Terminal device and animation providing system

Abstract

To provide a terminal device and an animation providing system with excellent usability. [Solution] The terminal device comprises a communication control unit that receives animation data provided from a server, a display control unit that displays animation including non-main content and main content on a screen of the display device based on the animation data, and a reception unit that accepts specific operations by the user at any one or more locations on the screen while the non-main content is being displayed, and the display control unit skips the non-main content when an operation including a specific operation is accepted by the reception unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a terminal device and an animation providing system. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, it has become possible to easily watch videos such as animations on terminal devices.

[0003] For example, an animation may consist of multiple episodes. In this case, it is troublesome for a user to watch non-main content such as animation and endings for every episode. For this reason, a technique for skipping non-main content is known.

[0004] For example, a technique is known in which a button for skipping a non-main content is displayed, and the non-main content can be skipped by operating the button.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that automatically detects the opening section and skips the section when playing back. This technology eliminates the need for the user to hold and operate a control device every time the opening of each episode begins. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-324971 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, if a skip button continues to be displayed on the screen, as in conventionally known technologies, the button will interfere with the display of the non-main content when the user wants to view the non-main content. Furthermore, if the non-main content is automatically skipped, as in the technology of Patent Document 1, the user will not be able to view the non-main content when they want to. For this reason, conventional technologies do not adequately meet the needs of users who sometimes want to view the non-main content and sometimes do not want to view it, resulting in a lack of usability.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to solve the problem of providing a terminal device and an animation providing system with excellent usability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, a terminal device according to a preferred aspect of the present disclosure includes a communication control unit that receives animation data provided from a server, a display control unit that displays animations including a non-main feature and a main feature on a screen of a display device based on the animation data, and a display control unit that, while the non-main feature is being displayed, Yu and a reception unit that receives a specific operation by a user at any one or more positions on the screen, and the display control unit, when an operation including the specific operation is received by the reception unit, skips the non-main content. The reception unit receives a swipe operation as the specific operation, and the animation data corresponds to a plurality of animations including a first animation, a second animation following the first animation, and a third animation following the second animation, and when the reception unit receives the swipe operation while a non-main part of the second animation is being played back, the display control unit skips the non-main part of the second animation and plays the main part of the first animation, the second animation, or the third animation according to the direction of the swipe operation. .

[0010] An animation providing system according to a preferred aspect of the present disclosure includes a terminal device and a server capable of communicating with the terminal device via a communication network, The terminal device a communication control unit that receives animation data provided from the server; a display control unit that displays animation including a non-main feature and a main feature on a screen of a display device based on the animation data; and Yuand a reception unit that receives a specific operation by a user at any one or more positions on the screen, and the display control unit, when an operation including the specific operation is received by the reception unit, skips the non-main content. The reception unit receives a swipe operation as the specific operation, and the animation data corresponds to a plurality of animations including a first animation, a second animation following the first animation, and a third animation following the second animation, and when the swipe operation is received by the reception unit while a non-main part of the second animation is being played, the display control unit skips the non-main part of the second animation and plays the main part of the first animation, the second animation, or the third animation depending on the direction of the swipe operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal device and an animation providing system that are excellent in usability for viewing non-main content. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an animation providing system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a diagram showing an example of the main part of an animation displayed on a screen of the display device of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is an example of an opening animation displayed on a screen of the display device of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an ending of an animation displayed on a screen of the display device of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a specific operation performed while an opening is being displayed. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a specific operation performed while an opening is being displayed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a specific operation performed while the ending is being displayed. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a specific operation performed while the ending is being displayed. [Figure 10] 3 is an example of an operation correspondence table shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a playback position request. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server in FIG. 1. [Figure 13]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the animation data file shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of animation data shown in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for skipping a non-main content. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific operation in a first modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific operation in a second modified example. [Figure 18] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for skipping a non-main content in the third modified example. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a skip button. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a control device of a terminal device in a fourth modified example. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a skip button in the main part. [Figure 22] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation for skipping a non-main content in the fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present disclosure. Therefore, various technically preferable limitations are applied to the embodiments. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below unless otherwise specified in the following description to the effect that the present disclosure is limited.

[0014] 1. First embodiment 1-1. Overall system configuration Figure 1 is a diagram showing an animation providing system according to a first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the animation providing system 100 includes a server 10 and terminal devices 30-1, 30-2, ... 30-K, ... 30-N. N is an integer equal to or greater than 1. K is an integer equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or less than N. The animation providing system 100 is a client-server system. The terminal device 30 corresponds to a client.

[0015] In this embodiment, the multiple terminal devices 30-1 to 30-N have the same configuration. However, terminal devices with different configurations may be included. Furthermore, the multiple terminal devices 30-1 to 30-N communicate with each other via the server 10 and a communication network 50 such as the Internet. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the multiple terminal devices 30-1 to 30-N, they will be referred to as terminal devices 30. Furthermore, the owners of the terminal devices 30-1, 30-2, ... 30-K, ... 30-N will be referred to as users U1, U2, ... UK, ... UN. Furthermore, the owner of the terminal device 30 will be referred to as user U.

