Granular Media Content Rating via Playback Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current media content rating systems are inadequate as they rely on user input and do not provide granular enough data, leading to inaccurate assessments of user preferences, as they often log entire media file plays regardless of completion or only account for overall file ratings, failing to differentiate between full and partial plays.

Innovation Solution

A highly granular media content rating system that automatically logs and rates portions, segments, or clips of media content based on playback frequency and duration, providing detailed metrics that can be communicated to network entities for improved marketing and advertising strategies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If current rating systems log entire media file plays regardless of completion, then the system is simple to implement, but the measurement precision deteriorates because it cannot differentiate between full and partial plays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of user preference assessmentVSAvoidcomplexity of rating system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the media content into distinct portions (e.g., chapters, scenes, tracks) and tracks playback of each segment separately. This allows the system to measure whether a user played a complete portion or only part of it, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring complex user input mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-defines portions of media content with identifiable boundaries and metadata before playback occurs. This preliminary structuring enables automatic tracking of playback completion status without requiring real-time user input or complex processing during playback.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If rating systems rely on user input for ratings, then the system is simple to implement, but the productivity deteriorates because users must take additional actions beyond playing media

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomation of rating collectionVSAvoiduser interaction requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates ratings by monitoring playback behavior itself. The act of playing media content self-generates the rating data through automatic tracking of playback completion, eliminating the need for separate user rating actions while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses playback completion status as feedback to automatically determine ratings. When a user completes a portion of media content, the system automatically records this completion event and uses it to generate rating metrics, creating a closed-loop system that improves productivity without increasing user burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If rating systems only log complete media file plays, then the measurement precision improves for full plays, but the loss of information increases because partial plays are not captured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of playback trackingVSAvoidinformation about partial plays
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

By dividing media content into smaller portions and tracking each segment's playback status independently, the system captures both complete and partial play information. This segmentation allows precise measurement of what was actually viewed or listened to without losing data about incomplete plays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system tracks playback at a granular level, recording even partial playback of portions as meaningful data points. This approach treats partial plays not as incomplete data but as valuable information about user engagement, thereby reducing information loss while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Loss of information

If rating systems provide only overall file ratings, then the device complexity is low, but the loss of information increases because granular portion ratings are not provided

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegranularity of rating dataVSAvoidcomplexity of rating structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system structures ratings hierarchically, maintaining both overall media file ratings and individual portion ratings. This segmentation of rating data allows granular information about specific portions to be preserved and analyzed separately while still providing aggregate overall ratings, thereby reducing information loss without overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The rating system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides overall file ratings for broad trends, individual portion ratings for detailed analysis, and playback completion data for accuracy verification. This multi-functionality maximizes the value of collected data while using a unified tracking mechanism that manages complexity.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3059887B1Methods and apparatus for an enhanced media content rating system
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3059887B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3059887B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3059887B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, apparatus and computer program products are provided for managing media content ratings metrics at a network entity, comprising receiving media content ratings metrics from a wireless communication device, wherein the ratings metrics rate media content based on the amount of playing of one or more portions of the media content on the wireless communication device, and performing a media content ratings-related task based on the received media content rating metrics. The rating method herein disclosed is highly-granular in nature, in that, the rating method allows for ratings to be based on the number of times that portions, segments, clips of the media file are played or otherwise executed, as opposed to basing the media content rating solely on the number of times that the media file is played.