Patent Abstract:
A data search device includes a playback unit playing back subjective data representing a subjectivity for predetermined content data from a recording medium on which the subjective data is recorded in association with the content data; a receiving unit receiving subjective data input by a user; and a searching unit searching for the content data in accordance with the subjective data played back by the playback unit and the subjective data received by the receiving unit.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present invention contains subject matter related to Japanese Patent Application JP 2004-317511 filed in the Japanese Patent Office on Nov. 1, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to recording media, recording devices, recording methods, data search devices, data search methods, and data generating devices.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     Hard disk drives have a capacity extremely larger than that of compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROMs), memory cards, and the like. Motion picture experts group-1 (MPEG-1) audio layer  3  (MP3) and the like are available as technologies for data-compressing digital audio signals of music. A digital audio signal can be compressed to less than one tenth of its original size by such technologies.  
         [0006]     Thus, when hard disk drives are used as recording media on which compressed music data is recorded and stored, many pieces of music can be stored. For example, in a case where a hard disk drive has a capacity of 100 gigabytes, when each piece of music is three minutes long, about 3,700 pieces of music can be stored without compression, and about 37,000 pieces of music can be stored with data compression.  
         [0007]     Known technologies are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004-13653 and 2004-46575.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     However, if, as described above, several thousands or several tens of thousands of pieces of music are stored in a recording medium, selecting a piece of music suitable for the feeling of a listener (user) and the atmosphere at that moment from among the stored pieces of music is difficult. For example, when the listener wants to listen to upbeat music, the listener remembers a title of a piece of upbeat music. The piece of upbeat music corresponding to the remembered title is searched for and played back. In such a method, however, the listener can remember only a limited number of titles. Thus, even if there are many corresponding pieces of music, the listener may be able to listen to only a few pieces of music. In addition, if the listener does not remember a title correctly, a piece of music not suitable for the feeling at that moment may be played back.  
         [0009]     In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a data search device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes playback means for playing back subjective data representing a subjectivity for predetermined content data from a recording medium on which the subjective data is recorded in association with the content data; receiving means for receiving subjective data input by a user; and searching means for searching for the content data in accordance with the subjective data played back by the playback means and the subjective data received by the receiving means.  
         [0010]     Accordingly, when a listener (user) inputs subjective data, a piece of music suitable for the feeling of the listener and the atmosphere at that moment is selected and played back. In such a case, since the listener does not have to remember a title of a piece of music, even if the listener does not know a title of a corresponding piece of music or even if there are many corresponding pieces of music, the listener is able to listen to a piece of music suitable for the feeling of the listener and the atmosphere at that moment. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows an example of a recording format according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  shows another example of a recording format;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recording device;  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram showing an example of a playback device;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing an example of a playback process;  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram showing an example of a server system;  
         [0017]      FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing an example of a data update process;  
         [0018]      FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram showing another example of the server system;  
         [0019]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing an example of a playback process; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 10  is a schematic diagram showing another example of the server system. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]      FIGS. 1A  to  1 C show an example of a recording format when a hard disk drive is used as a recording medium. In other words, as shown in  FIG. 1A , digital audio data for music pieces  1  to N is recorded as files  1  to N in a user area USRA of the hard disk drive. In this case, the digital audio data in the files  1  to N is data-compressed, for example, in an MP3 format. Reference marks adr 1  to adrN represent start addresses of clusters (cluster numbers) in which the files  1  to N are recorded.  
         [0022]     In addition, a title table TTBL, which is shown, for example, in  FIG. 1B , is stored in the hard disk drive. The title table TTBL represents the relationships between titles tt 11  to tt 1 N of the music pieces  1  to N recorded in the user area USRA and the start addresses adr 1  to adrN of the files  1  to N in the user area USRA.  
         [0023]     In addition, a subjective data table SBJT, which is shown, for example, in  FIG. 1C , is stored in the hard disk drive. The subjective data table SBJT represents the relationships between subjective data and tags (link pointers). A row (a pair) of the subjective data table SBJT corresponds to a piece of music recorded in the user area USRA.  
         [0024]     The subjective data includes “impression representation languages” and “scene representation languages”. An “impression representation language” represents an impression a listener (user) gets when listening to music, such as “upbeat”, “refreshed”, “serene”, or “cheerful” or an impression the listener wants to get when listening to music, such as “wishing to feel upbeat”, “wishing to feel refreshed”, “wishing to feel serene”, or “wishing to feel cheerful”. One or more impression representation languages for a corresponding piece of music are provided in an impression representation language cell.  
