That Was Easy: Automated Device Discovery
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What if all your network-enabled devices knew each other? Then, adding a new device could be as simple as joining the group. Now your new devices ‘just know’ to download content to your home media hub, making it immediately available on any device in your group. Free your content from getting lost inside your devices and experience playback anywhere on any screen. |
Maria just received a new portable video recorder/player for her birthday. She takes the device to her son’s baseball game and captures a great clip of his game-winning slide into home. When she gets home, she connects the device to her networked home media hub. Her new device automatically detects other devices in her home environment. The other devices are already part of a ‘group’ she has set up called “Salazar Family Devices”. Her new portable player asks her if she would like to associate her device with the group and she accepts.
When her new device automatically ‘joins’ the group, it receives links to her user account, current subscriptions, and existing content. Her device now ‘just knows’ to download the video to her home media hub, making it immediately available on any device in her group. When the family gathers after dinner, they watch the video on TV. In addition, all of the content the family had previously purchased and all subscriptions are now available on the new player. Adding a new device is a simple as that!
Plus, since Maria’s content storage and playback functions are centrally managed, she can take advantage of automated policy updates. For instance, her profile will prompt her specify how and when new content should be handled. So, Maria’s video is shared automatically with grandparents and other family members.
Opportunity
- Reduce the barrier for consumers’ to add devices by enabling automatic device discovery. New devices become part of their ‘group’ and are up and running within minutes.
- Enable user-centric rights by allowing consumers to access existing content collections instantaneously on new devices.
- Allow consumers to create their own playback experience on any screen with content that can be seamlessly transferred to/from any other devices in their group.
Technical Features
- Respond to growing consumer expectations involving "service-enabled" devices with domain management system approach.
- A domain management system is comprised of a domain and its associated domain manager. A domain, usually a household, is a logical group of devices which are collectively licensed to access content. Any device that is a member of the domain is authorized to render content bound to that domain.
- A domain system also prevents unauthorized users from attaching their devices to the domain. A domain manager defines the policies by which devices may join. As a result, domain systems typically require an explicit registration step. By expanding the trust environment, domain management systems create benefits for the consumer as well as opportunities for service operators.