Media Availability Notification System for Multi-Source Content Monitoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing number of content sources and disparate release schedules for media content lead to consumer confusion regarding availability, as existing systems fail to effectively notify users of media content availability across different platforms.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for generating media content availability notifications by receiving user preferences, requesting content availability data from multiple online sources, and sending notifications to electronic devices based on user account data and content delivery preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If users manually check multiple content sources for media availability, then they can find available content, but it consumes excessive time and effort

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent availability detection accuracyVSAvoidtime spent checking availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by proactively monitoring content sources and checking availability in advance. The automated system queries multiple content sources, retrieves availability information, and prepares notification data before the user needs it, eliminating the need for users to manually check each source when they need content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically performing availability checks across multiple content sources without user intervention. The automated monitoring and notification system serves itself by continuously querying sources, processing availability data, and sending notifications autonomously, freeing users from manual checking tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system monitors multiple content sources simultaneously, then it provides comprehensive availability information, but it increases system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-source content monitoring capabilityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies segmentation by dividing the monitoring task into independent modules: content source query modules, availability data processing modules, and notification generation modules. Each module handles specific content sources or tasks independently, making the complex multi-source monitoring system manageable and maintainable through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements universality through a standardized interface and data processing pipeline that can handle multiple content sources with different formats. The unified notification system and availability checking mechanism work across diverse sources, allowing the system to monitor various platforms without requiring separate complex systems for each source.

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

3Reliability

If the system sends notifications for every content availability change, then it ensures users don't miss any content, but it creates notification overload

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent availability notification reliabilityVSAvoidnotification frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by selectively notifying users based on their preferences and priorities. Instead of sending all availability notifications equally, the system filters and prioritizes notifications based on user-defined criteria such as preferred content types, sources, and time windows, sending only the most relevant notifications to avoid overload while maintaining reliability for important content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2764491B1Generating a media content availability notification
Publication Date: 2017.12.27 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP2764491B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2764491B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2764491B1 patent drawingFigure 2C~3

AI summary

Systems and methods for bookmarking media content for future availability are described. The method includes receiving a receiving a request for media content and user account data for a plurality of unique online content sources. The method also includes requesting content availability data from the plurality of unique online content sources and using received content availability data to generate a notification. Pricing information, the media format, and notification preferences may be used to further configure the searches and notifications.