Multimedia Container System for Direct Content Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mobile operating systems require users to select an application to access content, which is inefficient and does not allow for organization based on specific interests or life events, limiting a personalized experience.

Innovation Solution

A multimedia container system that organizes content and applications graphically, allowing users to select content directly without launching an application, enabling organization by interests and life events, and displaying recently accessed items in a visually navigable interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users select applications to access content in traditional mobile operating systems, then content access is achieved through structured application interfaces, but the process becomes inefficient and prevents organization based on specific interests or life events

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent access efficiencyVSAvoidorganization flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the traditional application-centric interface into a content-centric interface where content is displayed independently of applications. The home screen is divided into content tiles that can be accessed directly, separating content access from application launching. This allows users to access content without navigating through application menus, improving efficiency while enabling flexible organization by interests and life events through customizable content groups.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimensional approach to interface organization by displaying content in a visual grid layout on the home screen, transitioning from the traditional one-dimensional application menu structure to a two-dimensional content tile arrangement. This dimensional change enables direct content access and flexible grouping by interests, allowing users to organize content spatially rather than hierarchically through applications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If content is organized separately within each application, then application functionality is maintained, but users cannot organize content by specific interests or life events across different applications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent organization flexibilityVSAvoidinterface structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal content organization system that works across all applications and content types. The home screen content tiles can represent photos, videos, music, documents, and other content from any application, unified under a single interface paradigm. This multi-functional approach allows consistent organization by interests and life events regardless of content source, reducing the need for separate organization systems for each application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a content tile intermediary layer between the user and application content. Instead of accessing content directly through various application interfaces, users interact with standardized content tiles that mediate access to underlying content from any application. This intermediary enables unified organization by interests while maintaining application functionality, as the content tiles serve as a universal access point without requiring changes to application structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If a fixed grid of application icons is displayed, then the interface structure is simple and consistent, but users cannot navigate content directly and must launch applications to access desired content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent navigation efficiencyVSAvoidtime to access content
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-displaying content thumbnails and previews on the home screen content tiles before users access them. Instead of requiring users to launch applications and then search for content, the desired content is already visible and accessible on the home screen. This preliminary display of content information allows users to identify and access content immediately without the time-consuming process of launching applications and navigating through their interfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9342324B2System and method for displaying a multimedia container
Publication Date: 2016.05.17 RAKUTEN KOBO

AI summary

A system and method for displaying a multimedia container. The method includes accessing, within a mobile device, a datastore corresponding to a multimedia container, wherein the multimedia container comprises a plurality of objects and the datastore comprises information about the plurality of objects; determining a plurality of most recently accessed objects of the plurality of objects; determining a respective image corresponding to each of the plurality of most recently used objects; determining an order of each respective image based on a respective access time of a respective object corresponding to the respective image; and displaying a multimedia container image comprising each respective image according to the order, the multimedia container image corresponds to the multimedia container. In one exemplary implementation, a first object of the plurality of objects is a first portion of content and a second object of the plurality of objects is a second portion of content.