# US 10,771,851 B2 · Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program and information processing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,771,851 B2 - Document ID: US10771851B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/805,438 - Filed: 2017-11-07 - Published: 2018-03-01 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2008-05-29 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Satoshi Hiroi; Yukio Ichikawa; Yumi Sato; Marie Suzuki; Yasushi Nakajima; Hiroshi Nagatani; Masahiro Hara; Hiroshi Horiki; Kouhei Fujimoto; Takeshi Matsuzawa; Hiroyuki Mitsubori; Sakae Houjou; Mingshan Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10771851B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/472: End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content {(end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612)} - H04L 12/2812: {describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content (retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95)} - H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content - H04N 21/4825: {using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists} - H04N 21/84: Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)} - H04L 2012/2849: {Audio/video appliances} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An information processing apparatus receives a user selection of content to be reproduced by an external device connected to the information processing apparatus. A request to reproduce the user selected content is sent to the external device. Information indicating whether the external device has started reproducing the selected content is received from the external device. In response to the external device having started reproduction of the selected content, a thumbnail image is reproduced that corresponds to the content being reproduced by the external device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: circuitry configured to: receive a request to reproduce content data; acquire, from an external device, information related to the content data, in which the information includes a reproducing point of the content data reproduced on the external device; and control reproduction of the content data to initiate reproduction of the content data based on the reproducing point, wherein the reproducing point of the content data indicates a temporal position within the content data at which the content data is currently being reproduced on the external device, at a time when the reproduction of the content data is initiated at the apparatus, and wherein the reproduction of the content data is initiated at another temporal position in the content data that is later than the temporal position within the content data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information includes image data of the content data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image data corresponds to the reproducing point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to: control display of the content data with the reproduction of the content data based on the image data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image data is associated with a characteristic point in the content data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the characteristic point is a scene change in video content included in the content data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the characteristic point is a predetermined sound level indicated in audio content included in the content data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the image data includes a frame image in video content included in the content data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the reproducing point is a time position of video content included in the content data, and wherein the image data includes a thumbnail image of the video content at the reproducing point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the thumbnail image is from a plurality of thumbnail images respectively associated with a plurality of characteristic points in the video content. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reproducing point corresponds to a point of switching reproduction of the content data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the information includes metadata corresponding to the content data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is configured to: control display of the content data with the reproduction of the content data based on the image data and the metadata. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the circuitry is configured to control reproduction of the image data and the metadata while the content data is being reproduced. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to: transmit, to the external device, reproduction state information indicating a reproduction state of the content data being reproduced at the apparatus. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the content data corresponds to content identified in a reproduction list and selected for reproduction. ### Claim 17 An information processing method comprising: controlling, by a processing device at an apparatus, receiving a request to reproduce content data; acquiring, from a device external to the apparatus, information related to the content data, in which the information includes a reproducing point of the content data reproduced on the external device; and reproducing the content data to initiate reproduction of the content based on the reproducing point, wherein the reproducing point of the content data indicates a temporal position within the content data at which the content data is currently being reproduced on the external device, at a time when the reproduction of the content data is initiated at the apparatus, and wherein the reproducing the content data is initiated at another temporal position in the content data that is later than the temporal position within the content data. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory recording medium configured to store a program executable by a computer, the program comprising: receiving, at an apparatus, a request to reproduce content data; acquiring, from a device external to the apparatus, information related to the content data, in which the information includes a reproducing point of the content data reproduced on the external device; and reproducing, at the apparatus, the content data to initiate reproduction of the content data based on the reproducing point, wherein the reproducing point of the content data indicates a temporal position within the content data at which the content data is currently being reproduced on the external device, at a time when the reproduction of the content data is initiated at the apparatus, and wherein the reproducing the content data is initiated at another temporal position in the content data that is late than the temporal position within the content data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reproducing point of the content data is an intermediate point of the content data.