Pause Point Selection for Shared Media Profiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current media distribution systems face challenges in tracking and resuming media asset progress for multiple users with shared profiles, leading to cumbersome navigation and resource wastage, as well as issues with preserving individual viewing progress across different user profiles.

Innovation Solution

The system identifies and stores pause points for each user interaction profile, selects the correct pause point based on user interface inputs, and generates the media asset for presentation from the selected pause point, optionally providing previews to confirm accuracy, thereby allowing seamless resumption without requiring users to rewind or fast-forward.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a shared media profile is used to allow multiple users to access content, then access versatility is improved, but the ability to track individual viewing progress is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess versatilityVSAvoidindividual viewing progress

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the shared media profile into multiple user-specific profiles, each capable of maintaining independent viewing progress. When a user accesses content, the system identifies their specific profile and stores pause points separately for each user, allowing individual progress tracking while maintaining shared account access.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism that monitors user interface inputs and identifies which user is currently accessing the media asset. This intermediary layer tracks navigation patterns and associates pause points with the correct user profile, enabling progress preservation without requiring users to manually log in or select profiles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple users can access the same media asset with different pause points, then user flexibility is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs self-service mechanisms where user interface inputs automatically generate and update pause points without requiring manual user intervention. The system monitors navigation patterns, detects when users pause or stop watching, and automatically saves progress points associated with the correct user profile, reducing the need for complex manual profile management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of pause point storage from a single shared location to multiple user-specific locations. By associating pause points with specific user profiles rather than storing them in a common pool, the system enables multiple users to maintain different progress points for the same media asset while keeping the implementation relatively simple through automated profile identification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If pause points are stored for multiple users, then viewing progress preservation is improved, but bandwidth and computing resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewing progress preservationVSAvoidbandwidth and computing resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by storing pause points only when actually needed - specifically when a user pauses or stops watching a media asset. Rather than continuously monitoring and storing all user interactions, the system selectively saves progress information only at relevant pause points, reducing unnecessary bandwidth and computing resource consumption while maintaining reliable progress preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

4Ease of operation

If the system automatically selects pause points based on user interface inputs, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoiduser identification accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback mechanisms by monitoring user interface inputs and navigation patterns to identify which user is accessing the media asset. The system analyzes interaction patterns, compares them against stored profiles, and provides feedback by selecting the most likely user profile. This automated feedback loop enables easy operation while managing measurement precision requirements through pattern recognition rather than exact matching.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11722740B2Systems and methods for predictive selection of pause points

Publication Date: 2023.08.08 ADEIA GUIDES INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are described for storing an identification of a first pause point of a media asset associated with a first user interaction profile; storing an identification of a second pause point of the media asset associated with a second user interaction profile; receiving a request to access the media asset during a current consumption session; identifying user interface inputs received during the current consumption session; selecting one of the first pause point and the second pause point as a selected pause point based on determining whether the identified user interface inputs match user interface inputs associated with the first user interaction profile or the second user interaction profile; and generating for presentation the media asset starting from the selected pause point.