Media Docking Station for Unified Digital Content Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Managing digital content across multiple portable devices is complex and inconvenient due to increased storage capacity and the variety of devices owned by consumers, necessitating a method to efficiently classify and filter content.

Innovation Solution

A media management apparatus with a touch screen and control unit that connects to multiple digital devices, classifies and filters content based on user behavior, such as keyword selection and metadata extraction, to provide an intuitive graphical user interface for content management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If storage capacity of digital devices increases to store large amounts of content, then the amount of stored content increases, but the complexity of managing digital contents across multiple devices increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveamount of stored contentVSAvoidcomplexity of managing digital contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a Media Docking Station as an intermediary device between multiple digital devices and the user. This docking station provides a centralized interface for managing contents across multiple devices, eliminating the need for users to manually manage each device separately. The docking station acts as a mediator that aggregates contents from various devices and presents a unified management interface, thereby reducing management complexity while maintaining large storage capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The docking station is designed with multi-functional capabilities to handle diverse content types (audio, video, images) from multiple different digital devices simultaneously. It provides universal content management functions including playback, storage, search, and classification that work across various device types and content formats, thereby managing large amounts of heterogeneous content without increasing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the number of digital devices owned by a consumer increases, then the variety of content available increases, but the convenience of managing device-specific contents decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevariety of contentVSAvoidconvenience of managing device-specific contents

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the management interfaces of multiple digital devices into a single unified interface provided by the docking station. Instead of requiring separate management operations for each device, the docking station combines all device contents into one accessible repository, allowing users to search, play, and manage content from multiple devices through a single convenient interface, thereby maintaining content variety while improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The docking station segments content management into distinct functional areas: content aggregation from multiple devices, centralized processing and classification, and unified user access. This segmentation allows the system to handle diverse content from various devices independently while presenting a simplified unified interface to the user, thereby maintaining versatility while improving operational convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If manual classification and filtering of contents is performed, then content organization is achieved, but the time and effort required for content management increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent organizationVSAvoidtime and effort for content management

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The docking station implements automated classification and filtering functions that operate without requiring manual user intervention. The system automatically analyzes content metadata, extracts keywords, and organizes contents into appropriate categories based on predefined criteria. This self-service automation maintains effective content organization while eliminating the time and effort that would be required for manual classification, thereby reducing the loss of time while preserving organizational benefits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10691742B2Contents management method and apparatus

Publication Date: 2020.06.23 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A content management method and apparatus is provided for conveniently and efficiently classifying and filtering contents stored in at least one digital device. A contents management method may include displaying, when a digital device is connected, graphical user interface (GUI) objects representing the digital devices and contents stored in the digital devices, and setting keywords for classifying the contents in response to events triggered by user behaviors in association with at least one of the GUI objects. The method may also include displaying the GUI objects representative of the contents classified by using the keywords.