Dual-Tuner Broadcast Receiver with Preference-Based Channel Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
End-users face difficulties in selecting relevant broadcast/multicast channels due to the vast number of options, with existing methods like paper guides, EPGs, and audio announcements being inefficient, and personal portable devices lacking the capability to hold comprehensive media libraries for personalized preferences.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with dual tuners retrieves meta-data from current and available broadcast/multicast stations, using a decision engine to evaluate preferences and automatically switch channels based on user-defined profiles, ensuring optimal content selection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the audience manually polls all available channels sequentially to find interesting programs, then they can select channels of interest, but this consumes excessive time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The decision engine automatically performs channel evaluation and selection without requiring manual user intervention. The system retrieves metadata from multiple stations, evaluates them against the user's preference profile, and autonomously switches channels, making the system serve itself in the channel selection task.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-retrieves metadata from multiple broadcast stations and pre-evaluates them against the user's preference profile before the user needs to select a channel. This preliminary evaluation allows the system to have ready-made recommendations, eliminating the need for real-time manual polling.
2Loss of information
If broadcast stations provide extensive programming information through paper guides and EPGs, then users have access to comprehensive channel information, but this increases device complexity and information overload
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential metadata elements relevant to user preferences from the comprehensive broadcast information. Instead of presenting all available programming details, it selectively retrieves and evaluates specific attributes like genre, time, and station identification against the preference profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision engine acts as an intermediary between the comprehensive broadcast information system and the user. It processes the extensive metadata from multiple stations and translates it into simplified channel recommendations, filtering out unnecessary information complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If personal portable devices store comprehensive media libraries for personalization, then users can access personalized content, but this increases device complexity and economic cost
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal preference profile structure that can evaluate any broadcast station's metadata regardless of the specific content type. Instead of storing separate media libraries for different content, the same decision engine and preference profile mechanism handles all broadcast channels, making the system multi-functional without proportionally increasing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing actual media content in the portable device, the system copies only the essential metadata from broadcast stations and stores preference profiles as evaluation templates. This lightweight copying approach enables personalization without requiring substantial storage capacity for comprehensive media libraries.
4Measurement precision
If the system continuously monitors all available broadcast stations for preference matching, then channel selection accuracy improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs metadata retrieval and evaluation periodically rather than continuously. The decision engine checks for channel switches at intervals defined by the preference profile, reducing energy consumption while maintaining adequate monitoring of broadcast changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous preference profile evaluation readiness but performs actual metadata retrieval only when necessary (e.g., when a station change is detected or at scheduled intervals). This keeps the useful evaluation action continuous while minimizing energy-intensive operations.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for imposing preferences on broadcast/multicast service for an end-user is described herein. The apparatus includes a first tuner that receives a first set of data transmitted from a currently selected broadcast/multicast station, wherein the first set of data includes time, station identification, and program information; a second tuner that receives a second set of data from a plurality of broadcast/multicast stations, wherein the second set of data includes individually, for each broadcast/multicast station that is available, time, station identification, and program information; a decoder that decodes the first and second sets of data received by the first and second tuners and sends this decoded data to a decision engine for further processing; and a persona database that stores a plurality of user preference profiles. Further, the decision engine is periodically operative to evaluate the currently selected station, and choose a different station if applicable, based on a preference profile selected by the end-user.