Content Access Manager for Player Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in accessing and processing content due to compatibility issues with specific versions of content players, as only certain players can correctly process certain content types, and determining the appropriate player for content playback can be complex.
Innovation Solution
A content access manager is integrated with content data to determine the required player and version, check for existing installations, and install a compatible player if necessary, using a system that includes a content distributor, player distribution server, and metadata packaging to ensure seamless content playback across various platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a specific version of a content player is required to access certain content, then content compatibility and playback quality are improved, but system complexity and difficulty of access increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a content access manager as an intermediary component that automatically determines which player is needed for specific content, checks for existing installations, and installs the appropriate player if necessary. This mediator handles the complexity of player selection and installation, shielding users from the underlying system complexity while ensuring reliable content playback compatibility.
2Ease of operation
If automatic player installation is implemented, then ease of access to content is improved, but installation complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The content access manager implements self-service functionality by automatically determining player requirements, checking for existing installations, and installing the necessary player without user intervention. The system serves itself by managing the entire player installation process autonomously, improving ease of content access while encapsulating installation complexity within the manager itself.
3Reliability
If player compatibility checking is performed, then content playback reliability is improved, but processing time and system resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The content access manager performs preliminary actions by determining the required player and checking for existing installations before content playback is attempted. This advance preparation ensures that the correct player is available and installed, improving playback reliability while minimizing delays during actual content access by resolving compatibility issues beforehand.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems to install a player to process content data are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method includes launching a content access manager on a user device to read metadata containing compatible player data, determine whether a compatible player able to access the content data is installed on the user device, and if not, to install a compatible player. Other embodiments involve receiving content data and data about one or more compatible players able to access the content data, generating the metadata using the data about one or more compatible players, and distributing the content data, the metadata, and the content access manager in a transmittable unit. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.