Patent ID: 8019163

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for creating support data to support a user so that when the user reproduces, edits, or retrieves use object data including video and audio data or only audio data, the user can perform reproduction, editing, or retrieval in a desired operation, the information processing apparatus comprising: a key audio data acquisition unit configured to acquire key audio data for creating the support data; a key specification information input unit configured to input key specification information for specifying a whole or partial section of the key audio data; a key creation unit configured to create audio pattern data as a retrieval key by cutting the whole or partial section of the key audio data based on the key specification information; a key data retrieval unit configured to retrieve a marker position or a division position in the key audio data on the basis of the key specification information; a key relevant data acquisition unit configured to acquire key relevant data relevant to the key audio data and including operation attribute information relevant to the operation at the reproduction, the editing, and the retrieval, based on the key specification information; and a support data creation unit configured to create the support data by matching key data including the audio pattern data and the key relevant data against the user object data, wherein the key relevant data acquisition unit creates the operation attribute information to specify an operation at the time of the matching based on a positional relation between the position information of the marker or the division retrieved in the key data retrieval unit and the range specified in the key specification information; and the support data creation unit includes an audio data acquisition unit configured to acquire only audio data as use object audio data from the use object data; a key data management unit configured to add the key relevant data to the audio pattern data and to record them as key data; a key matching unit configured to match the use object audio data against the audio pattern data based on a predetermined condition and to output matching result information, which indicates a position to satisfy the predetermined condition in the use object audio data, and to output the operation attribute information associated with the audio pattern data; and a matching result recording instruction unit configured to record the outputted matching result information as the support data onto a recording medium in accordance with the output operation attribute information.