Portable Media Hub with Local DVR and Wireless Hotspot

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions fail to provide seamless access to media content from service providers across various locations, especially for users in cellular-connected automobiles, often requiring unreliable internet connections and inconvenient login processes.

Innovation Solution

A portable media device that acts as a digital video recorder and media hub, capable of storing content locally, providing a wireless hotspot, and allowing BYOD access, with intelligent routing and geofencing to sync content across locations, and enabling voice commands for control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users access media content through service providers at specific locations, then content delivery is reliable, but user mobility and access flexibility are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess flexibilityVSAvoidcontent delivery reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The portable media device performs preliminary actions by downloading and storing media content locally before the user needs to access it. The device automatically downloads content when connected to the service provider's network at home, and stores it in local memory, so that the content is readily available when the user travels or moves to locations without reliable internet access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The portable media device acts as an intermediary between the service provider's content delivery system and the user's mobile devices. It receives content from the service provider, stores it locally, and then redistributes it to user devices via wireless connectivity, bridging the gap between fixed content sources and mobile consumption locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If internet connection is used for content delivery, then access flexibility is improved, but data consumption and connection reliability issues increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess flexibilityVSAvoiddata consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The device downloads content in advance when connected to the service provider's network, storing it locally in its memory. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous data transmission over cellular networks during mobile use, significantly reducing data consumption and avoiding the need for expensive mobile data plans.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If wireless hotspot is provided for device connectivity, then user convenience is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The portable media device performs multiple functions: it serves as a content storage device, a wireless access point for multiple user devices, and a media player. By combining these functions in a single device, it eliminates the need for separate infrastructure components, actually reducing overall system complexity while providing convenient wireless access to multiple devices simultaneously.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3399762B1Portable hub with digital video recorder
Publication Date: 2023.07.12 HARMAN INT IND INC
  • EP3399762B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3399762B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3399762B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A portable media content device for providing media content to remote devices external to a home network, the portable media content device may include a processor in communication with a memory configured to maintain media content, and a transceiver. The processor may be configured to recognize a home network provided at a first location, instruct the transceiver to transmit a media request to an in-home media recorder connected to the home network and at the first location, receive, in response to the media request, media content from the media recorder and to store the media content in the memory.