         [0025]     A “scene representation language” represents a scene or state where the listener is listening to music, such as “in the country”, “with a loved one”, “alone”, “in the morning”, “in summer”, or “in a formal mood”. One or more scene representation languages for a corresponding piece of music are provided in a scene representation language cell.  
         [0026]     A tag associates subjective data in the subjective data table SBJT with a file of a piece of music in the user area USRA. In this example, the start addresses adr 1  to adrN of the corresponding files  1  to N in the user area USRA serve as tags.  
         [0027]     Thus, a piece of music in the user area USRA, a title in the title table TTBL, and subjective data in the subjective data table SBJT are associated with each other via a start address. For example, in the example shown in  FIGS. 1A  to  1 C, a music piece  1  (file  1 ) is associated with a title tt 11  in the first row in the title table TTBL and subjective data “upbeat, . . . ” and “in the country, . . . ” in the first row of the subjective data table SBJT via a start address adr 1 .  
         [0028]     Subjective data for a piece of music can be acquired in accordance with a questionnaire survey made to a plurality of listeners by a label company. When a label company sells a compact disk (CD) containing a piece of music, for example, the CD is in the CD Extra format in which music is stored in the first session and a title and subjective data are stored in the second session, as shown in  FIG. 2 . Alternatively, a title and subjective data may be included in a table of contents (TOC) of the CD or may be included in a text portion of a CD text as part of fringe data.  
         [0029]     Accordingly, music, a title, and subjective data contained in a CD can be moved to and used in the above-described hard disk drive. Alternatively, such a CD itself may be handled in a similar way to the above-described hard disk drive.  
         [0030]     In addition, a pair of title and subjective data of a piece of music can be distributed via the Internet or a homepage to a listener who has already purchased the piece of music.  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  shows an example of a recording device. In this example, the hard disk drive described with reference to  FIGS. 1A  to  1 C is used as a recording medium. In other words, digital audio data of a piece of music is supplied via an input terminal  11 A to an MP3 encoder  12  and encoded into MP3 digital data. The encoded MP3 digital data is supplied via a multiplexer  13  to a hard disk controller  14 . An output of the multiplexer  13  is subjected to error correction and modulation for recording by the hard disk controller  14 , and then supplied to a magnetic head portion  21  of a hard disk drive  20 .  
         [0032]     In addition, in order to manage and control recording and playback of data in the hard disk drive  20 , a control circuit  15  is formed by, for example, a microcomputer. The control circuit  15  supplies via the hard disk controller  14  to the magnetic head portion  21  a control signal designating a seek position on the magnetic head portion  21 . Accordingly, the encoded output of the MP3 encoder  12  is recorded as a file in the user area USRA of a disk main unit  22  of the hard disk drive  20 .  
         [0033]     In addition, data of a title of the piece of music is supplied via an input terminal  11 T to the multiplexer  13 , and a recording start address when the piece of music is recorded on the disk main unit  22  is supplied from the control circuit  15  to the multiplexer  13 . Accordingly, the data of the title and the start address are set as a pair of data. The pair of data is supplied to the hard disk controller  14 , and recorded in the title table TTBL of the disk main unit  22  by the magnetic head portion  21 .  
         [0034]     In addition, subjective data of the piece of music is supplied from an input terminal  11 S to the hard disk controller  14  via the multiplexer  13 , and a recording start address when the piece of music is recorded on the disk main unit  22  is supplied from the control circuit  15  to the hard disk controller  14 . Accordingly, the subjective data and the start address are set as a pair of data. The pair of data is supplied to the hard disk controller  14 , and recorded in the subjective data table SBJT of the disk main unit  22  by the magnetic head portion  21 .  
         [0035]     As described above, as shown in  FIGS. 1A  to  1 C, in the hard disk drive  20 , a piece of music, a title, and subjective data are recorded in association with each other via a start address.  
         [0036]     When a CD-recordable (CD-R) or the like is used as a recording medium, a similar recording device can be used. Alternatively, the subjective data table SBJT may be recorded in the CD Extra format.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows an example of a playback device corresponding to the above-described recording device. In other words, a file of a desired piece of music is selected in accordance with a method described below from among files of a plurality of pieces of music recorded on the disk main unit  22 , and the selected file is played back from the user area USRA by the magnetic head portion  21 .  
         [0038]     Data of the played back file is supplied to the hard disk controller  14  and is subjected to demodulation and error correction for playback. Then, the processed data is supplied to an MP3 decoder  31  to be decoded into original digital audio data and fringe data. The decoded digital audio data is supplied to a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter  32 . The D/A converter  32  digital-to-analog converts the decoded digital audio data into analog audio signals L and R. Then, the audio signals L and R are extracted to output terminals  33 L and  33 R.  
