Web-Embedded Media Player with Centralized Playlist References
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media distribution over the Internet faces limitations such as location-dependent access, cumbersome sharing, and high storage requirements, as users must navigate to specific locations to access and share media files, and large files consume significant server space.
Innovation Solution
Embedding a media player with access to media and playlists into standard webpages using HTML code, allowing multiple instances to reference the same centrally located media and playlist information, enabling easy sharing and distribution without requiring additional copies, and allowing users to log in and edit their playlists without leaving the webpage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If media files are stored at multiple locations for sharing, then accessibility and sharing capability are improved, but storage space requirements and server costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses symbolic links or references instead of actual media file copies. Each location stores only a reference to the media file's location, not the file itself. This allows unlimited sharing capability while consuming minimal storage space at each location, resolving the contradiction between sharing versatility and storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a media reference system that acts as an intermediary between storage locations and access points. This reference mechanism decouples the physical storage location from the logical access location, enabling media to be shared across multiple locations without duplicating the actual media files, thus reducing storage space while maintaining sharing capability.
2Reliability
If users navigate to original storage locations to access media, then media can be accessed, but retrieval process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-establishes reference links or shortcuts from multiple access locations to the actual media storage location. Users can directly access media through these pre-configured references without needing to navigate to the original storage location, significantly reducing retrieval time while maintaining reliable access to the media files.
3Adaptability or versatility
If large media files are distributed to multiple locations, then sharing is enabled, but bandwidth consumption and delivery time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes references rather than actual media files. Each location stores a small reference pointing to the media file's location, enabling widespread distribution without consuming significant bandwidth. The actual media file remains stored at its original location and is only transferred when a user actually accesses it through the reference.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for distributing and providing access to media and for extending such access to a desktop environment is described. A media player in a webpage or in a desktop environment may reference a centralized location to access a playlist of media files. The playlist itself may reference remotely-located media files that may be streamed to the media player. The media player may be distributed in multiple environments, and updates to the playlist may be automatically distributed to all instances where the playlist is referenced due to the centralized reference in the media player. The embodiments of the media player may also be used in advertising as a mechanism for increasing user contact with an advertising entity and as a mechanism for distributing announcements and information by the advertiser.