Segmented WANcasting

• US 10,462,613 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jellison, Jr., David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolchinsky, Gregory P
• Application Number:
  US15/700,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A content item can be produced at a first system in segments, and some or all of the content item can be transferred to second systems, via transfer of produced segments of the content item. Content preferences, database configuration and playback schedules can be configured with a remote media content processing system. This information is then transferred from the remote media content processing system to one or more other remote media content processing systems. This transferred information provides a configuration for segmented WANcasting of a content items from one or more remote media content processing systems until the content item is complete.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a computing device, the method comprises:

configuring one or more content preferences associated with a remote media content processing system;

configuring a content database associated with the remote media content processing system;

configuring a content playback schedule associated with the remote media content processing system;

transferring information associated with the remote media content processing system to one or more other remote media content processing systems, the information including the content preferences, the content database, and the content playback schedule; and

wherein the information provides a configuration for segmented WANcasting of a content item to the remote media content processing system from one or more of the other remote media content processing systems, the segmented WANcasting including establishing an in-production content entry until the content item is complete; and

wherein the establishing an in-production content entry includes;

receiving a content segment of the content item at the remote media content processing system; and

if the received content segment is a first-received content segment of the content item, the received content segment is stored; and

if the received content segment is not the first-received content segment of the content item, confirming a proper order of the received content segment with respect to other previously-received content segments, and appending the received content segment to the previously-received content segments to build the content item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferences include parameters associated with the content items that one or more operators of the remote media content processing system are interested in receiving.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameters include one or more content items of a specific set of:

genres, programs, or artists.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring the content database includes cataloging content items currently stored locally to the remote media content processing system to ensure that content items already stored locally are not transferred again.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content playback schedule includes one or more of:

a schedule of distribution of the content items by the processing system;

a list of content items associated with specific time slots in a daypart, day of the week, or a playlist of the content to be broadcast.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media includes:

radio broadcasts or internet streaming.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises providing remote media content processing systems access to the information from the database, via a network connection, at any time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, in a network of remote media content processing systems, a single remote media content processing system stores criteria associated with each of the other remote media content processing systems in the network.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration for segmented WANcasting of the content item to the remote media content processing system from one or more of the other remote media content processing systems further includes metadata comprising any of:

information indicating, to the remote media content processing system, a content item to be transferred to the remote media content processing system via an established connection, or transfer specific information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata includes instructions for building a data file local to the remote media content processing system receiving a content item, where the data file is used to build the content item from received content segments.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transfer specific information includes any of:

number of content segments to be transferred, advertisement spot markers associated with the content item, and instructions for creating a data file to build the content item from transferred content segments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-production content entry is flagged with an indicator that the content item is being built.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the in-production content entry adds subsequently-received content segments by appending to first-received content segments.

14. The method of claim 13, when each received content segment is received in a sequence of playback of the content item and comprises a unique portion of the content item and appending includes combining two or more content items in substantially proper order of playback or production of the content item in the in-production content entry.

15. The method of claim 13, when each received content segment includes at least a portion of content common with one or more previously received content segments, such that the content overlaps between two segments and appending content segments combines the content segments such that common content is not repeated.

16. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory element operably coupled to store a program of instructions that cause the processor to;

configuring one or more content preferences associated with a remote media content processing system;

configuring a content database associated with the remote media content processing system;

configuring a content playback schedule associated with the remote media content processing system;

transferring information associated with the remote media content processing system to one or more other remote media content processing systems, the information including the content preferences, the content database, and the content playback schedule; and

wherein the information provides a configuration for segmented WANcasting of a content item to the remote media content processing system from one or more of the other remote media content processing systems, the segmented WANcasting including establishing an in-production content entry until the content item is complete; and

wherein the establishing an in-production content entry process includes;

receiving a content segment of the content item at the remote media content processing system; and

if the received content segment is a first-received content segment of the content item, the received content segment is stored; and

if the received content segment is not the first-received content segment of the content item, confirming a proper order of the received content segment with respect to other previously-received content segments, and appending the received content segment to the previously-received content segments to build the content item.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more media includes:

radio broadcasts or internet streaming.

18. A method for execution by a computing device, the method comprises:

configuring one or more content preferences associated with a remote media content processing system;

configuring a content database associated with the remote media content processing system;

configuring a content playback schedule associated with the remote media content processing system;

transferring information associated with the remote media content processing system to other remote media content processing systems, the information including the content preferences, the content database, and the content playback schedule; and

segment WANcasting of a content item to the remote media content processing system from one or more of the other remote media content processing systems, the segmenting including;

receiving metadata from one of the remote processing systems;

establishing an in-production content entry;

receiving a content segment of a content item at the remote media content processing system; and

if the received content segment is a first-received content segment of the content item, the received content segment is stored; and

if the received content segment is not the first-received content segment of the content item, confirming a proper order of the received content segment with respect to other previously-received content segments, and appending the received content segment to the previously-received content segments to build the content item; and

establishing the received content item from the received content segments and configuring the content entry as complete.