Playlist-based content assembly

• US 20060268667A1
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bond, Dustin, Jellison, David C. Jr., Coffman, Shawn
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/30.80
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for content assembly is provided by which an automation playlist of media events is created, a relationship is defined between the media events, the media events are merged into a composite media event and published.

Claims

1. A method of content assembly, said method comprising the acts of:

a. creating an automation playlist of media events;

b. defining a relationship between said media events;

c. merging said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time, by appending a second of said media event to a first of said media events and altering said media events according to said relationship.

2. A method of podcasting, said method comprising the acts of:

a. creating an automation playlist of media events;

b. merging said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time; and

c. publishing said composite media event.

3. A method of podcasting, said method comprising the acts of:

a. creating an automation playlist of media events;

b. converting said media events to a common file format;

c. merging said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time; and

d. publishing said composite media event.

4. A method of podcasting, said method comprising the acts of:

a. creating an automation playlist of media events;

b. decompressing said media events;

c. converting said media events to a common file format;

d. merging said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time;

e. compressing said composite media event; and

f. publishing said composite media event.

5. An apparatus for content assembly, said apparatus comprising:

a. a database containing media events;

b. a processor adapted to (1) communicate with said database, (2) create an automation playlist of said media events, (3) merge said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time, and (4) publish said composite media event over a network.

6. A system comprising:

a. a client computer running broadcast automation software, said broadcast automation software adapted to (1) create an automation playlist of media events, (2) define a relationship between said media events, (3) merge said media events into a composite media event while preserving said relationship, and (4) publish said composite media event; and

b. a server connected to said client computer over a network, said server adapted to receive and distribute said composite media event.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the broadcast automation software is adapted to automatically schedule the merging and publishing of media events.

8. A method of podcasting, said method comprising the acts of:

g. receiving an automation playlist of media events;

h. defining the relationship between said media events;

i. merging said media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time; and

j. publishing said composite media event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the automation playlist is generated by broadcast automation software.