IP Library Granted Patent US 11,006,191
Granted Patent B2
US 11,006,191 · App. 15/929,212 · Granted May 11, 2021

Use of watermarking to control abandonment of dynamic content modification

Inventor: John S. Stavropoulos (Edison, NJ)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/8358H04N21/23424H04N21/23892H04N21/2407H04N21/812H04N21/814
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,006,191
App. No.
15/929,212
Granted
May 11, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure provides for use of watermarking as a basis control abandonment of dynamic content modification. Upon detecting of the occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, an entity encodes into the media stream an abandonment-watermark interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification. The content presentation device then detects the abandonment-watermark in the media stream being received by the content presentation device and in response to the abandonment-watermark, abandons the dynamic content modification.

Claims (26)

1. A method comprising:

detecting occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, wherein detecting the trigger event comprises detecting a change of channel represented by the media stream being delivered to the content presentation device; and

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the trigger event, encoding an abandonment-watermark into the media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, wherein the abandonment-watermark is interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out between a time when the content presentation device has received a directive to carry out the dynamic content modification and a time when the content presentation device would start applying the dynamic content modification, and wherein abandoning the dynamic content modification comprises forgoing the dynamic content modification.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out while the content presentation device is applying the dynamic content modification, and wherein abandoning the dynamic content modification comprises discontinuing the dynamic content modification.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic content modification is responsive to fingerprint-based automatic content recognition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trigger event comprises a content-related trigger event.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the trigger event is carried out by at least one entity involved with delivering the media stream to the content presentation device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein encoding the abandonment-watermark into the media stream is carried out by at least one entity involved with delivering the media stream to the content presentation device.

9. A method comprising:

detecting by a content presentation device an abandonment-watermark encoded in a media stream being received by the content presentation device, wherein the abandonment-watermark is encoded into the media stream responsive to detection of a change of channel represented by the media stream; and

responsive to detecting the abandonment-watermark encoded in the media stream, abandoning by the content presentation device a dynamic content modification of the media stream.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method is carried out between a time when the content presentation device has received a directive to carry out the dynamic content modification and a time when the content presentation device would start applying the dynamic content modification, and wherein abandoning the dynamic content modification comprises forgoing the dynamic content modification.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the method is carried out while the content presentation device is applying the dynamic content modification, and wherein abandoning the dynamic content modification comprises discontinuing the dynamic content modification.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the dynamic content modification is responsive to fingerprint-based automatic content recognition.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting the abandonment-watermark encoded in the media stream being received by the content presentation device comprises detecting in the media stream a watermark and determining that the detected watermark encodes a value interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification.

15. A system comprising:

a network communication interface;

a processing unit;

non-transitory data storage; and

program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processing unit to carry out operations including:

detecting occurrence of a trigger event for causing a content presentation device to abandon a dynamic content modification with respect to a media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, wherein detecting the trigger event comprises detecting a change of channel represented by the media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, and

responsive to detecting the occurrence of the trigger event, encoding an abandonment-watermark into the media stream being delivered to the content presentation device, wherein the abandonment-watermark is interpretable by the content presentation device to cause the content presentation device to abandon the dynamic content modification.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion.

Assignments (10)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: ROKU, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068982/0377 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (REEL/FRAME 056982/0194) Recorded Feb 22, 2023
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROKU, INC.; ROKU DX HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062826/0664 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Jun 29, 2021
From: ROKU, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 056982/0194 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2021
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 056106/0376 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2021
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.
Reel/Frame 056973/0280 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 3, 2020
From: STAVROPOULOS, JOHN S.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 051703/0908 →