Contents management system, contents management method, and computer program

Abstract

A contents management system manages multiple contents stored in a plurality of apparatuses. The contents management system includes a command input unit that assigns a viewing style for guiding a user to desired contents and a contents search condition; a screen format generating unit that generates a screen format according to the assigned viewing style; a contents search unit that searches a contents providing space constituted by the plurality of apparatuses, each storing contents, according to the assigned search condition; and a contents presenting unit that displays and outputs information on the individual contents searched by the contents search unit on the screen format through mapping.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2004-295078 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Oct. 7, 2004, the entire contents of which being incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The invention relates to a contents management system which suitably manages various media kinds of digitalized contents, to a contents management method, and to a computer program. More particularly, the invention relates to a contents management system which suitably manages enormous scattered contents, to a contents management method, and to a computer program. [0004] Specifically, the invention relates to a contents management system which suitably manages contents scattered and stored in various apparatuses such that desired contents is easily searched from the contents, to a contents management method, and to a computer program. More particularl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] For example, if the viewing style for guiding to the desired contents with 5W1H as the clue is assigned with the command input unit, the screen format generating unit generates the screen format for arranging the individual contents according to 5W1H in response to the assignment of the viewing style. Then, when a browse request of the contents is received from a user, an available contents providing space is searched according to thinking of the user, the media kind, or other search conditions inputted by the user, and representative frames of the individual founded contents are mapped on a format corresponding to the attribute assigned by the user, such that it becomes easy for the user to find out the desired contents. When a person performs context analysis or the like, 5W1H is used as the clue. Therefore, if the contents are mapped on the screen format on the basis of 5W1H, it can be expected that it becomes easy for the user to find out the desired contents.

[0021] For example, a calendar view is a viewing style in which the contents are divided and arranged in a format of a table in which days of one month are arranged by seven dates to be presented, and, in each column, an icon of the contents in association with the corresponding date is arranged. The associated date is, for example, the date on which the contents is produced, edited, updated, or copied. Further, as the icon of the contents, for example, the representative frame extracted from motion picture contents or a jacket of a DVD title can be used. According to the calendar view, the user can easily reach the desired contents, in particular, with the attribute of “When” of 5W1H as the clue.

[0023] The calendar view or the map view handles “When” or “Where” of 5W1H as the attribute of the contents, and provides the valid clue or guide, in which the contents view visually using information, such as the date or the place, is presented, for allowing the user to find out the desired contents. In this case, however, there is a problem in that a dead space on the screen is widened. Therefore, a matrix view in which the icons of the contents are orderly arranged on a screen in a lattice shape is prepared as one of the viewing styles. According to the matrix view, a larger number of icons can be presented on the screen, and the dead space on the screen can be narrowed. For example, when a large number of still pictures are managed, the matrix view is directed to present the contents to be easily searched only with display of thumbnails.

[0029] The computer program according to the second aspect of the invention is defined as a computer program which is described in a computer readable format so as to implement a predetermined processing on a computer system. Specifically, by installing the computer program according to the second aspect of the invention in the computer system, a cooperative operation is exhibited on the computer system, and thus the same advantages as those in the contents management system according to the first aspect of the invention can be obtained.

Problems solved by technology

However, how to manage enormous contents is problematic.

In an extreme case, astronomical numbers of contents are scattered on a global scale, and thus it may be difficult for a user to reach desired contents.

However, these icons do not provide the clue or guide for allowing the user to reach the desired contents.

As a result, the user may not effectively utilize available contents, and the contents may be stored away.

Further, for the collection of information limited by the searcher, the feedback of information searched by applying the previous view is performed, and a new limitation condition is given.

However, in the information search system, for the user, who does not have a guide on search, for example, which media kind of contents is available, the clue or guide for finding out the desired contents from a massive contents storage space may not be provided.

However, in the contents search apparatus, the keyword search is basic, and thus the user, who does not have the guide on search (that is, does not even have a technique for assigning the keyword) may not be provided with the clue or guide for finding out the desired contents from the massive contents storage space.

It may be impossible to perform a keyword registration processing on all the contents, which are scattered in the massive contents storage space, and thus the application range is restricted.

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