Quota Management System for PVR Storage Allocation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current personal video recorders (PVRs) are limited by dedicating all resources to a single application, hindering service and feature expansion, which reduces their value to users.

Innovation Solution

A quota management system that shares storage space between multiple content providers or software programs, allowing controlled resource allocation through a server that manages storage space reservations and quotas across connected storage devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If storage space is dedicated to a single application, then reliability of the main application is improved, but adaptability of the system deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidadaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the storage space into separate partitions, with one partition dedicated to the main application and another partition shared among multiple applications. This segmentation allows the main application to have guaranteed reliable access to its dedicated space while enabling multiple other applications to share the remaining space, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If all resources are allocated to one application, then productivity of that application is improved, but versatility of the system deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveproductivityVSAvoidversatility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting storage resources into dedicated and shared portions, the system maintains high productivity for the main application through guaranteed dedicated space while enabling versatility through multiple applications accessing the shared partition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The shared storage partition is designed to serve multiple applications simultaneously, making it a universal resource that can be accessed by various software programs. This multi-functionality approach allows the same physical storage space to fulfill different purposes for different applications, thereby enhancing system versatility without compromising the productivity of any single application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If storage space is shared among multiple applications, then adaptability of the system is improved, but device complexity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidcomplexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a storage manager as an intermediary component that handles all access requests to the shared storage partition. This mediator monitors and controls file operations, ensures proper resource allocation, and manages the complexities of multi-application access. By centralizing the management logic in a single intermediary component, the system achieves high adaptability for multiple applications while containing device complexity within a dedicated management layer rather than distributing complexity across all applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8965936B2Method and apparatus for allocating client resources to multiple applications

Publication Date: 2015.02.24 COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT LLC

AI summary

A quota management system for Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) in which the storage space available on connected storage devices is shared between multiple content providers or multiple software programs.