JP7610429B2 - Content playback device and content playback method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a content playback device and a content playback method.

In recent years, the high resolution of display devices has led to the realistic display of stimulating images, such as accident scenes, which some users find unpleasant. To solve this problem, a technology has been disclosed that prevents the display of unpleasant images by receiving image data and metadata for the image data, acquiring filtering control information from the metadata, and referencing the acquired filtering control information to apply filtering to a portion of the image represented by the image data (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-110396 A

However, the technology in Patent Document 1 controls based on metadata embedded in advance by the content distributor, so if the content distributor determines that a filter is unnecessary or does not add metadata at all, there is a problem in that filter control on the display device side becomes impossible.

In recent years, the number of opportunities to come into contact with personally created content, such as videos distributed over the Internet, has increased, but it cannot be expected that metadata will be appropriately added to such content. This is because there is no benefit to the creator of the content even if metadata is added to the content.

Also, what constitutes "unpleasant" or "unpleasant" video or audio differs from person to person, so it is desirable for the viewer, the user, to decide, rather than the content distributor.

One aspect of the present invention aims to realize content filtering that matches the viewer's wishes.

To solve the above problem, a content playback device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a playback unit that plays content, a reaction detection unit that detects a viewer's unpleasant reaction to a scene included in the content being played back, a storage unit that stores unpleasantness information, which is information related to the scene for which the viewer's unpleasant reaction was detected, a determination unit that uses the stored unpleasantness information to determine whether the viewer has an unpleasant reaction to a scene included in the content to be played back, and a restriction unit that restricts playback of the scene that the determination unit has determined to be unpleasant.

A content playback method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a playback step of playing back content, a reaction detection step of detecting a viewer's reaction to a scene included in the content being played back, a storage step of storing dislike information, which is information related to the scene for which the viewer's reaction to the scene was detected, a determination step of using the stored dislike information to determine whether the viewer dislikes a scene included in the content to be played back, and a restriction step of restricting playback of the scene determined to be disliked in the determination step.

According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize filtering of content according to the viewer's wishes.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a television receiver according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a television receiver and a remote control according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data configuration of a weakness information database according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing a process of registering difficulty information and setting information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting a “weakness” avoidance menu according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a “weakness” avoidance menu according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a “weakness” avoidance menu according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 6A to 6C are diagrams showing an example of a screen transition regarding a weak point determination based on program information according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing a process of registering difficulty information and setting information according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen transition of a television receiver according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen transition regarding a difficulty determination based on video data according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen transition regarding a difficulty determination based on voice data according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating an example of a screen transition related to a weak point determination based on subtitle data according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a scene playback restriction method according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. In this embodiment, since a user may encounter content that he or she does not want to watch depending on search conditions in television programs or VOD (Video On Demand) content, a means for registering information about content that the user does not want to watch in advance will be described.

(Outline of configuration of television receiver 1)
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a television receiver 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the television receiver 1 and a remote control (external terminal) 2 according to this embodiment. The television receiver 1 is an example of a content playback device, and television programs and VOD via the Internet can be viewed using the remote control 2. In this specification, playback of content includes not only playback of recorded programs, but also output of video and audio of programs received by broadcast waves.

As shown in FIG. 1, the television receiver 1 includes a display/playback unit (playback unit) 11, a remote control receiver (response detection unit) 12, a memory unit 13, a control unit 14, a broadcast receiver 15, and a communication unit 16. The display/playback unit 11 displays and plays content (playback process). The display/playback unit 11 is, for example, a display that displays video and subtitles, and a speaker that outputs audio. The remote control receiver 12 is a unit that receives control signals from the remote control 2. The memory unit 13 is a unit that stores control information for the television receiver 1, and is, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a volatile memory. The control unit 14 is a unit that controls the entire television receiver 1, and is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). The broadcast receiver 15 receives broadcast waves from the outside and passes them to the control unit 14. The communication unit 16 communicates with the network 3, including the Internet, and in particular passes the video and audio data acquired from the network 3 to the video and audio subtitle processing unit 142.

(Remote control 2 and remote control receiver 12)
The remote control 2 is an external terminal for remotely controlling the television receiver 1, and transmits control signals to the television receiver 1 in response to the viewer's operation. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the remote control 2 has a "weak" button 21 and a red button 22. The "weak" button 21 is pressed when playback of a scene that the viewer finds difficult to watch (hereinafter referred to as a "weak scene") starts. The red button 22 is pressed when playback of the "weak scene" ends.

