Methods and apparatus forscheduling broadcast commercial videotapes

• US 20040210929A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mallik, Suman, Bollapragada, Srinivas
• Application Number:
  US10/418,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210929A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method for scheduling broadcast commercials includes automatically scheduling a commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within a specified time period.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling broadcast commercials, said method comprising automatically scheduling a commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within a specified time period.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising receiving a set number of times a commercial is to air during a specified time period and at least one specific time to air the commercial, said automatically scheduling comprises:

manually scheduling the airing of the commercial at the specified time; and

automatically scheduling the commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within the specified time period.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising calculating a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein said calculating comprises calculating a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree using a Lagrangian relaxation procedure.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3 further comprising:

heuristically calculating a current best solution (B), wherein said calculating a lower bound comprises calculating a lower bound using B.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said scheduling comprises scheduling the commercial such that the commercial is substantially evenly spaced in time within the specified period.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said scheduling comprises minimizing

8. A computer programmed to schedule a commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within a specified time period.

9. A computer in accordance with claim 8 further programmed to receive a set number of times a commercial is to air during a specified time period and at least one specific time to air the commercial;

receive a manual schedule including at least one airing of the commercial at the specified time; and

schedule the commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within the specified time period.

10. A computer in accordance with claim 8 further programmed to calculate a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree.

11. A computer in accordance with claim 10 further programmed to calculate a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree using a Lagrangian relaxation procedure.

12. A computer in accordance with claim 10 further programmed to heuristically calculate a current best solution (B), wherein said calculating a lower bound comprises calculating a lower bound using B.

13. A computer in accordance with claim 8 further programmed to schedule the commercial such that the commercial is substantially evenly spaced in time within the specified period.

14. A computer in accordance with claim 8 further programmed to minimize

15. A computer readable medium encoded with a program configured to instruct a computer to schedule a commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within a specified time period.

16. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 15 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to receive a set number of times a commercial is to air during a specified time period and at least one specific time to air the commercial;

receive a manual schedule including at least one airing of the commercial at the specified time; and

schedule the commercial to air a plurality of times on a plurality of shows within the specified time period.

17. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 15 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to calculate a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree.

18. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 15 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to calculate a lower bound to prune a portion of a search tree using a Lagrangian relaxation procedure.

19. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 17 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer to heuristically calculate a current best solution (B), wherein said calculating a lower bound comprises calculating a lower bound using B.

20. A computer readable medium in accordance with claim 15 wherein said program further configured to instruct the computer schedule the commercial such that the commercial is substantially evenly spaced in time within the specified period.