IPTV Bookmark Sharing via Centralized Mediator Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IPTV systems do not allow users to share bookmarks created on one device with other IPTV terminals within the same home network or with other users, limiting the sharing of specific content points across different devices and networks.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for sharing bookmarks across IPTV terminals in a home network and between users, involving determining bookmark information, storing it on an IPTV terminal, transmitting it to an IPTV service provider, and selecting available bookmarks for sharing, using metadata to control access and sharing types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bookmarks are stored locally on each IPTV terminal, then each terminal can access its own bookmarks independently, but bookmarks cannot be shared across different terminals and networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary server that acts as a mediator between multiple IPTV terminals. This server stores bookmark information centrally and enables terminals to access shared bookmarks through standardized protocols, resolving the contradiction by adding a manageable intermediate layer rather than requiring direct complex peer-to-peer communication between terminals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal bookmark sharing system that works across different terminal types (TVs, computers, mobile devices) and networks. The standardized interface allows any terminal to both create and access bookmarks, making the system multi-functional and adaptable to various devices without requiring terminal-specific customization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bookmark sharing is enabled across networks, then users can access bookmarks from different homes, but security and privacy control become more difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different privacy levels for different bookmark entries. Each bookmark can be configured with specific access rights (public, private, or shared with specific users), enabling fine-grained control over what information is shared and with whom, thus maintaining privacy reliability while enabling cross-network sharing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by requiring explicit user authorization before allowing bookmark sharing. Users must actively choose to share bookmarks and can pre-set access conditions, ensuring that privacy protection is established in advance rather than relying on post-access control mechanisms.
3Productivity
If bookmarks are managed as content items, then new service models and revenue streams can be created, but the management system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges bookmark management functionality with existing IPTV service provider infrastructure. By combining bookmark storage, access control, and distribution with the existing content delivery system, the patent enables new service models (such as paid bookmark sharing or targeted advertising) without requiring entirely separate complex management systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for sharing a bookmark, which is created by a user, with other users. In a method for sharing a bookmark in a home network, information of a bookmark for sharing in a home network device of a bookmark creator is created. The bookmark or the information of the bookmark is stored in an Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) terminal in the home network of the bookmark creator. The bookmark or the information of the bookmark is then transmitted from the IPTV terminal to an IPTV service provider.