Interactive tutorial method, system, and computer program product for real time media production

• US 20020031756A1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gvbb Holdings SARL (Vislink Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Holtz, Alex, Couch, William H., Snyder, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,909,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/07 providing for individual presentation of questions to a plurality of student stations

Abstract

A tutorial system and method is provided to send online media production lessons and other data to one or more students over a computer network, such as the global Internet or an organization'"'"'s intranet. A tutorial management server communicates with a plurality of student workstations, instructor workstations and integrated, fully automated media production systems. The tutorial management server includes a matriculation manager that registers and maintains system security. A curriculum manager controls the routing of lesson contents to each student. Tutorial management server also includes devices that evaluates each student'"'"'s proficiency and performance and creates a study guide to assist the student in improving overall performance. A messaging manager is provided to support real time communications among the students and their instructors. In an embodiment, the tutorial management server guides the student in generating a script or broadcast instructions to pre-produce a live or live-to-tape media production.

Claims

1. A system for training one or more students over a network connection in a media production environment, comprising:

tutorial processing means for sending at least one media production lesson to at least one client apparatus, said client apparatus comprising at least one display and input means configured to interactively communicate with at least one student;

media production processing means for controlling and communicating with one or more media production devices in response to a signal from said tutorial processing means or said client apparatus; and

network communications means for supporting bidirectional communications between said tutorial processing means and said display and input means.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein said tutorial processing means further comprises:

interrogation means for sending a lesson quiz or lesson test to said student;

evaluation means for determining the performance of said student on said lesson quiz or said lesson test; and

guidance means for sending a study guide to said student based on said performance on said lesson quiz or said lesson test.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein said network communications means further comprises means for supporting said bidirectional communications over the global-based Internet.

4. A method for training one or more students over a network connection in a media production environment, comprising the steps of:

sending at least one media production lesson from a tutorial processing means over the network connection to at least one student, wherein said one lesson includes an assignment to prepare pre-production instructions to operate at least one media production device in communications with a media production processing means;

receiving data, from said student, in said tutorial processing means in response to said lesson;

processing said data according to programmed instructions; and

sending feedback to said student.

5. A method of claim 4, wherein said assignment includes directions to prepare a script and define a set of media production commands corresponding to said script.

6. A method of claim 5, wherein said set of media production commands include instructions to transmit multimedia segments, assign transition effects, send text to a teleprompting means, and control camera shots.

7. A method of claim 4, wherein said one or more media production lessons comprises text, video graphics and animation related to a media production topic.

8. A method of claim 4, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of sending a study guide based on said data to said student.

9. A method of claim 4, further comprising the step of sending at least one lesson quiz or lesson test to said student.

10. A method of claim 9, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of determining the performance of said student on said lesson quiz or said lesson test.

11. A method of claim 10, wherein said processing step further comprises the step of sending a study guide based on said performance on said lesson quiz or lesson test.

12. A method of claim 4, wherein said network connection comprises the global-based Internet.