Secondary Tuner Fingerprinting for In-Car Channel Preview
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of media playback devices face difficulty in discovering content on other channels without tuning away from the current channel, as there is no efficient way to access identifying information for content on different channels while it is being played.
Innovation Solution
A method where a media playback device generates a query fingerprint from content on a second channel, sends it to a server with a reference database, and receives identifying information to display on the user interface, allowing users to decide whether to switch to the second channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a user tunes away from the current channel to discover content on other channels, then the user can obtain identifying information for content on other channels, but the user cannot continue playing content on the first channel
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by generating query fingerprints from content on the second channel and sending them to the server in advance. This allows identifying information to be retrieved and displayed on the user interface before the user actually tunes to that channel, enabling informed channel selection without interrupting current playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the media playback device and the reference database. It receives query fingerprints, matches them against reference fingerprints, and returns identifying information, thereby enabling the playback device to obtain channel content information without the user needing to manually tune through channels.
2Loss of information
If a user manually tunes through multiple channels to find desired content, then the user can discover available content, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manually tuning through channels with an automated electronic system. The media playback device automatically generates query fingerprints from received content, sends them to the server, and displays identifying information on the user interface, eliminating the need for manual channel surfing and significantly reducing content discovery time.
3Loss of information
If the media playback device continuously monitors multiple channels for content identification, then the user can access information about content on all channels, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying information from multi-channel content by generating query fingerprints from the second channel while playing back the first channel. This selective approach allows the system to obtain information about other channels without continuously monitoring or processing all channels in full detail, thereby managing device complexity while still providing comprehensive content discovery.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, an example method includes (i) while a media playback device of a vehicle is playing back content received on a first channel, generating, by the media playback device, a query fingerprint using second content received on a second channel; (ii) sending, by the media playback device, the query fingerprint to a server that maintains a reference database containing a plurality of reference fingerprints; (iii) receiving, by the media playback device from the server, identifying information corresponding to a reference fingerprint of the plurality of reference fingerprints that matches the query fingerprint; and (iv) while the media playback device is playing back the first content received on the first channel, providing, by the media playback device for display, at least a portion of the identifying information.