Patent ID: 7870615
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A portable information terminal for playing content comprising: a storage unit configured to store a plurality of contents; a selection unit configured to sequentially select respective ones of the plurality of contents to be played back from the plurality of contents stored in the storage unit; a first determination unit configured to, every time when a content is selected, determine for the content selected by the selection unit whether a first playback mode that requires a prior playback confirmation operation or a second playback mode that does not require any prior playback confirmation operation is suitable as a playback mode of that content; a second determination unit configured to determine whether or not the information terminal is in an input constrained state in which a user's input operation is constrained; a first control unit configured to skip the content without playing back the content if it is determined that the first playback mode is suitable as the playback mode of the selected content and the portable information terminal is in an input constrained state; and a second control unit configured to play back the content if it is determined that the second playback mode is suitable as the playback mode of the selected content.