Virtual Ad Insertion via Playlist Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for streaming digital content struggle to seamlessly integrate advertisements into content streams without modifying the content files, limiting flexibility in ad delivery and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system that partitions content streams into segments, generates a playlist indicating segment order, and revises it to include advertisement references, allowing for virtual insertion of ads without merging content and ad files, enabling flexible ad delivery based on demographics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If advertisements are spliced into content streams by merging content and ad files, then ad insertion is achieved, but storage space is wasted and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The content stream is divided into discrete segments with embedded cues, and advertisements are kept as separate files. The playlist is segmented to include references to both content segments and advertisement files, allowing independent storage and management of content and ads without merging them into a single file.
Solution Approach 2:
A playlist serves as an intermediary between content segments and advertisement files. The playlist contains references to both content and ads, enabling the system to deliver advertisements dynamically without physically merging the content and ad files, thus saving storage space while maintaining flexibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If content files are modified to include advertisement breaks, then ad insertion is enabled, but content file integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Advertisement breaks are extracted from the content file structure and managed separately through the playlist mechanism. Content files retain their original integrity with embedded cues, while advertisement references are stored externally in the playlist, allowing ad insertion without modifying the actual content files.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying original content files, the system creates a copy of the content stream structure with advertisement references added to the playlist. The original content files remain unchanged, preserving their integrity while enabling advertisement delivery through the copied/replicated playlist structure.
3Reliability
If advertisements are inserted into video streams based on cues, then seamless ad delivery is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Cues for advertisement breaks are embedded in the content stream during content creation, and the playlist is pre-configured with advertisement references. This preliminary preparation enables seamless ad delivery during playback without requiring complex real-time analysis or processing, reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a communication interface and one or more processors. The communication interface may receive a playlist that lists segments of a content stream in an order the segments are to be recombined, receive advertisement information that describes an advertisement, receive a breakpoint, and send a revised playlist to a remote server. The one or more processors may generate the revised playlist based on the playlist, the advertisement information, and the breakpoint. The revised playlist may include references to the segments and the advertisements.