         [0039]     In this case, selection and playback of a piece of music recorded on the hard disk drive  20  is realized by a playback process  100  shown in  FIG. 5  performed by the control circuit  15 . In other words, when an instruction for playback is given via an operation key  34  ( FIG. 4 ), the control circuit  15  starts the process  100  in step S 101 . Then, an input mode for subjective data is entered in step S 102 .  
         [0040]     In the input mode for subjective data, a listener inputs an impression representation language and a scene representation language. In other words, predetermined display data is supplied from the control circuit  15  to a display control circuit  35  ( FIG. 4 ), and various impression representation languages are displayed on a display  36  ( FIG. 4 ). Then, the listener selects a language representing an impression the listener wants to get when listening to music from among the displayed impression representation languages. For example, when the listener wants to listen to upbeat music or wants to feel upbeat by listening to music, the listener selects “upbeat” when “upbeat”, “refreshed”, “serene”, “cheerful”, and so on are displayed as impression representation languages.  
         [0041]     Then, various scene representation languages are displayed on the display  36 . The listener selects a language representing a scene or state where the listener wants to listen to music from among the displayed scene representation languages. For example, when the listener wants to listen to music in the country, the listener selects “in the country” when the various scene representation languages are displayed.  
         [0042]     When the foregoing selection is completed, processing for inputting subjective data ends. The process proceeds to step S 103 . In step S 103 , the subjective data table SBJT is searched using a language input by step S 102  as a search term, and a tag (start address) corresponding to the selected language is extracted. If a selected language has a plurality of corresponding tags, all the corresponding tags are extracted.  
         [0043]     Then, in step S 104 , the title table TTBL is searched using a tag extracted by step S 103  as a search term, data of a title corresponding to the extracted tag is extracted, and the data of the extracted title is supplied to the display control circuit  35 . Accordingly, titles of music corresponding to the selected impression representation language and scene representation language are displayed as a list on the display  36 .  
         [0044]     Then, a key input wait state is entered, and a title is designated using the operation key  34  in step S 105 . Then, in step S 106 , the title table TTBL is searched in accordance with data of the title designated in step S 105 , and a corresponding start address is extracted. Then, in step S 107 , a file designated by the start address acquired in step S 106  is selected and played back from among the files  1  to N in the user area USRA, and audio signals L and R are extracted to the output terminals  33 L and  33 R, as described above. The process  100  ends in step S 108 .  
         [0045]     As described above, according to the process  100 , when a listener inputs subjective data, that is, an impression representation language representing an impression the listener gets or wants to get when listening to music and a scene representation language representing a scene or state where the listener is listening to music, a piece of music that satisfies the impression and the scene or state represented by the input languages can be played back.  
         [0046]     Thus, the listener is able to select and listen to a piece of music suitable for the feeling of the listener and the atmosphere at that moment. For example, when the listener wants to listen to upbeat music, the listener is able to listen to such music. In order to listen to a piece of music suitable for the feeling and atmosphere, the listener does not need to remember a title of a piece of upbeat music. Thus, even if the listener does not know a title of a corresponding piece of music or even if there are many corresponding pieces of music, the listener is able to listen to a piece of music that is suitable for the feeling at that moment.  
         [0047]      FIG. 6  shows an example of a case where music and the subjective data table SBJT are stored in a database server  40  and the database server  40  is used via a network. In other words, in this example, two hard disk drives  41  and  42  are provided in the database server  40 . The hard disk drive  41  stores a database  41 A and a title database  41 T. Files of music pieces  1  to N are stored as the database  41 A, and the title database  41 T, which corresponds to the title table TTBL, is provided for the music pieces  1  to N.  
         [0048]     In addition, in the hard disk drive  42 , a subjective data database  42 S corresponding to the subjective data table SBJT is provided for the music pieces  1  to N stored in the database  41 A. In this case, a tag recorded in each of the title database  41 T and the subjective data database  42 S is data designating a corresponding music piece in the database  41 A, such as a start address of a file of a music piece.  
         [0049]     Playback devices  50 A to  50 M are configured similarly to the above-described playback device  20 . In addition, the playback devices  50 A to  50 M are connected to the database server  40  via a network  60 .  
         [0050]     Thus, by performing processing similar to the process  100  between the database server  40  and each of the playback devices  50 A to  50 M, a piece of music suitable for the feeling of a listener at that moment can be selected and played back.  
