Video reproducing apparatus, data structure of bookmark data, storage medium storing bookmark data, and method of generating bookmark data cross-reference to related applications

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a video reproducing apparatus generates bookmark data and stores it in a hard disk drive or the like. The bookmark data has first restoration information for restoring the reproduction status when video contents were reproduced using moving image/sound data contained in video content data for reproducing the video contents, and second restoration information for restoring the reproduction status when content-related data reproduced in relation to the video contents was reproduced.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

A general architecture that implements the various features of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings and the associated descriptions are provided to illustrate embodiments of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary block diagram showing an internal configuration of a video reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention along with a recording medium and a network storage;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary block diagram showing the configuration of functions of a player program, a moving image/audio reproduction program, and an interactive data reproduction program which are executed in the video reproducing apparatus along with data to be inputted thereinto and outputted therefrom in the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing one example of a reproduction schedule when video and sound are reproduced using the moving image/sound data and the interactive data in the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram showing the reproduction time of the moving image/sound data and the interactive data;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary layout diagram showing the data structure of bookmark data in the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram showing one example of a bookmark selection menu in a thumbnail format in the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram showing one example of a bookmark information screen in the embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram showing one example of the bookmark selection menu in a progress bar type in the embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary flow chart showing an operation procedure of bookmark generation processing in the embodiment;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary flow chart showing the operation procedure subsequent to FIG. 9 in the embodiment;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary flow chart showing an operation procedure of reproduction start preparation processing in the embodiment; and

FIG. 12 is an exemplary flow chart showing the operation procedure subsequent to FIG. 11 in the embodiment.

Claims

1. A video reproducing apparatus, comprising: a video reproducing device reproducing video contents; anda bookmark generation unit for generating bookmark data having first restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when said video reproducing device reproduced the video contents using moving image/sound data contained in video content data for reproducing the video contents, and second restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when said video reproducing device reproduced content-related data reproduced in relation to the video contents.

2. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a bookmark read-in unit for reading-in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit,wherein said video reproducing device reproduces the video contents and the content-related data according to the first restoration information and the second restoration information contained in the bookmark data read-in by said bookmark read-in unit, so that the reproduction status of the video contents and the reproduction status of the content-related data at an arbitrary reproduction time are restored.

3. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that the bookmark data contains video content information for specifying the video contents as well as the first restoration information and the second restoration information, said video reproducing apparatus further comprising:an alignment and display control unit for aligning and displaying the bookmark data according to the video content information contained in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit.

4. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that the bookmark data contains video content information for specifying the video contents as well as the first restoration information and the second restoration information, said video reproducing apparatus further comprising:an alignment and display control unit for aligning and displaying the bookmark data according to the video content information contained in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit.

5. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that the bookmark data contains user information for managing the bookmark data for each user as well as the first restoration information and the second restoration information, said video reproducing apparatus further comprising:a sort and display control unit for sorting and displaying the bookmark data according to the user information contained in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit.

6. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that the bookmark data contains user information for managing the bookmark data for each user as well as the first restoration information and the second restoration information, said video reproducing apparatus further comprising:a sort and display control unit for sorting and displaying the bookmark data according to the user information contained in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit.

7. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that the bookmark data contains user information for managing the bookmark data for each user as well as the first restoration information and the second restoration information, said video reproducing apparatus further comprising:a sort and display control unit for sorting and displaying the bookmark data according to the user information contained in the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit.

8. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a progress bar display control unit for displaying a progress bar indicating a reproduction time progress when said video reproducing device reproduces the video contents; anda time-series display control unit for displaying the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit in time series on the progress bar displayed by said progress bar display control unit.

9. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a progress bar display control unit for displaying a progress bar indicating a reproduction time progress when said video reproducing device reproduces the video contents; anda time-series display control unit for displaying the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit in time series on the progress bar displayed by said progress bar display control unit.

10. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a progress bar display control unit for displaying a progress bar indicating a reproduction time progress when said video reproducing device reproduces the video contents; anda time-series display control unit for displaying the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit in time series on the progress bar displayed by said progress bar display control unit.

11. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a progress bar display control unit for displaying a progress bar indicating a reproduction time progress when said video reproducing device reproduces the video contents; anda time-series display control unit for displaying the bookmark data generated by said bookmark generation unit in time series on the progress bar displayed by said progress bar display control unit.

12. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that at least one of an interactive data ID, an execution elapsed time, a reproduction elapsed time, an overlap rank, an internal state, and a user operation internal variable is contained in the second restoration information.

13. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that at least one of an interactive data ID, an execution elapsed time, a reproduction elapsed time, an overlap rank, an internal state, and a user operation internal variable is contained in the second restoration information.

14. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that at least one of an interactive data ID, an execution elapsed time, a reproduction elapsed time, an overlap rank, an internal state, and a user operation internal variable is contained in the second restoration information.

15. The video reproducing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said bookmark generation unit generates the bookmark data such that at least one of an interactive data ID, an execution elapsed time, a reproduction elapsed time, an overlap rank, an internal state, and a user operation internal variable is contained in the second restoration information.

16. A data structure of bookmark data generated in a video reproducing apparatus with a video reproducing device, for restoring a reproduction status at an arbitrary reproduction time when the video reproducing device reproduced video contents, said structure comprising: first restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device reproduced the video contents using moving image/sound data contained in video content data for reproducing the video contents, and second restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device reproduced content-related data reproduced in relation to the video contents.

17. The data structure according to claim 16, further comprising: video content information for specifying the video contents.

18. The data structure according to claim 16, further comprising: user information for managing the bookmark data for each user.

19. A storage medium storing bookmark data generated in a video reproducing apparatus with a video reproducing device, for restoring a reproduction status at an arbitrary reproduction time when the video reproducing device reproduced video contents, wherein the bookmark data has first restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device reproduced the video contents using moving image/sound data contained in video content data for reproducing the video contents, and second restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device reproduced content-related data reproduced in relation to the video contents.

20. A method of generating bookmark data for restoring a reproduction status at an arbitrary reproduction time when a video reproducing device reproduced video contents, comprising: acquiring first restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device is reproducing the video contents using moving image/sound data contained in video content data for reproducing the video contents, and acquiring second restoration information for restoring a reproduction status when the video reproducing device is reproducing content-related data reproduced in relation to the video contents; andgenerating the bookmark data by performing saving processing of writing the acquired first restoration information and second restoration information into a storage medium in a re-readable format.