In this embodiment, the remote control 2 transmits to the television receiver 1, in particular, a signal indicating that the viewer has pressed the difficult scene button 21 on the remote control 2 (hereinafter, difficult scene start signal), and a signal indicating that the viewer has pressed the red button 22 on the remote control 2 (hereinafter, difficult scene end signal).

Meanwhile, the remote control receiver 12 of the television receiver 1 receives a difficult scene start signal and a difficult scene end signal from the remote control 2. This allows the remote control receiver 12 to detect the viewer's difficult reaction to a scene included in the content being played back, in particular the viewer's operation of the remote control 2 (reaction detection process).

In addition, the television receiver 1 may be provided with a reaction detection unit instead of the remote control receiver 12 or together with the remote control receiver 12, which detects the viewer's facial expression or voice to detect reactions that the viewer dislikes.

(Configuration of storage unit 13)
As shown in Fig. 1, the storage unit 13 includes a weak-feeling information database 131 and a weak-feeling information database 132. The weak-feeling information database 131 stores weak-feeling information, which is information about a scene in which a viewer's weak reaction was detected (storage process). The weak-feeling information is, for example, data about video, audio, and subtitles indicating a weak-feeling scene. The weak-feeling information database 132 stores text data (setting information) including the type or wording of a weak-feeling scene set by the viewer.

(Configuration of control unit 14)
As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 14 of the television receiver 1 includes a program information processing unit 141, a video/audio subtitle processing unit 142, a difficulty determination unit (determination unit) 143, a difficulty determination unit (determination unit) 144, and a playback content determination unit (restriction unit) 145.

The program information processing unit 141 acquires program information, which is information about television programs contained in the broadcast waves, from the broadcast receiving unit 15, and passes the program information to the difficulty judgment unit 143. The video/audio subtitle processing unit 142 acquires video/audio subtitle data, which is display/playback data extracted from the broadcast waves, and passes the video/audio subtitle data to the display/playback unit 11 and the difficulty judgment unit 144.

The weakness determination unit 143 uses the text data stored in the weakness information database 132 of the storage unit 13 to determine whether or not the viewer has a weakness for a scene included in the television program (content) to be played. In detail, the weakness determination unit 143 compares the text data with the program information of the television program to be played and determines whether or not the viewer has a weakness for a scene included in the television program.

The weakness determination unit 144 uses the weakness information stored in the weakness information database 131 in the storage unit 13 to determine whether or not the viewer has weaknesses for scenes included in the television program to be played back (determination process). The playback content determination unit 145 restricts the playback of scenes that the weakness determination units 143 and 144 have determined to be weaknesses (restriction process).

(Data Structure of the Weakness Information Databases 131 and 132)
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the weak-content information database 131 and the weak-content information database 132 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the weak-content information databases 131 and 132 are made up of records including an ID, information source, title information, broadcast time, channel information, occurrence period, weak-content genre information, weak-content text information, video information, audio information, and evaluation on the network. The records include information about scenes (i.e., weak-content scenes) reproduced by the display reproduction unit 11 of the television receiver 1 during the period from when the viewer presses the weak-content button 21 on the remote control 2 until he presses the red button 22.

The ID is a serial number unique to the unpleasant scene. The information source indicates the source of the content including the unpleasant scene, and includes television broadcasting, the Internet, VOD, etc. The title information is text information indicating the title of the content including the unpleasant scene. The broadcast time indicates the broadcast time period (start time, end time) if the unpleasant scene was a television program. The channel information is information indicating the television program broadcast station (which may be the Original Network ID of ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses)), such as ABC Television or BSABC. The occurrence time indicates the time period when the unpleasant scene occurred, and indicates the start time and end time of the unpleasant scene. When the information source is the Internet or VOD, when there are multiple evaluators, the times that different evaluators find unpleasant are distributed, so by setting the occurrence time to 0:00 to 0:00, the unpleasant information may be processed as relating to the entire content.

When a weak genre is specified in the setting menu, the weak genre (e.g., scary, spoilers, etc.) is set as the weak genre information. The weak text information is set to the text of the weak phrase entered in the setting menu (e.g., wild beast, magical land, etc.).

