Content replacement with onscreen displays

• US 9,743,153 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roku, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sorenson Media, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Holyoak, Mitchell M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/820,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method of content replacement with onscreen displays. The method can further include sending an overlay request to provide overlay content and an overlay format. The method can include receiving the overlay content and the overlay format selected in view of overlay parameters. The method can include superimposing the overlay content over the media content using the overlay format. The method can include detecting a presence of an onscreen display. The method can include determining a location of a portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content. The method can include defining a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the portion of the onscreen display. The method can include setting a transparency level of the overlay content in the window to permit the portion of the onscreen display to be at least partially visible through the overlay content.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a receiver to receive media content from a content feed; and

a processing device coupled to the receiver, the processing device to;

send, to a content manager, an overlay request to provide overlay content and an overlay format, wherein the overlay request comprises an overlay parameter;

receive, from the content manager, the overlay content and the overlay format selected in view of the overlay parameter;

superimpose the overlay content over the media content using the overlay format;

detect a presence of an onscreen display positioned between the media content and the overlay content, wherein the media content is a bottom layer that includes a first set of pixels, the onscreen display is a middle layer that includes a second set of pixels, and the overlay content is a top layer that includes a third set of pixels;

determine a shape and a location of a portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content;

define a portion of the third set of pixels as a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location and shape of the portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content; and

set a transparency level of the portion of the third set of pixels to permit a portion of the second set of pixels to be at least partially visible through the window, wherein the second set of pixels and the third set of pixels are separate sets of pixels maintained at the middle layer and the top layer, respectively.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further to:

receive an online source location of the overlay content and the overlay format; and

retrieve the overlay content and the overlay format from the online source location.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display screen, wherein the processing device is further to display the overlay content over the media content on the display screen.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the transparency level is set to full transparency and wherein the portion of the onscreen display is an entirety of the onscreen display.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the onscreen display comprises at least one of a volume level indicator, a menu, or a programming guide executable by the processing device or by a computing device coupled to the receiver.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive media content from a content feed;

send, to a content manager, an overlay request to provide overlay content;

receive the overlay content;

superimpose the overlay content over the media content;

detect a presence of an onscreen display positioned between the media content and the overlay content, wherein the media content is a bottom layer that includes a first set of pixels, the onscreen display is a middle layer that includes a second set of pixels, and the overlay content is a top layer that includes a third set of pixels;

determine, by the processing device, a location of a portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content;

define a portion of the third set of pixels as a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the portion of the onscreen display; and

set a transparency level of the portion of the third set of pixels to permit a portion of the second set of pixels to be at least partially visible through the window, wherein the second set of pixels and the third set of pixels are separate sets of pixels maintained at the middle layer and the top layer, respectively.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the executable instructions are further to cause the processing device to determine a size of the onscreen display over the media content.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein to determine the location and the size of the onscreen display further comprises to:

detect an unrecognized object superimposed over the media content;

identify a location and a size of the unrecognized object; and

designate the unrecognized object as the onscreen display.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the executable instructions are further to cause the processing device to display the overlay content over the media content on a display screen of a user device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the executable instructions are further to cause the processing device to:

access a database of onscreen displays for a user device or a second device coupled to the user device;

detect the onscreen display displayed on the user device;

determine a type of the onscreen display;

identify a size, a shape, and a screen location of the onscreen display associated with the type of the onscreen display in the database; and

define the window in the overlay content that corresponds to the size, the shape, and the screen location of the onscreen display.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive media content from a content feed;

send, to a content manager, an overlay request to provide overlay content;

receive the overlay content;

superimpose the overlay content over the media content;

detect a presence of an onscreen display positioned between the media content and the overlay content;

generate fingerprints of the media content;

identify the media content using the fingerprints;

determine a location and a size of an obstruction in the media content, wherein the obstruction is at least a portion of the media content with no overlap with the fingerprints;

designate the obstruction as the onscreen display;

define a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the onscreen; and

set a transparency level of the overlay content in the window to permit the portion of the onscreen display to be at least partially visible through the overlay content.

10. a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to:

receive media content from a content feed;

send, to a content manager, an overlay request to provide overlay content;

receive the overlay content;

superimpose the overlay content over the media content;

detect a presence of an onscreen display positioned between the media content and the overlay content;

generate fingerprints of the media content;

identify the media content using the fingerprints;

determine an identification accuracy level of a portion of the media content;

determine that the identification accuracy level of the portion is below a threshold level;

designate the portion as the onscreen display;

define a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the portion of the onscreen display; and

set, by the processing device, a transparency level of the overlay content in the window to permit the portion of the onscreen display to be at least partially visible through the overlay content.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein to identify the media content using the fingerprints further comprises to:

hash rows and columns of a first image to determine first hash values of the media content;

hash rows and columns of a second image to determine second hash values for the second image of the onscreen display;

compare the second hash values to the first hash values;

identify one or more of the second hash values that do not match the first hash values; and

determine a location associated with the one or more second hash values that do not match with the onscreen display.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the rows and columns of the second hash values that do not match define a rectangle where the onscreen display is located in the second image.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a client device, media content from a content feed;

sending, to a content manager, an overlay request to provide overlay content and an overlay format, wherein the overlay request includes one or more overlay parameters;

receiving, from the content manager, the overlay content and the overlay format selected in view of overlay parameters;

superimposing, by the client device, the overlay content over the media content using the overlay format;

detecting, by the client device, a presence of an onscreen display positioned between the media content and the overlay content, wherein the media content is a bottom layer that includes a first set of pixels, the onscreen display is a middle layer that includes a second set of pixels, and the overlay content is a top layer that includes a third set of pixels;

determining, by the client device, a location of a portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content;

defining, by the client device, a portion of the third set of pixels as a window in the overlay content that corresponds to at least the location of the portion of the onscreen display that extends underneath the overlay content; and

setting, by the client device, a transparency level of the portion of the third set of pixels to permit a portion of the second set of pixels to be at least partially visible through the window, wherein the second set of pixels and the third set of pixels are separate sets of pixels maintained at the middle layer and the top layer, respectively.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising displaying the overlay content over the media content on a display screen of the client device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the media content, onscreen display, and the overlay content are layers of an image displayed on the display screen.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the transparency level is set to a full transparency level.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the onscreen display is at least one of a volume level indicator, a menu, or a programming guide of the client device or of a computing device coupled to the client device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the portion of the onscreen display is an entirety of the onscreen display.