Set-Top Box Media Content Logging for Home Network Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern home computer networks, the transient connection and disconnection of devices lead to challenges in managing and accessing media content, as users are often unaware of the device's ownership and location, resulting in unavailable content.
Innovation Solution
A method and set-top-box system that logs information about network discoverable media content, including user-interest indicators, device identifiers, access dates, and physical locations, allowing users to track and access content by creating a private or public media content log accessible via authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If devices are allowed to connect and disconnect transiently from the home network, then network flexibility and device mobility are improved, but content availability and user awareness of content location deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by logging and recording content information, device identifiers, and location data before devices disconnect from the network. This creates a historical record that preserves content availability information even when devices are temporarily unavailable, allowing users to access content metadata and location information after disconnection events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary logging system that acts as a mediator between transiently connected devices and users seeking content. The log serves as an intermediate repository that stores content metadata, device identifiers, and location information, allowing users to query and access content information without requiring the original device to be currently connected to the network.
2Ease of operation
If a comprehensive media content log is maintained to track all network content, then content accessibility and user awareness are improved, but system complexity and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and separates specific logging functions from the main system operations. The logging system captures only essential information elements (content metadata, device identifiers, location data, timestamps) independently from complex content delivery operations, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining comprehensive content tracking capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified copies or representations of content information in the log rather than maintaining full duplicates of all content data. The log stores metadata, identifiers, and location information as lightweight references that enable content accessibility without requiring substantial storage resources or complex data management structures.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods for logging network discoverable information and a set top box are described. An indication of user-interest of particular media content may be identified. An address identification parameter that specifies a network file path of the particular media content may be identified based on the indication of user-interest. A location parameter that specifies an estimated physical location of the particular computing device (118) within a computing network (124) may be determined based on the address identification parameter. The address identification parameter may be stored within a network accessible media content log (140).