reference frame is “31”, and the frame number of the chapter frame is “27”.

  Similarly, when the chapter start position is set second for content A as shown in FIG. 2B, the chapter number is “2”, the playback speed is “1 × speed”, and the playback direction is “return”. The frame number of the reference frame is “31”, and the frame number of the chapter frame is “35”.

  The chapter information B and the chapter information C are the same as the chapter information A.

  Note that the chapter information does not necessarily include the frame number of the frame set as the chapter frame. The chapter information not including the frame number of the frame set as the chapter frame will be described in detail in <Modification 3> below.

  The storage unit 112 may store frame data (image data) set as a chapter frame together with the chapter information management table.

  The chapter information for each content stored in the storage unit 112 may be recorded on an HDD or an optical disk.

  Further, the control unit 111 may read out chapter information for each content recorded on the HDD or the optical disc and store it in the storage unit 112.

(Playback operation based on chapter information)
Next, the operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 when reproducing the content in which the chapter start position is set will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (d). In this section, information recording when reproducing content A having chapter information A, content B having chapter information B, and content C having chapter information C recorded in the chapter information management table shown in FIG. The operation of the playback device 1 will be described.

  4A to 4D show examples of images displayed on the display unit 113 when content is reproduced, and FIG. 4A shows an example of content information displayed on the display unit 113. (B) shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 113 when the content A is reproduced, and (c) is displayed on the display unit 113 when the content B is reproduced. (D) shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 113 when the content C is reproduced. In FIGS. 4A to 4D, a case where a title name representing content is displayed as content information will be described as an example.

  First, the user instructs the control unit 111 to display content information of content recorded on the optical disc (or HDD) via the operation unit 110.

  Upon receiving the instruction, the control unit 111 reads the content information from the optical disc drive unit 102 (or the HDD unit 101) and outputs it to the display unit 113.

  FIG. 4A shows an example of content information displayed on the television screen. The user recognizes the content recorded on the optical disc (or HDD) from such a display image, and selects the content to be reproduced.

  Hereinafter, a case where the user selects reproduction of the content A will be described with reference to FIG.

  If the user selects reproduction of the content A via the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 reads chapter information A, which is chapter information related to the content A, from the chapter information management table recorded in the storage unit 112. read out.

  In addition, the control unit 111 reads a frame constituting the content A, which is set as a chapter frame in the chapter information A from the optical disc drive unit 102 (or HDD unit 101), and outputs it to the display unit 113. That is, in this example, “frame 27” and “frame 35” are output to the display unit 113.

  Further, the control unit 111 reads out the reproduction direction when the chapter start position is set for each chapter frame from the chapter information management table, and outputs it to the display unit 113.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the display unit 113 displays “frame 27” that is a chapter frame corresponding to the chapter number “1”, and the chapter start position is set together with “frame 27”. “Feed” which is the reproduction direction at the time is displayed. In addition, the display unit 113 displays “frame 35” that is a chapter frame corresponding to the chapter number “2”. Along with “frame 35”, “return” is the playback direction when this chapter start position is set. Is displayed. In addition, when the playback direction when the chapter is set is displayed, the user visually recognizes the playback direction when the chapter is set, and when reproducing the content, normal playback or reverse playback is performed. Can be selected.

  When the user selects one of the chapter frames displayed on the display unit 113 by an input via the operation unit 110, the control unit 111 performs normal playback of the content A with the selected chapter frame as a starting point, or Perform reverse playback.

  Thus, by using the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1, the user can view the content A from a desired position.

  Even when the user selects content B (content C), the reproduction operation can be performed in the same manner as described above (see FIGS. 4C and 4D).

  In the above description, it is assumed that the delay time from when the control unit 111 outputs a frame until the frame is displayed on the image display device can be ignored. However, when the delay time is so large that it cannot be ignored, the control unit 111 outputs a predetermined number of frames before the latest frame output to the TV output interface unit 106 when receiving the chapter start position setting instruction signal. You may make it set the chapter start position with respect to the done frame. The predetermined number of frames can be determined by a delay time, a frame rate, etc. in the information recording / reproducing apparatus.

  In the above description, the case where the frame rate of the content is 15 frames / second has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the compensation value depends on the frame rate specified by the content to be played back. What is necessary is just to determine D. Some content to be reproduced has a plurality of frame rates within the same content (in other words, the frame rate varies depending on the scene (frame number)). When the present invention is applied to such content, for example, the compensation value D may be determined using the frame rate in the scene (frame number) that is the target of chapter setting.

