Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Kentaro Tanikawa

Tadashi Nakamura

Takamitsu Sasaki

Yoshiaki Iwata

Toshihiko Munetsugu

Kazuhiro Nishitani

Kazuo Kajimoto

Yuko Tsusaka

Naoya Takao

Kenichi Shibata

Hirokazu Tamano

Seigo Takayama

Masafumi Shimotashiro

Takahiro Nagai

Keiji Icho

Shiro Iwasaki

Kojiro Kawasaki

Toshihisa Abe

Kazuhiro Nomura

Masakazu Nakamura

Shota Hario

Masafumi Kouzuki

Aoi Teuchi

Yousuke Suzuki

Kazue Sato

Kazuki Sato

Masafumi Kozuki

A playback device includes a first communicator that communicates with a terminal device through a first communication scheme and that receives music data and music information indicating an attribute of the music data from the terminal device, a music information storage that stores the music information received by the first communicator, a music player that plays back the music data received by the first communicator, a search processor that generates search data for searching for information related to the music data based on the music information, and a second communicator that communicates via a network through a second communication scheme different from the first communication scheme and that transmits the search data and receives a search result for the search data. The search processor outputs the search result received by the second communicator.

Playback device and method of controlling the same

A recording and playback apparatus capable of recording a content downloaded from a server to a recording medium, and playing back the content, includes a recording unit configured to download the content with a playback time limit from the server and record the content to the recording medium, a playback unit configured to play back the content recorded in the recording medium, and a display data generating unit configured to generate data of a list image for displaying a list of information of each of part or all of contents recorded in the recording medium. The data of a list image is generated so that, before the playback unit plays back a content with a playback time limit, the list image includes information indicating an allowed playback period of the content, and, after the playback unit plays back the content, the list image includes information indicating the playback time limit of the content.

Record-playback device

A program search device is described that searches for programs using a keyword search and handles the programs found in the search by classifying the programs into special programs and regular programs. The device searches for broadcast programs corresponding to a current time from an electronic program guide, and includes a program guide storing unit that prestores an electronic program guide a keyword storing unit that prestores one or more extraction keywords and corresponding effective periods, a time obtaining unit operable to obtain a current time, a detecting unit operable to read an extraction keyword corresponding to an effective period and detect, from the electronic program guide, one or more program display information sets including the read extraction keyword, and an extracting unit operable to extract each of one or more program display information sets that indicates a regular program, or a special program.

Program search device

The possibility that one who is not accustomed with manipulation may cause inadvertent alteration or deletion by using an easy-remote control is reduced. A data processing apparatus includes a reception section for distinguishably receiving a first remote control signal sent from a first remote control and a second remote control signal sent from a second remote control; a processor for generating image data representing a list of contents by using, from a storage medium on which content-related information is recorded, information being read from the storage medium, such that image data representing a different list of contents is generated depending on whether the first remote control signal is received or the second remote control signal is received; and an output section for outputting the image data representing the list of contents.

Data processing device

An electronic device system with improved user convenience that is capable of controlling plural electronic devices connected via a network or the like from any of such electronic devices. The electronic device system according to the present invention is composed of: a first electronic device that includes a first manipulation information sending unit that sends, to a second electronic device, first manipulation information that is information for causing the first electronic device to operate, a first manipulation information receiving unit that receives, from the second electronic device, second manipulation information that is information for causing the second electronic device to operate, and a first manipulation information accumulation unit that accumulates the second manipulation information; and a second electronic device that includes a second manipulation information sending unit that sends the second manipulation information to the first electronic device, a second manipulation information receiving unit that receives the first manipulation information from the first electronic device and a second manipulation information accumulation unit that accumulates the first manipulation information.

Electronic device system

Provided is a content playback apparatus that generates a GUI corresponding to various pieces of restriction information to restrict playback of a content when displaying the GUI for causing a user to select a content to be played back, and that can respond to a new piece of restriction information. The content playback apparatus generates content lists for the various pieces of restriction, and generates a GUI which can display each content list for each piece of restriction information by switching. When a content to which the new piece of restriction information has been attached is added, setting information for the new piece of restriction information is obtained from a content distribution server and the like by referring to an ID attached to the content, or an ID of the restriction information having been attached to the content, and a content list for the newly obtained restriction information is generated and displayed.

