BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to reproduction of content by a communication apparatus.

Description of the Related Art

Some communication apparatus have a function capable of sharing a screen being displayed and sound being reproduced with another communication apparatus. Image data and audio data are transmitted to the communication apparatus as information about a screen being displayed and sound being reproduced by another communication apparatus, to share the screen being displayed and the sound being reproduced between the communication apparatus and another communication apparatus. In this operation, the communication apparatus reproduces the received image data and audio data in synchronization with another communication apparatus. Such a function is referred to as a mirroring function.

Some communication apparatuses have a function capable of obtaining a content from an external apparatus other than another communication apparatus and reproducing the content based on a reproduction instruction transmitted from another communication apparatus. Such a function is referred to as a content redirection function. By the content redirection function, the communication apparatus receives location information about the content stored in the external apparatus from another communication apparatus, obtains the content from the external apparatus based on the location information about the content, and reproduces the content.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-71638 discusses a communication apparatus that, when receiving an instruction to reproduce a content by content redirection from another communication apparatus that is reproducing a content and performing mirroring, receives a reproduction start position for content redirection along with the reproduction instruction.

Since the communication apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-71638 performs content reproduction preparation after receiving the reproduction instruction and then starts reproducing the content, there occurs a time difference between a timing of when another communication apparatus transmits the reproduction instruction and a timing of when the communication apparatus starts reproducing the content. In such a case, the communication apparatus starts to reproduce the content at the reproduction start position received with the reproduction instruction. If another communication apparatus continues reproducing the content even after the transmission of the reproduction instruction, another communication apparatus is then reproducing the content at a reproduction position ahead of that of the communication apparatus as much as the time difference that occurred. In other words, the communication apparatus reproduces the content at a reproduction position behind that of another communication apparatus as much as the time difference that occurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is directed to reducing a difference in reproduction positions between a communication apparatus that is reproducing a content stored in an external apparatus and a communication apparatus different from the foregoing communication apparatus that receives a reproduction instruction for the content from the foregoing communication apparatus and reproduces the content.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a communication apparatus include a first reception unit configured to receive, in a case where another communication apparatus is reproducing a content stored in an external apparatus, an instruction and information from the another communication apparatus, the instruction being intended to cause the communication apparatus to obtain the content from the external apparatus and to reproduce the content, the information indicating a reproduction position of the content being reproduced by the another communication apparatus, a preparation unit configured to perform a reproduction preparation for the content, based on reception of the instruction by the first reception unit, and a control unit configured to control reproducing of the content to start from a reproduction position at a subsequent time from the reproduction position received by the first reception unit, based on time taken for the reproduction preparation.

Further features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

