In-Stream Ad Insertion via Server-Side Concatenation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for in-stream advertising on internet connected devices are cumbersome and costly due to the need for continuous upgrades of advertisement fetching logic across multiple devices and platforms, and they often result in buffering delays and interruptions during media content streaming.

Innovation Solution

A system that integrates an adinsert module to concatenate media content and advertisements into a single file, allowing seamless streaming by communicating with the media streaming server and advertising server, eliminating the need for separate requests and reducing buffering through pre-defined cue points and matching resolutions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If separate advertisement fetching logic is implemented on each internet connected device, then advertisement can be fetched and displayed, but continuous upgrades and installations become costly and cumbersome across multiple devices and platforms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement fetching capabilityVSAvoidupgrade and installation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A centralized advertisement insertion server is introduced as an intermediary between the media streaming server and the internet connected device. This server receives media content, inserts advertisements at designated cue points, and returns the concatenated content to be streamed. This eliminates the need for devices to have separate advertisement fetching logic, as the intermediary handles all advertisement management centrally, reducing upgrade and installation complexity across multiple platforms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of implementing advertisement fetching logic on each device, the system creates a copy of the advertisement insertion functionality at the server level. The advertisement insertion server maintains a copy of the advertisement database and insertion logic, allowing multiple devices to access the same advertisement content without each device needing its own copy of the fetching logic, thereby reducing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of manufacture

If media content is paused and advertisement is started separately, then advertisement can be inserted in media content, but buffering delay and interruptions occur during transition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement insertion capabilityVSAvoidbuffering delay and interruption time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The advertisement insertion server pre-loads advertisements into memory and pre-positiones them for insertion at designated cue points in the media content. The system prepares the advertisement data structure and metadata in advance, so when the media content reaches the cue point, the advertisement is ready for immediate insertion without requiring additional buffering or pausing. This preliminary preparation eliminates time loss during the transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the media content stream and advertisement stream into a single integrated stream by concatenating them at the server level. The advertisement insertion server combines the media content with embedded advertisement segments into one continuous data stream that is then delivered to the internet connected device. This merging eliminates the need for separate pausing and resuming operations, reducing buffering delay and interruptions during the transition between media content and advertisement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If two separate streams (media content and advertisement) are pulled simultaneously, then both can be retrieved, but buffering is likely to occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent retrieval efficiencyVSAvoidbuffering time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The advertisement insertion server merges the media content stream and advertisement stream into a single concatenated stream before delivering it to the internet connected device. The server retrieves both media content and advertisement data, combines them into one unified stream with proper timing information, and delivers this integrated stream to the device. This eliminates the need for the device to pull two separate streams simultaneously, thereby reducing buffering time and improving retrieval efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9027052B2System and method for in-stream advertising on an internet connected device

Publication Date: 2015.05.05 DISCOVERY COM LLC

AI summary

This invention discloses a system for in-stream advertising on an internet connected device comprising: at least a media streaming server adapted to stream media content in relation to a request from said internet connected device, said media streaming server further adapted to read and stream a concatenated file containing said media content and in-stream advertisement, on said internet connected device, in a single request from said internet connected device; at least an adinsert module adapted to concatenate said fetched advertisement and said media content; and at least a file writer configured to write said concatenated file containing fetched said media content and said in-stream advertisement in a single file in order to enable said media streaming server to read and stream said concatenated file on said internet connected device in a seamless manner.