Roku, Inc.

Gracenote, Inc.

Seunghyeong Lee

Shashank C Merchant

Chungwon Seo

Markus Kurt Cremer

Peter Dunker

Kurt Roman Thielen

Steven D Scherf

Paul Jeffrey Holmquist

Brian Paul Johnson

Bruce William Randall

Chung Won Seo

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) providing, by a playback device, replacement media content for display; (ii) determining, by the playback device, that a remote control transmitted to the playback device an instruction configured to cause a modification to operation of the playback device while the playback device displays the replacement media content; (iii) determining, by the playback device based on the instruction, an overlay that the playback device is configured to provide for display in conjunction with the modification; (iv) determining, by the playback device, a region within a display of the playback device corresponding to the overlay; and (v) modifying, by the playback device, a transparency of the region such that the overlay is visible through the replacement media content when the playback device provides the overlay for display.

Responsive to detection of remote control signals that modify operation of the playback device

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) providing, by a playback device, replacement media content for display; (ii) determining, by the playback device that while the playback device is displaying the replacement media content a remote control transmitted an instruction to a media device that provides media content to the playback device; (iii) determining, by the playback device, a playback-modification action corresponding to the instruction and the media device; and (iv) modifying, by the playback device, playback of the replacement media content in accordance with the playback-modification action.

Modifying playback of replacement content responsive to detection of remote control signals that control a device providing video to the playback device

When a device is playing out a first media stream, the device determines a target time for beginning playout of a second media stream in place of the first media stream. The device then starts a stream-transition process that is expected to take anywhere from a minimum expected transition duration to a maximum expected transition duration, and the device starts the transition process in advance of the determined target time by the maximum expected transition duration, to help ensure timely starting of playout of the second media stream. Further, for an uncertainty period that extends from the minimum expected transition duration after the starting to the maximum expected transition duration after the starting, the device generates and plays a sequence of transition frames to help mask transition from the first media stream to the second media stream.

Dynamic playout of transition frames while transitioning between playout of media streams

One high-level aspect of a content-modification system and related methods may involve facilitating content modification by a content-presentation device of received broadcast content in a controlled manner, while under circumstances in which some events that can impact timing may be unpredictable. In particular, certain operations by a content-presentation device may involve matching received content with specific expected content as determined by one or another component of the content-modification system, in order to confirm proper conditions are met for the content-presentation device to proceed with, or continue, content-modification operations. It can happen the matching procedure becomes subject or susceptible to timing irregularities, or jitter. In some instances, jitter may impact the ability to derive the benefits of content modification. Accordingly, example embodiments herein are directed to systems and method for compensation and/or mitigating the effects of jitter.

Content-modification system with jitter effect mitigation feature

Dynamic playout of transition frames while transitioning between play out of media streams

When a device is playing out a media stream, the device determines a target time at which the device is to start playing out replacement content in place of a portion of the media stream. However, the device then detects that a starting time when the device starts playout of the replacement content is delayed from the target time by a delay period of duration P. In response, the device then reduces its playout of the replacement content by duration P, to help playout of the replacement content end at a desired time. For instance, the device could seek forward in playout of the replacement content by duration P and/or could remove one or more other portions of the replacement content to total a reduction of duration P.

Dynamic reduction in playout of replacement content to help align end of replacement content with end of replaced content

Modifying playback of replacement content responsive to detection of remote control signals that modify operation of the playback device

In one aspect, a method for use in connection with a content-presentation device including a first input buffer, a second input buffer, and an output buffer, wherein the content-presentation device is configured such that content from either the first input buffer or the second input buffer can be communicated to the output buffer, includes: (i) receiving, from the content-presentation device, an identifier associated with the content-presentation device; (ii) using mapping data to map the received identifier to a baseline input-to-output delay, which represents a time-period between when content is input into the first input buffer and output by the output buffer; and (iii) transmitting, to the content-presentation device, the mapped baseline input-to-output delay to the content-presentation device to facilitate the content-presentation device (a) determining an input-buffer switching delay, and (b) using the determined input-buffer switching delay to facilitate performing a content-modification operation.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Seunghyeong Lee