Unified Content Indexing Across Distributed Storage Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for managing and accessing multimedia content across multiple devices and storage sources are limited by storage capacity, integration with standards like DLNA or AirPlay, and user profile management, leading to difficulties in finding personal content and efficient content organization.
Innovation Solution
A method that aggregates content indexes from various storage sources into a common database, allowing users to manage content through a unified interface across devices, with features like DLNA and AirPlay integration, content adaptation, and transparent accessibility, enabling seamless access and organization of content regardless of storage location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If online storage services are used to manage content, then content accessibility from multiple devices is improved, but storage capacity is limited and integration with standards like DLNA or AirPlay is not provided
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides a unified content management interface that works across multiple devices and storage types. The interface application can access content from local devices, network storage, and online services through a single unified interface, making the system universally applicable to different storage scenarios without being limited to a single storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary index database that sits between the user and various storage sources. This database aggregates content indexes from multiple devices and storage locations, allowing users to access content through a unified interface while the system automatically manages the underlying storage capacity across multiple sources
2Quantity of substance
If network storage on a server is implemented, then storage capacity is increased, but user operation complexity increases due to specific storage and organization operations required
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically performs content indexing, metadata extraction, and organization without requiring user intervention. When content is added to the network storage, the system automatically creates indexes, extracts metadata, and updates the database, eliminating the need for users to manually organize content while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes content by creating indexes and organizing metadata before users need to access the content. This preliminary indexing and organization work is done automatically in the background, so when users access content through the unified interface, everything is already prepared and organized, eliminating the need for users to perform specific storage and organization operations
3Adaptability or versatility
If standardized solutions like DLNA server are used, then device interoperability is improved, but user profile management is not provided making personal content difficult to find
Solution Approach 1:
The system associates specific quality attributes with different user profiles, including personal preferences, access rights, and content filtering criteria. Each user profile has localized quality settings that determine how content is presented and filtered, allowing users to easily find their personal content while maintaining broad device interoperability through the DLNA standard
4Quantity of substance
If multiple storage sources are used to increase content availability, then content quantity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple storage sources into a unified view through the index database. Instead of managing each storage source separately, the system combines indexes from local devices, network storage, and online services into a single aggregated database that the unified interface can query, reducing system complexity while maintaining content availability from multiple sources
Data Source
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Figure 2
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The method involves aggregating respective indexes of contents (S4) that are accessible by a predetermined set of terminals in a common database, where each content is represented by the individual index including information data about the contents. A common interface to be installed in each terminal is applied to query the database for the terminal and to select the contents indexed in the database for accessing the contents selected from the terminal, where the information data comprises information about a content source (ETA). Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a computer program comprising a set of instructions to perform a method for managing multiple contents stored in various storage sources and accessible by a predetermined set of terminals connected to a network (2) a managing equipment (3) a method for accessing to contents stored in various storage sources (4) a computer program interface (5) a management system.