Content output control device and content output control method
AssigneePanasonic Corporation
InventorNobuhiro Kambe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
When a content output apparatus which can use a plurality of content providing devices switches from a first content providing device to a second content providing device and displays a content, a determination section predicts a start-up timing of starting to prepare for making a content of the second content providing device available on the basis of an operation input by a user, which is obtained by an input section. The switching section supplies power to a second device processing section on the basis of the predicted start-up timing.
Claims11
A content output control device for controlling a content output apparatus which obtains, from a plurality of content providing devices some of which are available via a network, contents through device processing sections compatible with the respective content providing devices;
- and outputs the obtained contents, the content output control device comprising:
- a switching section for, when a channel switching operation is inputted by a user, switching between channels on the basis of the channel switching operation and determining whether a zapping operation is currently performed;
- a channel management section for managing, as channel arrangement, arrangement in which channels provided by the plurality of the content providing devices are arranged in order of switching by the channel switching operation;
- and
- a determination section for, when the switching section determines that the zapping operation is currently performed, calculating, on the basis of the channel arrangement, an estimated time period until a channel for displaying a content being currently viewed is switched to an initial channel of a different content providing device from a content providing device providing the content being currently viewed;
- and determining that a start-up timing has come when the estimated time period falls below a predetermined value, wherein
- the switching section, when the determination section determines that the start-up timing has come, starts up a device processing section connected to the different content providing device.
A content output control method for controlling a content output apparatus which obtains, from a plurality of content providing devices some of which are available via a network, contents through device processing sections compatible with the respective content providing devices;
- and outputs the obtained contents, the content output control method comprising:
- a switching step of, when a channel switching operation is inputted by a user, switching between channels on the basis of the channel switching operation and determining whether a zapping operation is currently performed;
- a determining step of, when it is determined that the zapping operation is currently performed in the switching step, calculating, on the basis of channel arrangement in which channels provided by the plurality of the content providing devices are arranged in order of switching by the channel switching operation, an estimated time period until a channel for displaying a content being currently viewed is switched to an initial channel of a different content providing device from a content providing device providing the content being currently viewed;
- and determining that a start-up timing has come when the estimated time period falls below a predetermined value;
- and
- a starting up step of, when it is determined that the start-up timing has come in the determining step, starting up a device processing section connected to the different content providing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.