Multimedia Playback Coordination via Secondary Device Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia playback systems lack efficient methods for coordinating the operation of playback devices with secondary devices to enhance playback experiences and provide additional functionalities, such as text entry and supplemental content management, across a network.
Innovation Solution
The system establishes a virtual connection between a primary media playback device and secondary devices through a content package, allowing for authorization, communication, and control of playback experiences, including text entry and supplemental content transfer, using a content package that configures the devices to establish and manage connections over a distributed network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a multimedia playback system uses only a primary playback device, then the device complexity is low, but the playback experience and additional functionalities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides functionality between a primary playback device and secondary devices. The primary device handles content playback while secondary devices provide specialized functions (text entry, supplemental content display). This segmentation allows each device to be simpler while the overall system achieves enhanced versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The primary playback device is designed to work with multiple types of secondary devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers, televisions) through a universal connection mechanism. The system can dynamically adapt to different device types and provide appropriate functionality based on what secondary devices are available.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system establishes connections with multiple secondary devices, then additional functionalities are provided, but the coordination and security management become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The primary playback device acts as an intermediary that manages connections to multiple secondary devices. It handles authorization verification, connection establishment, and coordination of content distribution. This centralized mediation simplifies the complexity by providing a single point of control rather than requiring peer-to-peer coordination between all devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where secondary devices report their availability and capabilities to the primary device. The primary device uses this feedback to determine which secondary devices to connect with and what functionality to provide, enabling dynamic adaptation to changing system conditions.
3Ease of operation
If the system allows remote secondary devices to control playback, then user interaction is enhanced, but security and authorization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authorization verification before establishing connections with secondary devices. The primary device checks whether secondary devices are authorized to connect and what level of access they should have. This preliminary action ensures security is maintained while still allowing convenient remote control functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for use in playing back content. Some of these methods access a content package comprising media content to be locally played back; detect, as defined by the content package, whether a remote secondary device is available with which a connection can be established; determine whether an authorization to establish the connection has been confirmed; establish, when the authorization is confirmed, a communication connection; determine, as instructed by the content package and when the communication with the secondary device is established, whether one or more commands are received from the secondary device; and implement, as instructed by the content package and when it is determined that the one or more commands are received from the secondary device, the one or more commands in controlling playback experience of the media content.