IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,323,654
Granted Patent B2
US 12,323,654 · App. 18/085,058 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Advertisement placement for stream media

Inventor: Matthew Grover (Cardiff, GB)
Assignee: Roku, Inc.
H04N21/44016H04N21/812H04N21/8456
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,323,654
App. No.
18/085,058
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for coordinating the display of advertisements for steam media. A media device can display onto a display device multiple segments of a content segment from a source device, where the multiple segments of the content segment can be separated by unequal time durations for advertisement placements, while the multiple segments of the content segment can be separated by equal time durations when the multiple segments of the content segment are generated by a source device.

Claims (64)

1. A method for displaying a content segment, comprising:

receiving, from a streamed live television content source device, a stream comprising the content segment, the content segment including a first segment having a first stream latency, a second segment having a second stream latency, and a third segment having a third stream latency, wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a first time duration when the first segment and the second segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and the second segment and the third segment are separated by a second time duration when the second segment and the third segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and wherein the first time duration is equal to the second time duration; and

displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment on a display device,

wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a third time duration when the first segment and the second segment are displayed,

wherein the second segment and the third segment are separated by a fourth time duration when the second segment and the third segment are displayed,

wherein the fourth time duration is different from the third time duration, and

wherein, based on the third time duration being less than the first time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the second segment, thereby reducing the second stream latency by a time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the third time duration, and

increasing the third stream latency by the time amount; or

wherein, based on the fourth time duration being less than the second time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

increasing the second stream latency by the time amount, and

skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the third segment, thereby reducing the third stream latency by the time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the fourth time duration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment have a same time length.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content segment includes linear TV program content including the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first segment is generated at a first time instance, and displayed at a second time instance separated from the first time instance by the first stream latency, and wherein the first stream latency is longer than a delay caused by communicating the first segment when it is generated live by the streamed live television content source device to the display device, and the first stream latency includes a time duration when the first segment is stored in a storage device before being displayed by the display device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are displayed is equal to the first time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are generated.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are of a first content type, and the method further comprises:

receiving a fourth segment of a second content type different from the first content type; and

displaying the fourth segment during the third time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are displayed.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second content type is an advertisement content.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the streamed live television content source device is a first source device, and the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are from the first source device, and the fourth segment is from a second source device different from the first source device.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving a fifth segment of the second content type; and

displaying the fifth segment during the fourth time duration separating the second segment and the third segment when the second segment and the third segment are displayed, wherein the fourth time duration is shorter or longer than the second time duration.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an indication from a user to determine the fourth time duration and the third time duration, wherein the indication from the user comprises one of:

a choice to receive a lower latency stream, or

a choice to receive fewer advertisements.

11. A media device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to enable communications between the media device, a streamed live television content source device, and a display device, for displaying a content segment received from the streamed live television content source device; and

at least one processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to:

receive, from the streamed live television content source device, a stream comprising the content segment, the content segment including a first segment having a first stream latency, a second segment having a second stream latency, and a third segment having a third stream latency, wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a first time duration when the first segment and the second segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and the second segment and the third segment are separated by a second time duration when the second segment and the third segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and

wherein the first time duration is equal to the second time duration; and

display the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment on the display device,

wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a third time duration when the first segment and the second segment are displayed,

wherein the second segment and the third segment are separated by a fourth time duration when the second segment and the third segment are displayed,

wherein the fourth time duration is different from the third time duration, and

wherein, based on the third time duration being less than the first time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the second segment, thereby reducing the second stream latency by a time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the third time duration, and

increasing the third stream latency by the time amount; or

wherein, based on the fourth time duration being less than the second time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

increasing the second stream latency by the time amount, and p 3 skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the third segment, thereby reducing the third stream latency by the time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the fourth time duration.

12. The media device of claim 11 , wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment have a same time length.

13. The media device of claim 11 , wherein the content segment includes linear TV program content including the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment.

14. The media device of claim 11 , wherein the first segment is generated at a first time instance, and displayed at a second time instance separated from the first time instance by the first stream latency, and wherein the first stream latency is longer than a delay caused by communicating the first segment when it is generated live by the streamed live television content source device to the display device, and the first stream latency includes a time duration when the first segment is stored in a storage device before being displayed by the display device.

15. The media device of claim 11 , wherein the third time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are displayed is equal to the first time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are generated.

16. The media device of claim 15 , wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are of a first content type, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a fourth segment of a second content type different from the first content type; and

display the fourth segment during the third time duration separating the first segment and the second segment when the first segment and the second segment are displayed.

17. The media device of claim 16 , wherein the second content type is an advertisement content.

18. The media device of claim 16 , wherein the streamed live television content source device is a first source device, and the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment are from the first source device, and the fourth segment is from a second source device different from the first source device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a streamed live television content source device, a stream comprising a content segment, the content segment including a first segment having a first stream latency, a second segment having a second stream latency, and a third segment having a third stream latency, wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a first time duration when the first segment and the second segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and the second segment and the third segment are separated by a second time duration when the second segment and the third segment are generated by the streamed live television content source device, and wherein the first time duration is equal to the second time duration; and

displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment on a display device,

wherein the first segment and the second segment are separated by a third time duration when the first segment and the second segment are displayed,

wherein the second segment and the third segment are separated by a fourth time duration when the second segment and the third segment are displayed,

wherein the fourth time duration is different from the third time duration, and

wherein, based on the third time duration being less than the first time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the second segment, thereby reducing the second stream latency by a time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the third time duration, and

increasing the third stream latency by the time amount; or wherein, based on the fourth time duration being less than the second time duration, the displaying the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment comprises:

increasing the second stream latency by the time amount, and

skipping forward in the stream to a beginning of the third segment, thereby reducing the third stream latency by the time amount and not displaying a countdown clock during the fourth time duration.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment have a same time length; and

wherein the content segment includes linear TV program content including the first segment, the second segment, and the third segment.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2024
From: ROKU, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 068982/0377 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2023
From: GROVER, MATTHEW
To: ROKU, INC.
Reel/Frame 062641/0579 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240205495A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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