  In this embodiment, the delay coefficient k resulting from the human reaction speed is a fixed value (k = 4). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 can be operated by the user. A means for measuring the reaction time may be provided so that the delay coefficient optimized for the user can be determined.

  In the above description, the case where the chapter start position is set has been described. Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to the case where the chapter end position is set.

  In the above description, the compensation value or the number of compensation frames is described as being proportional to the content playback speed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied even when the number of compensation frames is expressed as an arbitrary function of the playback speed of content.

  The present invention also includes the case where the above chapter setting is performed only when the playback speed is in the forward direction, and the case where the above chapter setting is performed only when the playback speed is in the reverse direction. It is.

<Modification 1>
In the chapter start position setting process described above, the chapter information management table that records the chapter frame set in association with the playback condition at the time of setting the chapter start position is described as an example. Here, the chapter frame does not need to be set when the chapter start position is set, and may be set when the content is reproduced. A configuration for setting a chapter frame at the time of content reproduction will be described below as a first modification.

  The above-described processing and the processing in the first modification are only the difference between whether the setting of the chapter frame in the control unit 111 is at the time of chapter start position setting or at the time of content playback, and is otherwise substantially the same. is there.

(Chapter information management table)
FIG. 5 shows an example of a chapter information management table in the case where chapter frames are calculated based on chapter information when content with chapter start positions set is reproduced.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the chapter management table associates the content ID, chapter number, playback speed and playback direction when the chapter start position is set, and the frame number of the frame set as the reference frame as chapter information. Has been recorded. However, in the first modification, the frame number of the chapter frame is not included in the chapter information.

(Playback operation based on chapter information)
As described above, in the first modification, the chapter information does not include the frame number of the chapter frame, and the control unit 111 reproduces the chapter information when the chapter start position is already set. The chapter frame is calculated based on the above.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the control unit 111 when the user instructs the reproduction of the content A for which the chapter start position has already been set will be described.

  When the user instructs reproduction of the content A, the control unit 111 reads the chapter information A from the chapter information management table recorded in the storage unit 112. Then, a compensation value is calculated based on the read chapter information A information, and a chapter frame is set using the calculated compensation value. At this time, the calculation formula described above may be used as the compensation value calculation method and the chapter frame setting method using the compensation value in the control unit 111.

  That is, when reproducing chapter 1 in content A, control unit 111 calculates compensation value D based on the reproduction condition of chapter 1 in chapter information A ((+1) * 4 * 1 = 4). Next, the control unit 111 sets a chapter frame from the reference frame (frame 31) and the calculated compensation value (+4) (31-4 = 27 (frame 27)).

  Finally, the control unit 111 reads the “frame 27” set as the chapter frame from the optical disc (or HDD) and outputs it to the display unit 113. The control unit 111 also outputs the reproduction direction read from the chapter information management table to the display unit 113.

  Similarly, when the user selects chapter 2 of content A, control unit 111 calculates a compensation value based on the playback condition of chapter 2 in chapter information A ((−1) * 4 * 1 = -4). Then, the control unit 111 sets a chapter frame from the reference frame (frame 31) and the calculated compensation value (−4) (31 − (− 4) = 35 (frame 35)).

  Therefore, the display unit 113 displays the same image as that in FIG.

  Here, when the user selects a chapter start position displayed on the display unit 113 via the operation unit 110, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 sets a frame set as a chapter frame of the selected chapter start position. The content A is normally reproduced or reversely reproduced.

  The process of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 when the user instructs the reproduction of the content B (content C) is the same as the process when the content A is selected.

  Therefore, also in this modification, the user can view content from his / her desired frame (playback position) when setting a chapter.

<Modification 2>
In the setting of the chapter start position during content reproduction as described above, it is also conceivable that the reaction time of the user varies for each setting of the chapter start position. In such a case, there is a secondary problem that the control unit 111 sets a frame deviated from a frame originally desired by the user as a chapter frame.

  In general, high-speed playback of content is performed by thinning out frames at a constant rate from normal playback (same size playback). Therefore, when trying to set the chapter start position during high-speed playback of content, there is a secondary problem that the chapter start position cannot be set for frames thinned out for high-speed playback of content. is there.

  Therefore, in this modification, a frame including a predetermined number of frames positioned before and after a chapter frame and including frames thinned out during fast forward playback / fast reverse playback of content can be set as a sub chapter frame. The information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 will be described below.

(Configuration of information recording / reproducing apparatus 3)
The configuration of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 is the same as that of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. However, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 311 instead of the control unit 111 in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1.

  In addition to the processing of the control unit 111, the control unit 311 performs processing for setting a sub-chapter frame as described below.

