Episodic Media Collections With Multi-Source Episode Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Managing collections of episodic media content is challenging due to inconvenient scheduling and difficulty in finding available episodes across various content sources, leading to missed recordings.

Innovation Solution

A media device is configured to create and manage media content collections by automatically retrieving information on episode availability from multiple sources, generating interfaces for organizing and displaying content, and enabling users to customize recording settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually schedule separate recordings for each individual episode, then recording control is precise, but user convenience deteriorates and time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the media content into individual episodes while maintaining collection-level management. Users can create a media content collection that automatically manages multiple episodes, allowing them to select and record specific episodes without manually scheduling each one separately. This segmentation enables both automated collection management and selective episode recording.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically detecting and retrieving information about media content episodes, their availability across multiple sources, and scheduling them for recording before users need to view them. The media device proactively manages the collection by monitoring content sources and preparing recordings in advance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If users manually track episode availability across multiple content sources, then recording reliability improves, but operation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverecording reliabilityVSAvoidoperation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The media device is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple tasks simultaneously: it monitors multiple content sources (broadcast, cable, satellite, internet), automatically detects episode availability, retrieves information about media content, and manages recording schedules. This universal capability eliminates the need for users to manually track availability across different sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides self-service by automatically performing tasks that would otherwise require user intervention. The media device autonomously monitors content sources, detects when episodes are available, retrieves information about them, and schedules recordings without requiring users to manually check each source or configure individual recording parameters for each episode.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of operation

If the system automatically manages episode recording, then user convenience improves, but control precision over individual episodes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidepisode selection flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic control where users can adjust their level of automation involvement. Users can create a media content collection with automated management for overall scheduling, while simultaneously maintaining the ability to selectively enable or disable recording for specific episodes within the collection. This dynamic adaptability allows users to switch between fully automated and manually controlled modes as needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Loss of information

If the system monitors multiple content sources for episode availability, then content availability information improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent availability informationVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the monitoring and information retrieval functions into a unified automated process. The media device combines monitoring of multiple content sources (broadcast, cable, satellite, internet) with automatic detection and information retrieval about episode availability. This consolidation presents comprehensive availability information to users through a single interface without requiring users to understand or manage the complexity of multiple sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12457384B2Managing collections of episodic media content

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

A media content management system that enables users to manage media content collections is disclosed. A media device is configured to receive requests to create media content collections for particular media content and, in response, to retrieve information related to the media content, and to generate one or more interfaces displaying information about created media content collections. In an embodiment, retrieving information related to a media content may include determining, for one or more episodes of the media content, whether the episode is available from various content sources, including both broadcast and broadband content sources. By enabling a media device to automatically retrieve and present information related to the availability of media content episodes across any number of different broadcast and broadband sources, users can more easily interact with and view information about particular media content of interest to the users.