[0016] The server 10 provides animation to a plurality of terminal devices 30-1 to 30-N. In this embodiment, the user U watches the animation through streaming, in which the terminal device 30 receives data and simultaneously plays it back.

[0017] According to the animation providing system 100 of this embodiment, the user U can watch animations via the terminal device 30. Animations include main and non-main parts. The main part is the main part of the animation. The non-main part is the part other than the main part. The non-main part includes, for example, an opening and an ending. Furthermore, according to the animation providing system 100 of this embodiment, the user U can play back the non-main part as usual or skip it according to his / her own wishes.

[0018] 1-1a. Terminal device 30 Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 30 in Fig. 1. The terminal device 30 has a viewer function that displays animation. Examples of the terminal device 30 include smartphones, mobile information terminals such as tablets, personal computers, and wearable devices.

[0019] The terminal device 30 includes a processing device 31, a storage device 32, a communication device 33, a display device 34, and an input device 35. The elements included in the terminal device 30 are connected to each other using one or more buses for communicating information.

[0020] The processing device 31 is a processor that controls the entire terminal device 30. The processing device 31 is configured using, for example, one or more chips. The processing device 31 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) that includes an arithmetic unit, registers, etc. Note that some or all of the functions of the processing device 31 may be realized using hardware such as a DSP, ASIC, PLD, FPGA, etc. The processing device 31 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0021] The storage device 32 is a recording medium that can be read from and written to by the processing device 31. The storage device 32 stores a plurality of programs executed by the processing device 31 and various data files. Specifically, the storage device 32 stores an execution program P1 and an operation correspondence table T1. When the processing device 31 executes the execution program P1, the processing device 31 performs each of the functions described below.

[0022] The action correspondence table T1 is a table used when a non-main content is skipped by a specific operation performed by the user U, and is a correspondence table that associates the specific operation with the playback position to which the content is to be skipped and played. A specific operation is an operation performed by the user U at any one or more locations on the screen of the display device 34, which will be described later. The operation is performed during playback of the non-main content. The action correspondence table T1 will be described in detail later.

[0023] The communication device 33 is hardware that serves as a transmitting / receiving device for communicating with the server 10. The communication device 33 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 33 may include a connector for wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. The communication device 33 may also include a wireless communication interface. Examples of the connector and interface circuit for wired connection include products that comply with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Examples of the wireless communication interface include products that comply with wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0024] The display device 34 is a device that displays images and text information. The display device 34 displays various images under the control of the processing device 31. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel are suitably used as the display device 34.

[0025] The input device 35 receives operations from the user U. For example, the input device 35 includes a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch panel, or a pointing device such as a mouse.

[0026] In this embodiment, for example, the display device 34 includes a touch panel and also serves as the input device 35. For this reason, hereinafter, it may be stated that the display device 34 receives instructions from the user U.

[0027] The processing device 31 reads and executes the execution program P1 from the storage device 32. As a result, the processing device 31 functions as a display control unit 311, a determination unit 312, a reception unit 313, and a communication control unit 314.

[0028] The display control unit 311 controls the display of the display device 34. The display control unit 311 displays animation on the display device 34. The display control unit 311 starts an animation viewer. The animation viewer may be a browser viewer that allows animation to be viewed on a browser, or an app viewer that allows animation to be viewed on an app.

[0029] Fig. 3 is an example of a main part A11 of the animation A1 displayed on the screen SC of the display device 34 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an example of an opening part A121 of the animation A1 displayed on the screen SC of the display device 34 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an example of an ending part A122 of the animation A1 displayed on the screen SC of the display device 34 of Fig. 2. The animation A1 includes, for example, a non-main part A12 and a main part A11. The non-main part A12 includes an opening part A121 and an ending part A122.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 5, the display device 34 has a screen SC that displays various images. In Figure 3, a main part A11 of an animation A1 is displayed on the screen SC. For example, characters C1 and C2 are displayed in the main part A11 of Figure 3. In Figure 4, an opening A121 of a non-main part A12 is displayed. The opening A121 is a portion of the animation A1 that plays before the main part A11 begins during normal playback. In Figure 5, an ending A122 of the non-main part A12 is displayed. The ending A122 is a portion of the animation A1 that plays after the main part A11 ends during normal playback.

[0031] 2 determines a playback position at which to skip the non-main content A12 and play it back, based on a specific operation by the user U and the action correspondence table T1. The determination unit 312 also generates a playback position request D5 shown in FIG. 11, which will be described later.

[0032] 2 receives various instructions from the user U via the input device 35 or the display device 34 that also serves as the input device 35. For example, the reception unit 313 receives a specific operation. In this embodiment, the specific operation is specifically a swipe operation or a drag operation by the user U to any one location on the screen SC.

[0033] 6 and 7 are diagrams showing examples of specific operations performed while the opening A121 is displayed. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing examples of specific operations performed while the ending A122 is displayed. 6 to 9 show examples in which specific operations are performed via the display device 34, which also serves as the input device 35. Specifically, in the examples shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the specific instruction is a swipe operation on any one location on the screen SC with the user U's finger Uf.