(Outline of sub chapter frame setting processing)
The control unit 311 compensates for the deviation of the setting of the chapter start position due to the user reaction time, and is a predetermined number of frames positioned before and after the chapter frame, and fast-forward playback / fast-rewind of the content It is characterized in that a frame including frames thinned out during reproduction is set as a sub-chapter frame.

  Specifically, when the playback speed of the content at the time when the setting of the chapter start position is instructed is “n times speed”, the control unit 311 subtracts q * n frames before and after the chapter frame m by sub-chapter frames (sub-subframes). Frame). Here, q is a proportional coefficient determined according to the frame rate of content reproduction.

  The q * n frame includes frames that are thinned out during fast forward playback / fast reverse playback of content.

  By configuring the control unit 311 as described above and storing information on sub-chapter frames in addition to chapter frame information in the memory, the content is reproduced from the frame desired by the user at the next reproduction of the content. be able to.

(Specific example of sub chapter frame setting processing)
Next, the chapter start position setting process in the control unit 311 will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS.

  Hereinafter, a case where the frame rate of content reproduction is 15 frames / second and the proportional coefficient q is set to q = 2 will be described.

  Similarly to the above description, an example will be described in which setting of the chapter start position is instructed while a frame before “frame 31” is displayed on the television screen.

  6A to 6F show the frame number of the frame set by the control unit 311 as the chapter frame when the user instructs setting of the chapter start position during the reproduction of the content, and the control unit 311 The figure which shows the frame number of the frame set to a chapter frame, and the frame number of the newest frame which the control part 311 output to the television output interface part 106 at the time of the chapter start position setting instruction | indication signal being input into the control part 311. (A) during normal playback, (b) during reverse playback, (c) during double speed fast forward playback, (d) during double speed fast reverse playback, (e) during triple speed fast forward playback , (F) shows a case where setting of the chapter start position is instructed during the 3x fast reverse playback.

  In FIG. 6A to FIG. 6F, a circle indicates a frame that the control unit 311 outputs to the television output interface unit 106. In addition, the ● mark represents a frame that is output from the control unit 311 to the television output interface unit 106 and is a reference frame set by the control unit 311. Symbols ◎ are frames output from the control unit 311 to the television output interface unit 106 and represent chapter frames set by the control unit 311 as described below.

  Also, in FIGS. 6A to 6F, ◇ marks are frames output from the control unit 311 to the TV output interface unit 106, and are set as sub-chapter frames by the control unit 311 as described below. Represents a frame. Further, Δ marks represent frames that are not output by the control unit 311 to the television output interface unit 106 and are set as sub-chapter frames by the control unit 311 as described below.

(Chapter start position setting during normal playback of content)
First, setting of the chapter start position during normal playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the user instructs setting of the chapter start position via the operation unit 110, a chapter start position setting instruction signal is input to the control unit 311. The control unit 311 sets “frame 31”, which is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input, as a reference frame. Further, as described above, the control unit 311 sets “frame 27” as a chapter frame.

  In this modification, the control unit 311 sets “reproduction speed” = “1 × speed”, and therefore sets 2 * 1 = 2 frames before and after the frame 27 as sub-chapter frames.

  That is, the control unit 311 sets “frame 25”, “frame 26”, “frame 28”, and “frame 29” as sub-chapter frames.

(Chapter start position setting during reverse playback of content)
Next, setting of the chapter start position during reverse playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the user instructs setting of the chapter start position via the operation unit 110, a chapter start position setting instruction signal is input to the control unit 311. The control unit 311 sets “frame 31”, which is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input, as a reference frame. Further, as described above, the control unit 311 sets “frame 35” as a chapter frame.

  In the present modification, the control unit 311 sets “reproduction speed” = “1 × speed”, and therefore sets 2 * 1 = 2 frames before and after the frame 27 as the sub-chapter start position.

  That is, the control unit 311 sets “frame 33”, “frame 34”, “frame 36”, and “frame 37” as sub-chapter frames.

(Chapter start position setting during 2x fast-forward playback of content)
Next, setting of the chapter start position during double-speed fast-forward playback of content will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the user instructs setting of the chapter start position via the operation unit 110, a chapter start position setting instruction signal is input to the control unit 311. The control unit 311 sets “frame 31”, which is a frame displayed on the television when the chapter start position setting instruction signal is input, as a reference frame. Further, as described above, the control unit 311 sets “frame 23” as a chapter frame.

  In the present modification, the control unit 311 has “reproduction speed” = “double speed”, and therefore includes 2 * 2 = 4 frames before and after the frame 23 including frames that are not output to the television output interface unit 106. Set to sub chapter frame.

