Electronic Device Seamless Media Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

In IoT environments, there is a need for electronic devices to continuously reproduce multimedia content across multiple interconnected devices, such as smart phones and smart home appliances, while maintaining user experience and ensuring seamless connectivity.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with a processor, memory, and communication circuitry identifies connectivity with external devices and sends requests to ensure continuous multimedia content reproduction, displaying visual objects on the screen to notify users and manage connections through servers, allowing for intuitive user input to control the content across devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multimedia content reproduction is stopped on the electronic device, then the electronic device can perform other operations or be used for other purposes, but the user experience is degraded because the content playback is interrupted and cannot be continued on external devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-device content continuityVSAvoidmanual intervention requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting external devices in advance and preparing continuity information before the user actually needs to switch devices. The electronic device identifies connectable external devices and prepares visual objects indicating continuous reproduction capability before the user stops playback, enabling seamless transition without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by displaying visual objects that provide real-time information about external device connectivity and continuous reproduction capability. This feedback loop allows the user to understand the system's ability to maintain playback continuity, reducing uncertainty and manual verification needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the electronic device continuously monitors for external devices to enable seamless content transfer, then the user experience is improved through automatic continuity, but the device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic content continuityVSAvoidconnectivity monitoring system
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication circuitry performs multiple functions: it serves as the primary communication interface for normal device operations and simultaneously acts as a detection mechanism for identifying external devices capable of continuous content reproduction. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated monitoring hardware, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If the electronic device displays visual objects indicating external device connectivity, then the user is informed about continuous reproduction capability, but the display screen real estate is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnectivity information transparencyVSAvoiddisplay screen area
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a two-dimensional display plane to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement by positioning visual objects in different spatial relationships. The first visual object is displayed at a first position and the second visual object at a second position different from the first, creating a spatial hierarchy that conveys connectivity information without uniformly occupying screen space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3863256B1Electronic device and method for continuously reproducing multimedia content in external electronic device
Publication Date: 2024.08.21 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3863256B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3863256B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3863256B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes memory configured to store instructions, at least one communication circuitry, at least one display, and at least one processor, wherein at least one processor is configured to, identify, through the at least one communication circuitry, that a connection with an external electronic device which is reproducing multimedia content is released; receive, through the at least one communication circuitry, a message for displaying a visual object indicating that the electronic device is capable of continuously reproducing the multimedia content from a time at which reproduction of the multimedia content has been progressed in the external electronic device, before a first time elapses from identifying that the connection with the external electronic device which is reproducing multimedia content is released; and in response to receiving the message, superimpose and display the visual object on a screen which is being displayed through the at least one display.