Hybrid Stream Delivery for Targeted Ad Insertion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional multicasting techniques limit functionality such as targeted advertisements and navigation within content streams, as all subscribers receive the same content, preventing features like fast forwarding or jumping to different points in time.

Innovation Solution

Implementing hybrid stream delivery techniques that use a multicast stream for primary content and a single dedicated stream for supplemental content, allowing for targeted advertisements and navigation by identifying breaks in the primary content and caching supplemental content for seamless integration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional multicast techniques are used to deliver content to multiple computing devices, then resource efficiency is improved and network bandwidth is conserved, but functionality such as targeted advertisements and navigation within content streams is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork bandwidthVSAvoidfunctionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The content delivery system is segmented into two distinct streams: a multicast stream for primary content delivery to multiple devices, and individual unicast streams for supplemental content to each device. This segmentation allows the system to maintain efficient multicast delivery while providing personalized supplemental content through separate channels, thereby resolving the contradiction between resource efficiency and functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hybrid stream delivery system provides multi-functionality by combining multicast and unicast capabilities within a single system. The computing device simultaneously receives primary content via multicast and supplemental content via unicast, enabling both efficient group delivery and individualized content delivery, thus achieving both resource efficiency and enhanced functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a single dedicated stream is used for each computing device to enable targeted content delivery, then functionality such as targeted advertisements and navigation is improved, but network bandwidth consumption and resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The content delivery is segmented into primary content delivered via efficient multicast to multiple devices, and supplemental content delivered via individual unicast streams. This segmentation ensures that only the necessary personalized content consumes additional bandwidth, while the bulk content is delivered efficiently through multicast, thus maintaining functionality while controlling resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of delivering all content through resource-intensive unicast streams, the system uses partial unicast action by delivering only supplemental content (such as targeted advertisements and navigation data) through dedicated streams, while the primary content continues to be delivered via multicast. This partial application of unicast minimizes bandwidth consumption while still providing enhanced functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If supplemental content is requested and cached during primary content output, then seamless integration and uninterrupted playback are achieved, but device processing and memory usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseamless integrationVSAvoidprocessing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The computing device requests supplemental content in advance during periods when primary content is being output, and caches it before it is needed for integration. This preliminary action ensures that supplemental content is ready when required, enabling seamless integration without interruption to primary content playback, while distributing the processing load over time rather than concentrating it at the moment of integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A buffer or cache acts as an intermediary between the supplemental content stream and the primary content output. This intermediary component stores supplemental content temporarily, allowing the system to integrate it seamlessly with primary content without requiring complex real-time processing, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10178431B2Hybrid stream delivery

Publication Date: 2019.01.08 ADOBE INC

AI summary

Hybrid stream delivery techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a multicast stream of primary content is received at a computing device for output by the computing device. Timing information in the multicast stream is identified indicating when a break in the primary content is to occur. Responsive to the identification and before output of the primary content attains to the break, supplemental content is requested by the computing device that is available via a single dedicated stream. The supplemental content received via the single dedicated stream is cached during output of the primary content and the cached supplemental content is output upon completion of the output of the primary content up to the break.