  That is, the control unit 311 converts “frame 19”, “frame 20”, “frame 21”, “frame 22”, “frame 24”, “frame 25”, “frame 26”, and “frame 27” into sub-chapter frames. Set to.

  The setting of the sub-chapter frame accompanying the setting of the chapter start position during double-speed fast-rewinding of the content, fast-forwarding of the triple-speed, and fast-rewinding of the triple speed can be performed in the same manner (FIGS. 6D and 6E). (See (f)).

  The value of the proportional coefficient q is preferably set to increase (decrease) when the frame rate increases (decreases). In other words, the value of the proportional coefficient q is preferably an increase function of the frame rate. Therefore, when the frame rate is 30 frames / second, for example, q = 4 is preferable. However, the present invention is not limited to a specific value of q.

  Further, the number of sub-chapter frames before the chapter frame may be different from the number of sub-chapter frames after the chapter frame. For example, the configuration may be such that the user can specify the number of sub-chapter frames. .

  In the above description, the frame rate is a fixed value, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the frame rate is a variable value, the decoder unit 104 or the like converts the frame rate to a fixed value and then performs the same processing.

  Further, the value of the proportional coefficient q may be determined based on information specifying the reproduction time for each frame such as a time code and a time tag.

(Chapter information)
The chapter information generated by the control unit 311 in accordance with the above chapter start position setting preferably includes the frame number of the sub-chapter frame in addition to the chapter information shown in FIG.

  FIG. 7 shows the chapter information A generated by the control unit 311 when the chapter frame as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is set for the content A and the content B shown in FIG. FIGS. 6E and 6F show the chapter information B and the content C generated by the control unit 311 when the chapter frame and the sub-chapter frame are set as shown in c) and (d). It is the figure which showed the chapter information C which the control part 311 produces | generates when the setting of such a chapter frame and a sub chapter frame is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 311 includes a content ID, a chapter number, a playback speed when the chapter start position is set, a playback direction when the chapter start position is set, a frame number of the reference frame, and a chapter frame. In addition to the frame number, chapter information including the frame number of the sub-chapter frame is stored in the storage unit 112.

  The storage unit 112 may store chapter frame image data and sub-chapter frame image data together with chapter information.

  The chapter information does not necessarily include the frame number of the chapter frame. Even in such a case, the present invention can be implemented as described in <Modification 3> below. is there.

(Playback operation based on chapter information)
Next, the operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 when reproducing the content in which the chapter start position and the sub-chapter frame are set will be described with reference to FIG.

  Specifically, the operation of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 when reproducing the content A, content B, and content C having chapter information as shown in FIG. 7 will be described.

  FIGS. 8A to 8C show examples of images displayed on the display unit 113 when the content is reproduced. FIG. 8A shows the image displayed on the display unit 113 when the content A is reproduced. An example of an image to be displayed is shown. (B) shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 113 when the content B is reproduced. (C) is an example when the content C is reproduced. An example of the image displayed on the display unit 113 is shown.

  When the user instructs reproduction of the content A, the control unit 311 reads chapter information A, which is chapter information related to the content A, from the chapter information recorded in the storage unit 112, similarly to the control unit 111.

  In addition, the control unit 311 deletes the frame having the frame number of the chapter frame included in the chapter information A and the frame number of the sub-chapter frame included in the chapter information A, which is the frame of the content A. The data is read from the unit 102 (or the HDD unit 101) and output to the display unit 113. That is, in this example, “frame 27” and “frame 35” are output as chapter frames, and “frame 25”, “frame 26”, “frame 28”, “frame 29”, In addition, “frame 33”, “frame 34”, “frame 36”, and “frame 37” are output to the display unit 113.

  Further, the control unit 311 reads out the reproduction direction when the chapter start position is set for each chapter frame from the chapter information management table, and outputs it to the display unit 113.

  FIG. 8A shows an example of an image actually displayed on the display unit 113 when the user selects the content A. FIG.

  When the user selects one of the chapter frames or sub-chapter frames displayed on the display unit 113 by input from the operation unit 110, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 selects the selected chapter frame or sub-chapter frame. The normal reproduction or reverse reproduction of the content A is performed starting from the frame.

  Thus, by using the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3, the user can view the content A from a desired frame.

  Also for the content B and the content C, the user can select a chapter frame or a sub-chapter frame by the same operation as described above, and can reproduce the content from a desired frame (reproduction position) ( (See FIGS. 8B and 8C).

  Even if the user does not select one of the chapter frames displayed on the display unit 113 or the sub-chapter frame, the user can select a frame around the chapter frame, particularly a thinned frame. Therefore, it is possible to easily grasp the contents of the chapter starting from the chapter frame.

