Hierarchical Media Grouping for Bandwidth and Navigation Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Video on Demand (VOD) systems face high bandwidth requirements and user overwhelm due to the need for point-to-point connections and extensive media content listings, making it difficult for users to navigate and select media content effectively.
Innovation Solution
A media system that receives listings of media content entities from a server, allowing users to select group entities, which then display associated individual media content for further selection, reducing the amount of information transmitted and displayed, thereby managing user choice and optimizing bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all individual media content entities are listed and transmitted to each user, then complete media content information is provided to users, but bandwidth requirements become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments media content into hierarchical groups (genre groups, category groups, artist groups) rather than presenting all individual items. Users navigate through grouped categories, and only specific content metadata is transmitted when needed, dramatically reducing bandwidth while maintaining information accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces group entities as intermediaries between the media library and users. These group entities aggregate multiple individual media items and present them in organized categories, serving as a mediator that reduces the information burden on both the transmission system and the user interface.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all media content items are displayed in the graphical user interface, then users have access to complete media library, but users find too many different items daunting and navigation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the media library into hierarchical groupings (genre, category, artist groups) that organize content into manageable sections. Users navigate through these segmented categories rather than browsing all items at once, making the interface less overwhelming while maintaining comprehensive access to the media library.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds hierarchical dimensions to the media presentation structure by organizing content into multiple levels of grouping. Instead of a flat list of all media items, users navigate through layered categories, creating a multi-dimensional browsing experience that simplifies navigation while preserving content accessibility.
3Reliability
If point-to-point connections are established to each user in VOD system, then individual user bandwidth demands are met, but instantaneous bandwidth requirements for all users become very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple user requests into shared group entity structures. Instead of each user receiving individual media item metadata separately, the system creates shared group representations that can serve multiple users simultaneously, reducing redundant data transmission while maintaining individualized service capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the media delivery system into hierarchical layers where group entity definitions are transmitted once and cached, while individual content selection occurs locally. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliable point-to-point content delivery while reducing the bandwidth burden of repeated metadata transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A media device is provided for receiving a listing of media content items from a server, at least one of the media content items being a group entity which is representative of a collection of individual media content items. Each of the media content items is then presented to the user for selection. A user may select one of the group entities and the associated individual media content items will then be presented to the user for further selection. An individual media content item may be selected and the selected media content may be transmitted from the server to the media receiver for immediate play back or saved for later playback.