Video Content Playback Control via Segment Skipping Metadata

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional streaming content often includes undesirable portions such as previews, recaps, and credits that users wish to skip, while also containing desirable content that users want to view, making it difficult for users to efficiently control playback of video content.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a video analyzer resource, video distribution resource, and video playback resource that analyzes video content to classify and identify segments to be skipped, producing metadata to control playback, allowing users to skip undesirable segments during playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional streaming content is played back as-is, then all content including previews, recaps, and credits is displayed, but users spend time viewing undesirable portions and cannot efficiently control playback

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser control over playbackVSAvoidtime spent viewing undesirable content

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of video content before playback to identify and classify segments (previews, recaps, credits, core content). Metadata is generated in advance that marks undesirable portions, enabling the playback device to automatically skip these segments without user intervention, thus resolving the contradiction by preparing the content structure beforehand.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Metadata acts as an intermediary between the video content and the playback device. This metadata layer contains classification information about different content segments, allowing the playback device to intelligently control what is displayed and what should be skipped, thereby giving users indirect control over undesirable content without requiring manual input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of time

If users manually control playback to skip undesirable content, then viewing time is reduced, but user effort and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetime spent on undesirable contentVSAvoidplayback control complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The playback system performs self-service by automatically analyzing content structure and making playback decisions without user intervention. The system classifies segments and autonomously skips undesirable portions during playback, eliminating the need for users to manually control playback while still achieving time savings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical control (user pressing buttons or seeking through content) is replaced with an automated digital system that uses metadata analysis and classification algorithms to automatically determine what content to skip, reducing both user effort and operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If all video content is analyzed in detail, then accurate classification is achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent classification accuracyVSAvoidcontent analysis time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The video content is segmented into distinct portions (previews, recaps, core content, credits) based on temporal boundaries and content characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to analyze and classify each segment independently using targeted methods rather than analyzing the entire video uniformly, improving efficiency while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial analysis by focusing computational resources on identifying key segment boundaries and characteristics rather than analyzing every frame in detail. Metadata generation uses sufficient analysis to achieve accurate classification without excessive processing, balancing precision with efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11343578B2Content management and playback control

Publication Date: 2022.05.24 CHARTER COMM OPERATING LLC

AI summary

According to one configuration, video analyzer hardware receives a first episode of video content and a second episode of video content from a content series. The video analyzer hardware produces metadata. The metadata marks segments of the second episode of video content that are to be skipped during playback of the second episode of video content to a user following playback of the first episode of video content to the user. The video distribution hardware uses the metadata to produce a playlist and control playback of the video in accordance with the metadata. During playback of the first episode of video content followed by the second episode of video content, the playback device displays a message to the user. The message requests the user to indicate whether to skip over playback of a portion of the first episode of video content.