Re-addressable Alternate Content for Trickplay Advertising

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users often skip over advertisements while watching or listening to digital media due to the lack of perceivable feedback during trick modes, leading to reduced advertising revenue for content providers.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that provide alternate content during trick modes, such as fast-forwarding, allowing for addressable advertising opportunities by replacing the original content with alternate advertisements that can be tailored to user demographics and viewing history, enabling additional advertising placements and maintaining user engagement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If digital media uses traditional fast-forward trick mode to skip content, then playback speed increases, but user cannot perceive the content being skipped

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayback speedVSAvoidcontent perception
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces alternate content as an intermediary element that appears during fast-forward operation. This alternate content serves as a mediator between the user and the original content being skipped, providing perceptible information about what is being fast-forwarded through while maintaining the speed advantage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms by providing alternate content that gives users information about the content being fast-forwarded. This feedback loop allows users to understand what they are skipping without slowing down playback, resolving the contradiction between speed and perception.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Quantity of substance

If advertisers place commercials in digital media, then advertising revenue increases, but users skip commercials reducing ad effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertising revenueVSAvoidad effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of users skipping commercials into a beneficial advertising opportunity. By providing alternate content during fast-forward operations, advertisers can still reach users who would otherwise skip content, transforming the skipping behavior from a loss into an additional advertising channel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes the advertising delivery dynamic by adapting to user actions. When users fast-forward, the system dynamically switches to providing alternate content instead of the original commercial, allowing advertisers to maintain effectiveness regardless of user playback behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If media players provide trick mode functionality, then user control over playback increases, but advertising opportunities are lost when content is skipped

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser controlVSAvoidadvertising placements
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the playback system multi-functional by enabling it to serve multiple purposes: traditional playback control for users who want to skip content, and alternate content delivery for advertising opportunities. The same fast-forward function serves both user convenience and advertising goals simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP2423920B1Re-addressable alternate content
Publication Date: 2015.03.25 COMCAST CABLE COMM LLC
  • EP2423920B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2423920B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2423920B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

Providing re-addressable alternate video content to consumers during trickplay modes of operation. For example, providing first video content for standard playback to a consumer; receiving a first consumer request for a first trick mode operation during the standard playback of the first video content; responsive to the first consumer request, providing addressable second video content, different from the first video content, to the consumer; receiving, during providing of the addressable second video content, a second consumer request for a second trick mode operation on the addressable second video content; and responsive to the second consumer request, providing addressable third video content, different from the first and second video contents, to the consumer.