Pre-loading Ads into DVR Recordings for Non-linear Playback

Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing use of Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) allows users to view content non-linearly, making it difficult for advertisers to ensure their ads are seen, as traditional on-the-fly insertion methods are costly and inefficient, especially when users rewind or fast-forward through commercial breaks.

Innovation Solution

A system that pre-loads advertisements and merges them into recorded content, using metadata to identify insertion points, allowing for dynamic adaptation and insertion before playback, reducing real-time processing demands and supporting non-linear playback modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If on-the-fly advertisement insertion is used during playback, then advertisements can be inserted in real-time, but processing costs increase and reliability decreases when users use non-linear playback modes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement insertion efficiencyVSAvoidadvertisement delivery reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs advertisement insertion in advance during content recording, rather than attempting real-time insertion during playback. When content is recorded, the system identifies commercial break segments and pre-inserts appropriate advertisements into those segments. This preliminary action ensures advertisements are already embedded in the content file before playback begins, eliminating the need for complex real-time processing and ensuring reliable advertisement delivery regardless of whether users watch linearly or use non-linear playback modes like fast-forward or rewind.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If real-time processing is used for advertisement insertion, then advertisements can be inserted dynamically, but processing costs and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement adaptabilityVSAvoidprocessing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs advertisement insertion in advance during content recording, rather than attempting real-time insertion during playback. When content is recorded, the system identifies commercial break segments and pre-inserts appropriate advertisements into those segments. This preliminary action ensures advertisements are already embedded in the content file before playback begins, eliminating the need for complex real-time processing and ensuring reliable advertisement delivery regardless of whether users watch linearly or use non-linear playback modes like fast-forward or rewind.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a modified copy of the content file with advertisements embedded during the recording process. Instead of manipulating the original content file in real-time during playback, the system generates a new version of the content with advertisement segments inserted at appropriate locations. This copying approach allows the system to perform complex insertion operations during recording when processing resources are abundant, while playback simply renders the already-processed copy, significantly reducing playback system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If advertisements are inserted during playback, then they can be updated dynamically, but user experience is interrupted and processing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement dynamic updateVSAvoiduser experience continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs advertisement insertion in advance during content recording, rather than attempting real-time insertion during playback. When content is recorded, the system identifies commercial break segments and pre-inserts appropriate advertisements into those segments. This preliminary action ensures advertisements are already embedded in the content file before playback begins, eliminating the need for complex real-time processing and ensuring reliable advertisement delivery regardless of whether users watch linearly or use non-linear playback modes like fast-forward or rewind.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10645334B2Continuous re-insertion of advertisements in video content

Publication Date: 2020.05.05 FREEWHEEL MEDIA INC

AI summary

Systems which allow for the insertion of targeted advertisements or other messages into programming content, e.g., using Digital Video Recording (DVR) technology are disclosed. Systems use storage to pre-load advertisements, record content with commercials breaks, and merge the advertisements into the recorded content in the background, so that they are available when the content is viewed in time-shifted mode.