The video information includes video data including video at the moment the viewer presses the "difficult" button 21 on the remote control 2, or text data extracted as a result of analyzing the video data and indicating difficult categories and keywords. The audio information includes audio data including audio at the moment the viewer presses the "difficult" button 21 on the remote control 2, or text data extracted as a result of analyzing the audio data and indicating difficult categories and keywords. The subtitle information includes subtitle text data including subtitles at the moment the viewer presses the "difficult" button 21 on the remote control 2, or text data extracted as a result of analyzing the subtitle text data and indicating difficult categories and keywords.

The text data may be stored in the weak point information database 132. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a URI (Unified Resource Identifier) may be stored in the weak point information database 132, and the text data may be stored at an address indicated by the URI with a file name indicated by the URI.

The evaluations on the network are the results of extracting evaluations and opinions of a certain number of other viewers about scenes in the content that they dislike from data posted on SNS (Social Networking Service) and the like, and include data showing, for example, the ratio of the number of evaluations that were disliked to the number of views.

The weak information database 131 includes information directly related to the weak scenes, such as ID, information source, title information, broadcast time, channel information, occurrence time, video information, and audio information. The weak information database 132 includes information indirectly related to the weak scenes, such as weak genre information, weak text information, and evaluation on the network.

(Registration process of weak points information and setting information)
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the process of registering the difficulty information and the setting information according to this embodiment.

(Step S401)
While watching the image on the television receiver 1, the viewer presses the weak button 21 on the remote control 2 at the point when a scene that the viewer finds difficult to watch starts. In this case, the remote control 2 transmits a weak scene start signal to the television receiver 1 by infrared rays. The remote control receiver 12 of the television receiver 1 receives the weak scene start signal from the remote control 2 and notifies the control unit 14 of the signal.

The television receiver 1 may also be equipped with a reaction detection unit that detects the viewer's unpleasant reactions by detecting the viewer's facial expression or voice instead of the viewer operating the remote control 2.

(Step S402)
Upon receiving a notification from the remote control receiving unit 12 that a weak scene start signal has been received, the weak scene determination unit 143 obtains the title information, broadcast time, and channel information of the TV program currently being played from the program information processing unit 141, and causes the weak scene determination unit 143 to register the information in the weak scene information database 131. In addition, the weak scene determination unit 143 causes the start time (the front end of the occurrence time) of the weak scene to be registered in the occurrence time in the weak scene information database 131.

(Step S403)
The weak point determination unit 143, upon receiving a notification from the remote control receiving unit 12 that a weak point scene start signal has been received, sequentially acquires genre information and text information of the currently reproduced scene from the program information processing unit 141, and additionally registers the information in the weak point information database 132.

The viewer sets the weak genre information or weak text information by operating the remote control 2 regardless of the timing of viewing the program. The remote control receiver 12 receives the weak genre information or weak text information from the remote control 2, and passes that information to the weak judgment unit 143. The weak judgment unit 143 obtains the weak genre information or weak text information from the remote control receiver 12, and adds and registers that information in the weak information database 132. The details of the operation procedure of the remote control 2 will be described later.

(Step S404)
The reproduction content determination unit 145 causes the display reproduction unit 11 to display, while the unpleasant scene is occurring, a message to the viewer urging him/her to "press the red button 22 on the remote control 2 when the unpleasant scene is over." Details will be described later.

(Step S405)
While watching the video on the television receiver 1, the viewer presses the red button 22 on the remote control 2 when the unpleasant scene ends. In this case, the remote control 2 transmits a unpleasant scene end signal to the television receiver 1. The remote control receiver 12 of the television receiver 1 receives the unpleasant scene end signal from the remote control 2 and notifies the unpleasant scene determination unit 143 of that fact. The unpleasant scene determination unit 143 stops acquiring the video information, audio information, and subtitle information of the currently played scene, and causes the end time of the unpleasant scene (the end of the occurrence time) to be added to the occurrence time in the unpleasant scene information database 131.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the procedure for setting up the "weakness" avoidance menu according to this embodiment. Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of a screen for the "weakness" avoidance menu according to this embodiment. The procedure for setting up the "weakness" avoidance menu will be explained according to Figure 5 and with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

(Step S501)
The viewer operates the remote control 2 to open a screen G51 of the "weak" avoidance menu on the television receiver 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the current setting status is displayed on the screen G51. Note that the viewer may operate a smartphone, a PC, or the like instead of the remote control 2 to transfer setting information to the television receiver 1 via the network 3.

