Method and apparatus for setting timing parameters for broadcast programs

• US 20040196410A1
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sundance Digital, Incorporated (Avid Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sundance Digital, Incorporated (Avid Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, Robert C.
• Application Number:
  US10/404,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20040196410A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/723
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

System for determining segment settings for a broadcast program. A broadcast video program is received at a broadcast station location from a remote location of video programs and then recorded and stored in a program database, which recorded video program has contained therein a plurality of video segments with start and end times. A central segment timing database is accessed, the central segment timing database having pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program to define the start and end times of the video segments in at least the recorded video program. The timing information for at least the recorded video program is referenced to a common time reference point. A determination is then made if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database. If the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database, then the pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is downloaded to a local segment timing database. The start time of the first video segment in the recorded video program is determined and then the time between the start of the first video segment in the recorded video program and the common time reference stored in the local segment timing database is determined as an offset. All or a portion of the recorded video program is then broadcast utilizing the stored segment timing information and offset to the extract from the program database the video segments in the broadcast.

Claims

1. A method for defining timing for video segments in a video broadcast program, comprising the steps of:

recording at a broadcast station location a broadcast video program from a remote location of video programs and storing the recorded video program in a program database, which recorded video program has contained therein a plurality of video segments with start and end times;

accessing a central segment timing database having pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program to define the start and end times of the video segments in at least the recorded video program, the timing information for at least the recorded video program referenced to a common time reference point;

determining if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database;

if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database, then downloading the pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program to a local segment timing database;

determining from the recorded video program the start time of the first video segment therein;

determining as an offset the time between the determined start of the first video segment in the recorded video program and the common time reference stored in the local segment timing database; and

broadcasting all or a portion of the recorded video program utilizing the stored segment timing information and offset to the extract from the program database the video segments in the broadcast.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the steps of inserting video content extracted from a content database into the recorded video program when broadcast at a select time position therein.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the select time position is between select video segments in the all or a portion of the recorded video program that is broadcast.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the inserted content comprises commercial information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the central segment timing database is disposed at a remote location from the broadcast station location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of accessing the remote location comprises connecting to the remote location over a network and accessing the central segment timing database thereover.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of accessing is in response to the step of recording.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining the start time of the first video segment in the recorded program is a manual operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the central segment timing database contains segment timing information for a plurality of broadcast video programs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database comprises the step of storing title information in the central segment timing database for each of the plurality of broadcast video programs having segment timing information stored in the central segment timing database and accessing the title information and comparing information known about the recorded video program with the accessed title information to determine if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database.

11. A method for defining timing for video segments in a video broadcast program, comprising the steps of:

recording at a broadcast station location a broadcast video program from a remote location of video programs and storing the recorded video program in a program database, which recorded video program has contained therein a plurality of video segments with start and end times and a unique ID (UID);

accessing a central segment timing database having pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program in association with a UID to define the start and end times of the video segments in at least the recorded video program, the timing information for at least the recorded video program referenced to a common time reference point;

determining if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database by comparing the received UID to the UID stored in the central segment timing database;

if the UID for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database, then downloading the pre-stored segment timing information for at least the recorded video program to a local segment timing database;

determining from the recorded video program the start time of the first video segment therein;

determining as an offset the time between the determined start of the first video segment in the recorded video program and the common time reference stored in the local segment timing database; and

broadcasting all or a portion of the recorded video program utilizing the stored segment timing information and offset to the extract from the program database the video segments in the broadcast.

12. The method of claim 11, and further comprising the steps of inserting video content extracted from a content database into the recorded video program when broadcast at a select time position therein.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the select time position is between select video segments in the all or a portion of the recorded video program that is broadcast.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the inserted content comprises commercial information.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the central segment timing database is disposed at a remote location from the broadcast station location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of accessing the remote location comprises connecting to the remote location over a network and accessing the central segment timing database thereover.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of accessing is in response to the step of recording.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining the start time of the first video segment in the recorded program is a manual operation.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the central segment timing database contains segment timing information for a plurality of broadcast video programs.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of determining if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database comprises the step of storing title information in the central segment timing database for each of the plurality of broadcast video programs having segment timing information stored in the central segment timing database and accessing the title information and comparing information known about the recorded video program with the accessed title information to determine if the segment timing information for at least the recorded video program is stored in the central segment timing database.