Content Playback Coordination for Simple Home Network Setup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building a home network is difficult for novices due to the need for professional expertise when using various devices such as servers and client devices.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that acquires content-related information from a content management server, selects content, and controls externally connected devices to reproduce content while providing reproduction state information, allowing easy network construction without professional expertise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a home network is built using various devices such as server and client devices, then content sharing and reproduction between devices is enabled, but it becomes difficult for novices to build the network due to the need for professional expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control device as an intermediary between the content management server and externally connected devices. This control device automatically acquires content related information from the server, selects appropriate content, and controls the externally connected devices to reproduce the selected content. By mediating these operations, the system enables content sharing and reproduction functionality while shielding users from the complexity of direct device configuration and management.
2Ease of operation
If content related information is acquired from a content management server and externally connected devices are controlled to reproduce content, then content sharing across devices is simplified, but the system requires coordination between multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the control device: acquiring content related information from the content management server, selecting content based on acquired information, and controlling externally connected devices for reproduction. By combining these previously separate operations into a single integrated control device, the system reduces the coordination complexity that would otherwise exist between multiple independent components while maintaining simplified content sharing for users.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus receives a user selection of content to be reproduced by an external device connected to the information processing apparatus. A request to reproduce the user selected content is sent to the external device. Information indicating whether the external device has started reproducing the selected content is received from the external device. In response to the external device having started reproduction of the selected content, a thumbnail image is reproduced that corresponds to the content being reproduced by the external device.