[0034] In the example shown in FIG. 6, while the opening A121 is displayed, the user U performs a right swipe operation on an arbitrary location on the screen SC. The right swipe operation is an operation of touching a finger Uf to an arbitrary location on the screen SC, and then moving the finger Uf to the right while keeping the finger Uf in contact with the screen SC, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow X1. In the example shown in FIG. 7, while the opening A121 is displayed, the user U performs a left swipe operation on an arbitrary location on the screen SC. The left swipe operation is an operation of touching a finger Uf to an arbitrary location on the screen SC, and then moving the finger Uf to the left while keeping the finger Uf in contact with the screen SC, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow X2.

[0035] In the example shown in Fig. 8, while ending A122 is displayed, the user U performs a right swipe operation on any one location on screen SC. In the example shown in Fig. 9, while ending A122 is displayed, the user U performs a left swipe operation on any one location on screen SC.

[0036] The display device 34 detects the contact of the finger Uf with the screen SC and the position of the contact using a touch sensor. The reception unit 313 receives the contact of the finger Uf and the movement direction of the finger Uf. The aforementioned determination unit 312 determines whether the operation is a right swipe operation or a left swipe operation based on the content received by the reception unit 313. Furthermore, when a right swipe operation or a left swipe operation is performed during playback of the non-main content A12, the determination unit 312 determines that the operation is a specific operation.

[0037] The finger Uf of the user U includes the thumb. As long as the specific operation can be performed, some member may be interposed between the finger Uf and the screen SC. The specific operation may also be performed by a part of the user U other than the finger Uf. In the examples of FIGS. 6 to 9 described above, the specific operation is a swipe operation performed by contacting the finger Uf with the screen SC. However, in this embodiment, the specific operation may also be a drag operation to the left or right using an input device 35 such as a mouse.

[0038] FIG. 10 is an example of the action correspondence table T1 shown in FIG. 2. In the following, for example, a case where multiple animations A1 are related and are a series consisting of multiple episodes will be described as an example. In this case, for example, there is a first animation, a second animation following the first animation, and a third animation following the second animation. The first animation is, for example, the first episode, the second animation is, for example, the second episode, and the third animation is, for example, the third episode.

[0039] 10, the fact that the opening A121 is currently being played, the specific operation being a right swipe operation, and skipping the opening A121 and setting the main part A11 of the current animation A1 to which the opening A121 belongs as the playback position are associated. Therefore, for example, if the user U performs a right swipe operation while the opening A121 of the second animation is being played, the opening A121 is skipped and the main part A11 of the second animation is played. For example, the main part A11 is played from the beginning.

[0040] 10, the fact that the opening A121 is currently being played, the specific operation being a left swipe, and skipping the opening A121 and setting the main story A11 of the previous animation A1 as the playback position are associated. Therefore, for example, if the user U performs a left swipe while the opening A121 of the second animation is being played, the opening A121 and the ending A122 of the first animation are skipped, and the main story A11 of the first animation is played. For example, the main story A11 is played from the beginning.

[0041] 10, the fact that the ending A122 is currently being played, the specific operation being a right swipe, and skipping the ending A122 and the opening A121 of the next animation A1 and setting the main story A11 of the next animation A1 as the playback position are associated. Therefore, for example, if the user U performs a right swipe while the ending A122 of the second animation is being played, the ending A122 and the opening A121 of the third animation are skipped, and the main story A11 of the third animation is played. For example, the main story A11 is played from the beginning.

[0042] 10, the fact that ending A122 is currently being played, the specific operation being a left swipe, and skipping ending A122 and setting the main story A11 of the current animation A1 to which ending A122 belongs as the playback position are associated. Therefore, for example, if user U performs a left swipe while playing ending A122 of the second animation, ending A122 is skipped and the main story A11 of the second animation is played. For example, the main story A11 is played from the beginning.

[0043] 10 is an example. A drag operation may be used instead of a swipe operation.

[0044] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the playback position request D5. As shown in Fig. 11, the playback position request D5 includes a terminal ID, an animation ID, a current playback position, and a requested playback position.

[0045] The terminal ID is an identifier for identifying the terminal device 30 on which the specific operation was performed. The terminal ID makes it possible to identify which user U owns the terminal device 30 from which the playback position request D5 came. The animation ID is an identifier for identifying the animation A1 being played when the specific operation was performed. The current playback position indicates which part of the animation A1 being played when the specific operation was performed. The requested playback position is the playback position determined by the determination unit 312 based on the action correspondence table T1, and indicates the main part A11 desired by the user U.

[0046] 11 shows a request from the terminal device 30 identified by the terminal ID "30-1." The request indicates that an opening A121 identified by "OP" included in a first animation identified by the animation ID "an0001" is currently being played. The request also indicates that the main part A11 of the next second animation identified by the animation ID "an0002" is to be played.

[0047] 2 causes the communication device 33 to transmit and receive various types of information. As a result, the various types of information are transmitted to the server 10. The terminal device 30 receives the various types of information from the server 10. For example, the communication control unit 314 causes the communication device 33 to transmit a playback position request D5. For example, the communication control unit 314 causes the communication device 33 to receive animation data D10 (described below) provided by the server 10.

