1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contents playback apparatus for playing back stored contents based on a desired function, a control method for such a contents playback apparatus, and an electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been developed small portable contents playback apparatus for storing contents such as music pieces, photographs, and moving images, in a semiconductor memory and playing back the stored contents according to instructions from the user. Particularly, as the storage capacity of semiconductor memories has increased and the cost thereof has decreased, contents playback apparatus that are very small in size and can store a large amount of contents have emerged and are finding a wider range of applications.
Since the contents playback apparatus can store a large amount of various contents, they incorporate various playback functions to be able to quickly find and play back favorable data of the user. For example, if a contents playback apparatus has read music data from a CD (Compact Disc) or the like and stored the read music data, then the user can select, from the functions of the contents playback apparatus, a function to retrieve desired music pieces sorted by artist or album and play back the retrieved music pieces, a function to narrow down desired music pieces in a certain range such as a play list set by the user and play back the chosen music pieces, or a shuffle playback function to play back music pieces in a sequence which differs each time they are played back.
Heretofore, a mechanism with a dial-type operation element for easily selecting and deciding on contents to be played back and a playback function in a contents playback apparatus has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-84902.
The mechanism with the dial-type operation element for selecting contents to be played back includes an electronic switch disposed in a casing. The operation of the operation element that is manipulated by the user is mechanically transmitted to the electronic switch. Therefore, a certain link mechanism needs to be provided between the operation member and the electronic switch. However, the link mechanism presents an obstacle to efforts to reduce the size of the casing and also to efforts to effectively utilize the space in the casing. Another problem is that as the link mechanism is provided between the operation member and the electronic switch in the casing, the casing needs to have a hole defined in a wall thereof for passage of the link mechanism therethrough, and hence cannot be made sufficiently water-resistant.