Media Content Receiver Blocking User-Selected Segments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users have no control over commercials or advertisements during their desired programs, leading to annoyance or exposure to undesirable content, and existing methods for avoiding commercials are either incomplete or result in missing desired programming.

Innovation Solution

A media content receiver system that allows users to select and block specific media content segments, such as commercials, by generating identification information and analyzing subsequent showings within the media content stream, enabling the prevention of presentation and replacing or removing the selected segments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If users switch broadcast channels to avoid unwanted commercials, then they can avoid both audio and video portions of advertisements, but they may miss the resumption of desired programming or be exposed to even more undesirable content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexposure to unwanted commercialsVSAvoidability to return to desired program at correct time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses audio signal analysis to detect commercial segments and provides feedback to the user about what is currently being played. This allows users to know when their desired program has resumed without needing to manually monitor the content or switch channels, resolving the contradiction between avoiding commercials and knowing when to return to the desired program.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically detects and identifies commercial segments through audio analysis without requiring user intervention. The receiver itself performs the function of monitoring and identifying content types, eliminating the need for users to manually switch channels or track program resumption times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Object-affected harmful factors

If users mute audio during commercials to determine when they end, then they can avoid audio exposure to unwanted content, but the video portion remains visible and the process is cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio exposure to unwanted commercialsVSAvoidconvenience of avoiding commercials

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically performs audio analysis to detect commercial segments without requiring user action. The receiver independently monitors the audio signal, identifies commercials, and can provide notifications or automatically switch content, eliminating the need for users to manually mute and monitor audio levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary detection mechanism that analyzes the audio signal and provides information about content type to the user or system controller. This intermediary layer translates raw audio signals into meaningful information about whether a commercial is playing, making the process transparent and easy to use.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If users manually monitor commercials to determine when they end, then they can resume desired programming, but they waste time and may miss program resumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetimely resumption of desired programVSAvoidtime spent monitoring commercials

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically and continuously monitors the audio signal to detect when desired programming resumes. This eliminates the need for users to spend time manually monitoring commercials, as the receiver independently performs the detection and can automatically indicate or switch back to the desired program.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The audio analysis and commercial detection operates continuously without interruption. The system maintains constant monitoring of the audio signal, ensuring that program resumption is detected immediately without gaps or delays that would occur with periodic or manual checking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS9936253B2User-selected media content blocking

Publication Date: 2018.04.03 DISH TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

Presented herein is a method of blocking user-selected media content, such as, for example, audio and/or video content. In the method, at least one media content stream is presented to a user, wherein the at least one media content stream includes multiple showings of an identifiable contiguous segment of media content. One example of such a segment may be a commercial or advertisement. While presenting a current showing of the segment of media content to the user, a command is received from a user to block the segment of media content from presentation to the user. In response to receiving the command, information identifying the segment of media content is generated. The at least one media content stream is analyzed using the information to detect subsequent showings of the segment of media content. Presentation of at least one of the subsequent showings of the segment of media content is prevented when detected in the at least one media content stream.