DVR Conflict Handling via Rebroadcast Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital video recorder (DVR) systems often experience conflicts when users attempt to record multiple shows simultaneously, leading to undesired program conflicts, which can be exacerbated by the limited number of tuners, resulting in users missing popular shows due to tuner limitations.
Innovation Solution
A conflict analysis system that receives conflict information from multiple DVRs, determines if the number of conflicts for a particular show exceeds a threshold, and generates a recommendation to rebroadcast the show, optimizing the rebroadcast time to avoid conflicts with other programs, thereby allowing more users to record the show.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of tuners in a DVR is increased, then the ability to record multiple shows simultaneously is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A conflict analysis system is introduced as an intermediary between multiple DVRs and the broadcast system. This mediator collects conflict information from multiple DVRs, analyzes tuner availability, and coordinates rebroadcast scheduling to resolve conflicts without requiring each DVR to have additional tuners
Solution Approach 2:
The conflict analysis system serves multiple functions: it collects conflict information from multiple DVRs, determines tuner availability, identifies optimal rebroadcast times, and coordinates with broadcasters. This multi-functional system replaces the need for each individual DVR to have multiple tuners
2Device complexity
If a DVR has limited tuners, then the device complexity is reduced, but program conflicts increase when users attempt to record multiple shows at the same time
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having DVRs report conflict information to the conflict analysis system, which then analyzes the data and provides rebroadcast scheduling recommendations. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to conflict patterns and optimize rebroadcast timing
Solution Approach 2:
The conflict analysis system performs preliminary analysis of conflict information and determines optimal rebroadcast times before actual rebroadcast occurs. This advance planning prevents conflicts by scheduling rebroadcasts during periods when tuners are available
3Productivity
If rebroadcast scheduling is optimized to reduce conflicts, then viewership increases, but the complexity of scheduling coordination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conflict analysis system acts as a mediator between DVRs and broadcasters, handling the complex scheduling coordination centrally. This intermediary absorbs the scheduling complexity rather than requiring complex coordination between each DVR and broadcaster
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically analyzing conflict patterns and determining optimal rebroadcast times without requiring manual intervention from broadcasters or DVR operators. The conflict analysis system autonomously generates and implements scheduling decisions
Data Source
AI summary
A conflict analysis (CA) information handling system (IHS) receives conflict information from a population of digital video recorder (DVR) IHSs. The conflict information indicates that a conflictee show is in conflict with a conflictor show in a DVR IHS. The conflict information may include a conflictee show identifier and open timeslots for each DVR IHS that transmits conflict information to the CA IHS. Using the conflictee show identifier and available timeslots received from the population of DVR IHSs, the CA IHS makes a recommendation to rebroadcast the conflictee show at a particular time when more than an predetermined threshold number of DVR IHSs are available to record a rebroadcast of the conflictee show.