JP2010244619A - Content reproduction apparatus and program thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To play back contents in order by a plurality of content playback devices without requiring complicated operation by a user and without simultaneous content playback by the plurality of content playback devices. <P>SOLUTION: When finishing the playback of a music file, a portable device 1A refers to a playback order table, identifies a portable device 1C which has to play back the music file next, and transmits a playback instruction to the identified portable device 1C. The portable device 1C starts the playback of the music file in response to the playback instruction. Consequently, by making the playback order table manage the order of the portable devices for playback of the music file, the portable device 1C other than the portable device 1A automatically starts, without requiring the operation by the user, the playback of the music file after the portable device 1A stops the playback of the music file. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a content reproduction system including a plurality of content reproduction apparatuses.

  Portable devices that include a storage medium such as a flash memory and play a music file selected from a plurality of contents (for example, music files) recorded in the flash memory have become widespread. The portable device includes an FM transmitter, and modulates and transmits the audio signal of the reproduced music file into an FM signal. The amplifier device with a built-in FM receiver receives and demodulates the FM signal, amplifies the music signal, and reproduces sound from the speaker. For example, when there are a plurality of portable devices 1A to 1C for a plurality of users owning a portable device for an amplifier device (car audio etc.) with a built-in FM receiver in an environment such as a car. When each portable device plays music using the FM transmitter at the same time, the amplifier device with built-in FM receiver receives a plurality of FM signals, and cannot reproduce the music signals normally, resulting in noise. It will be played.

  In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to place one portable device in a reproduction state and another portable device in a stopped state by a user operation. For example, when it is desired to play back a music file recorded on the mobile device 1A, only the mobile device 1A is operated in a playback state and the other mobile devices 1B and 1C are operated in a stopped state by a user operation. Next, when it is desired to play the music file of the mobile device 1B instead of the music file of the mobile device 1A, the user operates the mobile device 1A to the stop state and then operates the mobile device 1B to the playback state. As described above, when a music file to be reproduced is changed to a recording file recorded in another portable device, it is necessary to operate a plurality of portable devices by a user operation, which is very complicated.

JP 2007-58947 A

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described conventional problems, and the object thereof is not to require a complicated user operation, and to prevent a plurality of content playback apparatuses from simultaneously playing back a content and to a plurality of content. It is to provide a content playback system in which a playback device can play back content in order.

  A content playback apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a content playback apparatus in a content playback system including a plurality of content playback apparatuses, and is included in the content playback system and playback means for playing back content in response to a playback instruction. The order management means for managing the playback order of each content playback device, and when the playback means finishes playing the content, the content playback device to play the content next is specified based on the management content of the order management means And a reproduction instruction transmission means for transmitting a reproduction instruction to the content reproduction device identified by the identification means.

  When a playback start instruction is input to the content playback device 1A by a user operation, the content playback device 1A starts playback of the content. When the content reproduction apparatus 1A finishes reproducing the content, the content reproduction apparatus 1A refers to the order management unit, specifies the content reproduction apparatus 1C that should reproduce the content next, and transmits a reproduction instruction to the identified content reproduction apparatus 1C. The content playback apparatus 1C starts playback of the content in response to the playback instruction. Therefore, by causing the order management means to manage the order of the content playback devices that play back the content, the content playback device 1A stops the playback of the content and no other content playback device 1C plays back the content without requiring a user operation. Can start. In addition, since the content playback apparatus 1C starts playback after the playback of the content playback apparatus 1A is completed, it is possible to prevent a plurality of content playback apparatuses from simultaneously playing back the content.

  In a preferred embodiment, when the content reproduction device receives a reproduction instruction in response to a user operation, a state management unit that manages an operation state of each of the content reproduction devices included in the content reproduction system, Based on the management contents of the state management means, it is determined whether there is the other content playback apparatus that is playing back content, and it is determined that there is the other content playback apparatus that is playing back content. In this case, the information processing apparatus further includes a stop instruction transmission unit that transmits a stop instruction to the other content reproduction apparatus that is reproducing the content, and a stop unit that stops the reproduction of the content when the stop instruction is received.

  When a reproduction start instruction is input to the stopped content reproduction apparatus 1B by a user operation, the content reproduction apparatus 1B refers to the state management unit and specifies the content reproduction apparatus 1C currently being reproduced. The content playback device 1B transmits a stop instruction to the identified content playback device 1C, and the content playback device 1C stops playback of the content in response to the stop instruction. Accordingly, when the content playback device is playing back the content in the order of the order management means, when a playback start instruction is input to the stopped content playback device by a user operation, the content playback device being played back plays back the content. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a plurality of content reproduction apparatuses from reproducing the content at the same time.