(Step S502)
When the viewer selects the avoidance setting registration on the screen G51, a weak avoidance setting registration screen G52 is displayed. As shown in Fig. 6, the weak genres and weak words are displayed in a selectable manner on the screen G52.

(Step S503)
When the viewer selects a difficult genre or difficult word on the screen G52, a screen G53 for selecting to avoid difficult parts is displayed. As shown in Fig. 6, the screen G53 displays selectable options of "Do nothing", "Display caution", "Block difficult parts", and "Do not allow selection".

(Step S504)
The viewer selects one of the avoidance measures on screen G53.

(Step S505)
The selection operation in step S504 opens a screen G54 for avoiding "weak" topics. As shown in Fig. 6, the screen G54 displays selectable weak genre registration and weak word registration as individual registrations.

(Step S506)
When the viewer selects the weak genre registration on the screen G54, a weak genre registration screen G55 is displayed. As shown in Fig. 7, the screen G55 displays "violence", "scary", "insects", and "spoilers" so that the validity or invalidity of the categories can be selected.

(Step S507)
The viewer selects whether each genre is valid or invalid on screen G55.

(Step S508)
The selection operation in step S507 opens a screen G56 for the "weakness" avoidance menu.

(Step S509)
When the viewer selects registering a word that is difficult to use on the screen G56, a screen G57 for registering a word that is difficult to use is displayed. As shown in Fig. 7, the screen G57 displays a word that is difficult to use so that it can be set.

(Step S510)
The viewer registers the difficult words on the screen G57. This completes the registration of the difficult avoidance means, difficult genres, and difficult words.

Figure 8 shows an example of the screen transition related to the weak point determination based on program information in this embodiment.

The weakness information database 132 stores, for example, "screaming" as a tag indicating weakness. In this case, when the viewer is watching a television program and the program changes, the weakness determination unit 143 acquires the program information from the program information processing unit 141. If the acquired program information contains "screaming," the weakness determination unit 143 makes a weakness determination and notifies the playback content determination unit 145 of that fact. The playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to perform processing according to the avoidance means set by the viewer. Such processing includes, for example, muting the image, making the image smaller or blurring it, notifying (warning) the viewer in advance, and the like. These are examples of avoidance means processing, and are not limited to these.

Figure 8 shows an example of a workaround: "blurring."

Let us assume that the viewer has set "horror" as a genre that the viewer dislikes, i.e., the dislike information database 132 stores "horror" as a genre that the viewer dislikes. In this case, when the viewer is watching a television program and the dislike determination unit 144 detects a scream in the audio data, the playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to output a warning, even if the genre "horror" is not listed in the program information.

This makes it possible to prevent scary or grotesque scenes from appearing while zapping (watching TV while frequently changing channels with Remote Control 2). This makes it possible to avoid the typical use case of "accidentally seeing something."

(Example of Processing of the Reproduction Content Determination Unit 145)
The playback content determination unit 145 restricts the playback of the content to the display playback unit 11 as a means for avoiding scenes that the viewer dislikes. The processing includes a warning display, a selection prohibition, a screen operation, volume adjustment, and a combination of these. As a warning display, the playback content determination unit 145 causes the display playback unit 11 to display in advance that a scene that the viewer dislikes may be played. As a selection prohibition, for example, in the case of VOD, the playback content determination unit 145 does not cause the display playback unit 11 to display a thumbnail of a content including a scene that the viewer dislikes, or does not cause the content to be played even if the viewer selects the thumbnail and presses the decision button on the remote control 2. As a screen operation, the playback content determination unit 145 causes the display playback unit 11 to display the video of the content by making the video of the scene that the viewer dislikes small or graying it down, or by simultaneously dividing the screen into the content including the scene that the viewer dislikes and other content. As a volume adjustment, the playback content determination unit 145 reduces the volume of the scene that the viewer dislikes and causes the display playback unit 11 to output the audio of the content. Furthermore, the playback content determination unit 145 may combine two or more of the above processes.

The playback content determination unit 145 may also limit the playback content of the display playback unit 11 using a difficulty avoidance measure set by the viewer.

