Interactive Video Player Navigation for Segment Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video distribution systems and media players are inefficient in navigating and sharing video content over networks, leading to excessive network bandwidth usage and inadequate user control over video navigation.
Innovation Solution
A media player system that enables direct navigation to video segments using navigation images and allows sharing of video segments without requiring users to view preceding content, reducing bandwidth usage by generating and transmitting resource locators like URLs with timecodes, and supporting communication through various channels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional video distribution systems stream entire videos over networks, then video content can be accessed and played back, but network bandwidth is excessively consumed and users cannot efficiently navigate to specific segments
Solution Approach 1:
The video content is divided into multiple segments, each with its own resource locator. Users can access specific segments directly through navigation images or shared links without downloading or streaming the entire video, thus reducing network bandwidth consumption while enabling efficient navigation to desired content portions.
Solution Approach 2:
Resource locators for video segments are pre-generated and embedded in navigation images before user interaction. When users click navigation images or receive shared links, they directly access pre-configured segment URLs with timecodes, eliminating the need to stream unnecessary preceding content and reducing network bandwidth usage.
2Loss of time
If conventional media players require users to view content from the beginning, then all video content can be accessed sequentially, but users waste time and bandwidth viewing content they do not want
Solution Approach 1:
Resource locators containing timecodes for specific video segments are prepared in advance and embedded in navigation images. Users can directly jump to desired segments by clicking navigation images or opening shared links, bypassing the need to view preceding content and reducing both access time and network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Navigation images serve as intermediaries between users and video content. Each navigation image contains or links to a resource locator that directly points to a specific video segment. This intermediary mechanism allows users to access specific segments without streaming the entire video, reducing time and bandwidth waste.
3Productivity
If conventional systems share video content by transmitting the entire video file, then recipients can view any segment, but network bandwidth is excessively consumed and sharing becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of sharing the entire video file, the system extracts and transmits only the necessary resource locator (URL with timecode) for the specific video segment to be shared. This extracted approach allows recipients to access only the relevant segment without receiving unnecessary data, significantly improving sharing efficiency and reducing network bandwidth consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates and transmits a copy of the resource locator (URL) rather than copying the entire video file. This lightweight copy contains all necessary information for recipients to access the specific video segment, making sharing highly efficient while minimizing network bandwidth usage compared to transmitting actual video data.
4Ease of operation
If conventional video players use scrubber controls for navigation, then users can seek to different positions, but the interface is complex and requires manual manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex scrubber controls that require manual manipulation, the system creates visual copies of video frames (navigation images) that users can directly click. Each navigation image represents a specific video segment and contains or links to the corresponding resource locator, simplifying the interface while maintaining navigation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical scrubber control system is replaced with a visual navigation image system. Instead of requiring users to manually drag scrubbers and interpret timeline positions, users simply click on visual thumbnails (navigation images) that directly correspond to desired video segments, making the interface more intuitive and easier to operate.
Data Source
AI summary
An interactive video distribution system and video player are described. A client server arrangement may be used for providing a video player and video content to a client device. The video player may display navigation images enabling navigation to specific portions of the video content by activating a corresponding navigation image. The video player may also enable the sharing of a segment of the video with other video players, enabling the video players to play the streamed segment of the video without having to play the entire video, thereby reducing network bandwidth usage. The video player may be embeddable. The server may associate searchable tags with respective video segments.