Multi-Service Media Search Query Aggregation Across Categories
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media content search systems are limited by restrictive search format requirements of media content services, necessitating users to specify categories for each query, which is cumbersome and limits search results to a single category.
Innovation Solution
A search service generates multiple queries compliant with the restrictive formats of different media content services and aggregates search results based on categories and services, allowing for a plain language query to retrieve comprehensive results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users specify categories for each search query to comply with media content service requirements, then search results are compliant with service formats, but user convenience deteriorates and search scope is limited to single category
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (search service or controller) that sits between the user and multiple media content services. This intermediary automatically generates multiple category-specific queries based on a single user input, sends them to relevant services, and aggregates the results. The intermediary handles the complexity of complying with different service formats while the user enjoys simplified single-query search, thus resolving the contradiction between compliance reliability and operational ease.
2Loss of information
If users submit multiple category-specific queries to retrieve comprehensive results, then search completeness improves, but time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring knowledge about which media content services support which categories and what query formats they require. When a user submits a search, the system has already prepared the mapping between categories and services, allowing it to quickly generate and dispatch multiple targeted queries simultaneously rather than sequentially browsing through all services. This preliminary preparation reduces the time loss while maintaining search completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple separate search operations into a single unified search experience. Instead of requiring users to submit separate queries to different services for different categories, the system combines these operations by automatically generating multiple queries from one user input, executing them in parallel, and merging the results into a single comprehensive output. This combining approach maintains search completeness while significantly reducing the time and effort users would otherwise spend on multiple separate searches.
3Adaptability or versatility
If search systems support multiple media content services with different format requirements, then service compatibility improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex task of multi-service search into distinct modular components: a configuration module that stores service-specific category and format information, a query generation module that creates service-specific queries based on user input and configuration, and a result aggregation module that combines results from multiple services. Each component handles a specific aspect of the complexity, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable while achieving high service compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
An example computing system receives a media content search query from a controller configured to control media playback by one or more playback devices in a media playback system associated with a plurality of media content services. Based on the search query, the system generates a first set of search queries for the first media content service and a second set of search queries for the second media content service. The computing system receives search results from the first and second media content services and aggregates the search results such that the search results are organized based on (i) categories of media content items corresponding to the search results and (ii) the media content services from which the search results are received. The computing system sends the aggregated search results to the controller for display in their aggregated order.