When playing back recorded content, if part of the title information, broadcast time, and channel information of the content is stored in the weak information database 131 or 132, the television receiver 1 may notify the viewer that the content contains weak content before playback begins.

[Embodiment 2]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals are used for components having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated. In this embodiment, a means for registering viewer's disliked information and setting information while watching a television program, and a means for avoiding or mitigating disliked scenes while watching a television program or VOD content, which may occur when viewing the content, will be described.

(Registration process of weak points information and setting information)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process of registering the difficulty information and the setting information according to this embodiment.

(Step S901)
While watching the image on the television receiver 1, the viewer presses the weak button 21 on the remote control 2 at the point when a scene that the viewer finds difficult to watch starts. In this case, the remote control 2 transmits a weak scene start signal to the television receiver 1 by infrared rays. The remote control receiver 12 of the television receiver 1 receives the weak scene start signal from the remote control 2 and notifies the control unit 14 of the signal.

The television receiver 1 may also be equipped with a reaction detection unit that detects the viewer's unpleasant reactions by detecting the viewer's facial expression or voice instead of the viewer operating the remote control 2.

(Step S902)
Upon receiving a notification from the remote control receiving unit 12 that a weak scene start signal has been received, the weak scene determination unit 143 obtains the title information, broadcast time, and channel information of the TV program currently being played from the program information processing unit 141, and causes the weak scene determination unit 143 to register the information in the weak scene information database 131. In addition, the weak scene determination unit 143 causes the start time (the front end of the occurrence time) of the weak scene to be registered in the occurrence time in the weak scene information database 131.

(Step S903)
When the difficulty determination unit 144 receives a notification from the remote control receiving unit 12 that a difficulty scene start signal has been received, it sequentially acquires video information, audio information, and subtitle information of the currently played scene from the video/audio subtitle processing unit 142, and registers the information in the difficulty information database 131.

(Step S904)
The reproduction content determination unit 145 causes the display reproduction unit 11 to display, while the unpleasant scene is occurring, a message to the viewer urging him/her to "press the red button 22 on the remote control 2 when the unpleasant scene is over." Details will be described later.

(Step S905)
While watching the video on the television receiver 1, the viewer presses the red button 22 on the remote control 2 when the unpleasant scene ends. In this case, the remote control 2 transmits a unpleasant scene end signal to the television receiver 1. The remote control receiver 12 of the television receiver 1 receives the unpleasant scene end signal from the remote control 2 and notifies the unpleasant scene determination unit 143 of that fact. The unpleasant scene determination unit 143 stops acquiring the video information, audio information, and subtitle information of the currently played scene, and causes the end time of the unpleasant scene (the end of the occurrence time) to be added to the occurrence time in the unpleasant scene information database 131.

(An example of screen transition)
10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen transition of the television receiver 1 according to the present embodiment. When the screen G81 is displayed, the viewer feels that "Blade" is difficult to play, and therefore presses the "Difficulty" button 21 on the remote control 2.

Pressing the "difficult" button 21 triggers the display of a screen G82 containing the text "When a "difficult" scene is occurring, press the red button when the "difficult" scene ends."

When "Blade" is no longer displayed, the viewer presses the red button 22 on the remote control 2. In this case, the above text is deleted, as shown on screen G83.

Next, a specific example of dislike judgment will be described. The dislike information stored in the dislike information database 131 includes feature information indicating the features of a scene in which a viewer's dislike reaction was detected. The dislike judgment units 143 and 144 compare the feature information with the program information, video data, audio data, and subtitle data of the content to judge dislike scenes. This causes the display playback unit 11 to output a warning before a dislike scene appears during viewing, and the playback content determination unit 145 to restrict playback of the dislike scene. This makes it possible to avoid or alleviate the dislike scene.

Figure 11 shows an example of a screen transition related to a difficulty determination based on video data according to this embodiment.

The feature information stored in the difficulty information database 131 may indicate the characteristics of the color distribution in the video data of the scene in which the viewer's difficult reaction was detected. A specific example is shown below.

