Media Merchandise Delivery Tailored to Device Capabilities

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Solution Overview

Problem

The proliferation of media content across various devices poses challenges in providing users with relevant merchandise opportunities, as different devices have unique capabilities, leading to inconsistencies in available purchase options and user experiences.

Innovation Solution

A system that tailors purchase opportunities for users based on their device type by categorizing user equipment and providing relevant merchandise information, allowing users to preview, purchase, or learn more about merchandise related to media programs directly through their devices, using a server/distribution system that determines the appropriate categories and location-based availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If media content is made accessible across multiple device types, then the audience reach is expanded, but the consistency of merchandise presentation deteriorates due to varying device capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudience reachVSAvoidmerchandise presentation consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system tailors merchandise presentation to specific device types by detecting the user's device category (e.g., television, computer, mobile device) and delivering customized merchandise information appropriate for each device's capabilities. This ensures consistent quality of presentation experience while adapting to local device characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes presentation parameters such as merchandise detail depth, interaction options, and information format based on the detected device type. For example, television devices receive simpler presentation with fewer interaction options, while computers receive more detailed information with greater interaction capabilities, maintaining optimal presentation quality across different device parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If generic merchandise opportunities are provided to all devices, then implementation complexity is reduced, but user experience quality deteriorates due to irrelevant purchase options

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem implementation complexityVSAvoiduser experience quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary device detection and categorization before delivering merchandise information. By identifying the device type in advance (television, computer, mobile, etc.), the system can pre-filter and customize merchandise opportunities to match device capabilities, avoiding the need for complex real-time adaptation while ensuring high user experience quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If detailed merchandise information is provided to all devices, then information completeness is improved, but device performance deteriorates due to processing limitations of certain devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemerchandise information completenessVSAvoiddevice performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system delivers appropriately detailed merchandise information based on device capabilities. High-capacity devices like computers receive comprehensive merchandise details, while resource-constrained devices like mobile phones receive streamlined information, optimizing the balance between information completeness and device performance for each local context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2528329B1Systems and methods for commerce in media program related merchandise
Publication Date: 2022.02.02 ADEIA GUIDES INC
  • EP2528329B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2528329B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2528329B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The disclosed technology provides systems and methods for delivering a media program and purchase opportunities related to the media program to user equipment. A media program and its related merchandise information can be located at a distribution facility. The distribution facility can tailor the purchase opportunities it provides to the user equipment based on the user equipment's equipment category. When user equipment receives purchase opportunities, the user equipment can select the opportunities based on which types of merchandise are supported by the user equipment. The user equipment and/or a distribution facility may be able to determine the location of the user equipment. When the distribution facility provides merchandise information for physical merchandise to the user equipment, the merchandise information can be selected to include physical merchandise that are available for purchase at stores that are, for example, near the location of the user equipment.