Content Playback Device Cross-Device History Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in resuming watching or listening to content from a discontinued state on a different content reproduction device without manually seeking the correct point, as existing devices lack a seamless method for sharing and synchronizing watching or listening history across multiple devices.
Innovation Solution
A content reproduction system that includes a watching/listening history management server and content distribution server, allowing devices to share and synchronize watching or listening history, enabling users to resume content from the exact state on any device through a centralized database and communication network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a user watches or listens to content on one content reproduction device and then uses another device, then the user can access content on multiple devices, but the user must manually remember and seek the discontinued state point
Solution Approach 1:
A watching/listening history management server acts as an intermediary between multiple content reproduction devices and the user. This server stores and manages the discontinued state information, automatically transmitting it to the appropriate device without requiring manual user intervention. The server mediates the information flow between devices, enabling seamless continuation of content consumption across different devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic feedback by having the content reproduction device transmit watching or listening history information to the management server when discontinuing content playback. The server then feeds back this information to the device when the user requests to resume content, creating an automated loop that eliminates manual seeking operations.
2Reliability
If watching or listening history is stored locally on each device, then the device can independently resume content, but the history cannot be shared across multiple devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the local history storage capability with centralized cloud storage by having content reproduction devices transmit their watching or listening history to a management server. The server consolidates history information from multiple devices, enabling users to access their content consumption state on any device within the system while maintaining the reliability of local storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The watching/listening history management server provides universal access to history information across multiple different types of content reproduction devices. The system is designed to work with various devices (portable players, home theaters, smartphones) simultaneously, making the history sharing capability universally applicable across the entire device ecosystem.
3Ease of operation
If the system automatically transmits and manages watching or listening history across devices, then users can easily resume content on any device, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By introducing a dedicated watching/listening history management server as an intermediary, the system centralizes the complexity of automatic history transmission and management. This server handles all the complex tasks of receiving, storing, and distributing history information between devices, while the individual content reproduction devices remain relatively simple and focused on their primary playback function.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a content reproduction device which enables a user watching or listening to a content on a given content reproduction device to discontinue the watching thereof or listening thereto and then easily resume the watching of the same content or listening thereto from a discontinued state on another content reproduction device. When reproduction of a content is discontinued, discontinued state information indicating a reproduction state of the content at a time point of the discontinuation is transmitted to a watching/listening history management server (20) and the discontinued state information stored in the watching/listening history management server (20) is received from the watching/listening history management server (20), and the reproduction of the content is started from a state determined based on the received discontinued state information.