Video Sequence Selection Platform for Broadcast Break Filling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for filling breaks in video programs struggle with unpredictable break durations and lack of automation in selecting advertising content, particularly in non-standard duration formats, leading to inefficiencies and potential delays or mismatches in content delivery.

Innovation Solution

A method and platform that utilize a collection of templates to automatically select sequences of videos, including advertising and fill-in content, based on estimated break durations and user-specific parameters, allowing for flexible and adaptive content delivery across multiple video servers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual selection of advertising videos is used, then customization to audience and region is achieved, but the process becomes tedious and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent customizationVSAvoidselection process
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic selection of advertising videos based on predefined templates, video play rules, and priorities without requiring manual intervention. The platform autonomously determines which videos to play during breaks by evaluating user profiles, device types, and break characteristics, thereby eliminating the tedious and error-prone manual selection process while maintaining content customization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses multiple parameters including user profiles, device types, video priorities, and play rules to dynamically determine video selection. By changing and evaluating these parameters automatically, the system achieves both customization and operational efficiency without manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If advertising video sequences are prepared in advance with fixed duration, then content selection is simplified, but the content may not match unpredictable break durations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent preparationVSAvoidcontent matching
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts the video sequence duration to match the actual break duration rather than using fixed pre-formatted sequences. The platform evaluates the real-time characteristics of each break and selects or adjusts video sequences accordingly, ensuring reliable content matching while maintaining ease of preparation through automated selection based on video play rules and priorities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares multiple video sequences with different durations in advance, categorized by their characteristics and priorities. When a break occurs, the platform selects from these pre-prepared sequences based on the break's actual duration and other parameters, combining the benefits of advance preparation with adaptive selection to ensure reliable content matching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If buffer memory is used to store original program, then content duration mismatch is resolved, but live program broadcasting is delayed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent duration matchingVSAvoidbroadcasting delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system prepares multiple video sequences with different durations in advance, allowing it to select the appropriate sequence that matches the actual break duration without needing to buffer or delay the live program. By having pre-prepared sequences of varying lengths, the platform can immediately play the correct duration content when a break occurs, avoiding both duration mismatches and broadcasting delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Extent of automation

If estimated duration is used for advertisement selection, then automated selection is enabled, but advertisements may not entirely fill the actual break duration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevideo selection processVSAvoidduration accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses multiple parameters including video priorities, play rules, user profiles, and device types to automatically select video sequences. By evaluating these parameters and selecting from pre-prepared sequences of different durations, the system achieves both high automation and precise duration matching, ensuring advertisements fill the actual break duration accurately without relying on simple estimates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3311576B1Method and platform for automatic selection of video sequences to fill a break in a broadcasted program
Publication Date: 2023.12.13 AD INSERTION PLATFORM
  • EP3311576B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3311576B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3311576B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for automatic selection of video sequences to fill a break in a broadcasted program, comprising: determining an estimated duration of the break (bi) (42);selecting from a collection of videos, such as advertisings (130), a sequence of videos to be played out, said sequence having a second duration which is shorter than said estimated duration, and wherein the selection depends on broadcast priority criteria associated with at least some of said videos (44);broadcasting said sequence of videos (46);broadcasting a fill-in video signal until the end of the break (48).