Apple Insider reports that among the flotilla of patents granted to Apple on Tuesday is an interesting invention that allows users to skip unwanted broadcast segments such as commercials, with on-device content like songs, podcasts or other media.

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.

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. Also of interest is that commercials are among the types of content which can be replaced by stored media.

Covered under the invention's umbrella are broadcasts from a "radio stream provided over any communications network," while the stored media can include content saved in a device's memory or from a streaming host device.

  Apple patent lets users switch away from broadcast commercials automatically