Roku is exploring the possibility of using HDMI channels to show ads when users pause a video or game. According to Lowpass, this is evidenced by a new patent filed by the company.

With this technology, owners of game consoles, devices like Apple TV or other set-top boxes connected to a Roku TV can be shown ads when they pause a game or video.

The new patent describes a way to track a video signal that is transmitted through an HDMI port. The document indicates several ways to detect pauses, including capturing frames from the video channel for comparison. If nothing changes between several frames, the user has probably pressed pause.

To make sure it’s not just a static shot, the company’s engineers also propose tracking audio tracks to detect times when no sound is coming in.

The patent also looks at making ads relevant to the content being played on the TV. For example, if a viewer was watching a show on Apple TV, Roku TV could use frame and sound tracking to determine what is being played and show ads on the topic.

“The fingerprint and/or watermark may correspond to a certain movie title, famous actor, and movie genre. The metadata may correspond to a champagne bottle and mountain scenery. The relevant ads may include the famous actor, a type of champagne, vacation opportunities that include the mountain scenery recognized,” the patent says.

So far, this technology exists only at the patent level and it is far from certain that Roku will start using it. However, the company is losing money on device sales, so increasing advertising could be a way to solve this problem.