Interstitial Audio Control for Media Content

Solution Overview

Problem

Current media delivery systems often result in unsatisfactory viewer experiences due to significant audio volume level differences between media content and interspersed promotional content, leading to uncomfortable viewing conditions and reduced effectiveness of promotions as viewers manually adjust device volumes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that determine and match the base audio level of promotional content to the base audio level of media content, ensuring a consistent audio experience by selecting or adjusting promotional content to align with the audio parameters of nearby media segments, either through server-side filtering or client-side modification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If promotional content is interspersed with media content, then advertising effectiveness is improved, but audio volume level differences cause viewer discomfort and manual adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertising effectivenessVSAvoidaudio volume level differences

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by determining the base audio level of the media content before the promotional content is played. This allows the system to pre-calculate the necessary audio level adjustment for the promotional content, ensuring smooth transitions and preventing viewer discomfort from sudden volume changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies parameter changes by adjusting the audio level of the promotional content based on the determined base audio level of the media content. This involves modifying the audio parameter (volume level) of the promotional content to match or closely approximate the audio level of the surrounding media content, thereby eliminating harmful audio transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If manual volume adjustments are made during promotional content, then audio comfort is improved, but promotional effectiveness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio comfortVSAvoidpromotional effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by determining the base audio level of the media content before the promotional content is played. This allows the system to pre-calculate the necessary audio level adjustment for the promotional content, ensuring smooth transitions and preventing viewer discomfort from sudden volume changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies self-service by automatically adjusting the audio level of the promotional content without requiring manual intervention from the viewer. The system serves itself by detecting the audio level mismatch and autonomously applying the necessary adjustments, thereby maintaining both comfort and promotional effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Object-affected harmful factors

If audio level matching is performed, then viewer comfort is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveviewer comfortVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by determining the base audio level of the media content before the promotional content is played. This allows the system to pre-calculate the necessary audio level adjustment for the promotional content, ensuring smooth transitions and preventing viewer discomfort from sudden volume changes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies the intermediary principle by introducing an audio level determination and adjustment mechanism that acts as a mediator between the media content and promotional content. This intermediary component handles the complexity of audio level matching, shielding the viewer from technical complications while ensuring comfortable viewing experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9686586B2Interstitial audio control

Publication Date: 2017.06.20 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

A method for audio matching may include sending a request to an external server to deliver a plurality of main media segments to the media device, receiving a first main media segment, and playing the received first main media segment. The method may further include determining audio parameters of the first main media segment, determining audio parameters of a first interstitial media segment to be served in proximity to the first main media segment, determining when the audio parameters of the first interstitial media segment are to be adjusted to match the audio parameters of the first main media segment, adjusting the audio parameters of the first interstitial media segment, and playing the first main video followed by the first interstitial media segment.