[0048] 1-1b. Server 10 Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server 10 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 12, the server 10 includes a processing device 11, a storage device 12, a communication device 13, a display device 14, and an input device 15. The elements of the server 10 are connected to each other using one or more buses for communicating information.

[0049] The processing device 11 is a processor that controls the entire server 10. The processing device 11 is configured using, for example, one or more chips. The processing device 11 is configured using, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) including an arithmetic unit, registers, etc. Some or all of the functions of the processing device 11 may be realized using hardware such as a DSP, ASIC, PLD, and FPGA. The processing device 11 executes various processes in parallel or sequentially.

[0050] The storage device 12 is a recording medium that can be read from and written to by the processing device 11. The storage device 12 also stores a plurality of programs executed by the processing device 11 and various data files. Specifically, the storage device 12 stores a control program P2 and an animation data file F10. When the processing device 11 executes the control program P2, the processing device 11 performs the various functions described below.

[0051] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the animation data file F10 shown in Fig. 12. The animation data file F10 shown in Fig. 10 includes a plurality of animation data D10-1, D10-2, D10-3, ... D10-β. When there is no need to distinguish between the plurality of animation data D10-1 to D10-β, they will be referred to as animation data D10.

[0052] For example, if there are multiple episodes, the animation data D10 is provided for each episode, such as episode 1, episode 2, etc.

[0053] Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the animation data D10 shown in Fig. 13. As shown in Fig. 14, the animation data D10 includes non-main story data D12 and main story data D11. The non-main story data D12 includes opening data D121 and ending data D122. The three pieces of image data, the opening data D121, the main story data D11, and the ending data D122, are stored separately.

[0054] The animation data D10 does not have to include these three pieces of image data. For example, the animation data D10 may be composed of one piece of image data. In this case, the storage device 12 may store metadata indicating the positions of the opening A121, main feature A11, and ending A122.

[0055] The communication device 13 shown in FIG. 12 is hardware serving as a transmitting / receiving device for communicating with the terminal device 30. The communication device 13 is also called, for example, a network device, a network controller, a network card, or a communication module. The communication device 13 may include a connector for wired connection and an interface circuit corresponding to the connector. The communication device 13 may also include a wireless communication interface. Examples of the connector and interface circuit for wired connection include products that comply with wired LAN, IEEE1394, and USB. Examples of the wireless communication interface include products that comply with wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0056] The display device 14 is a device that displays images and text information. The display device 14 displays various images under the control of the processing device 11. For example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display panel are suitably used as the display device 14.

[0057] The input device 15 receives operations from an administrator of the server 10. For example, the input device 15 includes a keyboard, a touchpad, a touch panel, or a pointing device such as a mouse. If the display device 14 includes a touch panel, the display device 14 may also serve as the input device 15.

[0058] The processing device 11 reads and executes the control program P2 from the storage device 12. As a result, the processing device 11 functions as a management unit 111, a communication control unit 112, and a display control unit 113.

[0059] The management unit 111 stores various types of information in the storage device 12, identifies specific information from the various types of information stored in the storage device 12, and generates various types of data. For example, the management unit 111 segments the animation data D10 into specific sections so that streaming is possible on the terminal device 30. The management unit 111 also identifies part of the data in the animation data D10 in response to a playback position request D5 provided from the terminal device 30.

[0060] The communication control unit 112 causes the communication device 13 to transmit and receive various types of information to and from the terminal device 30. For example, the communication control unit 112 causes the communication device 13 to receive a playback position request D5. Also, for example, the communication control unit 112 causes the communication device 13 to transmit animation data D10.

[0061] The display control unit 113 controls the display of the display device 14. The display control unit 113 may also control the display of the screen SC of the terminal device 30.

[0062] 1-2. Skip non-main content Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of skipping a non-main content. Note that Fig. 15 will be described taking as an example a case where animation A1 is viewed from its opening A121.

[0063] 15, the reception unit 313 receives an instruction from the user U to start viewing the animation A1 via the display device 34. At this time, the display control unit 311 launches an animation viewer. Before launching the animation viewer, the display control unit 311 may display a button on the screen SC that prompts the user U to select viewing in a browser or viewing in an app. For example, in response to the user U selecting the button, the display control unit 311 launches an animation viewer that corresponds to the selection.

[0064] In step S102, the communication control unit 314 causes the communication device 33 to transmit a request to view the animation A1.

[0065] In step S103, the communication control unit 112 of the server 10 causes the communication device 13 to transmit the animation data D10 identified by the management unit 111 in response to the viewing request. The viewing request includes an animation ID, and the server 10 transmits the animation data D10 corresponding to the animation ID to the terminal device 30. The communication control unit 314 causes the communication device 33 to receive the animation data D10. In the case of streaming, the animation data D10 is segmented, and some of the segmented data is transmitted as needed. In the example of FIG. 15, opening data D121 of the non-main content data D12 of the animation data D10 is transmitted first.

[0066] In step S104, the display control unit 311 causes the display device 34 to display the opening A121 of the non-main content A12 based on the opening data D121.