The weakness information database 131 stores, for example, "blood" as a tag (characteristic information) indicating weakness. In this case, while the viewer is watching a television program, the weakness determination unit 144 acquires video data from the video/audio/subtitle processing unit 142. When the weakness determination unit 144 detects that the red area on the screen is large (for example, about one-tenth of the screen is red) from the acquired video data by RGB histogram recognition, it performs a weakness determination because there is a risk of a bloody scene being displayed, and notifies the playback content determination unit 145 of that fact. The playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to perform processing according to the avoidance means set by the viewer. Such processing includes, for example, muting the video, making the video smaller or blurring it, notifying the viewer in advance (warning), and the like. These are examples of avoidance means processing, and are not limited to these.

Figure 11 shows an example of a workaround: "blurring."

Video data related to horror may include people who are famous for telling ghost stories, areas with large black contrast, white faces reminiscent of Japanese monsters, knives recognized by detecting color, brightness, and shape, and foggy scenes reminiscent of Japanese horror. Therefore, when the dislike determination unit 144 recognizes such video data, it may notify the playback content determination unit 145 of this fact.

Figure 12 shows an example of a screen transition related to difficulty determination based on voice data in this embodiment.

The feature information stored in the difficulty information database 131 may indicate waveform features in the audio data of a scene in which a viewer's difficult reaction was detected. A specific example is shown below.

The difficulty information database 131 stores, for example, "significant changes in audio waveform" as a tag (characteristic information) indicating difficulty. In this case, while the viewer is watching a television program, the difficulty determination unit 144 acquires audio data from the video/audio subtitling processing unit 142. If the acquired audio data has a significant change in waveform, the difficulty determination unit 144 performs a difficulty determination and notifies the playback content determination unit 145 of this fact. The playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to perform processing according to the avoidance means set by the viewer. Such processing includes, for example, muting the video, making the video smaller or blurring it, and notifying (warning) the viewer in advance. These are examples of avoidance means processing, and are not limited to these. Note that, although "significant changes in audio waveform" have been described in this embodiment, the specific numerical values are not limited.

Figure 12 shows an example of a workaround: "blurring."

Let us assume that the viewer has set "screams" as a genre that the viewer dislikes, for example, that is, the dislike information database 132 stores "screams" as a genre that the viewer dislikes. In this case, even if the word "screams" is not stated in the program information while the viewer is watching a television program, if the dislike determination unit 144 detects high-pitched sounds or waveforms with rapid changes in the audio data, the playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to output a warning.

Figure 13 shows an example of a screen transition related to a difficulty determination based on subtitle data according to this embodiment.

The feature information stored in the difficulty information database 131 may indicate the features of the wording in the subtitle data of the scene in which the viewer's difficult reaction was detected. A specific example is shown below.

The weakness information database 131 stores, for example, "I'm going to kill you" and "Kill" as tags indicating weakness. In this case, while the viewer is watching a TV program, the weakness determination unit 144 acquires subtitle data from the video/audio subtitle processing unit 142. If the subtitle data contains "I'm going to kill you" or "Kill you", the weakness determination unit 144 makes a weakness determination and notifies the playback content determination unit 145 of that fact. The playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to perform processing according to the avoidance means set by the viewer. Such processing includes, for example, muting the video, making the video smaller or blurring it, notifying (warning) the viewer in advance, and the like. These are examples of avoidance means processing, and are not limited to these.

Figure 13 shows an example of a workaround: "blurring."

When the disliked information database 131 stores a tag indicating dislike, it considers variations in expression and covers words with the same meaning as the tag and words with a similar meaning to the tag. For example, when the disliked information database 131 stores "I'll kill you" and "Kill" as tags indicating dislike, it further considers expressions that are likely to cause discomfort or fear to the viewer and stores "I'll kill you," which is a word with the same meaning as the tag, and "I'll make you covered in blood," which is a word with a similar meaning to the tag.

Furthermore, television receivers 1 in areas with many victims of disasters or incidents may perform the following processing. For example, if the subtitle data of the content includes words such as major earthquake, tsunami, typhoon, volcano, or incident, the playback content determination unit 145 may instruct the display playback unit 11 to reduce the size of the image or to blur the image. However, even if the subtitle data of the content includes the above words, if the program information of the content includes the genre "news," the playback content determination unit 145 may not instruct the above processing.

[Embodiment 3]
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. For ease of explanation, the same reference numerals will be given to members having the same functions as those described in the first and second embodiments, and the description thereof will not be repeated.

