Seamless Content Transfer via Controller-Mediated Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing content transfer methods between communication devices, such as from mobile devices to televisions, result in gaps in content viewing due to the need to pause and reinitiate streaming sessions, as existing solutions often fail to seamlessly transfer content.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a controller that establishes a communication session for streaming content and allows users to request seamless transfer of content from one device to another by sending a share or redirect request, using protocols like SIP and RTSP, ensuring continuous content streaming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing content transfer methods are used between communication devices, then content can be transferred between devices, but gaps in content viewing occur due to the need to pause and reinitiate streaming sessions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent transfer continuityVSAvoidviewing interruption time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The source device pre-processes and buffers content data before transfer, preparing the content for seamless transmission to the target device. This preliminary action ensures that when the transfer initiates, the content can continue without gaps or interruptions in the streaming experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A content server acts as an intermediary between the source communication device and the target communication device. The server receives content from the source device, maintains it in a buffered state, and then transfers it to the target device, ensuring continuous playback without requiring the target device to reinitiate the streaming session

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If streaming session is paused and reinitiated for content transfer, then content can be accessed on different devices, but viewing experience is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice switching capabilityVSAvoidviewing continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The content transfer system is designed to work across multiple communication devices with different capabilities. The source device can transfer content to various target devices (televisions, tablets, mobile devices), and the system automatically adapts the transfer process to ensure seamless viewing on each device type without requiring device-specific reinitiation procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If television initiates session to access content, then content can be streamed to television, but session initiation may fail

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent access capabilityVSAvoidsession initiation success rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the television (target device) initiate the streaming session to access content, the source communication device initiates the transfer and pushes content to the television through the content server. This inversion of the initiation role ensures reliable content delivery since the source device already has an active connection to the content and can maintain continuous streaming to the target device

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS9215255B2Transfer method and apparatus for seamless content transfer

Publication Date: 2015.12.15 GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

A method and apparatus for seamlessly transferring content from a first communication device to a second communication device is disclosed. The method includes establishing a communication session with a controller for streaming content and sending a request to the controller for sharing the content being currently streamed at the first communication device. The request includes an option tag indicating a share request and an address of the second communication device to which the content is to be shared. The method further includes receiving a notification from the controller once the second communication device starts receiving the content from a point in time at which the request was sent from the first communication device.