[0067] In step S105, the reception unit 313 receives a specific operation from the user U while the opening A121 is being displayed on the screen SC. If the user U wants to skip the opening A121 and watch the main content A11, the user U performs the specific operation. The specific operation is an operation performed while the opening A121 is being displayed on the screen SC, and is an operation performed on one or more arbitrary locations on the screen SC. The "any arbitrary location on the screen SC" may be any location on the screen SC, and does not mean a specific location. Therefore, there is no need to display a button on the screen SC for skipping the non-main content A12.

[0068] In step S106, the determination unit 312 generates a playback position request D5 based on the specific operation and action correspondence table T1.

[0069] In step S107, the communication control unit 314 causes the communication device 33 to transmit the playback position request D5. When the server 10 receives the playback position request D5, the management unit 111 determines specific main data D11 in accordance with the playback position request D5.

[0070] In step S108, the communication control unit 112 causes the communication device 13 to transmit the main data D11. The communication control unit 314 of the terminal device 30 receives the main data D11.

[0071] In step S109, the display control unit 113 displays the animation A1 in response to the playback position request D5. Specifically, the display control unit 113 causes the display device 34 to display the main feature A11 based on the main feature data D11. As a result, the opening A121 of the non-main feature A12 that the user U has been viewing is skipped on the screen SC, and the main feature A11 is displayed.

[0072] In the above description, the opening A121, which is a non-main feature, is displayed in step S104, but the ending A122, which is a non-main feature, may also be displayed in step S104. Even in this case, the same processing as in steps S105 to S109 is performed.

[0073] As described above, the communication control unit 314 receives animation data D10 provided from the server 10. Furthermore, the display control unit 311 displays an animation A1 including a non-main feature and a main feature on the screen SC of the display device 34 based on the animation data D10. Furthermore, the reception unit 313 receives specific operations by the user U at any one or more locations on the screen SC while the opening A121 or ending A122, which are non-main feature A12, is being displayed. When the reception unit 313 receives an operation including a specific operation, the display control unit 311 skips the opening A121 or ending A122, which are non-main feature A12, and displays the main feature A11 on the screen SC. Note that an operation including a specific operation is sufficient as long as it includes at least the specific operation and need not include other operations.

[0074] According to the terminal device 30, the non-main feature A12 is skipped by accepting a specific operation that operates any location on the screen SC. Therefore, a button for skipping the non-main feature A12 does not need to be displayed on the screen SC. Therefore, for example, if the user U wants to watch the non-main feature A12 without skipping it, the button for skipping the non-main feature A12 can be prevented from being continuously displayed on the screen SC, as in the past. Therefore, the button can be prevented from interfering with the viewing of the non-main feature A12. Furthermore, according to the terminal device 30, the non-main feature A12 is not automatically skipped without the user U's instruction, as in the past. Therefore, the user U can avoid skipping the non-main feature A12 when he or she wants to watch it, and can skip the non-main feature A12 when he or she does not want to watch it. Thus, the terminal device 30 provides excellent usability for viewing the non-main feature A12.

[0075] In this embodiment, the accepting unit 313 accepts a swipe operation as the specific operation. The non-main content A12 can be skipped by a simple swipe operation. This provides excellent usability.

[0076] Also, for example, if a swipe operation is accepted by the accepting unit 313 while a non-main part A12 of the second animation is being played, the display control unit 311 skips the non-main part A12 of the second animation and plays the main part of the first animation, the second animation, or the third animation, depending on the direction of the swipe operation.

[0077] Specifically, if a right swipe operation is received when the non-main content A12 is the opening A121 of the second animation, in step S109, the display control unit 311 skips the opening A121 and plays the main content A11 of the second animation.

[0078] Furthermore, if a left swipe operation is received when the non-main feature A12 is the opening A121 of the second animation, in step S109, the display control unit 311 skips the opening A121 and the ending A122 of the first animation and plays the main feature A11 of the first animation. Therefore, in this case, the two non-main feature A12 are skipped together.

[0079] Furthermore, if a right swipe operation is received when the non-main feature A12 is the ending A122 of the second animation, in step S109, the display control unit 311 skips the ending A122 and the opening A121 of the third animation and plays the main feature A11 of the third animation. Therefore, in this case, the two non-main feature A12 are skipped together.

[0080] Furthermore, if a left swipe operation is received when the non-main content A12 is the ending A122 of the second animation, in step S109 the display control unit 311 skips the ending A122 and plays the main content A11 of the second animation.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, when the receiving unit 313 receives a right swipe operation at any one location on the screen SC as the specific operation, the display control unit 311 displays, on the screen SC, the main feature A11 to be played in the forward direction after the non-main feature. Also, when the receiving unit 313 receives a left swipe operation at any one location on the screen SC as the specific operation, the display control unit 311 displays, on the screen SC, the main feature A11 to be played in the reverse direction after the non-main feature. As described above, depending on the direction of the swipe operation, the non-main feature A12 to be skipped differs, and the main feature A11 to be played differs. By performing a swipe operation, the main feature A11 that the user U wants to view can be played in accordance with their request.

[0082] 2. Variations The preferred embodiment has been described above. The preferred embodiment can be modified in various ways. Specific examples of modifications that can be applied to the preferred embodiment described above are given below.

