Customized Clock-Based Skip Controls for Variable Media Lengths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional media navigation tools, such as seekbars and time skip buttons, are not proportional to the length of audio/video content, leading to inefficient navigation, especially for content of varying durations, and lack flexibility in adapting to user needs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for media content navigation that generates selectable indicators for different navigation intervals (e.g., seconds, minutes, hours) and allows users to select and input these intervals through touch or drag interactions, enabling precise and adaptable navigation to a shifted play position using scaling parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed-length seekbar and time skip button are used for media navigation, then the interface is simple and consistent across all content, but the navigation efficiency deteriorates for content of varying durations
Solution Approach 1:
The seekbar dynamically adjusts its length and the time skip button dynamically adjusts its skip duration based on the current media content duration. The seekbar becomes proportional to the content length, and the skip button offers variable skip intervals (e.g., 10%, 25%, 50% of remaining content) rather than fixed seconds, allowing efficient navigation across content of any duration while maintaining interface simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed time skip interval (e.g., 10 seconds) is used, then the navigation control is simple, but the adaptability to different content lengths deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The time skip function changes its parameter (skip interval) based on the content duration and user selection. Instead of a fixed 10-second skip, the system offers variable skip intervals such as 10%, 25%, or 50% of the remaining content duration, or allows users to customize the skip interval. This parameter adaptation maintains ease of operation while significantly improving adaptability to different content lengths.
3Measurement precision
If a proportional seekbar is implemented, then the navigation precision improves for all content lengths, but the interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seekbar dynamically scales its length to be proportional to the current media content duration. As content plays, the seekbar updates its visual representation to reflect the current position relative to the total duration. This dynamic proportional representation achieves high navigation precision across all content lengths while avoiding the complexity of multiple fixed-scale seekbars or complex calculation interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for dynamically navigating content are provided. Media content is generated for display on a user device. A selectable indicator for incrementally skipping through the media content is also generated. An input indicating selection of the selectable indicator is received and, in response to receiving the input indicating the selection of the selectable indicator, at least two selectable navigation settings are generated for display. Each navigation setting is associated with a navigation interval within the content. An input of the selection of the navigation setting and the navigation interval is received. The current play position of the media content item is shifted based on the selected navigation setting and the navigation interval.