  In a preferred embodiment, the reproduction instruction transmitting means transmits a reproduction preparation instruction to the content reproduction device specified by the specifying means before the reproduction means finishes reproducing the content, and receives the reproduction preparation instruction. A reproduction preparation means for shifting to a reproduction preparation state, and the reproduction instruction transmitting means sends a reproduction instruction to the content reproduction apparatus identified by the identification means when the reproduction means has finished reproducing the content. Send.

  Before a predetermined time after the content playback device 1A finishes playing the content, the content playback device 1A transmits a playback preparation instruction to the content playback device 1C to be played next, and the content playback device 1C responds to the playback preparation instruction. It becomes a state. Accordingly, when the content reproduction apparatus 1A finishes reproducing the content, the content reproduction apparatus 1C can immediately reproduce the content in response to the reproduction instruction.

  A plurality of content reproduction apparatuses can reproduce contents in order without requiring complicated user operations and without a plurality of content reproduction apparatuses reproducing contents simultaneously.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an apparatus table. It is a figure which shows a reproduction | regeneration order table. It is a figure which shows an operation | movement state list. It is a figure which shows a state management table. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of portable apparatus 1A-1C. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part 2 of portable apparatus 1A-1C. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part 2 of portable apparatus 1A-1C. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part 2 of portable apparatus 1A-1C.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a content reproduction system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The content playback system includes, for example, an amplifier device 11 with a built-in FM receiver such as a car audio, and a plurality of portable devices (content playback devices such as an MP3 player or a mobile phone) 1A to 1C. The content is a generic name for video data, music (music) data, still image data, and the like, but in this example is a music file. The portable devices 1A to 1C reproduce the music file recorded in the built-in flash memory, modulate the FM signal with the FM transmitter, and transmit it. The amplifier device 11 receives the FM signal, demodulates it into a music signal, amplifies it, and reproduces the sound from the connected speaker.

[Configuration of portable devices 1A to 1C]
The portable device 1A (same for 1B and 1C) includes a control unit 2, a RAM 3, a ROM 4, a content storage unit 5, such as a flash memory and an HDD, a playback unit 6, an FM transmitter 7, a communication unit 8, a display unit 9, and an operation The unit 10 is provided. These are connected to each other via a bus.

  A plurality of music files are recorded in the flash memory 5. The music file recorded in the flash memory 5 is read by an instruction from the control unit 2 and reproduced by the reproduction unit 6.

  The flash memory 5 stores a device table shown in FIG. The device table is a table for managing information of a plurality of portable devices 1A to 1C that are communicable with each other and reproduce a music file in order. In the device table, communication destination numbers of portable devices that can communicate with each other are registered in association with registration numbers that are serial numbers. As the communication destination number, an arbitrary number is adopted corresponding to the communication method. Here, the portable device 1A is “0xAA”, the portable device 1B is “0xBB”, and the portable device 1C is “0xCC”. The communication destination numbers of other mobile devices are acquired from other mobile devices via the communication unit 8 in advance and registered in the device table. Since the communication destination numbers are sorted in a predetermined order such as descending order, for example, the same device table is registered in all the mobile devices 1A to 1C.

  The flash memory 5 stores a reproduction order table shown in FIG. The playback order table is a table for managing the playback order of the mobile devices 1A to 1C. In the example of FIG. 3, the music file is reproduced in the order of the mobile device 1C, the mobile device 1B, the mobile device 1A, the mobile device 1C,. Each of the portable devices 1A to 1C may reproduce the song file one by one in order, or may reproduce the song file two by two in order. The playback order of the mobile devices 1A to 1C is set, for example, by a user operation on the screen displayed on the display unit 9 of the mobile device 1A, and the registration contents of the playback order table are transferred from the mobile device 1A to the other mobile devices 1B and 1C. It is transmitted via the communication unit 8. The mobile devices 1B and 1C register the contents of the acquired playback order table. Accordingly, the playback order registered in the mobile devices 1A to 1C is all the same.

  The flash memory 5 stores an operation state list shown in FIG. The operation state list is a list for managing operation states that the portable device 1A can take and codes thereof. As the operation state, there are a reproduction state, a stop state, a pause state, a fast forward state, a fast reverse state, and the like.

