Embedded Ad Messages for Broadcast Revenue Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content distributors face challenges in maximizing revenue from advertisements and subscriptions due to user control over commercials, with conventional methods failing to effectively integrate mandatory and optional ad presentation, and lack of control over commercial skip features in broadcast content distribution.
Innovation Solution
Embedding advertising information messages within encoded video content to control the display and presentation of advertisements, including start and duration information, and user-specific restrictions, allowing for customizable ad skip and pause features through embedded countdown timers and auto-pause functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If commercial skip function is provided to allow users to skip advertisements, then user satisfaction and ease of operation are improved, but advertisement revenue is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating advertisement segments into mandatory and optional types. Mandatory advertisements cannot be skipped and are enforced through embedded control messages, while optional advertisements can be skipped by users. This localized differentiation allows the system to maintain revenue from mandatory ads while providing skip functionality for optional ads, thus resolving the contradiction between user convenience and revenue generation.
2Loss of information
If countdown timer is displayed during mandatory advertisement to show time remaining, then user awareness of ad duration is improved, but user frustration and perception of harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The countdown timer is selectively applied only to optional advertisement segments, not mandatory ones. For optional ads, the timer provides useful information to users who may want to skip them. For mandatory ads, no timer is displayed, avoiding the frustration of watching ads users cannot skip. This localized application resolves the contradiction by providing information where it is beneficial and avoiding it where it causes harm.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple embedded messages are used to control ad presentation and user interaction, then control precision and adaptability are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments advertisement control into distinct embedded messages within the video stream, each carrying specific information such as advertisement type (mandatory/optional), duration, and skip permissions. This segmentation allows the system to process and enforce different ad policies independently, improving adaptability while managing complexity through modular message structures that can be parsed and acted upon separately.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of generating video streams including advertisement information sufficient to support advertisement countdown times and other functions such as advertisement auto pause functions are described. In accordance with various embodiments, advertisement duration is determined from one or more messages included in a video stream, e.g., prior to the corresponding advertising segment. A countdown timer is generated from the advertisement information and displayed along with the content of the advertisement segment. Restrictions for different subscribers may be indicated in the advertisement information messages, e.g., with some end users being permitted to fast forward or skip advertisements with other users being required to allow the full normal playback of one or more advertisement segments. The auto pause function, when activated, pauses an ad segment or set of ad segments at a predetermined time before output of the main program resumes thereby making sure none of the main program is missed.