Intelligent title cache system

• US 10,455,296 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NewBlue, Inc
• Original Assignee: NewBlue, Inc
• Inventors: Fay, Todor
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Heather R
• Application Number:
  US15/494,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20180027283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 912 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to an intelligent title cache system and more particularly to an automated graphical system for replacing potentially lengthy graphics rendering from a wide range of graphics generating systems with very fast assembly of 2D pre-rendered images into a complete video frame. This ensures minimum latency and consistent, predictable processing overheard, regardless of how complicated the render itself may be. Moreover, the intelligent title cache system is configured to prepare the majority of cached images ahead of time for all frequently used values.

Claims

1. In a title cache system for managing a title having a template and a plurality of variables associated with the template, a method comprising:

instantiating a title cache object by a title instance manager in response to a title instance event, wherein the title instance event includes a load event and a create event;

managing access to the title cache object, including routing a plurality of internal calls and external calls through a scheduler to control a playback of a plurality of frames;

rendering the plurality of frames into a series of rendered frames by a render engine, wherein the title cache system is bidirectionally communicatively coupled to an external render engine and is configured to manage the external render engine, where the external render engine is a third party software or a hardware visual and multi-layer animation tool that loads an authored project information of a completed file in its own format and provides the authored project information to the title cache system about the organization of its internal layers, and the title cache system can then control the external render engine to deliver to it a selective layer by layer rendering of graphics data; and

retrieving the plurality of frames by one or more output devices for streaming the playback, wherein the scheduler is configured to manage a queuing during the playback and configured to forward a plurality of schedule requests to the title cache object to control the playback.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the title instance manager is configured to transmit to the title cache object a cache file to load in response to the load event, wherein the cache file is allocated to a binary file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the title instance manager is configured to determine which of the plurality of variables associated with the template are a plurality of dynamic variables and which of the plurality of variables associated with the template are a plurality of regular variables based on a data input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of dynamic variables are rendered in a dynamic layer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of regular variables are rendered in a background layer.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of dynamic variables are configured to play in sync with the title or play asynchronously.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback is configured to wait for the series of rendered frames, wait to synchronize to a plurality of parallel variable rendered frames, play without waiting for the series of rendered frames to complete rendering on the render engine, and play a portion of the series of rendered frames.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the title cache object includes a multipart variable caching component and an input associated with the multipart variable caching component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input associated with the multipart variable caching component indicates a plurality of individual variable subsets.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of individual variable subsets is rendered separately having a unique time sequence.

11. A title cache system for managing a title having a template and a plurality of variables associated with the template, the system comprising:

a title instance manager configured to instantiate a title cache object in response to a title instance event, wherein the title instance event includes a load event and a create event;

a scheduler configured to manage access to the title cache object, including routing a plurality of internal calls and external calls through the scheduler to control a playback of a plurality of frames;

a render engine configured to render the playback of a plurality of frames into a series of rendered frames, wherein the title cache system is bidirectionally communicatively coupled to an external render engine and is configured to manage the external render engine, where the external render engine is a third party software or a hardware visual and multi-layer animation tool that loads an authored project information of a completed file in its own format and provides the authored project information to the title cache system about the organization of its internal layers, and the title cache system can then control the external render engine to deliver to it a selective layer by layer rendering of graphics data; and

one or more output devices configured to retrieve the plurality of frames for streaming the playback.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the title instance manager is configured to transmit to the title cache object a cache file to load in response to the load event, wherein the cache file is allocated to a binary file.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the title instance manager is configured to determine which of the plurality of variables associated with the template are a plurality of dynamic variables and which of the plurality of variables associated with the template are a plurality of regular variables based on a data input.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of dynamic variables are rendered in a dynamic layer.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of regular variables are rendered in a background layer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of dynamic variables are configured to play in sync with the title or play asynchronously.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the playback is configured to wait for the series of rendered frames, wait to synchronize to a plurality of parallel variable rendered frames, play without waiting for the series of rendered frames to complete rendering on the render engine, and play a portion of the series of rendered frames.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the title cache object includes a multipart variable caching component and an input associated with the multipart variable caching component.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the input associated with the multipart variable caching component indicates a plurality of individual variable subsets.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of individual variable subsets are rendered separately having a unique time sequence.