Server-Mediated Content Sharing Synchronization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic content sharing methods often result in a temporal gap between users accessing shared content, which can reduce the quality of experience, especially when sharing working documents or multimedia content in real-time between devices.
Innovation Solution
A method for controlling the sharing of electronic content between user equipment, where a server facilitates simultaneous access by generating and transmitting a sharing parameter to synchronize the playback of content between devices, ensuring that users can access the same content at the same time, even if one user has already started playing it.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional content sharing methods are used (copying URL or using share buttons), then users can share electronic content with contacts, but there is a temporal gap between when the first user accesses the content and when the second user accesses it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the first user equipment and the second user equipment. The server receives the electronic content from the first user, stores it temporarily, and then transmits it to the second user. This intermediary mechanism enables synchronized content delivery, eliminating the temporal gap that exists in traditional direct sharing methods where the second user must manually access the original source.
2Ease of operation
If a user shares electronic content through traditional methods (email, instant message, social network), then the content can be transmitted to contacts, but the users cannot access the content simultaneously at the same time
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the server receive and store the electronic content from the first user equipment before the second user needs to access it. The server prepares the content for transmission in advance, so when the second user requests the shared content, it can be delivered immediately without synchronization delays. This preliminary preparation enables simultaneous access while maintaining ease of operation through automatic content routing.
3Reliability
If the server transmits electronic content to the second user equipment, then simultaneous access is enabled, but the server needs to generate and manage sharing parameters to identify the content and users
Solution Approach 1:
The server creates a copy of the electronic content from the first user equipment and stores it in its own memory. This copying mechanism allows the server to independently manage and transmit the content to the second user without continuously accessing the original source. The sharing parameter acts as a reference or pointer to this copied content, enabling the server to efficiently manage multiple sharing operations while ensuring reliable simultaneous access.
Data Source
AI summary
A method sharing at least one electronic content between first and second user equipment. A server stores the contents enabling transmission of the content to the first user equipment. The method includes the server: receiving, from the first user equipment, a request for sharing the transmitted electronic content; generating a sharing parameter from an identifier of the first user equipment and an identifier of the transmitted electronic content; establishing a second communication session with the second user equipment associated with the sharing parameter; determining, based on the sharing parameter, that the user equipment requesting a sharing of content is the first user equipment and the content to be shared is the transmitted content; and if the transmitted content is being played on the first user equipment, transmitting the transmitted content to the second user equipment in order for the transmitted content to be played simultaneously on the second user equipment.