[0083] 2-1. First modified example Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a specific operation in Modification 1. In the example shown in Fig. 16, the specific operation is not a swipe operation but is performed by a long press on any one location on the screen SC with the finger Uf of the user U. A long press means that the screen SC is continuously pressed for a certain period of time or more, for example, from 0.5 seconds to 2.0 seconds.

[0084] For example, if the reception unit 313 receives a long press while the opening A121 of the second animation is being displayed, the display control unit 311 skips the opening A121 and displays the main story A11 of the second animation. Also, if the reception unit 313 receives a long press while the ending A122 of the second animation is being displayed, the display control unit 311 skips the ending A122 and the opening A121 of the third animation and displays the main story A11 of the third animation. In this way, when the reception unit 313 receives a long press operation, the display control unit 311 displays the main story A11, which is to be played next after the non-main story A12 in the forward direction, on the screen SC.

[0085] In this modification, when the accepting unit 313 accepts a long press operation on any one location on the screen SC as a specific operation, the display control unit 311 displays the main feature A11, which is to be played next to the non-main feature in the forward direction, on the screen SC. According to this modification, the non-main feature can be skipped by a simple long press operation.

[0086] Furthermore, in this modified example, as in the first embodiment, an arbitrary position on the screen SC is operated, so that a button for skipping the non-main feature A12 does not need to be displayed on the screen SC. This prevents the button from interfering with viewing of the non-main feature A12. Furthermore, unlike conventional systems, the non-main feature A12 is not automatically skipped without an instruction from the user U. This allows the user U to not skip the non-main feature A12 when they want to view it, and to skip the non-main feature A12 when they do not want to view it.

[0087] When the reception unit 313 receives a long press operation, the display control unit 311 may display the main content A11, which is played back before the non-main content A12, on the screen SC in the reverse direction, rather than the forward direction.

[0088] 2-2. Second modified example Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a specific operation in the second modified example. In the example shown in Fig. 17, the specific operation is performed, for example, by simultaneously touching any two positions on the screen SC with the finger Uf of the user U. For example, the simultaneous touching of the two positions on the screen SC is performed on both sides of the center of the screen SC.

[0089] For example, if the reception unit 313 receives simultaneous touches at any two locations on the screen SC while the opening A121 of the second animation is being displayed, the display control unit 311 skips the opening A121 and displays the main story A11 of the second animation. Also, if the reception unit 313 receives simultaneous touches at any two locations on the screen SC while the ending A122 of the second animation is being displayed, the display control unit 311 skips the ending A122 and the opening A121 of the third animation and displays the main story A11 of the third animation. In this way, when the reception unit 313 receives a long press operation, the display control unit 311 displays the main story A11, which is to be played after the non-main story A12 in the forward direction, on the screen SC.

[0090] In this modified example, when the accepting unit 313 accepts simultaneous touches on any two positions on the screen SC as a specific operation, the display control unit 311 displays the main content A11, which is to be played forward after the non-main content A12, on the screen SC. This modified example makes it particularly unlikely that an erroneous operation will occur by the user U. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of preventing erroneous operation, it is preferable that the specific operation be an operation of simultaneously pressing and holding any two positions on the screen SC.

[0091] Furthermore, in this modified example, as in the first embodiment, an arbitrary position on the screen SC is operated, so that a button for skipping the non-main feature A12 does not need to be displayed on the screen SC. This prevents the button from interfering with viewing of the non-main feature A12. Furthermore, unlike conventional systems, the non-main feature A12 is not automatically skipped without an instruction from the user U. This allows the user U to not skip the non-main feature A12 when they want to view it, and to skip the non-main feature A12 when they do not want to view it.

[0092] In addition, when the reception unit 313 receives simultaneous contact at any two locations on the screen SC, the display control unit 311 may display the main content A11, which is played before the non-main content A12, on the screen SC in the reverse direction rather than the forward direction.

[0093] 2-3.Third Modification Fig. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of skipping the non-main content A12 in Modification 3. Fig. 18 is a modification of Fig. 15, and steps S111, S112, and S113 are added to the operation of Fig. 15.

[0094] When the accepting unit 313 accepts the specific operation in step S105, in step S111 the display control unit 311 displays the skip button T2 superimposed on the image of the non-main content A12 on the display device 34. Note that the specific operation may be, for example, a swipe operation, a long press operation, or an operation of simultaneously touching any two points on the screen SC, or may be some other operation.

[0095] Fig. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a skip button T2. ​​In the example shown in Fig. 19, the skip button T2 includes a forward button T21 and a reverse button T22. The forward button T21 is used by the user U to give an instruction to skip forward through the non-main content A12. The reverse button T22 is used by the user U to give an instruction to skip backward through the non-main content A12. Note that the skip button T2 shown in Fig. 19 is just an example, and its shape is not limited to the example shown.

[0096] In step S112 of FIG. 18, the accepting unit 313 accepts the user U's operation of the skip button T2. ​​In step S106, the determining unit 312 generates a playback position request D5 based on the specific operation and the operation of pressing the skip button T2, i.e., the operation including the specific operation, and the action correspondence table T1. In step S107, the communication control unit 314 transmits the playback position request D5, including the specific operation and a request to skip the non-main content A12, to the server in response to the user U's operation of the skip button T2. ​​In step S108, the communication control unit 314 receives the main content data D11. In step S109, the display control unit 311 causes the display device 34 to display the main content A11 based on the main content data D11. On the screen SC, the non-main content A12 that the user U was viewing is skipped, and the main content A11 is displayed.

