IP Library Granted Patent US 11,617,001
Granted Patent B2
US 11,617,001 · App. 17/399,507 · Granted Mar 28, 2023

Content-modification system with overlay handling feature

Inventors: Andrew Laurence Ashbacher (Aptos, CA); Steven Michael Cormie (Cambridge, GB); Markus Kurt Peter Cremer (Orinda, CA); Shashank Merchant (Sunnyvale, CA); Andreas Schmidt (San Pablo, CA)
Assignee: ROKU, INC.
H04N21/266H04N21/235H04N21/23418H04N21/23424H04N21/25841
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,617,001
App. No.
17/399,507
Granted
Mar 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a method includes identifying an upcoming content-modification opportunity on a channel, where the upcoming content-modification opportunity relates to a modifiable content-segment transmitted by a content-distribution system on the channel, and where the modifiable content-segment includes an overlay content portion and a non-overlay content portion. The method also includes responsive to identifying the upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel, identifying a content-presentation device tuned to the channel. The method also includes determining location data associated with the overlay content portion. The method also includes transmitting, to the identified content-presentation device, the determined location data to facilitate the content-presentation device performing a content-modification operation in connection with the identified upcoming content-modification opportunity on the channel, where performing the content-modification operation involves replacing only the non-overlay content portion with supplemental content.

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a content-presentation device and on a channel to which the content-presentation device is tuned, a modifiable content-segment that is part of a linear sequence of content-segments transmitted by a content-distribution system on the channel, wherein the linear sequence of content-segments further comprises a first content-segment that sequentially precedes the modifiable content-segment, wherein the first content-segment includes an overlay content portion, and wherein the modifiable content-segment includes the overlay content portion and a non-overlay content portion;

determining, by the content-presentation device, location data that identifies a location of the overlay content portion relative to the non-overlay content portion in one or more frames of the modifiable content-segment; and

based on the determined location data, performing, by the content-presentation device and in connection with an upcoming content-replacement opportunity identified on the channel and associated with the modifiable content-segment, a content-replacement operation in which the content-presentation device replaces only the non-overlay content portion with supplemental content such that the content-presentation device generates and presents one or more resulting frames that each include the supplemental content and the overlay content portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overlay content portion comprises a rectangular ticker overlay.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises:

detecting a presence of the overlay content portion; and

determining the location data associated with the detected overlay content portion.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein detecting the presence of the overlay content portion comprises using a predefined overlay template to detect the presence of the overlay content portion.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises determining bounding coordinates of the overlay content portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein replacing the non-overlay content portion with the supplemental content comprises replacing the non-overlay content portion with a truncated portion of the supplemental content.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

resizing, by the content-presentation device, the supplemental content to a smaller-sized version of the supplemental content,

wherein replacing the non-overlay content portion with the supplemental content comprises replacing the non-overlay content portion with the resized supplemental content.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

receiving, on a channel to which a content-presentation device is tuned, a modifiable content-segment that is part of a linear sequence of content-segments transmitted by a content-distribution system on the channel, wherein the linear sequence of content-segments further comprises a first content-segment that sequentially precedes the modifiable content-segment, Wherein the first content-segment includes an overlay content portion, and wherein the modifiable content-segment includes the overlay content portion and a non-overlay content portion;

determining location data that identifies a location of the overlay content portion relative to the non-overlay content portion in one or more frames of the modifiable content-segment; and

based on the determined location data, performing, in connection with an upcoming content-replacement opportunity identified on the channel and associated with the modifiable content-segment, a content-replacement operation in which the content-presentation device replaces only the non-overlay content portion with supplemental content such that the content-presentation device generates and presents one or more resulting frames that each include the supplemental content and the overlay content portion.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the overlay content portion comprises a rectangular ticker overlay.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises:

detecting a presence of the overlay content portion; and

determining the location data associated with the detected overlay content portion.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein detecting the presence of the overlay content portion comprises using a predefined overlay template to detect the presence of the overlay content portion.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises determining bounding coordinates of the overlay content portion.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein replacing the non-overlay content portion with the supplemental content comprises replacing the non-overlay content portion with a truncated portion of the supplemental content.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , the set of operations further comprising:

resizing the supplemental content to a smaller-sized version of the supplemental content,

wherein replacing the non-overlay content portion with the supplemental content comprises replacing the non-overlay content portion with the resized supplemental content.

15. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that; upon execution by the processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

receiving, on a channel to which a content-presentation device is tuned, a modifiable content-segment that is part of a linear sequence of content-segments transmitted by a content-distribution system on the channel, wherein the linear sequence of content-segments further comprises a first content-segment that sequentially precedes the modifiable content-segment, wherein the first content-segment includes an overlay content portion, and wherein the modifiable content-segment includes the overlay content portion and a non-overlay content portion;

determining location data that identifies a location of the overlay content portion relative to the non-overlay content portion in one or more frames of the modifiable content-segment; and

based on the determined location data, performing, in connection with an upcoming content-replacement opportunity identified on the channel and associated with the modifiable content-segment, a content-replacement operation in which the content-presentation device replaces only the non-overlay content portion with supplemental content such that the content-presentation device generates and presents one or more resulting frames that each include the supplemental content and the overlay content portion.

16. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein the overlay content portion comprises a rectangular ticker overlay.

17. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises:

detecting a presence of the overlay content portion; and

determining the location data associated with the detected overlay content portion.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein detecting the presence of the overlay content portion comprises using a predefined overlay template to detect the presence of the overlay content portion.

19. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein determining the location data associated with the overlay content portion comprises determining bounding coordinates of the overlay content portion.

20. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein replacing the non-overlay content portion with the supplemental content comprises replacing the non-overlay content portion with a truncated portion of the supplemental content.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: ROKU, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068982/0377 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2021
From: ASHBACHER, ANDREW LAURENCE; CORMIE, STEVEN MICHAEL; CREMER, MARKUS KURT PETER; MERCHANT, SHASHANK; SCHMIDT, ANDREAS
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 057148/0914 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2021
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 057172/0605 →