Personalized TV Channel Sequencing via Virtual Control Streams

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for providing personalized TV channels struggle with seamless sequencing of media contents, leading to inaccuracies and poor user experience, especially with live events impacting initial scheduling and high operational costs for content providers.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves receiving control streams with temporal information for content sequencing, allowing seamless transitions between media contents using a common reference clock, and incorporating detection of live program overlaps to ensure smooth rendering, with the ability to timeshift and update content scheduling as needed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If personalized TV channels are created using local storage and push delivery methods, then user personalization is improved, but operational costs and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser personalizationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a virtual channel approach where personalized TV channels are created as virtual copies rather than physical duplications. The receiver device generates a virtual personalized channel by selectively extracting and sequencing content from existing broadcast streams according to user profiles, avoiding the need for complex local storage infrastructure while maintaining personalization capabilities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a virtual channel as an intermediary layer between the broadcast network and the user's receiver device. This virtual channel acts as a mediator that translates user personalization requirements into selective content extraction and sequencing operations, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling personalized content delivery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If seamless transitions between media contents are implemented, then user experience is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining transition rules and parameters in the virtual channel configuration. Transition behaviors such as fading, cutting, or dissolving effects are predetermined and stored as configuration data, allowing the receiver device to execute seamless transitions through simple parameter application rather than complex real-time processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses periodic action by implementing transitions at predetermined time intervals or program boundary events. The virtual channel controller schedules transitions based on program metadata and timing information, executing seamless transitions at regular intervals or predetermined moments without requiring continuous complex processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Measurement precision

If live program overlaps are detected and managed, then content accuracy is improved, but processing time and device complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring program timing information and overlap detection data from the broadcast stream. The virtual channel controller uses this feedback to dynamically adjust program sequencing and transition timing, ensuring accurate content delivery while using efficient algorithms to minimize processing delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-detecting potential program overlaps using program metadata and timing information before they occur. The system prepares advance scheduling decisions based on predicted overlap scenarios, allowing rapid response without extensive real-time processing when overlaps are detected

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2868110B1Provision of a personalized media content
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 THOMSON LICENSING SA
  • EP2868110B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2868110B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2868110B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Method for providing a personalized content having a determined sequencing of media contents, comprising steps of : - receiving (S1), in a control channel, a control stream comprising temporal control information describing the content sequencing; - receiving (S2) media streams comprising the media contents of the sequencing; and controlling (S3) a rendering of the personalized content by using said control information, - wherein the sequencing comprising a first live program (L1) followed by a second live program (L2), the method further comprises a step of detection of an overlap of the first (L1) and second (L2) live programs.