Portable Terminal Mediator for Seamless Content Sharing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital TV services face challenges in efficiently controlling content-sharing among multiple content playback devices, limiting user flexibility in reproducing desired content across different devices and locations.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for content-sharing between content playback devices, involving a portable terminal that receives and transmits content information, displays images, and controls the appearance and disappearance of content on multiple devices to create a seamless and intuitive user experience, using wired and wireless networks for data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If content is shared among multiple playback devices, then user flexibility and convenience are improved, but control efficiency and system complexity worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A portable terminal acts as an intermediary device between multiple content playback devices. The terminal receives content information from one playback device, displays it, and can transmit it to another playback device. This mediator approach allows users to control content sharing across devices without complex direct device-to-device communication protocols, simplifying the overall system control architecture while maintaining flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The portable terminal is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a display device and a control device simultaneously. It can receive content information, display images, transmit content information to other devices, and control playback operations. This universal design reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby reducing system complexity while enhancing user flexibility in content sharing scenarios.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If content information is transmitted between devices, then content sharing capability is improved, but data transmission time and network load worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent sharing capabilityVSAvoiddata transmission time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and transmits only essential content information (such as content identifiers, metadata, and control signals) between playback devices and the portable terminal, rather than transmitting entire content streams. This extraction approach enables content sharing capability while minimizing data transmission time and network load, as only necessary control and identification data are exchanged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The portable terminal creates and displays a visual copy (image) of the content information received from one playback device. This copying mechanism allows the terminal to present content information locally without requiring continuous real-time transmission of the actual content data, thereby reducing transmission time while maintaining the ability to share and control content across devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If images are displayed on multiple devices simultaneously, then user convenience is improved, but energy consumption and device load worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The content display function is segmented and distributed across different devices based on user needs. The portable terminal displays content information when held by the user, while playback devices display content when placed on surfaces or mounted. This segmentation allows users to conveniently view content on the most appropriate device for the current situation without requiring all devices to consume energy simultaneously, thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9535561B2Method for controlling content-sharing, and portable terminal and content-sharing system using same

Publication Date: 2017.01.03 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for controlling content-sharing among a plurality of content-providing devices. The method includes: receiving information on a content from a first content playback device and displaying images corresponding to the content; storing the received content information; and transmitting the stored content information to a second content playback device and ending the displaying of the images corresponding to the content.