<Modification 3>
The above-described <Modification 2> can be modified as described in <Modification 1>.

  In other words, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 is configured to calculate the frame number of the chapter frame and the frame number of the sub-chapter frame based on the chapter information when reproducing the content in which the chapter start position is set. It is also possible.

  Specifically, when the “reproduction speed” included in the chapter information is “n-times speed”, the control unit 311 determines the frame number S of the frame to be set to the sub-chapter frame as a relational expression N−2n ≦ S ≦ N + 2n. And an integer that satisfies N and does not include N. Here, N is the frame number of the chapter frame calculated by the same method as in <Modification 1>.

  For example, when the playback speed is “double speed” and the frame number of the chapter frame is calculated as 23, the integer S satisfying the above relational expression is S = 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 26, 27, and the integer obtained by removing 23, which is the frame number of the chapter frame, is set as the frame number of the sub-chapter frame.

<Modification 4>
(Chapter start position setting by portable information terminal)
In the above description, the chapter start position for the content is set in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 (see FIG. 9A), but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Specifically, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 may take in chapter information created by a device other than itself and may reproduce content from a frame desired by the user based on the chapter information. For example, a user uses a gap time at a place where he / she goes, etc. to set chapters one after another in a scene he / she wants to watch in a short time while fast-forwarding the content with a portable information terminal, There is a usage method such as slowly watching a scene that you want to see (a scene set as a chapter on the go).

  FIG. 9B shows an example in which content is transferred from an information recording / reproducing apparatus (content reproducing apparatus) 1 to a portable information terminal (chapter setting apparatus) 2 that can be carried by the user. 2 shows a chapter setting system for creating chapter information.

  First, content is transferred from the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 to the portable information terminal 2. Next, for the content, the control unit 211 in the portable information terminal 2 creates chapter information based on an instruction from the user.

  The portable information terminal 2 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 10, and the setting of the chapter start position in the control unit 211 can be performed similarly to the control unit 111.

  The created chapter information is transferred to the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1, and the user can view the content from a desired frame based on the chapter information.

  Transfer of content and chapter information between the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and the portable information terminal 2 is performed by an input / output interface unit (chapter information acquisition means) 105 of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and an input / output interface unit of the portable information terminal 2. (Chapter information output means) 205 can be realized.

  Also, for example, contrary to the above, before going out, set the chapters one after another in the scene you want to watch in a short time while using the information recording / playback device at home to fast-forward and play back the content. When it is possible, there is a usage method in which a portable information terminal views a scene that the user wants to see (a scene in which chapters are set).

  As one of such examples, chapter information is created in the information recording / reproducing apparatus (chapter setting apparatus) 1, and contents and chapters are transferred from the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 to a portable information terminal (content reproducing apparatus) 2 that can be carried by the user. There is a chapter setting system that transfers information and reproduces content using the chapter information in the portable information terminal 2.

  First, in the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1, the control unit 111 creates chapter information for an arbitrary content based on an instruction from the user. The content and the created chapter information are transferred to the portable information terminal 2, and the user can view the content from a desired frame on the portable information terminal 2 based on the chapter information.

  Transfer of content and chapter information between the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and the portable information terminal 2 is performed by an input / output interface unit (chapter information output means) 105 of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and an input / output interface unit of the portable information terminal 2. (Chapter information acquisition means) 205 can be realized.

<Modification 5>
Further, in <Modification 2>, the configuration in which the chapter frames and the sub-chapter frames are displayed in a list as illustrated in FIG. 8 when the content in which the chapter start position and the sub-chapter frame are set is reproduced has been described. Instead of list display, a configuration may be used in which chapter frames and sub-chapter frames are displayed like a moving image. Hereinafter, a configuration in which the chapter frame and the sub-chapter frame are displayed like a moving image will be described as <Modification 5>. The sub-chapter frame setting process is the same as in <Modification 2>, and the description of the same configuration and process as in <Modification 2> will be omitted below, and only the differences will be described.

(Playback operation based on chapter information)
FIG. 11 shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 113 when content is reproduced in the present modification. FIG. 11 uses content A as the content, as in FIG.

  When the user instructs reproduction of the content A, the control unit 311 reads chapter information A that is chapter information related to the content A from the chapter information recorded in the storage unit 112.

  The control unit 311 reads the playback direction when the chapter start position is set for each chapter frame from the chapter information management table. In addition, the control unit 311 deletes the frame having the frame number of the chapter frame included in the chapter information A and the frame number of the sub-chapter frame included in the chapter information A, which is the frame of the content A. Read from the unit 102 (or HDD unit 101).

