Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a content-list creating unit for selecting, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list; a content-list selecting unit for selecting out of plural content lists created by the content-list creating unit, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and a display control unit for causing a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected by the content-list selecting unit.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including an image input unit configured to input an image to be captured; a face detecting unit configured to detect a face of at least one photographic subject included in the input image; a face-attribute detecting unit configured to detect attribute information of the detected face; a degree-of-friendliness computing unit configured to evaluate a degree of friendliness between a plurality of photographic subjects based on a correlation between items of attribute information of detected faces of the plurality of photographic subjects, the items of attribute information being detected by the face-attribute detecting unit, and outputting an evaluation value Hlove representing the degree of friendliness; and an image-capturing determining unit configured to determine a timing to capture the input image based on the evaluation value Hlove.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to obtain an image; a face detecting unit configured to detect a face of a photographic subject included in the image; an attribute detecting unit configured to detect attribute information of the face; an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a degree of intimacy between a plurality of photographic subjects based on a plurality of items of attribute information detected by the attribute detecting unit from faces of the plurality of photographic subjects, the faces being detected by the face detecting unit; and a control unit configured to cause the image pickup unit to capture an image of the plurality of photographic subjects based on an evaluation result obtained by the evaluation unit.

Abstract: A location name registration apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive, from a picture-taking apparatus, picture data of a picture of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, picture-taking location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the picture was taken, and object location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of an object location of a target of picture-taking; a location name acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location and to acquire, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location; and a location name registration unit configured to register the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other in a predetermined storage unit.

Abstract: A decoding apparatus for enabling decoding processing free of unneeded delay at a switching point between digital high definition broadcast and multi-view broadcast. The decoding apparatus includes a picture frame storage unit (34) for storing an HD picture frame, decoded by a decoding unit (33), in terms of a storage area for HS as a unit, and for storing m SD picture frames, in terms of a recording area for SD as a unit, and a recording area procuring unit (host CPU) (14) for procuring a recording area for SD and a recording area for HD, based on the recording area information for HD and on the recording area information for SD, when m SD picture stream data is supplied. The decoding apparatus also includes a picture frame write unit (15) for writing an HD picture frame in the procured storage area for HD and for writing m SD picture frames in the procured storage area for SD.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus including an image input unit configured to input an image to be captured; a face detecting unit configured to detect a face of at least one photographic subject included in the input image; a face-attribute detecting unit configured to detect attribute information of the detected face; a degree-of-friendliness computing unit configured to evaluate a degree of friendliness between a plurality of photographic subjects based on a correlation between items of attribute information of detected faces of the plurality of photographic subjects, the items of attribute information being detected by the face-attribute detecting unit, and outputting an evaluation value Hlove representing the degree of friendliness; and an image-capturing determining unit configured to determine a timing to capture the input image based on the evaluation value Hlove.

Abstract: A location name registration apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive, from a picture-taking apparatus, picture data of a picture of an object taken by the picture-taking apparatus, picture-taking location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of a picture-taking location acquired when the picture was taken, and object location information corresponding to the latitude and longitude of an object location of a target of picture-taking; a location name acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a location name storage unit, a picture-taking location name of the picture-taking location and to acquire, from the location name storage unit, an object location name of the object location; and a location name registration unit configured to register the picture-taking location name, the object location name, and the picture data in association with each other in a predetermined storage unit.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to obtain an image; a face detecting unit configured to detect a face of a photographic subject included in the image; an attribute detecting unit configured to detect attribute information of the face; an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a degree of intimacy between a plurality of photographic subjects based on a plurality of items of attribute information detected by the attribute detecting unit from faces of the plurality of photographic subjects, the faces being detected by the face detecting unit; and a control unit configured to cause the image pickup unit to capture an image of the plurality of photographic subjects based on an evaluation result obtained by the evaluation unit.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a content-list creating unit for selecting, on the basis of a predetermined subject, contents out of recorded program contents, information contents concerning receivable program contents, contents acquired from an outside, and contents stored in the information processing apparatus in advance to thereby create a content list; a content-list selecting unit for selecting out of plural content lists created by the content-list creating unit, on the basis of at least one of contents of the content lists and a situation during user operation, plural content lists to be displayed; and a display control unit for causing a predetermined display unit to display the plural content lists selected by the content-list selecting unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a decoding apparatus for performing decoding processing in keeping with multi-view broadcast.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for encoding input moving picture signals using a 2-pass variable bit rate system.

