Dynamic Media Playlist Adjustment for Time-Aligned Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media playback systems fail to efficiently update media playlists in response to user alterations such as pausing or fast-forwarding, leading to mismatches with intended time periods, causing users to miss the end of the playlist.

Innovation Solution

A media guidance application dynamically generates and updates media playlists by adjusting content length and asset selection based on playback alterations, ensuring the playlist concludes within the intended time period by adding or removing content, and prioritizing continuity or starting from the same asset if altered during playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a user pauses or fast-forwards the media playlist playback, then the user can freely modify the playback to suit personal needs, but the playlist will no longer correspond to the particular time period and may run over the allotted time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback modification freedomVSAvoidplaylist duration alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the playlist content based on the actual playback progress. When playback alteration operations occur, the system recalculates the remaining time and replaces content to ensure the playlist concludes at the intended end time, making the playlist duration adaptive rather than fixed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system monitors playback alteration operations (pauses, fast-forwards) and uses this feedback to trigger playlist updates. By detecting when playback deviates from the original timeline, the system initiates content replacement to realign the playlist duration with the intended time period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If the media playlist is generated with a fixed play length for a specific time period, then the playlist initially aligns with the intended time period, but playback alterations cause the playlist to run over time and users may miss the end of the playlist

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinitial playlist duration accuracyVSAvoidplaylist conclusion timing

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a static playlist with fixed duration to a dynamic playlist that automatically adjusts its content and duration. When playback alterations are detected, the system replaces content to maintain alignment with the intended end time, ensuring reliable conclusion timing despite user modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the playlist parameters (content, duration) in response to playback alterations. By modifying the playlist composition based on actual playback progress, the system maintains the reliability of the conclusion timing while allowing flexible playback control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If the media guidance application quickly generates and updates media playlists in response to playback alterations, then the playlist can be efficiently adjusted to fit the remaining time, but additional operations are required to maintain alignment with the time period

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplaylist generation speedVSAvoidplaylist management operations

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automatic playlist updates without requiring manual user intervention. When playback alterations occur, the media guidance application independently detects the change, calculates the remaining time, selects appropriate content, and updates the playlist, thereby managing the complexity internally while maintaining simple user interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-prepares replacement content and has update mechanisms ready to quickly replace playlist items when playback alterations occur. This preliminary preparation enables fast playlist regeneration, maintaining high productivity even though multiple operations are performed in the background.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9134790B2Methods and systems for rectifying the lengths of media playlists based on time criteria

Publication Date: 2015.09.15 ADEIA GUIDES INC

AI summary

Methods and systems are described for generating and updating media playlists in response to playback alteration operations performed by a user. For example, a media guidance application may generate a media playlist accessible during a set time period (e.g., from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM), which has a one hour play length. If a playback alteration operation (e.g., a pause or fast-forward operation) occurs during the playback of the media playlist, the media guidance application updates (e.g., by adding or removing content) the media playlist such that the media playlist has a play length that concludes by the end of the set time period (e.g., 8:00 PM).