Playback device, and method of displaying manipulation menu in playback device

A playback device comprising:

• a command input unit to accept a command entered by a user;
• a display controller to generate image data on a manipulating-function menu screen including a plurality of identification miniature images for respective ones of a plurality of to-be-replayed objects;
• and
• a display output unit to output the manipulating-function menu screen image data from the display controller to a display unit,
• the display controller functioning to:
• selectively display, by a predetermined operated made via the command input unit,
• (1) a first manipulating-function menu screen in which a plurality of identification miniature images for the respective plurality of to-be-replayed objects is displayed simultaneously on one display screen with a to-be-replayed objects corresponding to a identification miniature image in a predetermined position being taken as a to-be-replayed object of interest and also a first group of a plurality of manipulating-function items for each of the to-be-replayed objects is displayed so that one of the manipulating-function items can be selected by an operation made via the command input unit, and with an indication of which one of the manipulating-function items is being selected, and
• (2) a second manipulating-function menu screen in which the plurality of identification miniature images for respective ones of the plurality of to-be-replayed objects is displayed simultaneously on one display screen with a to-be-replayed objects corresponding to the identification miniature image in a predetermined position being taken as a to-be-replayed object of interest and also a second group of a plurality of manipulating-function items for the plurality of to-be-replayed objects is displayed so that one of the manipulating-function items can be selected by an operation made the command input unit, and with an indication of which one of the manipulating-function items is being selected;
• and
• (3) display, during selection any one of the manipulating-function items included in at least the first group, the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest in such a manner that the identification miniature image can be differentiated from the other identification miniature images,
• wherein a plurality of types of media can be replayed and a plurality of contents in each of the media can be replayed, and
• wherein the identification miniature images corresponding to the to-be-replayed objects are taken as a first identification miniature image while the identification miniature images corresponding to each of the plurality of medium types are taken as a second identification miniature image;
• the display controller functions to:
• display a menu in which the plurality of first identification miniature images is arrayed in a first display area extending in a first direction on the display screen and the plurality of second identification miniature images is arrayed in a second display are extending in a second direction, the first and second display areas intersecting near a center of the display screen, and a content corresponding to the first identification miniature image in a position near the intersection being taken as a content in the to-be-replayed content of interest;
• and
• display, in the menu screen showing the first and second display areas intersecting each other, when a predetermined command is entered via the command input unit either the first or second manipulating-function menu screen (a) moving the first display area with of the plurality of first identification miniature images from the center of the display screen to one side of the menu screen, (b) deleting the second display area with the plurality of second identification miniature images therein from the menu screen, (c) displays a third display area which displays the first group of a plurality of manipulation-function items for individually manipulating each to-be-displayed objects, and (d) displays a fourth display area which display the second group of a plurality of manipulation-function items for manipulating the entire plurality of to-be-replayed objects.

A method of displaying a manipulation menu in a playback device, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a menu including first and second display areas intersecting near a center of a display screen;
• when a predetermined operation is made via a command input unit, deleting the first display area, and outputting, to a display device, image data on a manipulating-function menu screen in which (a) a plurality of identification miniature images for respective ones of a plurality of to-be-replayed objects is displayed simultaneously in the second display area on one display screen with the to-be-replayed object corresponding to the identification miniature image in a predetermined position of the second display area being taken as a to-be-replayed object of interest, and (b) a first group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for individually manipulating each of the to-be-replayed objects, displayed in a third display area and (c) a second group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for manipulating the entire plurality of to-be-replayed objects, displayed in a fourth display area;
• wherein the third and fourth display areas are displayed so that one of the manipulating-functions can be selected by an operation made via the command input unit, and with an indication of which one of the manipulating-function items being selected;
• accepting a command for selection of one of the manipulating-function items, entered by a user;
• displaying, when a select command accepted in the select command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the first group, the selected manipulating-function item for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items as well as for differentiation between the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest and other identification miniature images;
• and
• displaying, when the select command accepted in the select command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the second group, the selected manipulating-function item for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items and the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest in the same manner as that in which the other identification miniature images are displayed.

