Media Player External Resource Leveraging
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a challenge in increasing the functionality and performance of electronic devices like media players without significantly increasing their cost, as additional features often require duplicating resources such as storage and network interfaces within the device.
Innovation Solution
A media player system that leverages external devices for resources like remote storage and network connectivity, allowing it to provide enhanced functionality at a lower cost by using these external resources, and includes a virtual file system to manage access and storage of content across both local and external storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional functionality and performance features are added to a media player, then the device's capability is improved, but the production cost increases due to duplicating resources like storage and network interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts storage and network interface resources from the media player device itself and relocates them to external devices. The media player only retains the functionality to access and utilize these external resources, thereby achieving enhanced functionality without duplicating expensive hardware components within the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes storage and network interface resources universal by allowing them to be shared across multiple devices. Instead of each media player having its own dedicated storage and network interface, these resources are externalized and can be accessed by multiple players, making the resources serve multiple functions and devices simultaneously.
2Quantity of substance
If storage capacity and network interface capabilities are increased within the media player, then performance is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes storage capacity requirements from the media player by extracting this function to external storage devices. The player only needs minimal local storage for temporary operations, while the bulk of storage capacity resides externally, dramatically reducing device complexity and component count.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary interface layer that enables the media player to access external storage and network resources as if they were local. This virtualization layer mediates between the player's simplified hardware and the external resources, maintaining ease of use while reducing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the media player includes built-in storage and network interfaces, then it can operate independently, but the cost and complexity increase without proportionate benefit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables external devices to serve themselves by providing storage and network interface capabilities that can be accessed by multiple media players. The external resources are self-contained and can be utilized independently by each player that connects to them, eliminating the need for each player to have built-in versions of these expensive components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprises a media player to receive a removable medium. The media player to include logic and to couple to a display device and to a device external to said media player. The external device includes storage. The media player is to cause information to be downloaded onto the external device's storage. The information to be used by said media player when playing content from said removable medium. After receiving the removable medium, the logic is to determine whether an update is available on the network for the information. The logic is to provide access to the information once stored in the external device's storage.