In this embodiment, a process of converting the dislike judgment result into a score will be described. The dislike judgment units 143 and 144 identify the viewer's dislike score (degree) for a scene judged to be disliked. The playback content determination unit 145 changes the method of restricting playback of the scene in question depending on the viewer's dislike score. Note that FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a scene playback restriction method according to this embodiment. A specific example will be described below.

The dislike determination units 143 and 144 assign scores to scenes in the content. For example, the dislike determination units 143 and 144 assign a score from 0 to 100 to each scene to express how scary, unpleasant, etc. the scene is. The playback content determination unit 145 determines the playback content of the display playback unit 11 according to the score. The display playback unit 11 plays the content according to the playback content.

For example, if the score is 0, this indicates a level at which the viewer will not feel scared or uncomfortable from the scene, and so the playback content determination unit 145 does not instruct the display playback unit 11 to do anything. If the score is between 1 and 30, this indicates a level at which the viewer will begin to feel scared or uncomfortable from the scene, and so the playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to inform the viewer that there is a possibility that footage that will make the viewer feel scared or uncomfortable will be shown. For example, as shown in screens G131 and G132 in FIG. 14, the display playback unit 11 displays a caption to alert the viewer to the danger. Note that the caption may be placed at the top or bottom of the screen of the television receiver 1, or in another position.

When the score is between 31 and 70, it indicates a level at which the viewer feels scared, uncomfortable, etc. from the scene, so the playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to make the image cloudy or blurred. For example, as shown in screen G133 in FIG. 14, the display playback unit 11 displays the entire screen in a blurred manner.

When the score is between 71 and 100, it indicates a level at which the viewer does not want to see the scene, so the playback content determination unit 145 instructs the display playback unit 11 to insert a black mute image into all or part of the video. For example, as shown in screen G133 in FIG. 14, the display playback unit 11 displays a black mute image by inserting it into part of the screen.

As a specific example of scoring a scene, for example, the text data stored in the weak information database 132 may be compared with the audio data and subtitle data of the content, and the score may be determined based on the rate of match per unit time. In addition, if the text data in the weak information database 132 contains a "scream," the score may be determined based on the number of times per unit time that a sound estimated to be a "scream" (e.g., a sound above a certain frequency) is uttered in the audio data.

[Software implementation example]
The control blocks of the television receiver 1 (each block of the control unit 14) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

In the latter case, the television receiver 1 includes a computer that executes the instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. This computer includes, for example, at least one processor (control device) and at least one computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by having the processor read the program from the recording medium and execute it in the computer. The processor can be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The recording medium can be a "non-transient tangible medium," such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, programmable logic circuit, etc. The television receiver 1 may also include a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) that can transmit the program. One aspect of the present invention can also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

〔summary〕
A content playback device according to aspect 1 of the present invention includes a playback unit which plays content, a reaction detection unit which detects a viewer's unpleasant reaction to a scene included in the content being played back, a memory unit which stores unpleasantness information which is information relating to the scene for which the viewer's unpleasant reaction has been detected, a judgment unit which uses the stored unpleasantness information to judge whether or not the viewer has an unpleasant reaction to a scene included in the content to be played back, and a restriction unit which restricts the playback of the scene which the judgment unit has determined to be unpleasant.

With the above configuration, if it is determined that a scene included in content to be played back is disliked by the viewer using dislike information about the scene in which the viewer's disliked reaction was detected, playback of the scene is restricted, thereby enabling content filtering that meets the viewer's wishes.

In the content playback device according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1, the reaction detection unit may detect a reaction that the viewer dislikes by detecting an operation of an external terminal by the viewer, a facial expression of the viewer, or a voice of the viewer.

In the content playback device according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in the above aspect 1 or 2, the storage unit may further store setting information including a type or wording of a scene that the viewer dislikes, and the determination unit may further use the stored setting information to determine whether or not the viewer dislikes a scene included in the content to be played back.

With the above configuration, the viewer's preference information is used in addition to the viewer's preference information to determine whether the viewer likes something, making it possible to filter content in a way that is more in line with the viewer's wishes.

In the content playback device according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in the above aspect 3, the determination unit may compare the setting information with program information of the content to be played back to determine whether the viewer dislikes the scene.

In the content playback device according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in the above aspects 1 to 4, the dislike information may include feature information indicating the features of the scene in which the viewer's dislike reaction was detected.

