Dynamic Broadcast Storage Windows for Efficient Catch-Up Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing playback devices face significant bandwidth consumption and memory inefficiencies when implementing 'Start Over' or 'Catch-Up' features due to large description files and unnecessary storage of content that has ended, leading to decreased interface fluidity and increased memory usage.

Innovation Solution

A method and entity that dynamically vary the time range for storing broadcast content, ensuring only currently broadcast content is stored, reducing the size of description files and optimizing memory usage by deleting content not accessible in its entirety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the time range for storing broadcast content is fixed to allow start over functionality, then delayed playback capability is improved, but description file size increases significantly and bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedelayed playback capabilityVSAvoiddescription file size
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic time range adjustment mechanism where the storage time range is automatically modified based on the duration of currently broadcasting content. When content duration exceeds the fixed time range, the system extends the range selectively, thereby reducing description file size and bandwidth consumption while preserving start over functionality for relevant content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of time range duration dynamically rather than maintaining a fixed value. By adjusting the time range parameter according to actual broadcast content duration, the system optimizes the balance between delayed playback capability and resource consumption (description file size and bandwidth).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the time range for storing broadcast content is extended to allow replay of older content, then catch-up functionality is improved, but memory usage increases due to unnecessary storage of ended content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecatch-up functionalityVSAvoidmemory usage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic adjustment of the storage time range that adapts to the actual needs of catch-up functionality. By making the time range flexible rather than fixed, the system stores only the necessary portion of broadcast content, thereby reducing memory usage while maintaining the ability to replay recent content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts and stores only the essential portion of broadcast content that is needed for catch-up playback, rather than storing the entire fixed time range. This selective storage approach reduces memory consumption by eliminating unnecessary content storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If a fixed time range is used for content storage, then system simplicity is maintained, but interface fluidity deteriorates due to significant parsing times of large description files

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidinterface fluidity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic time range adjustment that automatically optimizes description file size based on actual broadcast content. This dynamic approach maintains system simplicity while improving interface fluidity by reducing parsing times through selective time range extension rather than uniformly large fixed ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4607931A1Method for managing access to contents broadcast in real time
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 ORANGE SA
  • EP4607931A1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP4607931A1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP4607931A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for managing the storage of parts of content after successive broadcasts of said parts, the storage of the parts having been broadcast being carried out over a given time range (PT) preceding the current broadcast time (tc1), characterized in that the time range varies over time.