Time Shift Buffer Trick Play Control for Ad Revenue
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Time shift services allow users to skip commercials during TV programs, negatively affecting advertising revenue for TV program providers, as users can fast-forward through commercials using trick play modes, rendering commercials ineffective.
Innovation Solution
The method involves switching the system into live mode and then executing a second trick mode, such as rewind, to shift the readout of the shift buffer to the end of trick play limited parts, preventing users from skipping these parts, thus maintaining the use of trick play features while preventing commercial skipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If time shift service allows trick play modes (fast-forward, rewind), then users can conveniently navigate and skip through programs, but users can skip commercials rendering advertising ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between program parts with different properties. Trick play limited parts (commercials) are marked with specific indicators in the data structure, allowing the system to apply different rules to different segments. Normal program parts allow full trick play functionality while commercial parts have restricted trick play capability, thus preserving advertising effectiveness while maintaining user convenience for program navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - a data structure containing indicators that mark trick play limited parts. This intermediary layer between the raw video signal and the trick play control logic enables the system to identify and restrict trick play in commercial segments without affecting overall system functionality. The indicators act as a mediator that translates program content characteristics into controlled trick play behavior.
2Reliability
If trick play is completely restricted in commercial parts, then advertising effectiveness is maintained, but users lose the ability to use trick play features even in permissible segments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the program into distinct parts with different trick play permissions. By dividing the program stream into trick play limited parts (marked with indicators) and normal parts (without indicators), the system allows trick play flexibility in permissible segments while maintaining advertising effectiveness in restricted segments. This segmentation enables selective application of trick play restrictions rather than blanket prohibition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different properties to different program segments. Normal program parts have the property of allowing full trick play functionality, while commercial parts have the property of restricting trick play. This localized differentiation ensures that trick play flexibility is preserved where appropriate (program content) while advertising effectiveness is maintained where required (commercials).
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The application relates to a method and apparatus for time shifting audio and or video programs. In a live mode program information is directly transferred to a rendering device (11). In the time shift mode the program information is transferred to the rendering device (11) via a time shift buffer (21), whereby the program information is stored in a time shift buffer (21) and read a time shift later than it is stored. Trick play modes such as Fast Forward and Rewind can be performed. In case that video information representing a program part with trick play restriction is read from the time shift buffer (21) the Fast Forward mode is disabled. The Rewind mode is disabled in case this would lead to read access to a program part which has not yet been rendered and which follows a trick play restricted part program part which also has not yet been rendered.