VOD Interface Organized by TV Schedule for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Video on Demand (VOD) content navigation methods are cumbersome and time-consuming due to large result sets, making it difficult for users to find desired content, which discourages their use of VOD services, especially on portable devices.
Innovation Solution
A user interface that organizes VOD content by corresponding television broadcast schedules, allowing users to navigate and discover content using a familiar schedule format on portable devices, with features like daily and weekly views, social sharing, and personalized recommendations, leveraging database data and content delivery networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If VOD content is searched by program name, genre, or date of recording, then a wide range of results is provided, but the navigation becomes difficult and time-consuming due to the large number of results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the VOD content navigation interface into multiple organized categories mirroring traditional television schedules (e.g., by time slot, program type, network). This segmentation divides the large result set into manageable portions that are easier to browse and navigate, reducing the cognitive load on users while maintaining comprehensive search capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer that presents VOD content through a television schedule-style interface as a mediator between the user and the actual content library. This intermediary interface translates complex search results into a familiar, intuitive format that resembles traditional TV guiding, making navigation easier without losing access to the full content range.
2Quantity of substance
If users must drill down several hierarchical layers of navigation and menus to find a desired program episode, then comprehensive search results are obtained, but the time required to locate content increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring users to drill down through multiple hierarchical layers from general to specific (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the navigation structure by presenting content in a flattened, schedule-based view where programs are immediately displayed with their timing information. This inversion allows users to directly access specific content without traversing multiple menu levels, significantly reducing search time while maintaining comprehensive results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of VOD content into schedule-based categories and time slots before the user initiates a search. This pre-organization structure is built into the interface itself, allowing users to quickly locate desired content by scanning the schedule rather than navigating through unorganized result sets, thereby reducing the time required to locate specific programs.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional search methods are used for VOD content, then comprehensive content coverage is achieved, but user friendliness and intuitiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the organizational parameters of the VOD content display from conventional alphabetical or categorical sorting to a time-based schedule format that mirrors traditional television broadcasting. This parameter change makes the interface more intuitive and user-friendly by leveraging users' existing familiarity with TV schedules, while still maintaining comprehensive content coverage through systematic organization by time slot and program type.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a system and method for a user interface for viewing video on demand (VOD) content organized by corresponding television broadcast schedules. There is provided a method comprising receiving a time period for navigation, retrieving VOD programming data and television broadcast schedule data, generating a plurality of program listings by matching the VOD programming data to the television broadcast schedule data within the time period, displaying the plurality of program listings on a display, and outputting, to the display, video corresponding to a first program listing selected from the plurality of program listings. Users are thereby enabled to quickly and optimally navigate to VOD content of interest using a familiar broadcast schedule format.