“Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent that allows users to skip unwanted audio and video broadcast segments such as commercials with on-device content like songs, podcasts or other media, possibly hinting at technology headed to the battle for the living room,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“Apple’s aptly titled U.S. Patent No. 8,249,497 for ‘Seamless switching between radio and local media’ describes a system in which a mobile device will automatically switch between broadcast content and stored media to offer the user a type of customized content consumption experience,” Campbell reports. “With the new patent, a device will allow a user listening to content from a radio station or “non-radio media or content sources” to skip past the sections they aren’t interested in, filling the gap with on-board media instead.”
Campbell reports, “Also of interest is that commercials are among the types of content which can be replaced by stored media.”
Much more, including Apple’s patent application illustrations and diagrams, in the full article here.