Content reproduction device

A recording and playback apparatus capable of recording and playing back a content downloaded from a server, includes a recording unit configured to download the content with a playback time limit, stored in a server and record the content to a recording medium, an instruction receiver configured to receive an instruction for starting playback of the content, a playback unit configured to play back the content recorded in the recording medium in accordance with the instruction received by the instruction receiver, and a warning output unit configured to output warning information related to the playback time limit of the content before the playback unit stars playback of the content, when the instruction receiver receives the instruction for starting playback of the content during download of the content.

Recording/reproducing device

A recording and playback apparatus can continue the playback of a content with playback time limit, even after the playback time limit expires during the playback of the content, and does not play back the content even though an instruction receiver receives a playback instruction when the playback of the content is stopped after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content with the playback time limit. The recording and playback apparatus outputs the warning information, when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content.

Recording and playback apparatus

A recording device includes a recording medium operable to store a plurality of program streams and information about recording of each program stream, and a controller operable to control display of the program stream recorded on the recording medium on a display device. When receiving an instruction for selecting a predetermined item from among the plurality of selection items, the controller causes the menu image to be displayed, making the menu image include information representing programs corresponding to at least a part of the plurality of the program streams recorded on the recording medium, in addition to the plurality of selection items.

Controller, recording device and menu display method

A server stores a media content and an execution program for processing the media content, and determines a usage rule for the media content to be transmitted to a terminal. The server distributes the usage rule, the media content, and the execution program to the terminal. The terminal stores the distributed usage rule, media content, and execution program. The terminal executes the stored execution program and processes the stored media content within the bounds of the usage rule as stored. The server may perform a billing process in accordance with the determined usage rule, or select and distribute a media content or an execution program in accordance with the processing ability of the terminal or a state of communications. Moreover, the server may distribute, in addition to the execution program, middleware for constructing an operating environment for the execution program.

Media contents distribution system and method

A content playback apparatus obtains and plays a content section from content according to an obtaining method that varies. The content playback apparatus which obtains the content section from content and plays the obtained content section includes a reference generation unit that generates a judgment reference that varies dynamically over a playback time axis of the content, and a content section obtaining unit that obtains the content section by comparing the content with the judgment reference. With this structure, the content playback apparatus is able to obtain a content section according to a method that varies.

Content playback apparatus

A rule storage unit stores a plurality of pieces of specifying information each showing a feature of frames to be specified as start frames, and each corresponding to a different type of content. A program obtaining unit obtains a content of which start frames are to be specified. An information obtaining unit obtains type information showing the type of the obtained content. A selecting unit obtains, from the rule storage unit, apiece of specifying information corresponding to the obtained type information. A specifying unit specifies, as the start frames, frames in the obtained content having the feature shown by the obtained piece of specifying information.

Video processing apparatus, IC circuit for video processing apparatus, video processing method, and video processing program

A home server including a contents storage unit storing contents, a control unit acquiring first section information from an information supply apparatus, a generating unit generating second section information, and a section information storage unit storing pieces of first and second section information by correlating them with contents. The information supply apparatus including a storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of first section information corresponding to a plurality of contents, and an extracting unit extracting pieces of first section information corresponding to the contents stored in the contents storage unit from the storage unit and supplying the extracted pieces of first section information to the home server.

Receiving/generating section information for multimedia contents based on level of performance

A recording device, which receives record instructions directly from a user, enables the user to give a variety of record instructions without being restricted by the recording capability of the recording device. The recording device judges whether a processing content specified in a record instruction received from the user is executable internally (step S), and if judged in the negative, selects an external device capable of executing the record instruction, based pre-collected information relating to the recording capability of one or more external devices (step S) and forwards the record instruction to the selected device (step S).

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kentaro Tanikawa