Content reproduction apparatus, content reproduction method, content reproduction system, and computer program therefor

A computer program for reproducing a recording medium on which one or two or more pieces of content are stored, the computer program enabling a computer to function as:

• selection screen display means for displaying a selection screen from which the content to be reproduced is to be selected;
• preread instruction generation means for detecting an identification state in which the selection of a specific piece of content from the selection screen is estimated, and generating a read instruction for reading the specific piece of content from the recording medium;
• content storage means for reading the specific piece of content from the recording medium in compliance with the read instruction and storing the read content;
• content determination means for detecting a selection input from the selection screen and determining the content to be reproduced;
• and
• content reproduction means for reading the content determined by the content determination means from the content storage means and reproducing the read content.

A content reproduction method for reproducing a recording medium on which one or two or more pieces of content are stored, the content reproduction method comprising:

• a selection screen display step of displaying a selection screen from which the content to be reproduced is to be selected;
• a preread instruction generation step of detecting an identification state in which the selection of a specific piece of content from the selection screen is estimated, and generating a read instruction for reading the specific piece of content from the recording medium;
• a content storage step of reading the specific piece of content from the recording medium in compliance with the read instruction and storing the read content in content storage means;
• a content determination step of detecting a selection input from the selection screen and determining the content to be reproduced;
• and
• a content reproduction step of reading the content determined by the content determination step from the content storage means and reproducing the read content.

A content reproduction system comprising:

• a user terminal, which is used by a user;
• and
• a content server, which is connected to the user terminal via a communication network to supply one or two or more pieces of content to the user terminal;
• wherein the content server includes
• selection screen display means for displaying a selection screen from which the content to be reproduced is to be selected,
• preread instruction generation means for detecting an identification state in which the selection of a specific piece of content from the selection screen is estimated, and transmitting a read instruction for reading the specific piece of content to the user terminal, and
• content determination means for detecting a selection input from the selection screen and determining the content to be reproduced;
• and
• the user terminal includes
• content storage means for reading the specific piece of content from the content server in compliance with the read instruction and storing the read content, and
• content reproduction means for reading the content determined by the content determination means from the content storage means and reproducing the read content.