Media Player Framework for Third-Party Access Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Third-party media applications on devices have limited access to content and metadata, restricting their functionality due to security concerns, and there is a need for a solution that balances security with the ability to manage media playback effectively.

Innovation Solution

A media player framework provides an API that acts as a bridge between third-party applications and the native media player, allowing access to content and metadata while maintaining security by controlling how the native media player's state is modified, enabling seamless playback and metadata retrieval.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If third-party applications are granted full access to content and metadata, then their functionality is improved, but security is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefunctionality of third-party applicationsVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a media player framework that serves as an intermediary layer between third-party applications and the native media player. This framework provides controlled access to media playback functionality through defined APIs, allowing third-party applications to manage playback without directly accessing protected content and metadata. The framework mediates all interactions, granting functionality while maintaining security boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If third-party applications can access content and metadata, then their usability is improved, but the native media player's state may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveusability of third-party applicationsVSAvoidnative media player state integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The media player framework acts as a protective intermediary that manages all state changes to the native media player. Third-party applications interact with the framework through controlled APIs, which then manage interactions with the native player. This ensures usability for third-party apps while the framework maintains state integrity by controlling and validating all modifications to the native media player's state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of allowing third-party applications direct access to the native media player and then restricting it, the patent inverts the approach by having the framework provide the playback functionality that third-party applications would otherwise need. The framework becomes the active provider of services rather than a passive restriction, allowing third-party apps to request playback while the framework maintains control over the actual player state.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9946583B2Media player framework

Publication Date: 2018.04.17 APPLE INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for managing media playback are described. In one embodiment, a third party media request is received from a third party application. A native media request is sent to a native media player in response to the third party media request. The native media request causes the native media player to access content or metadata. Metadata is returned to the third party application if the third party media request requested data. The native media player performs a content operation on the content if the third party media request requested a content operation.