Media Event Handoff via Controller and Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users experience interruptions when transitioning from one media device to another, such as from a radio to a television, due to the need to manually find and tune into the correct channel, resulting in a loss of media representation during the transition.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a first media device, a communication device, a controller, and a database, which processes event identifiers to seamlessly hand off media representations across different media devices, allowing automatic continuation of the media event without user intervention by correlating event identifiers and transmitting them through various communication links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual channel tuning is used during media device transition, then device simplicity is maintained, but user convenience and continuity of media representation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing event identifiers and media representation data in a database before the transition occurs. When a user transitions from one media device to another, the system has already prepared the necessary information to automatically tune the new device to the correct channel, eliminating the need for manual channel searching and preventing interruption of media representation.
Solution Approach 2:
A controller acts as an intermediary between the first media device and the second media device. The controller receives event identifiers from the first device, queries a database for corresponding event information, and automatically transmits tuning parameters to the second device. This intermediary system bridges the gap between devices during transition, maintaining continuous media representation without user intervention.
2Ease of operation
If automatic event handoff system is implemented, then media continuity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is designed as a universal device that can interface with multiple types of media devices (radio, television, etc.) and perform multiple functions including receiving event identifiers, querying databases, and transmitting tuning parameters. This multi-functional approach consolidates the complexity into a single controller rather than requiring each media device to have independent handoff capabilities, thereby maintaining ease of operation while managing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing a separate controller as an intermediary, the patent isolates the complexity of the automatic handoff system from the individual media devices. The controller handles all complex operations including database queries and parameter transmission, while the media devices themselves remain relatively simple. This distribution of complexity allows media continuity to be achieved without making each individual device overly complex.
3Measurement precision
If event identifier correlation is performed, then handoff accuracy is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing event identifiers and their corresponding event information in a database before any transition occurs. When handoff is needed, the controller simply queries this pre-organized database using the event identifier, rather than performing complex real-time analysis. This preliminary organization of data enables fast, accurate lookups that maintain both handoff accuracy and minimize processing time during the actual transition.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method provides transition continuity for an event across a plurality of media representation device types. The system and method allow identification information for a media event such as a sports game, talk show, music, video, etc. to be handed-off between various media presentation devices such as radios, broadcast televisions, cable television set top boxes, an internet connected computer, satellite receivers, and multimedia cellular phones. A multi-representation media event hand-off method includes receiving (804) a first event identifier that corresponds to a first media representation of an event, correlating (808) the first event identifier to a second event identifier that corresponds to a second media representation of the event, and transmitting (810) data indicative of the second event identifier to a media device that facilitates presentation of the second media representation.