IP-Based Digital Video Scheduling via Remote Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large facilities face challenges in efficiently finding, scheduling, and reproducing digital audiovisual content due to the voluminous amounts of data, leading to complex operations and high equipment costs.
Innovation Solution
A system architecture that includes a local-area network coupled to a wide-area network, with a main server system managing a directory of subscribed content items, media play devices, and digital media storage devices, facilitating easy content selection, scheduling, and real-time playback control through a user-friendly interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all potentially desired digital content is downloaded and centralized within the facility using electronic storage in local video servers, then content availability is improved, but equipment expense and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the content library from the local facility and places it on a remote server accessible via network. The local system only maintains a client application and minimal caching capability, rather than storing all content locally. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining content availability through network access while dramatically reducing local equipment complexity and expense.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal content delivery architecture where a single network-connected client system can access any content from the remote library, schedule playback, and control multiple output devices. This multi-functional approach replaces the need for multiple dedicated local servers, reducing equipment complexity while maintaining comprehensive content availability.
2Productivity
If a centralized audiovisual system is implemented to provide multimedia content to multiple locations, then equipment usage efficiency is improved, but system complexity and scheduling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an automated scheduling system where users can independently schedule content playback through a simple client interface. The system automatically manages resource allocation, device scheduling, and content delivery without requiring complex manual coordination. This self-service approach maintains high equipment usage efficiency while reducing scheduling complexity for users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the central server tracks device availability, content usage patterns, and scheduling conflicts. This feedback enables the system to automatically optimize equipment allocation and provide users with real-time information about resource availability, simplifying the scheduling process while maximizing equipment utilization efficiency.
3Device complexity
If digital content is accessed from a remote subscription-based library over a network, then equipment cost is reduced, but content finding and scheduling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a content library manager as an intermediary between users and the remote content library. This manager provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies content searching, filtering by subject matter areas, and scheduling. It handles the complexity of network communication, authentication, and content delivery, making the system easy to operate while maintaining low equipment costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary actions by pre-organizing the remote content library into subject matter areas and educational standards categories. The system also performs preliminary content retrieval and validation before playback, so users don't need to navigate complex technical details. This preliminary organization and processing make content finding easy while keeping the local system simple and cost-effective.
Data Source
AI summary
An audiovisual system is provided for a facility having a facility distribution system with a plurality of channels receivable throughout the facility. A plurality of digital media storage devices store digital content files and each reproduce a respective digital content file as respective analog output signals. Each of the respective analog output signals is coupled to respective channels of the facility distribution system. A main server system is coupled to a LAN and provides a directory of subscribed content items in a content library accessible over a WAN. The main server system maintains respective listings of downloaded content items corresponding to each of the digital media storage devices, wherein the main server system is accessible to a user for initiating reproduction of a selected subscribed content item at a selected time. The main server system initiates transfer of the selected subscribed content item from the content library if not listed in a respective listing of downloaded content items for one of the digital media storage devices which is available at the selected time.