  Then, the control unit 311 repeatedly outputs the read chapter frames and sub-chapter frames to the display unit 113 in order in the order along the reproduction direction when the chapter start position is set. That is, in this example, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, when displaying chapter 1 whose chapter frame is “frame 25” and chapter 2 whose chapter frame is “frame 35”, display of chapter 1 is displayed. In the area, “frame 25” to “frame 29” are displayed like a moving image in order, and in the display area of chapter 2, “frame 33” to “frame 37” are displayed like a moving image.

  In this way, by displaying the chapter frame and the sub-chapter frame like a moving image, the screen is small (for example, a mobile terminal) as compared with the case where the list of sub-chapter frames is displayed as in <Modification 2>. If more), more chapters can be displayed. Moreover, by displaying like a moving image, the user can easily understand the contents of the scenes before and after the chapter frame. For example, when chapter setting is performed on the go and viewing is performed based on the chapter set after returning home, the user may forget the contents of the chapter (scene) set by himself / herself. By displaying the sub-chapter frame like a moving image, the contents can be easily grasped.

<Modification 6>
The content recording / playback apparatus 1 may be used by a plurality of users. At this time, since the reaction time varies depending on the physical ability, it is preferable to calculate a compensation value D suitable for each user. In this modification, a configuration is described in which a user who operates the content recording / playback apparatus 1 is identified and the compensation value D is calculated using the reaction time k corresponding to the user who operates the content recording / playback apparatus 1.

  The configuration of the content recording / playback apparatus 1 in this modification is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, but an operation unit 110 ′ is provided instead of the operation unit 110. As shown in FIG. 12, the operation unit 110 'is provided with a plurality of buttons for the user to input a chapter start position setting instruction (buttons 110A, 110B, and 110C). Each user inputs a chapter start position setting instruction by pressing his / her own button. In other words, the control unit (user identification unit) identifies the user according to which button is used to input the chapter start position setting instruction.

  The storage unit (user group storage means) 112 stores a group of users who operate the content recording / playback apparatus 1, and stores a reaction time table indicating the reaction time k of each user as shown in FIG. . For example, the reaction time table allows each user to input an age and refers to a table of correspondence relationship between age and a general reaction time k of a human of the age, which is input in advance in the storage unit 112. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the reaction time may be directly input by the user, or the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 is provided with means for measuring the reaction time of the user as described above. The reaction time of each user may be measured to create a reaction time table.

  When a chapter start position setting instruction is input from the user via the operation unit 110 ′ (when a reference frame is set), the control unit 111 determines which button of 110A to C is pressed. Then, it is identified which user of the group of users stored in the storage unit 112 has input the chapter start position setting instruction. And as shown in FIG. 13, the control part 111 includes user information in chapter information, and produces a chapter information management table.

  And the control part 111 calculates the chapter frame by acquiring the reaction time k according to the user who input the chapter start position setting instruction with reference to the reaction time table, and calculating the compensation value D.

  As described above, when the control unit 111 identifies the user, the content can be reproduced from the frame desired by the user using the reaction time suitable for each user as described above. In addition, as described above, the control unit 111 can add the information of the user who sets the reference frame to the chapter information by identifying the user, so that the chapter set by the user can be selected and used. can do. Note that it is not necessary to exclude the use of chapters set by others.

  In the above description, a configuration in which a plurality of physical buttons are provided on the operation unit 110 ′ has been described as a mechanism for identifying a user by the control unit 111. You may take the structure of. For example, the user who operates the content recording / playback apparatus 1 may be specified by switching the chapter setting mode for each user prepared for each user using the setting menu of the content recording / playback apparatus 1. The operation unit 110 ′ may include user detection means for identifying a user, for example, a fingerprint sensor, and the control unit 111 may identify the user by causing the user to place a finger at a predetermined position. Further, when each user operates the content recording / playback apparatus 1 using the respective remote control or portable terminal, the control unit 111 may identify the user by detecting the operated remote control or portable terminal. Good.

<Modification 7>
In addition, when performing chapter setting, the user's concentration may not be maintained, and input of a chapter start position setting instruction may be delayed (for example, when chapter setting is performed while performing fast-forward playback for a long time). In such a case, since the difference between the chapter start position setting instruction and the desired frame becomes longer than the reaction time as described above, the chapter may not be set to the desired frame. A modification of the portable information terminal 2 in consideration of such a case will be described. Note that this configuration can also be applied to the content recording / playback apparatus 1.

