Content playback apparatus, content playback method and storage medium

Abstract

A content playback apparatus includes: a display section that displays a plurality of indicators associated with a plurality of pieces of content, and a specifier to be used to specify one of the indicators; a playback section that plays back the piece of content associated with the indicator specified by the specifier; a switch section that switches, in accordance with a user's operation, what the specifier specifies to new the indicator; and a playback control section that controls the playback section such that if the user's operation switches, while the piece of content associated with the indicator specified by the specifier is played, what the specifier specifies to next the indicator and the user's subsequent operation switches, within a predetermined period of time from when the previous switch is completed, what the specifier specifies to subsequent the indicator, the playback section keeps playing back the piece of content.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A content playback device comprising:
 a selection unit configured to detect a selection of an icon of a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a respective plurality of images;   a display section, the display section including: an icon section in one area of the display section that displays the plurality of icons, and an image section in another area of the display area that displays a corresponding image to a selected icon of the plurality of icons, the icon section highlighting the selected icon and the image section highlighting the corresponding image; and   a control section, the control section providing display commands for displaying the plurality of images and outputting sound associated with the selected icon.   
     
     
         20 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the control section encodes music data corresponding to the plurality of images. 
     
     
         21 . The content playback device of  claim 20 , wherein the control section encodes the music data to a format of MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) or Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3 (ATRAC3). 
     
     
         22 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the control section acquires music data corresponding to the plurality of images from a disk. 
     
     
         23 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the control section acquires music data corresponding to the plurality of images from a content server. 
     
     
         24 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the sound associated with the selected icon is responsive to a user dialing a selection dial and the sound is a piece of music content associated with the selected icon. 
     
     
         25 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the sound associated with the selected icon is responsive to a user dialing a selection dial and the sound is a piece of audio associated with the selected icon. 
     
     
         26 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the control section acquires content to playback associated with the plurality of icons through a communication cable or a wireless Local Area Network (LAN). 
     
     
         27 . The content playback device of  claim 19 , wherein the control section acquires content to playback associated with the plurality of icons through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. 
     
     
         28 . A content playback device comprising:
 a selection unit configured to detect a selection of an icon of a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a respective plurality of images;   a display section, the display section including: an icon section in one area of the display section that displays the plurality of icons, and an image section in another area of the display area that displays a corresponding image to a selected icon of the plurality of icons, the icon section highlighting the selected icon and the image section highlighting the corresponding image; and   a control section, the control section providing display commands for displaying the plurality of images and encoding audio corresponding to the plurality of images.   
     
     
         29 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section encodes the audio corresponding to the plurality of images. 
     
     
         30 . The content playback device of  claim 29 , wherein the control section encodes the audio to a format of MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) or Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding 3 (ATRAC3). 
     
     
         31 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section acquires the audio from a disk. 
     
     
         32 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section acquires the audio from a content server. 
     
     
         33 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the sound associated with the selected icon is responsive to a user dialing a selection dial and the sound is a piece of the audio associated with the selected icon. 
     
     
         34 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section outputs sound associated with the selected icon. 
     
     
         35 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section acquires content to playback associated with the plurality of icons through a wireless Local Area Network (LAN). 
     
     
         36 . The content playback device of  claim 28 , wherein the control section acquires content to playback associated with the plurality of icons through a communication cable, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, or an Ethernet. 
     
     
         37 . A content playback device comprising:
 a selection unit configured to detect a selection of an icon of a plurality of icons, the plurality of icons corresponding to a respective plurality of images;   a display section, the display section including: an icon section in one area of the display section that displays the plurality of icons, and an image section in another area of the display area that displays a corresponding image to a selected icon of the plurality of icons, the icon section highlighting the selected icon and the image section highlighting the corresponding image; and   a control section, the control section providing display commands for displaying the plurality of images and encoding video corresponding to the plurality of images.   
     
     
         38 . A video and audio content playback device, comprising:
 digital storage for a plurality of respective images and a plurality of respective icons representing ones of said respective images;   a display having a first portion in which said plurality of icons are displayed and a second portion in which at least one image representing at least one selected icon is displayed;   selected icons being highlighted in the first portion of the display and selected images being highlighted in the second portion of the display;   said selected images being displayed in conjunction with audio content related to said selected images; and,   a controller that selects among said icons.   
     
     
         39 . The playback device of  claim 28 , wherein said controller is responsive to at least one input command.