# US 8,787,735 B2 · Reproduction apparatus and control method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,735 B2 - Document ID: US8787735B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/547,265 - Filed: 2012-07-12 - Published: 2013-02-07 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Shogo Ueno - Inventors: Shogo Ueno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787735B2 ## CPC - H04N 5/76: Television signal recording - G11B 27/034: on discs (G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence) - H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) - H04N 21/4325: {by playing back content from the storage medium (reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79)} - H04N 21/4335: Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions {(storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90)} - H04N 21/4415: using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning {(cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861)} - H04N 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract A reproduction apparatus comprises a reproduction unit configured to reproduce image data from a recording medium; a recognition unit configured to recognize users in response to reproduction of selected image data; and a control unit configured to inhibit deletion of the selected image data from the recording medium, in a case where there is a user, other than users recognized by the recognition unit, who has not reproduced the selected image data among a plurality of predetermined users. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A reproduction apparatus comprising: a reproduction unit configured to reproduce a content from a recording medium; a recognition unit configured to recognize users; a management information processing unit configured to generate management information relating to the content including reproduction history information indicating, for each of a plurality of users, a portion that the user has viewed in the content, and viewing schedule information which is different from the history information and indicates whether each of the plurality of users is scheduled to view or not, based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; a setting unit configured to set whether a user recognized by the recognition unit is scheduled to view or not the content in accordance with an instruction from the recognized user; a receiving unit configured to receive, from a predetermined user recognized by the recognition unit, a deletion instruction for instructing to delete a designated content; a deletion unit configured to delete the designated content from the recording medium in accordance with the deletion instruction; and a control unit configured to control the deletion unit, based on the viewing schedule information relating to the designated content, wherein the management information processing unit sets the viewing schedule information in accordance with a set result by the setting unit such that if it is set that viewing of the content is scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is scheduled to view the content, and if it is set that viewing of the content is not scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is not scheduled to view the content, the control unit inhibits deletion of the designated content by the deletion unit, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes deletion of the designated content by the deletion unit, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is not scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit issues a caution, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content include a moving image, a still image, audio, or an arbitrary combination thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition unit recognizes users in response to an instruction to delete the content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deletion unit deletes the designated content in accordance with the deletion instruction received by the receiving unit during reproduction of the content. ### Claim 7 A reproduction apparatus comprising: a reproduction unit configured to reproduce a content from a recording medium; a recognition unit configured to recognize users; a management information processing unit configured to generate management information relating to the content including viewing schedule information which indicates whether each of the plurality of users is scheduled to view or not, a setting unit configured to set whether a user recognized by the recognition unit is scheduled to view or not the content in accordance with an instruction from the recognized user; a receiving unit configured to receive, from a predetermined user recognized by the recognition unit, a deletion instruction for instructing to delete a designated content; a deletion unit configured to delete the designated content from the recording medium in accordance with the deletion instruction; and a control unit configured to control the deletion unit, based on the viewing schedule information relating to the designated content, wherein the management information processing unit sets the viewing schedule information in accordance with a set result by the setting unit such that if it is set that viewing of the content is scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is scheduled to view the content, and if it is set that viewing of the content is not scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is not scheduled to view the content, and the control unit inhibits deletion of the designated content by the deletion unit, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the deletion unit deletes the designated content in accordance with the deletion instruction received by the receiving unit during reproduction of the content. ### Claim 9 A control method of a reproduction apparatus which reproduces a content in a recording medium, the method comprising: a recognition step of recognizing users; a management information processing step of generating management information relating to content including reproduction history information indicating, for each of a plurality of users, a portion that the user has viewed in the content, and viewing schedule information which is different from the history information and indicates whether each of the plurality of users is scheduled to view or not, based on a recognition result in the recognition step; a setting step of setting whether a user recognized by the recognition step is scheduled to view or not the content in accordance with an instruction from the recognized user; a receiving step of receiving, from a predetermined user recognized by the recognition step, a deletion instruction for instructing to delete a designated content; a deletion step of deleting the designated content from the recording medium in accordance with the deletion instruction; a control step of controlling deletion of the content, based on the viewing schedule information relating to the designated content, wherein the management information processing step sets the viewing schedule information in accordance with a set result by the setting step such that if it is set that viewing of the content is scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is scheduled to view the content, and if it is set that viewing of the content is not scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is not scheduled to view the content, in the control step, deletion of the designated content is inhibited, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 10 A control method of a reproduction apparatus which reproduces a content in a recording medium, the method comprising: a recognition step of recognizing users; a management information processing step of generating management information relating to the content including viewing schedule information which indicates whether each of the plurality of users is scheduled to view or not, a setting step of setting whether a user recognized by the recognition step is scheduled to view or not the content in accordance with an instruction from the recognized user; a receiving step of receiving, from a predetermined user recognized by the recognition step, a deletion instruction for instructing to delete a designated content; a deletion step of deleting the designated content from the recording medium in accordance with the deletion instruction; and a control step of controlling the deletion step, based on the viewing schedule information relating to the designated content, wherein the management information processing step sets the viewing schedule information in accordance with a set result by the setting step such that if it is set that viewing of the content is scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is scheduled to view the content, and if it is set that viewing of the content is not scheduled, the viewing schedule information indicates that the recognized user is not scheduled to view the content, and the control step inhibits deletion of the designated content by the deletion step, in a case where the viewing schedule information indicates that a user other than the predetermined user is scheduled to view the designated content. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 9. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 10.