  The configuration of the portable information terminal 2 in this modification is the same as that shown in FIG. 10, but an operation unit 210 ′ is provided instead of the operation unit 210. As illustrated in FIG. 15, the operation unit 210 ′ is provided with a button 210 </ b> A that can detect pressing as a button for a user to input a chapter start position setting instruction. When the input of the chapter start position setting instruction is delayed, the user can set the chapter frame in a desired frame by setting the chapter frame at an earlier timing by strongly pressing the button 210A. In other words, the control unit 211 corrects the reaction time k so that the reaction time k becomes longer as the pressure becomes larger in response to the pressure on the button 210A.

  When a chapter start position setting instruction is input from the user via the operation unit 210 ′ (when a reference frame is set), the control unit 211 calculates a correction rate for the reaction time according to the pressing of the button 210A. . For example, as illustrated in FIG. 16A, the control unit 211 sets the correction rate to 1.0 (no correction) when the pressure is less than a predetermined threshold, the pressure is equal to or greater than the threshold, and the button 210A. Is equal to or less than the maximum pressure that can be detected, the correction factor is determined to be proportional to the pressure. In the example shown in FIG. 16A, the maximum value of the correction factor is 2.0, but is not limited to this. Moreover, you may make it set the relationship between a press and a correction factor by the setting menu of the portable information terminal 2, for example.

  As illustrated in FIG. 17, the control unit 211 includes the calculated correction factor in the chapter information and creates a chapter information management table.

  Then, the control unit 211 calculates a chapter frame by calculating the compensation value D using the reaction time k corrected by the correction rate.

  As described above, the control unit 211 corrects the reaction time according to the pressing of the button 210A, so that the chapter start position can be adjusted not only by the pressing timing of the button 210A but also by the pressing as described above. Therefore, the chapter start position can be set at a more appropriate timing.

  In the above description, the configuration in which the reaction time k is corrected by pressing the button 210A has been described, but a configuration in which the reaction time k is corrected by pressing the button 210A instead of pressing the button 210A may be employed. That is, when the input of the chapter start position setting instruction is delayed, the user can set the chapter frame to a desired frame by setting the chapter frame at an earlier timing by pressing the button 210A for a long time. In other words, the control unit 211 corrects the reaction time k so that the reaction time k becomes longer as the press becomes larger in accordance with the pressing time of the button 210A. The relationship between the pressing time and the reaction time correction factor may be, for example, as shown in FIG. Thereby, since the chapter start position can be adjusted not only by pressing the button 210A but also by the pressing time, the chapter start position can be set at a more appropriate timing.

(Program and recording medium)
Finally, the control unit 111 of the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 may be realized by hardware by a logic circuit formed on an integrated circuit (IC chip), or may be implemented by software using a CPU (Central Processing Unit). It may be realized.

  In the latter case, the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 includes a CPU that executes instructions of a program that realizes each function, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program, and the program And a storage device (recording medium) such as a memory for storing various data. The object of the present invention is to enable a computer to read program codes (execution format program, intermediate code program, source program) of control programs for the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and the portable information terminal 2 that are software for realizing the functions described above. This can also be achieved by supplying the recording medium recorded in the above to the information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 and the portable information terminal 2, and reading and executing the program code recorded on the recording medium by the computer (or CPU or MPU). is there.

  Examples of the recording medium include tapes such as magnetic tapes and cassette tapes, magnetic disks such as floppy (registered trademark) disks / hard disks, and disks including optical disks such as CD-ROM / MO / MD / DVD / CD-R. IC cards (including memory cards) / optical cards, semiconductor memories such as mask ROM / EPROM / EEPROM / flash ROM, PLD (Programmable logic device), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc. Logic circuits can be used.

  The information recording / reproducing apparatus 1 may be configured to be connectable to a communication network, and the program code may be supplied via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit the program code. For example, the Internet, intranet, extranet, LAN, ISDN, VAN, CATV communication network, virtual private network, telephone line network, mobile communication network, satellite communication network, and the like can be used. The transmission medium constituting the communication network may be any medium that can transmit the program code, and is not limited to a specific configuration or type. For example, even with wired lines such as IEEE 1394, USB, power line carrier, cable TV line, telephone line, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) line, infrared rays such as IrDA and remote control, Bluetooth (registered trademark), IEEE 802.11 wireless, HDR ( It can also be used by radio such as High Data Rate (NFC), Near Field Communication (NFC), Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA), mobile phone network, satellite line, and digital terrestrial network.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means disclosed in different embodiments. Is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The same applies to the portable information terminal 2 (the control unit 211) and the information recording / reproducing apparatus 3 (the control unit 311).

  Further, the present invention can be applied even when streaming is received from a server via communication means.

