Display generation device, display generation method, program, and content download system

A computer-implemented display generation method to be executed by a processor in a display generation device for generating a display screen including one or two or more user-selectable playback control items, comprising the steps of:

• downloading content data desired by a user from a content server storing the content data;
• acquiring a data amount already downloaded and a data amount not yet downloaded among the content data;
• estimating, using the processor, a transmission rate of data from the content server to the display generation device prior to start of the step of downloading the content data desired by the user from the content server, wherein the transmission rate is estimated based on a data transmission rate between the content server and another receiver different than the display generation device;
• and
• generating the display screen including the playback control item according to the data amount already downloaded, the data amount not yet downloaded and the transmission rate estimated by the rate acquisition section,
• wherein generating the display screen comprises calculating a remaining download time by adding a predetermined data amount to the data amount not yet downloaded to generate a sum and dividing the sum by the transmission rate estimated in the estimating step.

A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer provided in a display generation device for generating a display screen including one or two or more user-selectable playback control items to function as:

• a download section for downloading content data desired by a user from a content server storing the content data;
• a data amount acquisition section for acquiring a data amount already downloaded and a data amount not yet downloaded by the download section among the content data;
• a rate acquisition section for estimating, prior to start of the downloading of the content data desired by the user, a transmission rate of data from the content server to the display generation device, wherein the rate acquisition section estimates the transmission rate of data based on a data transmission rate between the content server and another receiver different than the display generation device;
• and
• a display screen generation section for generating the display screen including the playback control item according to the data amount acquired by the data amount acquisition section and the transmission rate estimated by the rate acquisition section,
• wherein the display screen generation section calculates a remaining download time by adding a predetermined data amount to the data amount not yet downloaded to generate a sum and dividing the sum by the transmission rate estimated by the rate acquisition section.

A content download system including a display generation device for generating a display screen including one or two or more user-selectable playback control items and a content server capable of communication with the display generation device, wherein:

• the content server has content data stored in a storage medium, and
• the display generation device includes:
• a download section for downloading the content data from the content server,
• a data amount acquisition section for acquiring a data amount already downloaded and a data amount not yet downloaded by the download section among the content data,
• a rate acquisition section for estimating, prior to start of the downloading of the content data, a transmission rate of data from the content server to the display generation device, wherein the rate acquisition section estimates the transmission rate of data based on a data transmission rate between the content server and another receiver different than the display generation device, and
• a display screen generation section for generating the display screen including the playback control item according to the data amount acquired by the data amount acquisition section and the transmission rate estimated by the rate acquisition section,
• wherein the display screen generation section calculates a remaining download time by adding a predetermined data amount to the data amount not yet downloaded to generate a sum and dividing the sum by the transmission rate estimated by the rate acquisition section.