Visual Symbol Digital Content Acquisition System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Obtaining digital content from various sources is cumbersome and time-consuming due to multiple steps involving network connections, authentication, and limited input device capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network- and/or client-side digital content acquisition system that uses computer-readable visual symbols like optical graphic codes to simplify transactions by encoding information for digital content items, sources, and user considerations, enabling automatic access and sharing through reproduction and decoding on consumer electronic devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional multi-step authentication and content acquisition processes are used, then security and authorization are ensured, but user effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication and authorization actions in advance by embedding security tokens and purchase information within visual symbols before the user needs to access content. When a user scans or captures a visual symbol, the pre-encoded authentication data enables automatic verification without requiring the user to go through multiple authentication steps at the moment of content access.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual symbol acts as an intermediary carrier that contains and transmits authentication credentials, purchase information, and content identification data between the content source and the user's device. This intermediary enables automatic authentication by carrying all necessary verification data in a single scannable format, eliminating the need for manual authentication interactions.
2Reliability
If multiple manual steps are required for content acquisition, then proper authentication and payment verification are achieved, but the process becomes onerous and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple verification functions (authentication, authorization, payment verification, and content identification) into a single visual symbol that can be scanned and processed automatically. This consolidation allows all verification steps to occur simultaneously in the background without requiring the user to complete separate manual steps for each verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual symbol contains all necessary information for automatic verification including purchase credentials and content identification. The system performs self-service by automatically verifying the embedded information without requiring user intervention for authentication or payment confirmation, thus eliminating manual steps while maintaining verification reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If active engagement with content sources is required to discover fresh digital content, then content discovery capability is maintained, but user effort and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses visual symbols that can be copied and shared across multiple devices and platforms. Instead of requiring users to actively search and navigate content sources, the visual symbol containing content information can be captured or copied from any source and automatically processed by any device with the appropriate scanner, enabling passive content discovery through simple capture actions.
Data Source
AI summary
A network- and/or client-side digital content acquisition system facilitates automatic and simplified transactions, between a user of a consumer electronic device (“CED”) and a digital content source, for authorizing access to digital content items (“DCIs”). Computer-readable visual symbols are associated with DCIs. A particular computer-readable visual symbol has a visual symbology, presented on a surface, which encodes information regarding DCIs, sources responsible for authorizing access to the DCIs, and consideration (if any) due from a user. A user of a particular CED identifies, and uses the CED to reproduce and decode, a particular computer-readable visual symbol. Upon reproduction and/or decoding, the CED automatically requests access to the DCI, and provides a security token that links the user and the CED, and automatically authorizes transfer of consideration (if any) due from the user. Upon authentication of the security token, the user automatically receives access to the DCI.