Abstract: A video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording and playing back a video signal of a television-broadcast program include a recording mechanism for recording a video signal onto an information-recording medium; an extracting mechanism for extracting a representative picture from a video signal to be recorded; an attaching mechanism for attaching an evaluation value to a representative picture extracted by the extracting mechanism; a preserving mechanism for preserving a representative picture extracted by the extracting mechanism in the information-recording medium; and a thinning mechanism for carrying out a thinning process on a number of representative pictures preserved by the preserving mechanism in the information-recording medium on the basis of the evaluation value attached by the attaching mechanism.

Abstract: An image recording and playback apparatus and method and a recording medium by which a representative picture of image data recorded on a hard disk can be searched out and displayed rapidly are disclosed. An inputted AV signal is recorded on a hard disk, and a comparison table produced based on GOP numbers of an inputted image signal and recorded positions on the hard disk at which the top data of GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded is recorded on another hard disk. Another table produced based on GOP numbers of GOPs in each of which an intra-picture necessary to play back a corresponding representative picture is included and the distances between the intra-pictures and the corresponding representative pictures included in the GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded on a further hard disk.

Abstract: Special reproduction of image data of field precision is made possible without using a dedicated data decoding means and increasing the buffer capacity. The present invention provides a data reproduction apparatus that includes an acquisition section that acquires digital video data, a temporary memory section that temporarily stores the digital video data acquired by the acquisition section on a frame by frame basis, an output frame generation control section that generates the output frames to be output, following the output of the original frames of the digital video data stored in the temporary memory section, by rewriting the auxiliary data contained in the digital video data and specifying the output image data, a data decoding section that decodes the digital video data according to the auxiliary data, and an output section that externally outputs the digital video data decoded by the data decoding section.

Abstract: Disclosed is a decoding apparatus for performing decoding processing in keeping with multi-view broadcast.

Abstract: A decoding apparatus for enabling decoding processing free of unneeded delay at a switching point between digital high definition broadcast and multi-view broadcast. The decoding apparatus includes a picture frame storage unit (34) for storing an HD picture frame, decoded by a decoding unit (33), in terms of a storage area for HS as a unit, and for storing m SD picture frames, in terms of a recording area for SD as a unit, and a recording area procuring unit (host CPU) (14) for procuring a recording area for SD and a recording area for HD, based on the recording area information for HD and on the recording area information for SD, when m SD picture stream data is supplied. The decoding apparatus also includes a picture frame write unit (15) for writing an HD picture frame in the procured storage area for HD and for writing m SD picture frames in the procured storage area for SD.

Abstract: Disclosed is a video-signal recording and playback apparatus for recording and playing back a video signal of a television-broadcast program, the video-signal recording and playback apparatus comprising: recording means for recording a video signal onto an information-recording medium; extracting means for extracting a representative picture from a video signal to be recorded; attaching means for attaching an evaluation value to a representative picture extracted by the extracting means; preserving means for preserving a representative picture extracted by the extracting means in the information-recording medium; and thinning means for carrying out a thinning process on a number of representative pictures preserved by the preserving means in the information-recording medium on the basis of the evaluation value attached by the attaching means.

Abstract: An image recording and playback apparatus and method and a recording medium by which a representative picture of image data recorded on a hard disk can be searched out and displayed rapidly are disclosed. An inputted AV signal is recorded on a hard disk, and a comparison table produced based on GOP numbers of an inputted image signal and recorded positions on the hard disk at which the top data of GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded is recorded on another hard disk. Another table produced based on GOP numbers of GOPs in each of which an intra-picture necessary to play back a corresponding representative picture is included and the distances between the intra-pictures and the corresponding representative pictures included in the GOPs of the GOP numbers is recorded on a further hard disk.