A video on demand system, used to personalise multimedia content viewed over satellite, is one of three new products to be patented by women inventors at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
In a statement issued to highlight the work of its women inventors, the CSIR says the video on demand system by Merryl Ford can be used for any multimedia content such as video, music, games, educational content and software.
The system is based on a user preference and rating model and can predict which other multimedia content users are likely to want. The content, once downloaded into a system, is stored on the user`s device and is available for access when the user wants to use it.
The download and store algorithm eliminates the need for large bandwidth and therefore makes it easy to deliver bandwidth-intensive multimedia files over satellite. A potential use would be to cost-effectively provide educational material to schools.
Ford and two other women, Patricia-Ann Truter and Thabisa Mbungwana, were among 13 inventors from the CSIR to receive the 2003/2004 awards under the Innovation Fund`s new Patent Incentive Fund instrument, for patents granted to the CSIR during 2003.
Ford worked with colleague Kobus Roux on the project.
The Incentive Fund aims to increase the number of inventions by researchers at publicly funded research institutions and to encourage the researchers to file patent applications with the South African Patent Office.
The three women were nominated for the awards for research, development and innovation in various fields that support national development goals with an aim to better people`s lives.
Share