Media Processor Augmenting Set-Top Box Content via QR Overlay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers desire more choices in media services beyond what a single service provider offers, as they often lack control over the types of media content and advertising received.
Innovation Solution
A media processor is coupled with a set top box to receive media services from a first service provider and augment them with supplemental content from a second service provider, using a two-dimensional bar code to identify and overlay additional data such as images, audio, and video, allowing for enhanced content presentation based on user preferences and device orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single service provider is used to provide media services, then service control and simplicity are improved, but consumer choice and content variety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media service delivery system into multiple independent service providers, each capable of delivering content through their own channels. The consumer device can receive and process content from multiple providers simultaneously, breaking the monopoly of a single provider while maintaining simple service access through a unified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The consumer device is designed with multi-functionality to handle content from multiple service providers through a single interface. The device can process, display, and manage media content from different sources without requiring separate systems for each provider, thus maintaining ease of operation while expanding consumer choice.
2Adaptability or versatility
If supplemental content from multiple sources is combined, then content variety and user experience are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that manages the integration of content from multiple service providers. This intermediary handles the complexity of coordinating multiple content sources, managing data flows, and synchronizing supplemental content with primary content, thereby shielding the consumer from system complexity while enabling content variety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple content delivery streams into a unified output that the consumer device can process through a single interface. By combining the functionality of receiving, processing, and displaying content from multiple providers into one integrated system, the patent reduces the perceived complexity for the consumer while maintaining content variety.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media processor that includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller can be programmed to receive media content from a set top box where the set top box is a separate device from the media processor and where the media content includes video content. The controller can also be programmed to receive supplemental content from a mobile communication device where the supplemental content is based on reading of a two dimensional bar code by the mobile communication device, and where the supplemental content comprises an image. The controller can further be programmed to generate augmented content by overlaying the supplemental content with the media content and to provide the augmented content to a display device for presentation.