Wireless Media Sharing via Intermediary Server

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a lack of efficient methods for sharing and playing media files, such as songs, between wireless communication terminals, particularly in a way that allows for discovery, playback, and management of media files while ensuring quality reproduction and digital rights management.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for publishing and sharing media files between wireless communication terminals, involving establishing connections, sending media file identifications, requesting and streaming media files, and enabling playback, with options for DRM and metadata, as well as chat/messaging services and connections to online stores.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If media files are shared between wireless communication terminals, then convenience of operation and user experience are improved, but device complexity and network management complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconvenience of sharing media filesVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that mediates between wireless communication terminals seeking to share media files. The server handles connection establishment, file transfer coordination, and playback management, thereby reducing the complexity burden on individual terminals while enabling convenient media sharing across the network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The wireless communication terminal is designed with multi-functional capabilities, serving both as a media player for local content and as a networked device for receiving and playing remote media files. This universal design allows the same device to handle both local and remote media operations without requiring separate specialized hardware.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If media files are streamed to ensure quality reproduction, then playback quality is improved, but transmission time and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback qualityVSAvoidtransmission time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing connection protocols and preparing transmission channels before actual media file transfer. The server pre-configures the communication pathway and negotiates transmission parameters, which streamlines the subsequent file transfer process and reduces overall transmission time while maintaining quality standards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If Digital Rights Management is implemented to protect media files, then reliability and security are improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedigital rights protectionVSAvoidDRM implementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as a DRM intermediary that handles complex rights management operations centrally. Instead of embedding complex DRM verification logic in each terminal device, the server manages authentication, authorization, and rights enforcement, thereby protecting media files while keeping individual terminal devices relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Quantity of substance

If multiple requestor terminals connect to a publisher terminal, then quantity of users accessing media is improved, but device complexity and network management increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of connected terminalsVSAvoidconnection management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The server serves as a central intermediary that manages connections between multiple requestor terminals and publisher terminals. It handles connection establishment, maintenance, and termination for multiple users simultaneously, thereby enabling scalable multi-user access without burdening individual terminals with complex connection management logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7925244B2Mobile wireless communication terminals, systems, methods, and computer program products for publishing, sharing and accessing media files

Publication Date: 2011.04.12 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

A method for publishing and sharing media files includes: making a published media file available to other wireless communication terminals from a publisher wireless communication terminal; establishing a connection via a wireless communication module of the publisher wireless communication terminal with a requestor wireless communication terminal seeking published media files; sending an identification of the published media file from the publisher wireless communication terminal to the requestor wireless communication terminal; sending a media file request from the requestor wireless communication terminal to the publisher wireless communication terminal requesting the published media file; sending the published media file from the publisher wireless communication terminal to the requestor wireless communication terminal in response to the media file request; and executing playback of the published media file on the requestor wireless communication terminal.