  The flash memory 5 stores a state management table shown in FIG. The state management table is a table for managing the operation states of the mobile devices 1A to 1C. The operating states of the mobile devices 1A to 1C are transmitted / received to / from each other via the communication unit 8 and registered in the state management table. FIG. 5 shows that the portable device 1A is in a reproduction state and the portable devices 1B and 1C are in a stopped state.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 2 controls the entire portable device 1 </ b> A, and reads out and executes the operation program of the portable device 1 stored in the ROM 4 or the flash memory 5 in the RAM 3, thereby each of which will be described later. Execute the process.

  When a playback instruction is input by a user operation, the control unit 2 causes the playback unit 6 to read and play the music file from the flash memory 6. When the reproduction unit 6 finishes reproducing the music file, the control unit 2 refers to the reproduction order table and specifies the portable device 1 that should reproduce the music file next to itself. For example, the portable device to be reproduced next to the portable device 1A is the portable device 1C. The control unit 2 transmits a reproduction instruction to the identified portable device 1C via the communication unit 8. The portable device 1C that has received the playback instruction starts playback of the song file in response to the playback instruction.

  Preferably, the control unit 2 transmits a playback preparation instruction to the portable device 1C specified based on the playback order table when a predetermined time before the playback unit 6 finishes playing the song file, and then the playback unit 6 plays the song. When the reproduction of the file is finished, an operation state notification indicating that the file is stopped is transmitted to the mobile device 1C. At this time, the portable device 1C enters the reproduction preparation state in response to the reproduction preparation instruction, and starts reproduction in response to the operation state notification indicating that it is in the stopped state. Therefore, by setting the above-described predetermined time to a time required for the portable device 1C to prepare for reproduction, the portable device 1C can start reproduction immediately after the portable device 1A finishes reproduction.

  The reproduction unit 6 reproduces (for example, decodes, D / A conversion, etc.) the music file read from the flash memory 5. The reproduction unit 6 supplies the reproduced music signal to the FM transmitter 7. The FM transmitter 7 modulates the music signal of the music file reproduced by the reproducing unit 6 into an FM signal and transmits the FM signal.

  The communication unit 8 transmits / receives operation state notifications and various instructions, which will be described later, to / from other portable devices 1B and 1C, and employs any communication method such as the Internet, wireless LAN, USB, IEEE1394, and the like. obtain.

  The display unit 9 is an LCD (liquid crystal display), an FL tube, or the like, and based on an instruction from the control unit 2, an operation screen for the user to execute each setting, a song file search screen, or a song being played back Displays file content information. The operation unit 10 receives an instruction from the user and transmits it to the control unit 2, and is an operation button or the like.

[Configuration of Amplifier Device 11]
The amplifier device 11 includes a control unit 12, a RAM 13, a ROM 14, an FM reception unit 15, an amplification unit 16, a display unit 17, and an operation unit 18. These are connected to each other via a bus. A speaker 20 is connected to the amplifying unit 16.

  The control unit 12 controls each unit of the amplifier device 11 by reading the operation program of the amplifier device 11 stored in the ROM 14 into the RAM 13 and executing it. The control unit 12 sets the frequency of the FM signal received by the FM receiving unit 15 according to a user operation. The FM receiver 15 receives and demodulates FM signals transmitted from the FM transmitters 7 of the mobile devices 1 </ b> A to 1 </ b> C and supplies the audio signals to the amplifier 16. The amplifying unit 16 amplifies the received audio signal and reproduces audio from the speaker 20.

  The operation of the content reproduction system having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of operations of the mobile devices 1A to 1C. 7-9 is a flowchart which shows the process of the control part 2 of portable apparatus 1A-1C. In this example, a case where a playback start instruction is input to the mobile device 1A by a user operation and playback is started from the mobile device 1A will be described.

