Media Player Supplemental Content Integration via Server Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems lack the ability to seamlessly integrate and display user-generated or supplemental content in association with packaged media items during playback, limiting the interactive and enriching experience for users.
Innovation Solution
A server system and media player system that allows for the transmission and playback of supplemental content items in conjunction with packaged media content, using a data network to retrieve and display user-provided content items such as artwork or commentary during specific scenes or playback locations, enhancing the viewing experience with fan-created content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional standalone media players are used for playback, then device simplicity is maintained, but the ability to integrate and display user-generated supplemental content is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that hosts and manages supplemental content items. The server receives requests from media players, retrieves appropriate supplemental content, and transmits it back. This mediator approach enables enhanced functionality without requiring complex modifications to individual media players, as the complexity is centralized in the server infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The media player system is enhanced to perform multiple functions: traditional media playback, generating playback indications, transmitting requests over data networks, receiving supplemental content, and displaying integrated content. This multi-functionality allows the same device to serve both conventional playback needs and enhanced interactive experiences with user-generated content.
2Loss of information
If supplemental content items are transmitted over data networks during playback, then content enrichment is achieved, but network dependency and potential playback interruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates and transmits playback indications during the playback process to request supplemental content items. By initiating content retrieval during playback rather than requiring pre-loading, the system ensures content is obtained on-demand without preventing playback from commencing, thus maintaining reliability while achieving content completeness.
3Ease of operation
If user-generated content is integrated during playback, then user experience is enhanced, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively retrieves and displays supplemental content items based on user requests and playback context, rather than continuously loading all possible content. This partial action approach enhances user experience with relevant content while avoiding the excessive resource consumption that would result from loading and processing all available supplemental material simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Fans or other persons can upload content that others can choose to view when they play back a film, television show or other packaged media content item. A server system receives a playback indication from a remote media player via a data network, and in response retrieves an uploaded supplemental content item. The playback indication can not only identify the film, television show or other packaged media content item, but can further identify a playback location in the identified content item, such as a specific scene. The server system can use such information to select and retrieve one of a number of uploaded supplemental content items. The server system transmits the supplemental content item to the media player, which then plays back the supplemental content item in association with the packaged media content item.