In the content playback device according to aspect 6 of the present invention, in the above aspect 5, the feature information may indicate a feature of color distribution in the video data of the scene.

In the content playback device according to aspect 7 of the present invention, in the above aspect 5, the feature information may indicate waveform features in the audio data of the scene.

In the content playback device according to aspect 8 of the present invention, in the above aspect 5, the feature information may indicate features of text in the subtitle data for the scene.

In the content playback device according to aspect 9 of the present invention, in any one of aspects 1 to 8, the determination unit may specify the viewer's level of dislike for a scene determined to be disliked, and the restriction unit may change the method of restricting playback of the scene depending on the viewer's level of dislike.

With the above configuration, playback of a scene is restricted depending on the viewer's level of difficulty, making it possible to restrict scene playback in stages rather than uniformly.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the different embodiments. Furthermore, new technical features can be formed by combining the technical means disclosed in the respective embodiments.

1. Television receiver (content playback device)
11 Display playback section (playback section)
12 Remote control receiver (response detector)
13 Storage unit 14 Control unit 15 Broadcast receiving unit 16 Communication unit 21 Difficulty button 22 Red button 131, 132 Difficulty information database 141 Program information processing unit 142 Video/audio/subtitle processing unit 143, 144 Difficulty determination unit (determination unit)
145 Playback content determination unit (restriction unit)

Claims (10)

a playback unit that plays back the content;
a reaction detection unit for detecting a reaction of a viewer to a scene included in the content being played back;
A storage unit that stores disliked information, which is information about a scene in which a disliked reaction of the viewer is detected;
a determination unit that determines whether a scene included in the content to be reproduced is disliked by the viewer using the stored dislike information;
a restriction unit that restricts playback of the scene that is determined to be difficult by the determination unit;
Equipped with
The content playback device is characterized in that, in response to the reaction detection unit detecting an unpleasant reaction from the viewer, the restriction unit displays a message urging the viewer to press a specific button when the unpleasant scene has ended, superimposed on the scene being played back by the playback unit . The content playback device according to claim 1, characterized in that the reaction detection unit detects a reaction that the viewer dislikes by detecting an operation of an external terminal by the viewer, a facial expression of the viewer, or a voice of the viewer. The storage unit further stores setting information including a type or a phrase of a scene that the viewer dislikes, which is set by the viewer;
3. The content reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit further uses the stored setting information to determine whether or not the viewer dislikes a scene included in the content to be reproduced. 4. The content reproducing device according to claim 3, wherein the determining section compares the setting information with program information of the content to be reproduced to determine whether or not the viewer dislikes the scene. 5. The content reproducing device according to claim 1, wherein the disliked information includes feature information indicating a feature of a scene in which an unfavorable reaction of the viewer was detected. The content reproducing device according to claim 5 , wherein the feature information indicates a feature of color distribution in the video data of the scene. The content reproducing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the feature information indicates a waveform feature in the audio data of the scene. The content reproducing device according to claim 5, wherein the feature information indicates features of text in the subtitle data of the scene. a playback unit that plays back the content;
a reaction detection unit for detecting a reaction of a viewer to a scene included in the content being played back;
A storage unit that stores disliked information, which is information about a scene in which a disliked reaction of the viewer is detected;
a determination unit that determines whether a scene included in the content to be reproduced is disliked by the viewer using the stored dislike information;
a restriction unit that restricts playback of the scene that is determined to be difficult by the determination unit;
Equipped with
The determination unit determines a degree of dislike of the viewer with respect to the scene determined to be disliked,
The content reproducing device, wherein the restriction section changes a method for restricting reproduction of the scene in question depending on the viewer's level of dislike of the scene. a playback step of playing back the content;
a reaction detection step of detecting a reaction of a viewer to a scene included in the content being played back;
a display step of displaying, in response to detection of the viewer's unpleasant reaction, a message prompting the viewer to press a specific button when the unpleasant scene ends, superimposed on the scene being reproduced;
a storage step of storing disliked information, which is information about the scene in which the viewer's disliked reaction was detected;
a determining step of determining whether a scene included in the content to be reproduced is disliked by the viewer using the stored dislike information;
a limiting step of limiting playback of the scene determined to be difficult in the determining step;
A content playback method comprising:

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