A method of displaying a manipulation menu in a playback device, the method comprising the steps of:

• displaying a menu including first and second display areas intersecting near a center of a display screen;
• when a predetermined operation is made via a command input unit, deleting the first display area and displaying a plurality of identification miniature images for respective ones of to-be-replayed objects simultaneously in the second display area on one display screen with taking one of the to-be-replayed objects corresponding to one of the identification miniature images in a predetermined position of the second display area as a to-be-replayed object of interest;
• accepting a first predetermined command entered by a user;
• outputting, to a display unit, image data on a manipulating-function menu screen in which a first group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for individually manipulating each of the to-be-replayed objects, and a second group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for manipulating the entire plurality of to-be-replayed objects, are displayed in third and fourth display areas so that one of the manipulating-functions can be selected when the first command is accepted in the first command accepting step, and with a display of which one of the manipulating-function items being selected;
• accepting a second command for selection of one of the manipulating-function items in the first or second group, entered by the user;
• displaying, when the select command accepted in the second command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the first group, the selected identification miniature image for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items as well as for differentiation between the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest and other identification miniature images;
• and
• displaying, when the select command accepted in the second command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the second group, the selected identification miniature image for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items and the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest in the same manner as that in which the other identification miniature images are displayed.

A method of displaying a manipulation menu in a playback device, comprising:

• displaying a menu including a first display area in which a plurality of first identification miniature images corresponding to each of a plurality of types of media which can be replayed is laid in a line in a first direction on a display screen and a second display area in which a plurality of second identification miniature images corresponding to each of the contents which can be replayed is laid in a line in a second direction, the first and second display areas intersecting near a center of the display screen, with taking a content corresponding to one of the first identification miniature images positioned near the intersection as a to-be-replayed content of interest;
• displaying, in the menu screen showing the first and second display areas intersecting each others, when a predetermined operation is made via the command input unit, a manipulating-function menu screen including the (a) the second display area only with deletion of the first display area and in which (b) a first group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for individually manipulating each of the content, displayed in a third display area and (c) a second group of a plurality of manipulating-function items, for manipulating the entire plurality of to-be-replayed objects of interest, displayed in a fourth display area so that one of the plurality of manipulating-function items can be selected,
• accepting a command entered by the user;
• displaying, when the command entered in the command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the first group, the selected manipulation-function item for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items and the second identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest for differentiation from the other second identification miniature images;
• and
• displaying, when the command entered in the command accepted in the command accepting step is for selection of any one of the manipulating-function items included in the second group, the selected manipulating-function item for differentiation from the other manipulating-function items and the second identification miniature image corresponding to the to-to-replayed object of interest in the same manner as that in which the other second identification miniature images are displayed.

A method of displaying a manipulation menu in a display device, comprising the steps of:

• displaying a first manipulating-function menu screen in which a plurality of identification miniature images for the respective to-be-replayed objects is displayed simultaneously in an initial display area on one display screen with taking one of the to-be-replayed objects corresponding to one of the identification miniature images in a predetermined position of the initial display area as a to-be-replayed object of interest and also a first group of a plurality of manipulating-function items for each of the to-be-replayed objects is displayed in a first manipulating function display area so that one of the manipulating-function items can be selected;
• and
• switching, when a first predetermined command entered by the user is accepted while the first manipulating-function menu screen is being displayed, the first manipulating-function menu screen to a second manipulating-function menu screen in which the plurality of identification miniature images for the plurality of to-be-replayed objects is displayed simultaneously in a second manipulation function display area on one display screen with taking one of the to-be-replayed objects corresponding to one of the identification miniature images in the predetermined position as a to-be-replayed object of interest and also a second group of a plurality of manipulating-function items for the respective to-be-replayed objects is displayed so that one of the manipulating-function items to can be selected;
• switching the second manipulating-function menu screen being displayed to the first manipulating-function menu screen when a predetermined second command entered by the user is accepted while the second manipulating-function menu screen is being displayed;
• and
• displaying the identification miniature image corresponding to the to-be-replayed object of interest in at least the first manipulating-function menu screen for differentiation from the other identification miniature images,
• wherein a plurality of medium types can be replayed, a plurality of contents in each of the media can be replayed, and the to-be-replayed object is a content that can be replayed;
• there are included the steps of:
• displaying a menu including a first display area in which a plurality of first identification miniature images corresponding to each of a plurality of types of media which can be replayed is laid in a line in a first direction on a display screen and a second display area in which a plurality of second identification miniature images corresponding to each of the contents which can be replayed is laid in a line in a second direction, the first and second display areas intersecting near a center of the display screen, with taking a content corresponding to one of the first identification miniature images positioned near the intersection as a to-be-replayed content of interest;
• and
• displaying, in the menu screen showing the first and second display areas intersecting each other when a predetermined third command is entered, the first or second manipulating-function menu screen (a) moving the second display area with the plurality of second identification miniature images from near the center of the menu screen to one side of the menu screen, (b) deleting the first display area with the plurality of first identification miniature images from the menu screen, (c) displays a third display area which displays the first group of a plurality of manipulation-function items for individually manipulating each to-be-displayed objects, and (d) displays a fourth display area which displays the second group of a plurality of manipulation-function items for manipulating the entire plurality of to-be-replayed objects.