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Information storage medium, information reproducing apparatus, and information reproducing methodRelated Patent Categories: Television Signal Processing For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Processing Of Television Signal For Dynamic Recording Or Reproducing, Having Another SignalInformation storage medium, information reproducing apparatus, and information reproducing method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070206925, Information storage medium, information reproducing apparatus, and information reproducing method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2005-328556 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Nov. 14, 2005, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus such as a reproducing apparatus that can reproduce content such as a moving picture and a still picture and a recording and reproducing apparatus that can also record content. The present invention also relates to a display method and a program of such an information processing apparatus. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] A kind of content such as a moving picture recorded in a hard disk drive (HDD) and a digital versatile disc (DVD) is made up of a plurality of structural units such as chapters. This content can be reproduced for one structural unit at a time. For example, a moving picture made up of a plurality of chapters can be searched for a desired scene on the chapter basis. [0006] With respect to the chapter basis content reproducing technology, a video content reproducing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open NO. 2005-33308 (paragraph 0006, FIG. 3). In this apparatus, a menu window and a preview window are provided. The menu window displays a chapter menu indicating reduced pictures each of which is a picture at the start position of each chapter. The user can select a chapter with the chapter menu on the menu window. Video content is reproduced from the beginning of the selected chapter on the preview window. A reproducing process is repeated on the preview window until the user inputs a preview stop command. When the user inputs the preview stop command, the apparatus closes the preview window and the menu window. Thereafter, the apparatus sets up a main window and reproduces the content after the stop position of the chapter on the main window. As a result, while checking the picture of each chapter of the content, the user can easily search for his or her favorite chapter. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] However, in the technology described in the foregoing related art reference, the chapter menu is displayed when the user calls up the chapter menu while video content is being reproduced on the main window. Thus, when video content is reproduced on the chapter basis, it is necessary to perform many operations step by step. In other words, there is a necessity to reproduce the video content on the main window from the beginning, display the chapter menu, and select a favorite chapter. For example, when the user wants to reproduce only his or her favorite scene, these bothersome operations will deteriorate the user-friendliness. [0008] In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide an information processing apparatus, a display method thereof, and a program thereof that allow content made up of a plurality of structural units to be easily reproduced in a small number of operations on the structural unit basis. [0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus. The information processing apparatus includes a first display control section, a first input section, and a second display control section. The first display control section controls displaying of a plurality of content representative pictures so that the content representative pictures are displayed and arranged in a first direction. The content representative pictures represent a plurality of titles of content. Each of the plurality of titles of content is made up of a plurality of structural units. The first input section inputs a first user's operation to select one content representative picture from the displayed content representative pictures. The second display control section controls displaying of structural unit representative pictures so that the structural unit representative pictures are displayed and arranged in a second direction starting from the selected content representative picture when the first user's operation is input. The structural unit representative pictures represent the structural units of the title of content. The second direction is different from the first direction. [0010] Examples of the information processing apparatus include optical disc reproducing apparatuses such as a DVD player and a Blu-ray disc player, recording and reproducing apparatuses such as a HDD/DVD (or Blu-ray) recorder, a television receiver that has a recording/reproducing function, a personal computer (PC), and a game machine. Examples of titles of content include still pictures such as photo data, moving pictures such as video data, and music files. Display control means not only controlling displaying of each picture so that each picture is displayed on a display unit of the information processing apparatus, but also controlling displaying of each picture so that each picture is displayed on an external display unit connected to the information processing apparatus. [0011] In this structure, since the plurality of titles of content and structural units of each of titles of content are displayed on the same screen, the user can easily check the structural units of each title of content in a small number of operations. [0012] The information processing apparatus may also include a second input section and a reproduction control section. The second input section inputs a second user's operation to select one structural unit representative picture of the displayed structural unit representative pictures. The reproduction control section controls reproducing of the structural unit of the title of content so that the structural unit is reproduced when the second user's operation is input. [0013] The reproduction control section controls displaying of the still picture data and moving picture data so that they are displayed on the display of the information processing apparatus or the external display unit connected to the information processing apparatus. In addition, the reproduction control section controls outputting of sound data so that the sound data is output to a speaker of the information processing apparatus or an external speaker connected to the information processing apparatus. Thus, the user can easily perform operations including selection operations for a favorite title and a favorite structural unit and a reproduction operation for the desired structural unit on one screen in a small number of operations. Thus, the user-friendliness is improved. [0014] The information processing apparatus may also include a marker display control section. The marker display control section controls displaying of a maker so that the marker is movable on the displayed content representative pictures and the displayed structural unit representative pictures. The first user's operation and the second user's operation are input with the marker. [0015] Examples of the marker include a frame-shaped cursor, a semi-transparent picture that has nearly the same shape as each of the content representative pictures or each of the structural unit representative pictures and that is superimposed thereon, and a picture having a different color from each of the content representative pictures or each of the structural unit representative pictures. [0016] The first user's operation is accomplished by just placing the marker on a particular content representative picture with the cross keys of the remote controller or the like or by doing that and then pressing the enter key of the remote controller. Likewise, the second user's operation is accomplished by placing the marker on a particular structure unit representative picture with the cross key of the remote controller or the like and then pressing the enter key of the remote controller. Thus, by just moving the marker and performing key operations, for example, with the remote controller on the same screen, the user can easily perform operations including a reproduction operation for one title of content on the unit structure basis. [0017] Each of the titles of content may be a moving picture made up of a plurality of frames. The structural units may be chapters which segment the moving picture into a plurality of regions. Each of the structural unit representative pictures is a thumbnail picture of the start frame of each of the chapters. The second display control section controls displaying of the thumbnail picture of each of the chapters so that the thumbnail picture is displayed in the second direction in the time series. The reproduction control section controls reproducing of the moving picture of the selected chapter so that the moving picture is reproduced from the start frame when the second user's operation is input. [0018] Thus, the user can easily select his or her desired chapter of a plurality of titles of content on one screen in a small number of operations and cause the apparatus to reproduce the selected chapter. [0019] The first direction may be nearly perpendicular to the second direction. [0020] Thus, a group of content representative pictures aligned to form a bar and a group of structural unit representative pictures aligned to form a bar are displayed, so that the two bars are perpendicular to each other. Thus, by just moving the marker in the vertical and horizontal directions, placing the marker on a thumbnail picture of his or her favorite structural unit, and performing key operations, for example, with the remote controller on the screen, he or she can intuitively select his or her desired structural unit and cause the apparatus to reproduce the selected structural unit. [0021] The second display control section may controls displaying of the structural unit representative pictures so that the structural unit representative pictures are displayed and their sizes are gradually decreased in the second direction. Continue reading about Information storage medium, information reproducing apparatus, and information reproducing method... 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