Roku TV has filed a patent that will allow it to show consumer ads on its TVs when the user takes a break from gaming or streaming. The company has been looking for ways to inject ads into video feeds of third-party devices where its box is connected.
“An example embodiment operates by detecting a pause event in one or more frames (e.g., audio or video frames) received via a HDMI connection, and during the pause event, recognizing content within the one or more frames,” explained the summary of the patent.
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“Some embodiments include receiving a control signal via the HDMI connection and determining information about the source device, and/or information about the application running on the source device.”
The one question that will easily come to mind is what type of ads Roku TV plans to show to viewers during the breaks. Figuring that out will help Roku to show relevant and targeted ads which will be more effective than random ads.
The published document explained that the ad shown will be determined based on information contained in one or more frames of what the user is viewing or based on the source device or “information about the application running on the source device”.
One other question that was answered in the patent document is how Roku TV will know that the user is taking a break. According to the company, three key methods will be used to determine when the Roku TV user is not actively streaming or playing a game. The processes outlined by the company include:
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i) receiving a remote control pass-through pause signal;
ii) detecting a silent audio signal via the HDMI connection, and determining that a video frame of the one or more frames has not changed; and/or
iii) detecting a pause icon from one or more frames using computer vision (CV) technology and detecting no change from a first video frame to a second video frame, where the first video frame and the second video frame are of the one or more frames.
Roku Inc. filed the patent in August last year, and it was published in November. However, the status of the application is still pending.
Roku has long been looking for ways to expand its ad opportunities
The attempt to monetize idle time is the latest in Roku’s long history of monetization attempts. One of the company’s earliest attempts to monetize idle times is the Roku City screensaver that pops up when the device is left Idle.
Roku City
The camera continues to pan through the iconic Roku City, revealing breathtaking gothic mansions, a moonlit lagoon, and everything in between. The skyscrapers are littered with hidden references to Hollywood’s iconic characters including Spider-Man, King Kong, and the city of Oz.
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Last May, Roku started selling sponsorship for its screensaver. McDonalds and Walmart are some of the companies that have already subscribed to it. Roku values idle time so much that they don’t let developers integrate proprietary screensavers into any app that is designed to run on Roku TV.
However, Roku’s ability to monetize idle time lies in the HDMI. That ability is wiped off if the consumer switches to an external device—including an attached streaming adaptor from another manufacturer or a game console.
It is important to mention that filing a patent doesn’t necessarily mean that the company will pursue that initiative. There are thousands (if not millions) of patents that never materialized into a market-ready product. However, a patent like the one filed by Roku helps consumers understand the direction of the company’s thoughts.
