Graphical user interface to facilitate managing media operations

• US 10,698,573 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2017
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Salyards, Michael J., Lotz, Charles P., Felvegi, Csaba
• Primary Examiner(s): Weng, Pei Yong
• Application Number:
  US15/811,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20180067618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/638 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/74 Browsing; Visualisation therefor end-user interfaces for requesting or interacting with video content, e.g. video on demand interfaces or electronic program guides, H04N21/472
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• 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 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

A system can comprise a memory for storing machine readable instructions and a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the machine readable instructions. The machine readable instructions can comprise an automation client to facilitate managing media operations. The automation client can comprise a graphical user interface (GUI) generator to provide a GUI. The GUI can concurrently provide a plurality of modes of operation for a plurality of playlists in a graphical framework.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory for storing machine readable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions comprising;

an automation client to facilitate managing media operations, the automation client comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) generator to provide a GUI that includes a plurality of playlists derived from abstracted media data, the plurality of playlists being presented concurrently in a graphical framework within which each of the plurality of playlists is programmed to operate in a selected mode of operation, in response to a user input;

wherein the graphical framework outputs a given playlist of the plurality of playlists in one of a list view and a timeline view, wherein the given playlist includes a plurality of events that each corresponds to a respective scheduled broadcast media event that is scheduled to be broadcast to a plurality of subscribers over one or more channels of a broadcast television system, a cable television broadcast system or a satellite television broadcast system, and wherein each of the plurality of events is associated with a set of icons that represent features of each respective event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the GUI generator is programmed to instantiate a playlist object based on the abstracted media data received from an automation service to provide each of the plurality of playlists.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the given playlist provides an error message for an error detected in a particular event of the plurality of events.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a given icon of the set of icons for each respective event characterizes an effect type of an associated event that represents a visual transition from the associated event to a next event of the plurality of events.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a given icon of the set of icons for each respective event represents a behavior type of an associated event, wherein the behavior type characterizes at least a process of starting the associated event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the given playlist of the plurality of playlists is output in the list view and the GUI generator provides another graphical framework with another plurality of playlists in the timeline view.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the given playlist is in the timeline view that provides a primary event timeline and a secondary event timeline, the primary event timeline includes a plurality of primary events and the secondary event timeline includes a secondary event corresponding to an event that is played out concurrently with at least one primary event of the plurality of primary events.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the given playlist is in the timeline view that provides a primary event timeline and a secondary event timeline for each of a plurality of channels, the primary event timeline includes a plurality of primary events and the secondary event timeline includes a secondary event corresponding to an event that is played out concurrently with at least one primary event of the plurality of primary events.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the timeline view comprises a current time bar that identifies a current position in a playlist for each of the plurality of channels.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the given playlist of the plurality of playlists is in the list view that represents a playlist over a time period.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein a given event in the given playlist of the plurality of playlists is color coded to represent a feature of the respective playlist according to metadata describing a condition of the given event.

6. A system comprising:

a memory for storing machine readable instructions; and

a processing unit for accessing the memory and executing the machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions comprising;

an automation client to facilitate managing media operations, the automation client comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) generator to provide a GUI that includes a plurality of playlists derived from abstracted media data, the plurality of playlists being presented concurrently in a graphical framework within which each of the plurality of playlists is programmed to operate in a selected mode of operation, in response to a user input;

wherein the graphical framework outputs a given playlist of the plurality of playlists in one of a list view and a timeline view, wherein the given playlist includes a plurality of events that each correspond to a scheduled broadcast media event and each of the plurality of events is associated with a set of icons that represent features of each respective event;

wherein a given icon of the set of icons for each respective event characterizes a transition speed of an associated event that represents a speed of transition to the associated event from a previous event of the plurality of events.

13. A method comprising:

abstracting media data received from an automation server;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the abstracted media data;

instantiating a playlist object based on the abstracted media data to concurrently provide a plurality of playlists within a graphical framework of the GUI, a given playlist of the plurality of playlists is programmed to switch, in response to a user input, from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, different from the first, without obstructing other playlists in the graphical framework; and

outputting a given playlist of the plurality of playlists in the graphical framework in one of a list view and a timeline view, wherein the given playlist includes a plurality of events that each corresponds to a respective scheduled broadcast media event that is scheduled to be broadcast to a plurality of subscribers over one or more channels of a broadcast television system, a cable television broadcast system or a satellite television broadcast system, and each of the plurality of events is associated with a set of icons that represent features of each respective event.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising concurrently presenting each of the plurality of playlists in the timeline view on separate non-overlapping portions of the graphical framework without obstructing the other playlists.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the abstracted media data represents scheduled media events for a plurality of different channels, the method further comprising providing a dashboard corresponding to another graphical framework in which the plurality of playlists are presented.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the given playlist provides an error message for an error detected in a particular event of the plurality of events.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the given playlist of the plurality of playlists is output in the list view and the method further comprises outputting another plurality of playlists in another graphical framework in the timeline view.

16. A method comprising:

abstracting media data received from an automation server;

generating a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the abstracted media data;

instantiating a playlist object based on the abstracted media data to concurrently provide a plurality of playlists within a graphical framework of the GUI, a given playlist of the plurality of playlists is programmed to switch, in response to a user input, from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, different from the first, without obstructing other playlists in the graphical framework; and

outputting a given playlist of the plurality of playlists in the graphical framework in one of a list view and a timeline view, wherein the given playlist includes a plurality of events that each correspond to a scheduled broadcast media event and each of the plurality of events is associated with a set of icons that represent features of each respective event,

wherein a given icon of the set of icons for each respective event characterizes an effect type of an associated event that represents a visual transition from the associated event to a next event of the plurality of events.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine readable instructions comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) generator to provide a GUI to facilitate managing media events, the GUI generator instantiating a playlist object to provide a playlist for each of a plurality of broadcast media channels of a media broadcast system based on media data provided by an automation system, wherein the media broadcast system comprises at least one of a broadcast television system, a cable television broadcast system or a satellite television broadcast system, wherein each playlist of each broadcast media channel includes a plurality of events with each event corresponding to a respective scheduled broadcast media event that is scheduled to be provided to subscribers via one or more of the respective broadcast media channels, the GUI comprising a given graphical framework, corresponding to a timeline view in which a given plurality of playlists for a plurality of respective broadcast media channels of the plurality of broadcast media channels are concurrently displayed without obstruction, the GUI also comprising another graphical framework comprising a list view of another playlist for another broadcast media channel of the plurality of broadcast media channels, wherein at least two of the plurality of playlists are executed concurrently;

wherein each respective event in the list view and the timeline view is associated with a set of icons that represent features of each respective event.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein a given icon of the set of icons for each respective event characterizes a transition speed of an associated event that represents a speed of transition to the associated event from a previous event of the plurality of events.