# US 2020/0404367 A1 · Use of Steganographically-Encoded Time Information as Basis to Control Implementation of Dynamic Content Modification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0404367 A1 - Document ID: US20200404367A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/836,449 - Filed: 2020-03-31 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-24 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Benjamin J. Ropke; Shashank C. Merchant; John S. Stavropoulos - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200404367A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/44016: {involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip} - G06T 1/0085: {Time domain based watermarking, e.g. watermarks spread over several images} - H04N 21/23892: {involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level} - H04N 21/2402: {Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876)} - H04N 21/44209: {Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network (arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896)} - H04N 21/6582: {Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38)} - H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)} - H04N 21/8358: involving watermark {(protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467)} - H04N 21/8547: involving timestamps for synchronizing content - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method and system for controlling implementation of dynamic content modification. The disclosure provides for using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, and for providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. In addition, the disclosure provides for receiving respectively from each of various media clients a report indicating transmission delay determined for the media client based on such steganographically-encoded timestamp data, and using the transmission delays for the media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint that could be used to control whether, where, and to what extent dynamic content modification will be applied. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: using at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in a media stream transmitted to a media client as a basis to determine a transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client; and providing the determined transmission delay as a basis to facilitate control over whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the media stream is transmitted to the media client from a content distribution system, and wherein using the at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in the media stream transmitted to the media client as a basis to determine the transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client comprises: using the at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in the media stream transmitted to the media client as a basis to determine the transmission delay for media-stream transmission from the content distribution system to the media client. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp indicates a reference time at the content distribution system, and wherein using the at least one steganographically-encoded timestamp in the media stream transmitted to the media client as a basis to determine the transmission delay for media-stream transmission from the content distribution system to the media client comprises: decoding the steganographically-encoded timestamp from the media stream to determine the reference time; determining a current time at the media client; and comparing the determined current time with the determined reference time to determine the transmission delay. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the steganographically-encoded timestamp comprises a watermark. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the media client comprises a content presentation device. ### Claim 7 A method comprising: receiving a report indicating a determined transmission delay for media-stream transmission to a media client, wherein transmission delay is determined based at least on timestamp data steganographically-encoded in a media stream transmitted to the media client; and using the determined transmission delay as a basis to control whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein using the determined transmission delay as a basis to control whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification comprises: making a determination of whether determined transmission delay is at least as long as a predefined threshold delay; if the determination is affirmative, then, based at least on the determination, directing the media client to implement dynamic content modification; and if the determination is negative, then, based at least on the determination, not directing the media client to implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein using the determined transmission delay as a basis to control whether to have the media client implement dynamic content modification comprises using the determined transmission delay as a basis to control whether a server engages in processing for directing the media client to implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the processing comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of: working to identify a channel being rendered by the media client, working to detect on the channel a presence of a content-modification opportunity, and directing the media client to carry out dynamic content modification with respect to the content-modification opportunity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion. ### Claim 12 A method comprising: respectively for each of a plurality of media clients, receiving from the media client a report indicating determined transmission delay for media-stream transmission to the media client, wherein transmission delay is determined based at least on timestamp data steganographically-encoded in a media stream transmitted to the media client; and using the transmission delays for the plurality of media clients to establish a dynamic-content-modification footprint, wherein the dynamic-content-modification footprint indicates which media clients are candidates for implementing dynamic content modification, based on the determined transmission delays respectively for the media clients. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein using the transmission delays for the plurality of media clients to establish the dynamic-content-modification footprint comprises, for each media client: making a determination of whether transmission delay determined for the media client is at least as long as a predefined threshold delay; if the determination is affirmative, then, based at least on the determination, indicating in the dynamic-content-footprint that the media client is a candidate for implementing dynamic content modification; and if the determination is negative, then, based at least on the determination, not indicating in the dynamic-content-footprint that the media client is a candidate for implementing dynamic content modification. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: using the established dynamic-content-modification footprint as a basis to control which media clients to have implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein using the established dynamic-content-modification footprint as a basis to control which media clients to have implement dynamic content modification comprises: identifying based on the established dynamic-content-modification footprint which media clients are candidates for implementing dynamic content modification; and based on the identifying, engaging in processing for each identified media client to direct the media client to implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the processing comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of: working to identify a channel being rendered by the media client, working to detect on the channel a presence of a content-modification opportunity, and directing the media client to carry out dynamic content modification with respect to the content-modification opportunity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein using the established dynamic-content-modification footprint as a basis to control which media clients to have implement dynamic content modification further comprises: based on one or more media clients not being identified as each being a candidate for implementing dynamic content modification, avoiding engaging in processing to direct each of the one or more media clients to implement dynamic content modification. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the processing comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of: working to identify a channel being rendered by the media client, working to detect on the channel a presence of a content-modification opportunity, and directing the media client to carry out dynamic content modification with respect to the content-modification opportunity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic content modification comprises dynamic ad insertion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the method is carried out by an automatic content recognition (ACR) server.