Cloud Media Management Reducing Duplication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current media management systems face challenges in efficiently storing and accessing media content across multiple devices, including storage limitations, tuner conflicts, and the inability to record more content than physical tuners allow, while also managing content rights and variations.

Innovation Solution

A cloud-based media content management system that enables distributed uploads of media content from a population of devices, reduces duplication, provides user-controlled access, and uses cloud-based tuners to overcome physical limitations, allowing concurrent recording and access across devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If media content is stored locally on each device, then access speed is improved, but storage space is wasted due to duplication

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess speedVSAvoidstorage space
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges storage resources across multiple devices by implementing a cloud-based centralized storage system. Media content is stored once in the cloud rather than being duplicated across multiple local devices, while still enabling fast access through networked retrieval and caching mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a cloud-based media management system as an intermediary between users and media content. This intermediary handles storage, management, and distribution of media content, allowing efficient access without requiring local duplication on each device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If more physical tuners are added to record more content, then recording capacity is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecording capacityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from a single-device physical tuner model to a cloud-based virtual tuner model. By moving the tuning and recording functionality to the cloud dimension, multiple virtual tuners can be provided without adding physical hardware components to individual devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements universal cloud-based tuners that can be shared across multiple devices and users. A single physical tuner infrastructure in the cloud provides recording capacity for multiple devices simultaneously, eliminating the need for each device to have its own physical tuner.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If media content is uploaded from multiple devices, then content availability is improved, but data duplication increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent availabilityVSAvoiddata duplication
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses intelligent copying mechanisms where media content is uploaded from multiple devices but stored as a single master copy in the cloud. The system manages references and metadata to maintain content availability across devices without creating redundant data copies, reducing overall data duplication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4096228A1Cloud-based media content management
Publication Date: 2022.11.30 ROVI PRODUCT CORP
  • EP4096228A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4096228A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4096228A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cloud-based media content management system for managing access to media content items is disclosed. Managing access to media content items by a cloud-based media content management system may include, for example, managing uploads of media content items from a population of media devices, reducing duplication of media content data stored in cloud-based storage, and providing user-controlled access to media content items stored in cloud-based storage across any number of user devices. In this context, a cloud-based media content management system and cloud-based storage system generally refer to hosted computing and data storage services that may be accessed by media devices and other devices over a digital network such as the Internet.