Media Metadata Search During Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems do not allow users to easily search for and interact with media content they are currently experiencing, limiting the ability to discover related content across different services during playback.
Innovation Solution
A networked playback system that displays metadata of the current media content, enabling users to select and query multiple media servers for associated content, allowing users to play or add media to a digital repository while the content is being rendered.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users want to search for related media content across multiple services, then the adaptability and versatility of the media system is improved, but the device complexity and difficulty of operation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a media server as an intermediary component that mediates between the user interface and multiple media content sources. The media server receives search requests from the user interface, queries multiple media servers using the common media interface, and aggregates results. This intermediary layer shields users from the complexity of managing multiple media services while enabling versatile cross-service content discovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a common media interface that enables a single user interface to interact with multiple different media servers through standardized protocols. This universal interface allows the system to perform multiple functions (searching, playing, managing content) across diverse media services without requiring separate interfaces for each service, thereby improving versatility while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If users want to interact with media metadata during playback, then the ease of operation is improved, but the loss of time in processing and responding increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-loading and caching media metadata during the playback of first media content. While the media is playing, the system proactively retrieves and stores information about second media content that might be of interest to the user. This preliminary action ensures that when users interact with metadata during playback, the search results are already prepared or can be quickly assembled from cached data, minimizing response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous operation by allowing media playback to continue uninterrupted while metadata processing and search operations occur in the background. The system maintains the playback stream while simultaneously processing user interactions with metadata and querying for related content. This continuity ensures that useful actions (playback and search) occur concurrently without significant time loss, as the media server handles multiple operations in parallel.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments are provided for querying a media server for media content based on user-selected metadata associated with first media while the first media is being experienced by a user. In one embodiment, at least one metadata associated with the first media may be displayed for the user to review while the first media is being experienced by the user. The user may then select a displayed metadata to initiate a search for media content based on the selected metadata. The search for media content may be performed by querying a media server associated with a selection of media content services. The user may then review the results of the media query, select media content from the results, and initiate further action, such as adding the media content to a digital repository, or purchasing the media content.