Apparatus and method for monitoring the status of a digital cinema system

• US 20020122052A1
• Filed: 03/02/2001
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ramasamy, Sathiyanarayanan, Reich, Jason
• Application Number:
  US09/798,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20020122052A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

In a digital cinema system comprising a decoder, a theater automation system and an auditorium manager, a method for monitoring playback of a playlist is claimed. An elapsed time and a total time of the playlist are displayed. The theater automation system periodically synchronizes with the decoder to fetch status information from the decoder, which is then displayed.

Claims

1. In a digital cinema system comprising a decoder, an theatre automation system and an auditorium manager, a method for monitoring playback of a playlist, the method comprising:

displaying an elapsed time and a total time of the playlist; and

periodically synchronizing with the decoder to fetch status information from the decoder; and

displaying the status information.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to an alarm signal, interrupting periodic fetching; and

immediately reporting a severity status level regarding the alarm signal.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the severity status level is from the group consisting of:

minor, major, and critical.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring operation of the theatre automation system.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring status of more than one playlist.

6. In a digital cinema system comprising a decoder, an theatre automation system and an auditorium manager, an apparatus for monitoring playback of a playlist, the apparatus comprising:

means for displaying an elapsed time and a total time of the playlist; and

means for periodically synchronizing with the decoder to fetch status information from the decoder; and

means for displaying the status information.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

responsive to an alarm signal, means for interrupting periodic fetching; and

means for immediately reporting a severity status level regarding the alarm signal.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein the severity level is from the group consisting of:

minor, major, and critical once.

9. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

displaying an elapsed time and a total time of the playlist; and

periodically synchronizing with the decoder to fetch status information from the decoder; and

displaying the status information.

10. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for creating a playlist, the computer usable medium comprising;

means for displaying an elapsed time and a total time of the playlist; and

means for periodically synchronizing with the decoder to fetch status information from the decoder; and

means for displaying the status information.

11. The product as set forth in claim 10, further comprising:

means for linking the specified audio program to the specified image program to form a selected program, and

means for sequencing the selected programs in the order which presentation is desired.

12. The product as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to an alarm signal, means for interrupting periodic fetching; and

means for immediately reporting a severity status level regarding the alarm signal.

13. The product as set forth in claim 12, wherein the severity level is from the group consisting of:

minor, major, and critical once.