Method and apparatus for acquiring and displaying image data corresponding to content data

Abstract

An information reproducing apparatus and method thereof. The information reproducing apparatus includes a storage unit, communication unit, controller, and display unit. The storage unit stores music data and at least one first string of characters corresponding to the music data. The reproducing unit reproduces the music data from the storage unit. The communication unit communicates with an image data storage unit, which stores a plurality of image data each corresponding to at least one second string of characters. The controller controls acquisition of one image data from the image data storage unit via the communication unit. The one image data is acquired based on a comparison between the at least one first string of characters and the plurality of the at least one second string of characters. Further, the display unit is configured to display the acquired image data when the reproducing unit is reproducing the music data.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An information processing apparatus, comprising:
 a memory configured to store music data and attribute information corresponding to the music data, each attribute information being a title, an artist name, or a genre;   an image database configured to store a default image data and a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to one of the music data; and   a circuitry configured to
 determine whether image data associated with a selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, 
 when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, control acquisition of the image data from the image database, 
 when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is not stored in the image database, control acquisition of the default image data from said image database, and 
 output the acquired image data associated with the selected one of the music data to a display when the selected one of the music data is reproduced at a reproduction apparatus. 
   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said circuitry controls the display to display the acquired image data in response to a user request to reproduce the selected one of the music data. 
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry controls the acquisition of the image data from the image database while the reproduction apparatus is reproducing the selected one of the music data. 
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the circuitry edits the attribute information based on a user input. 
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the memory is configured to store the image database. 
     
     
         7 . An information processing system, comprising:
 a memory configured to store music data and attribute information corresponding to the music data, each attribute information being a title, an artist name, or a genre;   an image database configured to store a default image data and a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to one of the music data; and   a circuitry configured to
 determine whether image data associated with a selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, 
 when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, control acquisition of the image data from the image database, 
 when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is not stored in the image database, control acquisition of the default image data from said image database, and 
 output the acquired image data associated with the selected one of the music data to a display when the selected one of the music data is reproduced at a reproduction apparatus. 
   
     
     
         8 . A method of an information processing apparatus for acquiring an associated image, the method comprising:
 storing, in a memory, music data and an attribute information corresponding to the music data, each attribute information being a title, an artist name, or a genre;   determining, by circuitry of the information processing apparatus, whether image data associated with a selected one of the music data is stored in an image database, the image database being configured to store a default image data and a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to one of the music data;   when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, controlling acquisition of the image data from the image database,   when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is not stored in the image database, controlling acquisition of the default image data from said image database; and   outputting the acquired image data associated with the selected one of the music data to a display when the selected one of the music data is reproduced at a reproduction apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 controlling the display to display the acquired image data in response to a user request to reproduce the selected one of the music data.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 controlling the acquisition of the image data from the image database while the reproduction apparatus is reproducing the selected one of the music data.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 editing the attribute information based on a user input.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the image database is stored in the memory. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of an information processing apparatus for acquiring an associated image, the method comprising:
 storing, in a memory, music data and an attribute information corresponding to the music data, each attribute information being a title, an artist name, or a genre;   determining, by the computer, whether image data associated with a selected one of the music data is stored in an image database, the image database being configured to store a default image data and a plurality of image data, each of the plurality of image data corresponding to one of the music data;   when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is stored in the image database, controlling acquisition of the image data from the image database,   when the image data associated with the selected one of the music data is not stored in the image database, controlling acquisition of the default image data from said image database; and   outputting the acquired image data associated with the selected one of the music data to a display when the selected one of the music data is reproduced at a reproduction apparatus.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 controlling the display to display the acquired image data in response to a user request to reproduce the selected one of the music data.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 controlling the acquisition of the image data from the image database while the reproduction apparatus is reproducing the selected one of the music data.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
 editing the attribute information based on a user input.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to  claim 13 , wherein the image database is stored in the memory.