DVR Metadata Enrichment via EPG and External Data Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital video recorders (DVRs) typically store recorded media content with limited descriptive information, making it difficult for users to identify and manage their recorded items, which hinders user-specific modeling and searching capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A metadata enhancement system that communicates with a DVR via networks, accesses Electronic Program Guides (EPGs), and retrieves additional metadata from content databases to enrich the descriptive information of recorded items, storing this enhanced metadata in an end-user database for improved identification and searching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If limited metadata is stored with recorded content on DVR, then storage space is conserved and device complexity is reduced, but user ability to identify and manage recorded items deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimension of metadata enhancement by retrieving additional information from external data sources (EPG, content databases) beyond what is natively stored on the DVR. This multi-dimensional approach combines basic DVR metadata with enriched descriptive information from multiple external sources, solving the contradiction by expanding the information space without adding physical storage burden to the DVR device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs intermediary components (metadata enhancer, program data retriever) that act as mediators between the DVR and external data sources. These intermediaries fetch supplemental metadata information and integrate it with the recorded content identifiers, enabling enhanced user identification capabilities while keeping the core DVR device simple and the storage requirements minimal.
2Loss of information
If additional metadata is retrieved from external data sources, then descriptive information of recorded content is improved, but system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata enhancement system is designed with multi-functional components that can retrieve data from multiple types of sources (EPG, content databases, external APIs) using a unified approach. The program data retriever and metadata enhancer serve multiple purposes: identifying recorded items, enriching metadata, and enabling user-specific modeling, thereby reducing overall system complexity through functional consolidation despite handling diverse data sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and caching metadata information from external data sources before it is needed for user operations. The metadata enhancer proactively retrieves supplemental information and associates it with recorded content identifiers in advance, reducing real-time processing complexity when users need to identify or manage their recorded items.
3Adaptability or versatility
If basic listed information is stored with recorded items, then storage efficiency is maintained, but user-specific modeling and searching capabilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by enhancing metadata specifically for user-specific modeling and searching functions rather than uniformly increasing metadata for all purposes. The supplemental information retrieved from external sources is selectively used to improve identification and searching capabilities where needed, while maintaining storage efficiency for the core recorded content and basic metadata.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatuses are described herein for enhancing metadata of a recorded items of media content stored on a digital video recorder (DVR) associated with an end user. First metadata associated with the recorded item is determined from the DVR. An aired instance of the first media content is determined in program data from an electronic program guide that corresponds to the recorded item. Second metadata associated with the first media content is retrieved from at least one data source based at least on the identifying information. The first metadata and the second metadata are stored in an end user database in association with the end user.