# US 9,883,211 B2 · Method and apparatus for selection of advertisements to fill a commercial break of an unknown duration > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,211 B2 - Document ID: US9883211B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/014,005 - Filed: 2013-08-29 - Published: 2014-03-06 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2012-09-03 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology Inc. - Inventors: Hemant Kumar - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883211B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/23424: {involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement} - G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements - G06Q 30/0251: Targeted advertisements - H04N 21/26233: {involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file} - H04N 21/26241: {involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children programme} - H04N 21/458: Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules {; time-related management operations (arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10)} - H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)} - H04H 60/37: for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N) ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a user input requesting an event to be displayed; playing out the requested event; identifying a type of the requested event; estimating a duration of a next commercial break occurring in the requested event according to the type; selecting at least one advertisement having a duration corresponding to the estimated duration of the next commercial break; and playing out the at least one advertisement. Related systems, apparatus and methods are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A client device comprising: means for receiving a user input requesting a live event to be displayed; means for playing out said requested live event; means for identifying a type of said requested live event; means for estimating a duration of a next commercial break occurring in said requested live event according to an action or occurrence occurring in said requested live event and associated with said type; means for selecting an advertisement list having a duration corresponding to said estimated duration of said next commercial break, wherein said advertisement list comprises at least one advertisement; and wherein said means for playing out are further operative to play out said at least one advertisement from said advertisement list in said next commercial break following said action or occurrence. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The client device of claim 1, wherein said means for identifying a type of said requested live event is operative to use one or more of: genre information; subgenre information; and metadata information of said requested live event to identify said type of said requested event. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The client device of claim 1, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to: retrieve a set of parameters for each past event of a plurality of past live events; categorize said past live events according to said set of parameters, wherein said past live events having similar sets of parameters are grouped into a same category; generate, for each category, a plurality of estimates that specifically characterize commercial break durations of said past live events grouped into a same category; identify a category relevant to said identified type of said requested live event; and select an estimate from said plurality of estimates related to said identified relevant category. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said set of parameters comprises: commercial break durations for each of said past live events; a total duration for each of said past live events; and an importance of an audio video content item for each of said past live events. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to categorize said past live events by grouping said past live events having same sets of parameters into a same category. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to identify a category using one or more of: genre information; subgenre information; and metadata information of each of said past live events grouped in a same category to identify said type of said category. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said generating comprises generating, for each category, an estimate that best models commercial break durations of said past live events grouped into said same category. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to use said sets of parameters of said live past events grouped into a same category to generate said plurality of estimates. ### Claim 9 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to compare said type of said requested live event to said types of said categories to identify a category relevant to said requested live event. ### Claim 10 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3, said means for estimating further operative to: estimate a duration of a next commercial break using said selected estimate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The client device of claim 10, wherein said means for estimating are further operative to reduce said selected estimate by a configurable guard time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The client device of claim 1, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to: determine durations of a plurality of advertisements available to be played out; generate a plurality of available advertisement lists using said determined durations of said plurality of advertisements, wherein each of said plurality of available advertisement has a duration corresponding to said estimated duration of said next commercial break; and select said advertisement list from among said plurality of available advertisement lists to be played out. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The client device of claim 12, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to: group advertisements having a similar determined duration into a same group, thereby forming a plurality of advertisement duration lists; and sort each advertisement duration list of said plurality of advertisement duration lists. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The client device of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to group advertisements having a same determined duration into a same group to form said plurality of advertisement duration lists. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The client device of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to place advertisements generating most revenue to at least one of a service provider or a platform operator at the beginning of said each advertisement duration list of said plurality of advertisement duration lists. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The client device of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to place advertisements most relevant to said requested event at the beginning of said each advertisement duration list of said plurality of advertisement duration lists. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The client device of claim 13, wherein said means for selecting an advertisement list are further operative to place advertisements most relevant to user preferences at the beginning of said each advertisement duration list of said plurality of advertisement duration lists. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The client device of claim 12, wherein said advertisement list selected from among said plurality of available advertisement lists has a duration that is less than said estimated duration for said next commercial break. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The client device of claim 12, wherein said advertisement list selected from among said plurality of available advertisement lists has a duration that is more than said estimated duration for said next commercial break. ### Claim 20 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3 and further comprising: means for receiving an expiration time of said commercial break; means for determining an end time for said estimated duration of said commercial break; and means for resuming playing out said requested live event at said expiration time when said expiration time corresponds to said end time. ### Claim 21 (depends on 3) The client device of claim 3 and further comprising: means for receiving an expiration time of said commercial break; means for determining an end time for said estimated duration of said commercial break; and means for resuming playing out said requested live event at said end time when said expiration time is earlier than said end time. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The client device of claim 21, wherein said means for resuming playing out said requested live event at said determined end time further comprises: means for allowing an advertisement being played out after said expiration time to be played out in its entirety; means for storing a portion of said requested event in a storage device, wherein said storing starts at said expiration time; means for determining if said stored portion is important; and means for resuming playing out said requested live event at said determined end time by playing out said requested live event if it is determined that said stored portion is not important; or by playing back said stored portion of said requested event if it is determined that said stored portion is important. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The client device of claim 22, wherein said means for resuming said requested event at said determined end time by playing back said stored portion are operative to play back said stored portion of said requested event at a faster than real time speed. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The client device of claim 22 and further comprising: means for reducing an estimated duration of a further commercial break by an amount of time between said expiration time and said determined end time. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The client device of claim 20, wherein said resuming is made at said received expiration time when said expiration time is later than said determined end time. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The client device of claim 25 and further comprising: means for estimating a remaining duration of said commercial break occurring in said requested live event according to said type; means for selecting at least one further advertisement list having a duration corresponding to said estimated remaining duration of said commercial break; and means for playing out at least one advertisement from said at least one further advertisement list. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The client device of claim 26, wherein said means for estimating a remaining duration are operative to select one further estimate from said plurality of estimates. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 and wherein said means for estimating a duration are operative to vary said duration according to a specific said action or occurrence.