Centralized User Profile Server for Interactive Media Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of media guidance systems face challenges in managing user profile information across multiple devices, including the need for consistent interfaces, limited customization options, and the inconvenience of repeatedly configuring each device, which hinders efficient media access and content recommendations.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a user profile server to manage and share user profile information across multiple devices, identifying the most suitable device for recording media content and providing personalized recommendations based on monitored interactions, while allowing devices to share functionalities and user profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user profile information is stored locally on each user equipment device, then each device can operate independently, but users must repeatedly configure each device and cannot share profile information across devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the previously distributed local profile storage across multiple devices into a centralized cloud-based profile server. This allows profile information to be stored once and accessed by any number of devices, eliminating redundant configuration while maintaining device independence through networked access.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud-based profile server provides universal access to profile information across different device types and platforms. A single profile stored in the cloud can be accessed by smartphones, tablets, computers, and other user equipment devices, making the profile management system universally applicable across the entire device ecosystem.
2Adaptability or versatility
If customization options for media guidance interfaces are increased, then users can personalize their experience more, but the complexity of configuring and managing these options increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves profile management from a local device dimension to a cloud-based dimension. By storing comprehensive customization profiles in the cloud, the system can offer extensive customization options without increasing local device complexity. The cloud server handles the complexity of managing multiple customization parameters across different devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and maintains master copies of user profiles in the cloud that can be automatically copied or synchronized to multiple devices. This allows extensive customization options to be available across all devices without requiring complex local management on each device, as the cloud serves as the single source of truth.
3Reliability
If each user equipment device operates as a standalone device, then device functionality is self-contained, but users cannot share functionalities or access content across devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based profile server as an intermediary between user equipment devices. This intermediary enables cross-device functionality by facilitating the sharing of profile information, preferences, and scheduled recordings between devices while allowing each device to maintain its own operational independence and self-sufficiency.
4Adaptability or versatility
If users manually configure each user equipment device with profile information, then each device can be customized, but the process requires considerable time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring comprehensive user profiles in the cloud before they are needed on any specific device. When a user accesses the media guidance application on any device, the appropriate profile information is automatically retrieved and applied, eliminating the need for manual configuration at each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud-based profile management system provides self-service functionality where profiles are automatically created, updated, and distributed across devices without requiring user intervention. The system monitors user interactions and automatically updates profiles, then propagates these updates to all associated devices, making the entire process self-serve and eliminating manual configuration effort.
Data Source
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AI summary
Users of interactive media guidance applications may access media content and seek media guidance on a plurality of user equipment devices. A user profile server may be used for the management of a user's profile information. The user profile server may store a user's profile information including information about the user's media network and about user equipment devices associated with the user's media network. The user's profile information may be used to provide functionality to record media content on the most suitable user equipment device of a user's media network. The user's profile information may also be used to provide recommendations of media content based on a user's monitored interactions with a plurality of user equipment devices. The user's profile information may also be provided to user equipment devices of the media network not having the user profile information.