Adaptive Media Playback Timing Based on User Behavior

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Solution Overview

Problem

Digital recording devices (DVRs) face inefficiencies in recording and playback due to padding of media program times, leading to user dissatisfaction and unnecessary storage of superfluous content, as users often encounter unwanted program endings and must manually fast-forward to the actual start of recorded programs.

Innovation Solution

The system records programs based on initial playback decisions and monitors user behavior to form modified playback decisions, adjusting playback to start and end at actual times, potentially truncating recorded content to match user consumption patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the DVR pads the starting and ending times of recorded programs to account for timing variations, then the reliability of program playback is improved, but the loss of time and storage efficiency deteriorate due to recording superfluous content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogram playback reliabilityVSAvoidtime spent manually scanning to find actual program start

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors actual user playback behavior (fast-forwarding, stopping) to detect patterns that indicate when padding occurs. This feedback loop allows the system to learn from user actions and automatically adjust future playback decisions, eliminating the need for manual scanning while maintaining reliable program playback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically adjusts playback parameters based on detected user behavior patterns without requiring manual intervention. The DVR self-corrects the padding issue by learning from collective user behavior across the population, enabling users to directly access actual program content without manual scanning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If the DVR pads the starting and ending times of recorded programs, then the reliability of program playback is improved, but the quantity of stored substance increases due to recording superfluous content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogram playback reliabilityVSAvoidstorage space consumed by superfluous content

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from user playback behavior to identify when padding has occurred and automatically adjusts future recording and playback parameters. This reduces unnecessary storage of superfluous content while maintaining the reliability of actual program playback through adaptive parameter adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes playback parameters (start time, end time) based on detected user behavior patterns. By adjusting these parameters according to actual program content rather than fixed padded times, the system reduces storage consumption while maintaining playback reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the DVR starts playback at the padded starting time, then the reliability of capturing the complete program is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users must manually fast-forward to find the actual program start

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprogram completenessVSAvoidease of accessing actual program content

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system monitors user fast-forwarding behavior to detect when padding occurs at program starts. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of playback start times, allowing users to directly access actual program content without manual scanning while maintaining complete program capture through adaptive parameter changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically detects and corrects playback timing issues based on collective user behavior patterns. Users benefit from self-adjusting playback parameters that eliminate manual fast-forwarding operations while ensuring complete program content is captured and accessible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS8768146B2Strategies for controlling presentation of media information based on a sampling of customer playback behavior

Publication Date: 2014.07.01 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Functionality is described for controlling the playback of a recorded media program. The functionality formulates initial playback decisions that govern the playback of the program based on a set of initial assumptions. The functionality then formulates modified playback decisions that define the manner in which the program should actually be played back. The modified playback decisions can be formed based on the playback-related behavior of a population of users who have previously consumed the same program. The functionality makes modifications which affect the playback of the recorded program based on the modified playback decisions, such as by bookmarking or truncating the recorded program.