Ad Time-Shifting via Credit-Based Playback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital video recorders (DVRs) do not provide users with the ability to control or skip advertisements, leading to a conflict between advertisers' revenue needs and viewer preferences, as they often embed ads in a way that is difficult to avoid.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that allows users to time-shift advertisements using a credit-based model, where users can choose to watch ads at their convenience, earn or pay for ad credits, and manage their ad debt, enabling flexible ad placement and user control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If advertisements are embedded into digital video content, then advertiser revenue is improved, but user control and viewing experience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the digital video content into distinct portions: program content and advertisement content. This segmentation allows the system to independently manage and control advertisements separately from the main program, enabling users to selectively view or skip ads while preserving the integrity of both content types. The segmented structure facilitates the credit-based control mechanism where users can make informed decisions about ad viewing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic control mechanisms that allow users to adjust their advertisement viewing preferences in real-time. The system dynamically modifies playback behavior based on user credits, account status, and preferences. Users can dynamically choose to watch ads to earn credits, skip ads using accumulated credits, or adjust their ad tolerance levels, creating a flexible and adaptive viewing experience that balances revenue generation with user control.
2Ease of operation
If users are allowed to skip advertisements, then user satisfaction is improved, but advertiser revenue deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism through the credit-based system. When users skip advertisements, their credit balance decreases, providing immediate feedback about their ad-skipping behavior. Conversely, when users watch advertisements, they earn credits that can be used later. This feedback loop encourages users to make conscious decisions about ad viewing, balancing their immediate satisfaction with long-term flexibility. The system continuously monitors and adjusts credit balances based on user actions, creating a self-regulating mechanism that maintains both user satisfaction and revenue generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of ad viewing from a binary choice (watch or skip) to a spectrum of options controlled by credit balance. Users can adjust their effective ad tolerance by accumulating or spending credits. The system dynamically adjusts playback behavior based on the user's credit parameter, allowing flexible control over the proportion of ads watched versus skipped. This parameter-based control enables users to optimize their viewing experience while ensuring advertisers receive appropriate exposure.
3Loss of energy
If advertisements are made difficult to remove or skip, then advertiser revenue is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces credits as an intermediary mechanism between the user and advertisement content. Instead of directly controlling ad playback, the system uses credits as a mediating resource that users accumulate by watching ads and spend to skip them. This intermediary layer softens the rigid constraint of mandatory ad viewing, giving users indirect control through resource management. The credit system acts as a buffer that translates user viewing choices into flexible playback control, maintaining revenue generation while improving perceived user convenience.
4Ease of operation
If users can watch advertisements at chosen times, then user control is improved, but system complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the advertisement content from the continuous video stream and places it in a separate, manageable structure. Advertisements are identified, segmented, and stored as distinct entities with associated metadata including credit requirements and playback timing information. This extraction allows the system to independently manage ad playback timing without complicating the main program playback. Users can control ad viewing timing through a simplified interface that presents discrete ad options rather than requiring complex manipulation of the entire video stream.
Data Source
AI summary
Advertisements included in a stored digital video program are identified and indexed. A user can time shift the advertisements to play out at a different time position in the program or not play the advertisement at all. A user may incur an advertisement debt for skipping or fast forwarding an advertisement. The advertisement debt can be offset by viewing ads, trading the debt with other users or by paying for the debt in another form.