Roku has filed for a new patent that will allow it to show ads while TVs powered by its operating system are paused, event if the television is under the control of a different device ecosystem connected to it via HDMI.
The patent application was discovered last week by Janko Roettgers, who wrote about it in his Lowpass newsletter.
The scheme would allow Roku to expand its advertising business, even to those engaging with other TVOS platforms, say Apple TV, on Roku-powered TVs.
As The Verge noted, the scheme is fraught with possible bad outcomes if Roku doesn't get the tech right, with the streaming company potentially disturbing its users as they try to engage with other TVOS platforms.
But Roku already has the means to monetize such a scheme. For instance, it began selling sponsorships for its Roku City screensaver last year.
Roku reported 13% growth in the fourth quarter for platform revenue, reaching nearly $830 million.
