Ad Break Detection Using Audio-Video Scene Break Scoring

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Solution Overview

Problem

The overwhelming abundance of multimedia content and dynamic advertising options has led to a need for automating and streamlining processes to reduce human analysis and improve contextual understanding in media content, particularly in on-demand media service providers and advertising exchanges.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for ad break detection in media items using audio and video analysis, combined with computer vision and machine learning, to identify candidate ad break timestamps and select optimal ad insertion points based on scene break scores.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If human personnel are employed to perform manual analysis and review of media content, then contextual understanding and quality control are improved, but labor costs and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontextual understandingVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual human analysis with an automated computer vision system that uses machine learning models to detect scene breaks and generate ad break timestamps. The system processes video frames, audio tracks, and metadata automatically without human intervention, substituting mechanical human cognitive processes with automated computational algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by allowing the media processing pipeline to automatically generate ad break timestamps through automated scene break detection. The computer vision model independently analyzes content characteristics and makes decisions about optimal ad insertion points without requiring human review or approval at each step.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automated ad break detection is implemented, then processing efficiency and scalability are improved, but system complexity and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the ad break detection process into distinct modular components: frame extraction, feature detection, scene break identification, and timestamp generation. Each component handles a specific aspect of the analysis, allowing the system to process complex video content through a series of simpler, specialized steps that can be independently optimized and maintained.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces intermediate data structures and processing layers between the raw video input and final ad break timestamps. Scene break detections serve as intermediaries that bridge visual content analysis and advertising delivery decisions, while audio break detections and metadata provide additional intermediate signals that refine the final timestamp selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple advertising channels with dynamic content are created, then advertising revenue and engagement are improved, but content management complexity and delivery coordination increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertising flexibilityVSAvoidcontent management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-processing video content to generate ad break timestamps before the actual advertising delivery occurs. This advance preparation creates a structured framework that enables multiple advertising channels to be configured and managed independently, as the foundational scene break data is already available to guide all subsequent ad insertion operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The ad break detection system provides universal functionality that serves multiple advertising channels simultaneously. The same scene break detection infrastructure and timestamp generation mechanism support various ad formats, targeting strategies, and delivery methods, allowing a single system to manage diverse advertising requirements without requiring separate processing pipelines for each channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12610100B2Advertisement break detection
Publication Date: 2026.04.21 TUBI INC
  • US12610100B2 patent drawing
  • US12610100B2 patent drawing
  • US12610100B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A system and method for ad break detection, including: a computer processor; a scene break detection service executing on the computer processor and comprising functionality to (i) receive a request for ad break detection on a media item, (ii) perform audio break detection on an audio component of the media item to obtain a set of audio break timestamps, (iii) identify a set of video break timestamps, each corresponding to at least one frame of a video component of the media item, (iv) identify a set of candidate ad break timestamps corresponding to instances of the set of the audio break timestamps and the set of video break timestamps within a predefined proximity, (v) execute a computer vision model to generate a scene break score for each candidate ad break timestamp, and (vi) select a final set of ad break timestamps based at least on the scene break scores.