Content recording apparatus, content playback apparatus, content playback system, image capturing apparatus, processing method for the content recording apparatus, the content playback apparatus, the content playback system, and the image capturing apparatus, and program

A content recording apparatus comprising:

• content management file storing means for storing a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• content inputting means for inputting content files;
• virtual management information creating means for creating virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• meta data creating means for creating meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• recording control means for recording file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content recording apparatus comprising:

• content management file storing means for storing a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• content inputting means for inputting content files;
• virtual management information creating means for creating virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• content attribute information creating means for creating content attribute information as attribute information related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• recording control means for recording, to the content management file, file entries that are the hierarchical entries which store the created virtual management information and the created content attribute information in association with each other;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content playback apparatus comprising:

• content storing means for storing content files;
• content management file storing means for storing a content management file in which hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure are recorded, the content management file recording file entries that are the hierarchical entries including virtual management information for virtually managing each of the content files, and meta data entries that include meta data related to each of the content files and are the hierarchical entries at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries;
• operation accepting means for accepting an operation input for selecting a desired piece of meta data from among the meta data included in each of the meta data entries recorded in the content management file;
• selecting means for selecting, when the operation input for selecting the desired piece of meta data is accepted by the operation accepting means, a meta data entry including the selected meta data from among the meta data entries recorded in the content management file;
• and
• extracting means for extracting a content file recorded in the content storing means on the basis of the virtual management information included in a file entry recorded at a higher hierarchical level than the selected meta data entry;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content playback apparatus comprising:

• content storing means for storing content files;
• content management file storing means for storing a content management file in which hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure are recorded, the content management file recording file entries that are the hierarchical entries each storing virtual management information for virtually managing each of the content files, and content attribute information as attribute information related to each of the content files in association with each other;
• operation accepting means for accepting an operation input for selecting a desired piece of content attribute information from among the content attribute information included in each of the file entries recorded in the content management file;
• selecting means for selecting, when the operation input for selecting the desired piece of content attribute information is accepted by the operation accepting means, a file entry including the selected content attribute information from among the file entries recorded in the content management file;
• and
• extracting means for extracting a content file recorded in the content storing means on the basis of the virtual management information included in the selected file entry;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• image capturing means for capturing an image of a subject;
• content inputting means for inputting content files each corresponding to the image captured by the image capturing means;
• content management file storing means for storing a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• virtual management information creating means for creating virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• meta data creating means for creating meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• recording control means for recording file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content recording method for a content recording apparatus including content management file storing means for storing a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure, comprising the steps of:

• inputting content files;
• creating virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• creating meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• recording file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A non-transitory computer program product having computer readable instructions stored thereon for a content recording apparatus including content management file storing means for storing a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure, the computer readable instructions when executed by a computer causing the computer to execute the steps of:

• inputting content files;
• creating virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• creating meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• recording file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content playback system comprising:

• a content inputting section that inputs content files;
• a content storing section that stores the inputted content files;
• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• a virtual management information creating section that creates virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• a meta data creating section that creates meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• a recording control section that records file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• an extracting section that extracts a desired piece of meta data from the meta data included in each of the meta data entries recorded in the content management file, and extracting a content file stored in the content storing section on the basis of the virtual management information included in a file entry recorded at a higher hierarchical level than a meta data entry including the extracted meta data;
• a playback control section that controls playback of the extracted content file on the basis of the extracted meta data;
• and
• a playback section that plays back the extracted content file on the basis of control by the playback control section;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content recording apparatus comprising:

• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• a content inputting section that inputs content files;
• a virtual management information creating section that creates virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• a meta data creating section that creates meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• a recording control section that records file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content recording apparatus comprising:

• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• a content inputting section that inputs content files;
• a virtual management information creating section that creates virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• a content attribute information creating section that creates content attribute information as attribute information related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• a recording control section that records, to the content management file, file entries that are the hierarchical entries which store the created virtual management information and the created content attribute information in association with each other;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content playback apparatus comprising:

• a content storing section that stores content files;
• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file in which hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure are recorded, the content management file recording file entries that are the hierarchical entries including virtual management information for virtually managing each of the content files, and meta data entries that include meta data related to each of the content files and are the hierarchical entries at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries;
• an operation accepting section that accepts an operation input for selecting a desired piece of meta data from among the meta data included in each of the meta data entries recorded in the content management file;
• a selecting section that selects, when the operation input for selecting the desired piece of meta data is accepted by the operation accepting section, a meta data entry including the selected meta data from among the meta data entries recorded in the content management file;
• and
• an extracting section that extracts a content file recorded in the content storing section on the basis of the virtual management information included in a file entry recorded at a higher hierarchical level than the selected meta data entry;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

A content playback apparatus comprising:

• a content storing section that stores content files;
• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file in which hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure are recorded, the content management file recording file entries that are the hierarchical entries each storing virtual management information for virtually managing each of the content files, and content attribute information as attribute information related to each of the content files in association with each other;
• an operation accepting section that accepts an operation input for selecting a desired piece of content attribute information from among the content attribute information included in each of the file entries recorded in the content management file;
• a selecting section that selects, when the operation input for selecting the desired piece of content attribute information is accepted by the operation accepting section, a file entry including the selected content attribute information from among the file entries recorded in the content management file;
• and
• an extracting section that extracts a content file recorded in the content storing section on the basis of the virtual management information included in the selected file entry;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.

An image capturing apparatus comprising:

• an image capturing section that captures an image of a subject;
• a content inputting section that inputs content files each corresponding to the image captured by the image capturing section;
• a content management file storing section that stores a content management file that records hierarchical entries organized in a virtual hierarchical structure;
• a virtual management information creating section that creates virtual management information for virtually managing each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• a meta data creating section that creates meta data related to each of the inputted content files, on the basis of the content file;
• and
• a recording control section that records file entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created virtual management information, into the content management file, and records meta data entries, which are the hierarchical entries including the created meta data, at a lower hierarchical level than the file entries in the content management file;
• wherein each of the hierarchical entries is a hierarchical entry including at least one slot that are each a physically fixed-length data area;
• the slot is sequentially recorded into a property file included in the content management file;
• and
• an entry identifier assigned to each of the hierarchical entries to identify the hierarchical entry is an entry number assigned in accordance with an ordinal number of the slot constituting the hierarchical entry as counted from the top of the slots recorded in the property file.