Dynamic Program Listing Highlighting for Faster DVR Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital video recorders (DVRs) face challenges in efficiently highlighting programs based on revenue information from remote servers, leading to cumbersome user navigation through extensive program lists.
Innovation Solution
A system where DVRs dynamically highlight programs based on selection criteria received from a remote server, optimizing program selection by incorporating revenue-based highlighting, allowing users to easily identify and select relevant content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If DVRs display extensive program lists with traditional highlighting methods, then users can view available content, but user navigation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing dynamic highlighting that selectively emphasizes specific programs within the extensive program list based on revenue information. Instead of uniform highlighting, the system applies different visual emphasis (local quality) to programs that generate revenue, allowing users to quickly identify important content without manually navigating through the entire list.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the highlighting parameter dynamically based on revenue data received from remote servers. The highlighting behavior is not static but adapts by changing which programs are highlighted and how they are emphasized, based on real-time or near-real-time revenue information, thus reducing navigation time while maintaining ease of selection.
2Productivity
If DVRs implement dynamic highlighting based on revenue information from remote servers, then program selection efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component that handles the complexity of communicating with remote servers and processing revenue information. This intermediary layer manages the data flow between the DVR system and external revenue databases, abstracting the complexity away from the core highlighting logic and making the system more manageable while maintaining high selection efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-fetching and caching revenue information from remote servers before it is needed for highlighting. This preliminary data retrieval and processing reduces the computational burden during actual program selection, maintaining high productivity while managing system complexity through advance preparation.
3Ease of manufacture
If DVRs use traditional uniform highlighting methods, then implementation is simple, but user engagement and revenue optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, uniform highlighting system into a dynamic one that adapts based on revenue information. The highlighting behavior changes dynamically according to program performance data, allowing the system to optimize revenue while maintaining reasonable implementation complexity through modular architecture and standardized communication protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for highlighting a program listing in a set of program listings based on selection criteria. The selection criteria may indicate that the a broadcaster has agreed to pay a service provider in return for the service provider ensuring that a program listing, corresponding to the program of the broadcaster, is highlighted in a program page that displays a set of program listings, such as television program listings. If there are multiple program listings, listed in a program page, that are to be highlighted, then details of the respective contracts may be used to determine which program listing to highlight. Such details may include the total contract value, a ratio of contract value-to-page view, and/or the time of contract formation.