Back to results
US 7,689,304 B2Granted
Audio playback apparatus, audio playback method, and program
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorYoshio Sasaki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is intended to provide an audio playback apparatus which is capable of randomly reproducing music on an album basis or a folder basis. In a sound source in which a plurality of music files are hierarchically recorded, a unit of music file groups in each of which music files are reproduced in a batch is specified, music file groups are randomly selected in the specified unit, and all music files included in each of the selected music file groups are reproduced.
Claims16
An audio playback apparatus comprising:
- a sound source storing folders, wherein at least one of the folders includes albums, and at least one of the albums includes music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical manner;
- playback unit specification means for specifying a shuffle unit as any one of a folder, an album, and a music file, for use in selecting music file groups;
- music file group selection means for randomly selecting a music file group in accordance with the shuffle unit;
- means for displaying shuffle ranges according to the specified shuffle unit;
- means for receiving a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- means for randomly selecting a next music file group from within the shuffle range;
- and
- playback means for randomly reproducing the music files included in the selected music file group before reproducing music files included in the next music file group.
5 more elements
An audio playback method comprising the steps of:
- specifying, in a sound source, a shuffle unit as any one of a folder, an album, and a music file, for use in selecting music file groups,
- wherein the sound source stores folders, at least one of the folders including albums, and at least one of the albums including music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical manner;
- randomly selecting a music file group in accordance with the shuffle unit;
- displaying shuffle ranges according to the specified shuffle unit;
- receiving a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- randomly selecting, by a processor, a next music file group from within the shuffle range;
- and
- randomly reproducing the music files included in the selected music file group before reproducing music files included in the next music file group.
5 more elements
A computer readable media storing a computer program that causes a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
- specifying, in a sound source, a shuffle unit as any one of a folder, an album, and a music file, for use in selecting music file groups,
- wherein the sound source stores folders, at least one of the folders including albums, and at least one of the albums including music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical manner;
- randomly selecting a music file group in accordance with the shuffle unit;
- displaying shuffle ranges according to the specified shuffle unit;
- receiving a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- randomly selecting a next music file group from within the shuffle range;
- and
- randomly reproducing the music files included in the selected music file group before reproducing music files included in the next music file group.
5 more elements
An audio playback apparatus comprising:
- a sound source configured to store folders, wherein at least one of the folders includes albums, and at least one of the albums includes music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical manner;
- a user interface configured to:
- receive a user input, the user input comprising a shuffle unit as any one of a folder, an album, and a music file, for use in selecting music file groups,
- display shuffle ranges according to the shuffle unit, and
- receive a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- a system control unit configured to randomly select a music file group in accordance with the shuffle unit, and randomly select a next music file group from within the shuffle range;
- and
- an output unit configured to randomly reproduce the music files included in the selected music file group before reproducing music files included in the next music file group.
5 more elements
An audio playback apparatus comprising:
- a sound source storing folders, wherein at least one of the folders includes albums, and at least one of the albums includes music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical order;
- album selection means for randomly selecting one of the albums to be reproduced from the sound source;
- means for displaying shuffle ranges in accordance with the album selection means;
- means for receiving a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- means for randomly selecting a next album from within the shuffle range;
- and
- playback means for randomly reproducing the music files in the selected album before reproducing music files in the next album.
4 more elements
An audio playback apparatus comprising:
- a sound source storing folders, wherein at least one of the folders includes albums, and at least one of the albums includes music files, and wherein the folders, the albums, and the music files are arranged in a hierarchical manner;
- folder selection means for randomly selecting one of the folders to be reproduced from the sound source;
- means for displaying shuffle ranges in accordance with the folder selection means;
- means for receiving a selection of one of the shuffle ranges;
- means for specifying a shuffle range;
- means for randomly selecting a next folder from within the shuffle range;
- and
- playback means for randomly reproducing the music files in the selected folder before reproducing music files in the next folder.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.