[0097] For example, when the reception unit 313 receives a press of the forward button T21 by the user U, the display control unit 311 displays the main feature A11, which is to be played after the non-main feature A12 in the forward direction, on the screen SC. Also, when the reception unit 313 receives a press of the reverse button T22 by the user U, the display control unit 311 displays the main feature A11, which is to be played before the non-main feature A12 in the reverse direction, on the screen SC.

[0098] 18, the display control unit 311 hides the skip button T2 in the display of the main part A11, so that the skip button T2 is not displayed in the main part A11.

[0099] As described above, in this modification, when the accepting unit 313 accepts a specific operation in step S105, the display control unit 311 displays a skip button T2 on the screen SC in step S111 for the user U to instruct skipping the non-main content A12. Then, in step S107, the communication control unit 314 transmits to the server 10 a playback position request D5 including the specific operation and a request to skip the non-main content A12 in response to the user U's operation of the skip button T2.

[0100] In this modified example, the specific operation does not immediately skip the non-main feature A12, but the skip button T2 is displayed. Therefore, this modified example makes it possible to prevent the non-main feature A12 from being unintentionally skipped due to an erroneous operation by the user U. Furthermore, because the skip button T2 is not displayed until the specific operation is performed, it is possible to prevent the skip button T2 from interfering with viewing the non-main feature A12.

[0101] As described above, the display control unit 311 displays the skip button T2 in the non-main content A12 and hides the skip button T2 in the main content A11. This prevents the skip button T2 from continuing to be displayed in the main content A11. This prevents the skip button T2 from interfering with viewing of the main content A11.

[0102] 2-4.Fourth Modification Fig. 20 is a diagram showing a control device 31A of a terminal device 30 in the fourth modified example. As shown in Fig. 20, the control device 31A in this modified example further includes a button function control unit 315. The button function control unit 315 changes the functions of the buttons displayed on the screen SC in accordance with the image displayed on the screen SC.

[0103] FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a skip button T2 in the main part A11. In this modification, the skip button T2 is displayed in the main part A11 as well as in the non-main part A12. However, the skip button T2 displayed in the main part A11 does not have the function of accepting a request to skip the non-main part A12, but rather has the function of accepting a request to fast-forward or fast-rewind the main part A11, for example. Therefore, the skip button T2 has different functions in the main part A11 and the non-main part A12. In the main part A11, the forward button T21 is a button used by the user U to fast-forward the main part A11. Fast-forwarding refers to playing the main part A11 in the forward direction at a speed faster than the normal speed. In the main part A11, the reverse button T22 is a button used by the user U to fast-rewind the main part A11. Fast-rewinding refers to playing the main part A11 in the reverse direction at a speed faster than the normal speed.

[0104] Fig. 22 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of skipping the non-main content A12 in Modification 4. In Fig. 22, step S113 in the operation in Modification 3 of Fig. 18 is omitted, and steps S114 and S115 are provided instead.

[0105] In step S114, the display control unit 311 displays the skip button T2 in the non-main content A12, and then continues to display the skip button T2 in the main content A11. Then, in step S115, when the button function control unit 315 detects a transition from the non-main content A12 to the main content A11, the button function control unit 315 changes the function of the skip button T2 to a function other than the function of accepting a request to skip the non-main content A12. In this modified example, the button function control unit 315 changes the function of the skip button T2 from accepting a request to skip the non-main content A12 to a function of accepting a request to fast-forward or fast-rewind the main content A11.

[0106] Having such a button function control unit 315 can prevent confusion for the user U due to changes in the shape of the skip button T2. ​​By keeping the button shape the same, the number of button types and operation methods that the user U must remember can be reduced. This can improve convenience for the user U.

[0107] In this modified example, the button function control unit 315 is changed to a function for fast-forwarding or fast-rewinding the main story A11, but may be changed to a function other than this.

[0108] 2-5. Other modifications In the above-described embodiment, the correspondence relationship between the swipe direction and the playback position is determined in advance by the terminal device 30 or the server 10, and the terminal device 30 stores the above-described action correspondence table T1. However, for example, the correspondence relationship between the swipe direction and the playback position may be arbitrarily set by the user U via the terminal device 30. By setting the correspondence relationship, the user U can easily remember the relationship between the swipe direction and the playback position, and can therefore more easily perform a swipe operation.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the user U watches the animation A1 through streaming, in which the terminal device 30 receives and simultaneously plays back the data. However, the terminal device 30 may download the animation data D10 from the server 10 and play it back.

[0110] Even if an account used on one terminal device 30 is used on another terminal device 30, various information is linked to the account.

[0111] 3.Other (1) In the first embodiment and the modified example described above, ROM and RAM are given as examples of storage device 12 and storage device 32, but other suitable storage media may also be used, such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., compact disks, digital versatile disks, Blu-ray (registered trademark) disks), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-ROMs), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy (registered trademark) disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers, and other suitable storage media.