  The chapter information may be generated and stored on the client side or may be generated and stored on the server side.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope shown in the claims. That is, embodiments obtained by combining technical means appropriately modified within the scope of the claims are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be suitably used for a player device that reproduces content recorded on a recording medium.

1, 3 Information recording / reproducing apparatus (content recording / reproducing apparatus, chapter setting apparatus, content reproducing apparatus)
2 Mobile information terminal (content recording / playback device, chapter setting device, content playback device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 HDD part 102 Optical disk drive part 103 Interface part 104 Decoder part 105 Input-output interface part (Chapter information output means, Chapter information acquisition means)
106 TV output interface unit 110 Operation unit (operation input device)
111, 211, 311 Control unit (reference frame setting means, start frame setting means, calculation means, subframe setting means, display means, user identification means)
112 storage unit (chapter information storage unit, user group storage means)
113 Display

Claims (23)

A chapter setting device that sets chapters for content,
Reference frame setting means for setting a frame constituting the content, which is being reproduced at a time designated by the user, as a reference frame;
Calculating means for calculating the number of compensation frames according to the playback speed of the content;
Start frame setting means for setting a frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames as a start frame of the chapter;
Chapter information storage means for storing chapter information defining the start frame;
A chapter setting device comprising:   2. The chapter setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculating means calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to the playback speed of the content when the reference frame is set.   3. The chapter setting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the calculation means calculates the number of compensation frames so as to be proportional to a frame rate of the content when the reference frame is set.   The start frame setting means sets, as the start frame, a frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames in a direction opposite to the content reproduction direction when the reference frame is set. The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Subframe setting means for setting a frame excluding the start frame as a subframe among consecutive frames including the start frame set by the start frame setting means;
Display means for displaying the start frame and the subframe as a list on a display unit;
The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising:   6. The chapter setting device according to claim 5, wherein the sub-frame setting means sets the number of frames proportional to the playback speed of the content when the reference frame is set as the sub-frame.   7. The chapter setting device according to claim 6, wherein the subframe setting means sets a number of frames proportional to a frame rate of the content when the reference frame is set as subframes. Subframe setting means for setting a frame excluding the start frame as a subframe among consecutive frames including the start frame set by the start frame setting means;
Display means for sequentially displaying the start frame and the subframe on a display unit;
The chapter setting device according to claim 1, wherein the chapter setting device is provided.   9. The chapter setting device according to claim 1, further comprising chapter information output means for outputting the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage means to the outside. It comprises chapter information acquisition means for acquiring the chapter information from the outside,
The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the chapter information storage unit stores the chapter information acquired by the chapter information acquisition unit. The chapter information includes the start frame,
11. The chapter information storage unit stores the chapter information in association with the content every time the start frame is set by the start frame setting unit. The chapter setting device described. The chapter information includes the reference frame and the playback direction and playback speed of the content when the reference frame is set.
The chapter information storage means stores the chapter information in association with the content every time the reference frame is set by the reference frame setting means.
11. The chapter setting device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit and the start frame setting unit refer to the chapter information stored in the chapter information storage unit.   The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the content is a moving image content.   The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the content is an audio content. User group storage means for storing a user group capable of operating the chapter setting device;
User identification means for identifying which user of the user group the user who specified the time point is,
15. The chapter setting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculating unit calculates the number of compensation frames according to the user identified by the user identifying unit. There are multiple buttons for the user to specify the time point,
16. The chapter setting device according to claim 15, wherein the user identification means identifies a user who specified the time point according to which button is pressed. A button for the user to specify the time point,
The chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the calculation means calculates the number of compensation frames in response to a press of the button. A button for the user to specify the time point,
18. The chapter setting device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates the number of compensation frames according to a time when the button is pressed. The chapter setting device according to claim 9;
A content playback system that plays back the content,
The content playback device
Chapter information acquisition means for acquiring the chapter information output from the chapter information output means of the chapter setting device;
A chapter information storage unit that stores the chapter information acquired by the chapter information acquisition unit.   A content recording / reproducing apparatus comprising the chapter setting device according to claim 1. A chapter setting method for setting chapters for content,
A reference frame setting step for setting a frame constituting the content, which is a frame being reproduced at a time designated by the user, as a reference frame;
A calculation step of calculating the number of compensation frames according to the playback speed of the content;
A start frame setting step for setting a frame separated from the reference frame by the number of compensation frames as a start frame of the chapter;
The chapter setting method characterized by including.   A program for operating a computer as the chapter setting device according to any one of claims 1 to 18 or the content recording / playback device according to claim 20, wherein the computer is operated as the chapter setting device or the content recording device. A program for causing each playback device to function as each means. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 22 is recorded.

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