         [0051]      FIG. 7  shows a process to add or change subjective data in the subjective data database  42 S of the database server  40 . In other words, in this case, in step S 201 , a file of a piece of music for which subjective data is to be added or changed is selected. In step S 202 , subjective data for the piece of music selected in step S 201  is input.  
         [0052]     Then, in step S 203 , corresponding subjective data in the subjective data database  42 S is updated using the subjective data input in step S 202 . For such updating, for example, labeling can be provided in accordance with a majority vote by a plurality of listeners.  
         [0053]     Accordingly, participation of a plurality of listeners provides subjective data with statistical significance. Thus, more appropriate music selection can be achieved.  
         [0054]     In addition, by performing similar processing on the subjective data table SBJT of the above-described playback device  20 , unique subjective data can be achieved.  
         [0055]     As described above, when digital audio data of a piece of music is data-compressed, the data size can be reduced to less than one tenth of its original size. Thus, when a piece of music is three minutes long, about 240 pieces of data-compressed music can be stored in a CD. In addition, much more pieces of music can be stored in a digital versatile disk (DVD).  
         [0056]      FIG. 8  shows an example of a case where music is played back from a CD (or a DVD) by a dedicated player  70  and only the subjective data database  42 S is provided in the database server  40 . Pairs of subjective data and tags in the subjective data database  42 S correspond to a plurality of pieces of music in a plurality of CDs. In addition, a tag includes, for example, a CD number and a track number.  
         [0057]     In this case, for example, a process shown in  FIG. 9  is performed. In step S 301 , the CD  71  is set in the player  70 . Then, data of a CD number is played back from the CD  71  and sent to the database server  40 .  
         [0058]     In step S 302 , subjective data is input by operating a key of the player  70 . In step S 303 , the subjective data database  42 S of the database server  40  is searched using the data input by step S 302  as a search term, and a corresponding tag, that is, in this case, corresponding CD number and track number, is extracted.  
         [0059]     In step S 304 , a track number included in the CD number of the CD  71  set in the player  70  is selected from among CD numbers and track numbers extracted in step S 303 , and the selected track number is sent to the player  70 . As a result, in step S 305 , the player  70  plays back a piece of music corresponding to the track number selected and sent in step S 304 .  
         [0060]      FIG. 10  shows a case where subjective data can be exchanged between a plurality of listeners. In other words, the database server  40  and the playback devices  50 A to  50 M are connected to the Internet  60 , and the database server  40  is provided, for example, by a label company. In this case, the label company serves as a service provider of subjective data and provides various sortable subjective data.  
         [0061]     Thus, a listener is able to receive distribution of default subjective data from the database server  40  of the label company via the Internet  60  and to exchange subjective data with other listeners using a peer-to-peer (P2P) technology via the Internet  60 .  
         [0062]     In addition, the label company is capable of actively involving music, such as content, by analyzing subjective data provided by listeners.  
         [0063]     Data of a file of a piece of music in the user area USRA may include fringe information, such as a title and a player, so that the title and the player can be displayed based on the fringe information when the data is played back.  
         [0064]     In addition, although a case where impression representation languages and scene representation languages are prepared in advance and a language suitable for an image of music a listener wants to listen is selected from among the prepared languages when the listener selects a piece of music has been described, a language suitable for an image of music the listener wants to listen may be directly input and a piece of music corresponding to the input language may be selected. In this case, a synonym dictionary may be prepared so that a language input by the listener can be changed to a default language in accordance with the synonym dictionary.  
         [0065]     In addition, data, such as the sex, age, occupation, and residential area of listeners targeted by a piece of music, may be added to subjective data in the subjective data table SBJT. In addition, the listener may be able to change or add subjective data. In addition, a tag associating a file of a piece of music in the user area USRA with subjective data in the subjective data table SBJT may be a file name or the like.  
         [0066]     In addition, in a case where a plurality of pieces of music (a plurality of tags) is found in step S 103  of the process  100  ( FIG. 5 ), even if a listener does not designate a piece of music, the found plurality of pieces of music may be played back at random. In addition, a recording medium may be a DVD-R, a Blu-ray Disc™, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic tap, or the like. In addition, if data of music and fringe information are recorded in a CD Extra format or the like, the title table TTBL or the title database  42 T are not necessary.  
         [0067]     In addition, although a case where content to be played back is music (an audio signal) has been described, an image (a photograph or a computer graphics image), a picture (video or animation), or a game may be used as content to be played back. In addition, in the system shown in  FIG. 10 , if necessary, subjective data may be stored in a memory card so that the subjective data can be exchanged between listeners.  
         [0068]     It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occur depending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they are within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 6