[0112] (2) In the first embodiment and its modifications described above, the described information, signals, etc. may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0113] (3) In the first embodiment and the modified examples described above, input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, a memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0114] (4) In the first embodiment and the variants described above, the determination may be made based on a value (0 or 1) represented using one bit, a Boolean value (true or false), or a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0115] (5) The order of the process procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. illustrated in the first embodiment and the modifications described above may be changed as long as it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0116] (6) Each function illustrated in Figures 2, 12, and 20 is realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (for example, by wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. A functional block may also be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0117] (7) The programs exemplified in the first embodiment and the modifications described above should be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., regardless of whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by other names.

[0118] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0119] (8) In the first embodiment and its modifications described above, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0120] (9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or corresponding other information.

[0121] (10) In the first embodiment and the modified examples described above, the server 10 and the terminal devices 30-1 to 30-N may be mobile stations (MS). Those skilled in the art may refer to a mobile station as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other appropriate term. In the present disclosure, terms such as "mobile station," "user terminal," "user equipment (UE)," and "terminal" may be used interchangeably.

[0122] (11) In the first embodiment and the modified examples described above, the terms "connected" and "coupled," or any variations thereof, refer to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be a physical coupling or connection, a logical coupling or connection, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more electric wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0123] (12) In the first embodiment and the modified examples described above, unless otherwise specified, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on." In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0124] (13) As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining, and the like. "Determining" and "determining" may also include receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory), and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judged" or "decided." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" can include regarding some action as having been "judged" or "decided." Furthermore, "judgment (decision)" can be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0125] (14) In the first embodiment and its modifications described above, when "include," "including," and variations thereof are used, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, the term "or" used in this disclosure is not intended to mean an exclusive or.

[0126] (15) In this disclosure, where articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, this disclosure may include that the nouns following these articles are plural.

[0127] (16) In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combined" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0128] (17) The first embodiment and the modified examples described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to explicit notification, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0129] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail above, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description of the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure.

[0130] It is clear to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure is not limited to the first embodiment and the modified examples described in this specification. The present disclosure can be implemented in modified and altered forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. Therefore, the description in this specification is intended as an illustrative explanation and does not have any limiting meaning on the present disclosure. In addition, configurations selected from the first embodiment and the modified examples exemplified in this specification may be combined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10...server, 30...terminal device, 50...communication network, 100...animation providing system, 311...display control unit, 312...determination unit, 313...reception unit, 314...communication control unit, 315...button function control unit, A1...animation, A11...main feature, A12...non-main feature, A121...opening, A122...ending, D10...animation data, D11...main feature data, D12...non-main feature data, D121...opening data, D122...ending data, D5...playback position request, SC...screen, T1...action correspondence table, T2...skip button, T21...forward button, T22...reverse button, U...user, Uf...finger.

Claims

1. a communication control unit that receives animation data provided from the server; a display control unit that displays animations including non-main features and main features on a screen of a display device based on the animation data; a reception unit that receives a specific operation by a user at any one or more locations on the screen while the non-main content is being displayed, the display control unit skips the non-main content when the operation including the specific operation is accepted by the accepting unit; the accepting unit accepts a swipe operation as the specific operation, the animation data corresponds to a plurality of animations including a first animation, a second animation following the first animation, and a third animation following the second animation, When the swipe operation is accepted by the accepting unit during playback of a non-main part of the second animation, the display control unit skips the non-main part of the second animation and plays the main part of the first animation, the second animation, or the third animation, depending on a direction of the swipe operation. A terminal device characterized by:

2. When the accepting unit accepts the specific operation, the display control unit displays a skip button on the screen for the user to give an instruction to skip the non-main content; the communication control unit transmits to the server a request to skip the non-main content in response to the specific operation and the user's operation on the skip button; The terminal device according to claim 1 .

3. the display control unit displays the skip button in the non-main content and hides the skip button in the main content; The terminal device according to claim 2 .

4. a button function control unit that changes the function of the skip button between the non-main content and the main content; the display control unit continues to display the skip button in the main content after displaying the skip button in the non-main content; when detecting a transition from the non-main content to the main content, the button function control unit changes the function of the skip button to a function other than a function of accepting a request to skip the non-main content. The terminal device according to claim 3 .

5. A terminal device; a server capable of communicating with the terminal device via a communication network; The terminal device a communication control unit that receives animation data provided from the server; a display control unit that displays animations including non-main features and main features on a screen of a display device based on the animation data; a reception unit that receives a specific operation by a user at any one or more locations on the screen while the non-main content is being displayed, the display control unit skips the non-main content when the operation including the specific operation is accepted by the accepting unit; the accepting unit accepts a swipe operation as the specific operation, the animation data corresponds to a plurality of animations including a first animation, a second animation following the first animation, and a third animation following the second animation, When the swipe operation is accepted by the accepting unit during playback of a non-main part of the second animation, the display control unit skips the non-main part of the second animation and plays the main part of the first animation, the second animation, or the third animation, depending on a direction of the swipe operation. An animation providing system characterized by:

Images