  The portable device 1A determines whether or not a reproduction start instruction is input by a user operation (S1 in FIG. 7). When a reproduction start instruction is input (YES in S1, S601 in FIG. 6), the mobile device 1A has already acquired the operating states of the other mobile devices 1B and 1C and has been registered in the state management table. Is determined (S2 in FIG. 7). Here, since the operating state has not yet been acquired (NO in S2), an inquiry about the operating state is transmitted to the other portable devices 1B and 1C (S3 in FIG. 7 and S602 in FIG. 6). The mobile devices 1B and 1C determine whether or not an inquiry about the operation state has been received (S21 in FIG. 8), and when the inquiry about the operation state is received (YES in S21), the operation state is returned to the portable device 1A. (S25 in FIG. 8, S603 and S604 in FIG. 6). The content of the operating state notification transmitted here is a stopped state. The mobile device 1A determines whether or not an operation state has been received from the other mobile devices 1B and 1C (S4 in FIG. 7), and when received (YES in S4), the received operation state notification (stop state) ) Is registered in the state management table (S5 in FIG. 7, S605 in FIG. 6).

  The portable device 1A refers to the state management table to determine whether or not there is a portable device whose operation state is the reproduction state among the other portable devices 1B and 1C (S6 in FIG. 7). Here, since the operation states of the other portable devices 1B and 1C are stopped (NO in S6), the portable device 1A starts playing the music file (S10 in FIG. 7 and S606 in FIG. 6). Note that the song file selected by the user operation may be played back, or the song file automatically selected from the playlist may be played back.

  The mobile device 1A transmits an operation state notification (playback state) to the other mobile devices 1B and 1C (S11 in FIG. 7 and S607 and S609 in FIG. 6). The portable devices 1B and 1C determine whether or not an operation state notification has been received (S22 in FIG. 8). If received (YES in S22), the received operation state notification (reproduction state) is stored in the state management table. It is registered and updated (S26 in FIG. 8, S608, S610 in FIG. 6). The mobile devices 1B and 1C determine whether or not the received operating state of the mobile device 1A is in a stopped state (S27 in FIG. 8), and determine that it is not in a stopped state (NO in S27).

  The mobile device 1A determines whether or not it is a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) before the music file is played back (S41 in FIG. 9). When it is a predetermined time before the end of playback (YES in S41, S611 in FIG. 6), the mobile device 1A refers to the playback order table and determines the mobile device 1B or 1C to play back the song file next to the mobile device 1A. It identifies (S42 in FIG. 9, S612 in FIG. 6). Here, the portable device 1C is specified as the portable device that should reproduce the music file next to the portable device 1A.

  The mobile device 1A transmits a reproduction preparation instruction to the specified mobile device 1C (S43 in FIG. 9 and S613 in FIG. 6). The portable devices 1B and 1C determine whether or not a reproduction preparation instruction has been received (S23 in FIG. 8). The portable device 1B does not receive the reproduction preparation instruction (NO in S23), but the portable device 1C receives the reproduction preparation instruction (YES in S23) and shifts to the reproduction preparation state (S31 in FIG. 8 and FIG. 6). S614). The playback preparation state means that a music file is selected and opened so that it can be played immediately.

  The portable device 1A determines whether or not the music file has been reproduced (S44 in FIG. 9). When the reproduction is completed (YES in S44, S615 in FIG. 6), the portable device 1A transmits an operation state notification (stopped state) to the portable devices 1B and 1C (S45 in FIG. 9, S616 and S617 in FIG. 6). . The mobile device 1A updates its own operation state in its own state management table to a stopped state. When receiving the operation state notification (YES in S22 of FIG. 8), the portable devices 1B and 1C register and update the operation state notification (stop state) of the portable device 1 in the state management table (S26 of FIG. 8). The mobile devices 1B and 1C determine that the content of the received operation state notification is in a stopped state (YES in S27 of FIG. 8).

  The portable devices 1B and 1C determine whether or not they are ready for reproduction (S28 in FIG. 8). The portable device 1B determines that it is not in a playback preparation state (NO in S28). The portable device 1C determines that it is in a playback preparation state (YES in S28), and starts playback of the music file (S29 in FIG. 8, S618 in FIG. 6). Therefore, the operation state notification (stop state) has a role of a reproduction instruction for the portable device 1C in the reproduction preparation state. The mobile device 1C transmits an operation state notification (playback state) to the mobile devices 1A and 1B (S30 in FIG. 8). The mobile devices 1A and 1B receive the operating state (YES in S22 of FIG. 8) and update the state management table (NO in S26 and S27 of FIG. 8).

  As described above, when the portable device 1A finishes playing one song file, the portable device 1A stops playing and the next portable device 1C automatically plays the song file according to the order registered in the playing order table. Start playing. Therefore, it is not necessary to operate the portable device 1A to the stop state and to operate the portable device 1C to the reproduction state by a user operation. Similarly, when the portable device 1C finishes playing one song file, the next portable device 1B starts playing the song file. When the portable device 1B finishes playing one music file, the next portable device 1A starts playing the music file.

