How Digital Media Streams Are Automatically Tagged and Organized
A method for embedding standardized labels directly into digital video or audio streams so that devices can automatically identify and extract specific segments of content.
Original patent title: “Method and apparatus for segmenting media content”
A method for embedding standardized labels directly into digital video or audio streams so that devices can automatically identify and extract specific segments of content. Granted to Google Technology Holdings LLC in 2016 with 18 claims and 4 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a way to divide a long, continuous stream of media—like a live broadcast or a long video file—into logical parts called macro segments. Before the viewer even sees the content, the system embeds a standardized tag directly into the video data, specifically within the picture user data or Supplemental Enhancement Information (SEI). This tag acts like a digital signpost, carrying a data set that describes what that specific segment contains. When a receiving device, like a set-top box or smart TV, encounters these tags, it uses them to automatically identify and extract the relevant segments for the user, such as separating a show from its commercials.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover methods that identify segments based on visual analysis or pixel-level image recognition.
- Does not cover systems that rely on external metadata files or sidecar files that are separate from the media stream itself.
- Does not cover post-processing methods that analyze the stream after it has already been presented to the user.
- Does not cover non-standardized or proprietary tagging formats not contained within the specified picture user data or SEI fields.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in embedding the metadata directly into the picture user data of the stream itself, ensuring that the 'instructions' for the content are physically bound to the media and processed in real-time before the content is even displayed.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Dynamic ad insertion in live streaming broadcasts
Smart TV automatic chapter marking for recorded programs
Automated content filtering in set-top boxes
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is essential for modern digital television and streaming services that need to handle dynamic ad insertion or content skipping automatically. By embedding the metadata directly into the stream, it ensures that the instructions for how to handle a segment travel with the video, preventing synchronization errors that often occur when metadata is sent through a separate, slower channel.
Filed
June 22, 2011
Granted
February 16, 2016
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Google, as the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, has integrated similar stream-processing logic into its YouTube and Android TV platforms. Major cable and satellite providers, as well as companies like Comcast and Charter, utilize similar in-band signaling techniques to manage broadcast segments.
Market impact
This patent helped formalize the transition from manual content management to automated, server-side ad insertion (SSAI) in digital video. It reduced the reliance on external, error-prone metadata synchronization, enabling the seamless ad-supported streaming experiences common on platforms today.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a way to divide a long, continuous stream of media—like a live broadcast or a long video file—into logical parts called macro segments. Before the viewer even sees the content, the system embeds a standardized tag directly into the video data, specifically within the picture user data or Supplemental Enhancement Information (SEI). This tag acts like a digital signpost, carrying a data set that describes what that specific segment contains. When a receiving device, like a set-top box or smart TV, encounters these tags, it uses them to automatically identify and extract the relevant segments for the user, such as separating a show from its commercials.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in embedding the metadata directly into the picture user data of the stream itself, ensuring that the 'instructions' for the content are physically bound to the media and processed in real-time before the content is even displayed.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover methods that identify segments based on visual analysis or pixel-level image recognition.
- Does not cover systems that rely on external metadata files or sidecar files that are separate from the media stream itself.
- Does not cover post-processing methods that analyze the stream after it has already been presented to the user.
- Does not cover non-standardized or proprietary tagging formats not contained within the specified picture user data or SEI fields.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
14/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
12/20
Broad claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$48K – $153K
Midpoint $96K · 5.0 yr remaining · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
18 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Chandrashekar, P., Ramamurthy, S., & Pichumani, P. (2016). How Digital Media Streams Are Automatically Tagged and Organized (U.S. Patent No. 9,264,471). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9264471/netflix-download-for-offline
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Digital Media Streams Are Automatically Tagged and Organized cover?
A method for embedding standardized labels directly into digital video or audio streams so that devices can automatically identify and extract specific segments of content.
Who owns patent US 9264471?
Google Technology Holdings LLC owns this patent, granted in 2016.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 16, 2036, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 9264471 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 4 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is essential for modern digital television and streaming services that need to handle dynamic ad insertion or content skipping automatically. By embedding the metadata directly into the stream, it ensures that the instructions for how to handle a segment travel with the video, preventing synchronization errors that often occur when metadata is sent through a separate, slower channel.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover methods that identify segments based on visual analysis or pixel-level image recognition.
Same assignee
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