Media Receiver Thumbnail Extraction for Content Search

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media receivers lack effective search functions for stored programs, as current techniques using progress bars are inadequate for efficiently navigating and understanding the content of recorded media.

Innovation Solution

A method for a media receiver that extracts and displays thumbnail images at prescribed intervals, allowing users to select and switch between first and second thumbnail images, providing enhanced content exploration by rolling, fading, or overlapping display formats, along with time-shift information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a progress bar is used to indicate program status, then the search function is implemented, but the user cannot efficiently understand the content of recorded media

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch functionVSAvoidcontent understanding

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates thumbnail images as visual copies of program content at specific time intervals. These thumbnails serve as informative representations that allow users to quickly understand program content without watching the entire program, thus resolving the contradiction between easy search operation and content understanding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the program content into discrete segments represented by individual thumbnail images at prescribed time intervals. This segmentation allows users to navigate through specific portions of the program by selecting relevant thumbnails, improving both search efficiency and content comprehension.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If thumbnail images are extracted and displayed, then content exploration is enhanced, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent informationVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only essential visual information at prescribed time intervals rather than processing the entire program content. This partial action approach provides sufficient content information through selective thumbnail extraction while avoiding the complexity of processing all program data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Productivity

If multiple thumbnail images are displayed sequentially, then search efficiency is improved, but the display time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesearch efficiencyVSAvoiddisplay time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent displays thumbnail images at prescribed time intervals rather than continuously. This periodic display approach allows users to efficiently scan through program content by viewing thumbnails at regular intervals, improving search efficiency while reducing total display time compared to continuous playback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS9292176B2Apparatus and method for managing media content

Publication Date: 2016.03.22 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A method for managing media content includes storing a program received from a tuner in a storage device, outputting a plurality of first thumbnail images from the program to a display screen, extracting one or more second thumbnail images in a section of the program between a selected first thumbnail image and another first thumbnail image, and outputting the second thumbnail images to the display screen.