  Next, a case where a reproduction start instruction is input to the portable device 1B by a user operation while the portable device 1C is reproducing a song file will be described. The portable device 1B receives a reproduction start instruction by a user operation (YES in S1 of FIG. 7, S619 of FIG. 6). The portable device 2 acquires the operation state from the portable devices 1A and 1C and determines that it has been registered in the state management table (YES in S2 of FIG. 7). The mobile device 1B determines whether or not there is a mobile device whose operation state is the playback state (S6 in FIG. 7 and S620 in FIG. 6). Here, since the operation state of the portable device 1C is the reproduction state (YES in S6), the portable device 1B transmits a stop instruction to the portable device 1C whose operation state is the reproduction state (S7 in FIG. 7, FIG. 6). S621). The portable device 1C determines whether or not a stop instruction has been received (S24 in FIG. 8). When the stop instruction is received (YES in S24), the reproduction of the music file is stopped (S32 in FIG. 8, FIG. 8). 6 (S622), an operation state notification (stop state) is transmitted to the portable devices 1B and 1A (S33 in FIG. 8, S623 and S626 in FIG. 6).

  The mobile device 1B determines whether or not an operation state notification indicating the stop state has been received from the mobile device 1C that has transmitted the stop instruction (S8 in FIG. 7), and if received (YES in S8), the mobile device 1C The operation state notification (stop state) from is registered and updated in the state management table (S9 in FIG. 7, S624 in FIG. 6), and reproduction of the music file is started (S10 in FIG. 7, S624 in FIG. 6). The portable device 1B transmits an operation state notification (playback state) to the portable devices 1A and 1C (S11 in FIG. 7 and S625 in FIG. 6).

  With the above processing, when a playback start instruction is input to the portable device 1B by a user operation while the portable device 1C is playing a song file, the portable device 1C stops playing the song file, and the portable device 1B Starts playing the song file. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent a plurality of portable devices 1 from simultaneously reproducing the music file.

  As mentioned above, although preferable embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these embodiment. The portable device may not include the flash memory 5, and may reproduce content recorded on a memory card inserted from the outside, or may reproduce content acquired from a server via a network. Further, the mobile device may transmit the audio signal via a wireless LAN or the like instead of transmitting the audio signal to the amplifier device 11 using the FM transmitter. Further, the mobile device itself may include an amplification unit and a speaker, and sound may be reproduced from the mobile device. The present invention may be provided in the form of a computer program for operating the content reproduction apparatus or a recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

  The present invention can be suitably applied to a portable device that reproduces content.

1A to 1C portable device 2 control unit 3 RAM
4 ROM
5 Flash Memory 6 Playback Unit 7 FM Transmitter 8 Communication Unit 9 Display Unit 10 Operation Unit 11 Amplifier Device

Claims (4)

A content reproduction device in a content reproduction system including a plurality of content reproduction devices,
Playback means for playing back content in response to a playback instruction;
Order management means for managing the playback order of each of the content playback devices included in the content playback system;
A specifying means for specifying a content playback apparatus that should next play back content based on the management content of the order management means when the playback means finishes playing back the content;
A content reproduction apparatus comprising: a reproduction instruction transmission unit that transmits a reproduction instruction to the content reproduction apparatus identified by the identification unit. State management means for managing an operation state of each of the content reproduction devices included in the content reproduction system;
A determination unit that determines whether or not there is another content playback apparatus that is playing back content based on the management content of the state management unit when a playback instruction is input in response to a user operation;
A stop instruction transmitting means for transmitting a stop instruction to the other content reproduction apparatus that is reproducing content when it is determined that the other content reproduction apparatus that is reproducing the content exists;
The content playback apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a stop unit that stops playback of the content when a stop instruction is received. The reproduction instruction transmission means transmits a reproduction preparation instruction to the content reproduction apparatus identified by the identification means, a predetermined time before the reproduction means finishes reproducing the content;
Reproduction preparation means for transitioning to a reproduction preparation state when receiving the reproduction preparation instruction,
The content playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the playback instruction transmission unit transmits a playback instruction to the content playback apparatus specified by the specifying unit when the playback unit finishes playback of the content.   A content reproduction program for causing a computer to execute each means of the content reproduction device according to claim 1.

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