Providing excess resources as a service

• US 20070005387A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Deane, Stephen, Thomas, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

An integrated content production environment includes a connected services framework providing connectivity to a set of applications that produce content for the media industry. Users in their roles use the integrated environment to perform setting up, ingesting, logging, selecting, editing, reviewing, playout, distributing, and archiving activities. Notifications are dynamically triggered to users when their action is requested. The notifications may be instant messages, e-mails, voice mails, etc. Throughout the production of content, actions by both users the applications are tracked and stored in a log file for processing. The action data in the log file may include payload data from messages. When one or more applications or when one or more users of the environment have excess capacity, that capacity can be leveraged. External users can purchase or bid on the excess capacity and can then access the environment through available web services.

Claims

1. A method for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

providing an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus;

identifying capacity for a first application from the plurality of applications;

providing a web service for accessing functionality from the first application; and

exposing the web service for enabling a system external from the integrated content production environment to access the web service.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of identifying capacity comprises identifying capacity for a set of applications from the plurality of applications;

and

wherein the step of providing a web service provides access to functionality for the set of applications.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of identifying capacity comprises identifying capacity for an aggregated series of activities in the integrated content production environment;

and

wherein the step of providing a web service provides access to the aggregated series of activities, such that accessing the web service enables the system external from the integrated content production environment to accomplish the aggregated series of activities through calling the web service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment for use of the web service.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising auctioning off the capacity.

6. A method for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

providing an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus, wherein the plurality of applications are run by at least one production user;

identifying capacity in the integrated content production system;

receiving a content asset from a system that is external to the integrated content production system;

instructing the at least one production user to act upon the content asset for generating a deliverable asset; and

sending the deliverable asset to the external system.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising exposing a web service for enabling the system that is external to the integrated content production system to access functionality.

8. The method of claim 6,

wherein the step of identifying capacity comprises identifying capacity for an aggregated series of activities by the at least one production user;

and

wherein the step of instructing the at least one production user comprises instructing the at least one production user to perform an aggregated series of activities upon the content asset.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving payment for the deliverable asset.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising auctioning off the capacity.

11. A system for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus;

a capacity module for identifying capacity for a first application from the plurality of applications; and

a web service for enabling a system external from the integrated content production environment to access functionality from the first application.

12. The system of claim 11,

wherein the capacity module identifies capacity for a set of applications from the plurality of applications;

and

wherein the web service provides access to functionality for the set of applications.

13. The system of claim 11,

wherein the capacity module identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities in the integrated content production environment;

and

wherein the web service provides access to the aggregated series of activities, such that accessing the web service enables the system external from the integrated content production environment to accomplish the aggregated series of activities through calling the web service.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising a payment module for accepting payment for use of the web service.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising an auction module for auctioning off the capacity.

16. A system for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus, wherein the plurality of applications are run by at least one production user;

a capacity module for identifying capacity in the integrated content production system;

a receiving module for receiving a content asset from a system that is external to the integrated content production system;

a management module for instructing the at least one production user to act upon the content asset for generating a deliverable asset; and

a sending module for sending the deliverable asset to the external system.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a web service for enabling the system that is external to the integrated content production system to access functionality.

18. The system of claim 16,

wherein the capacity module identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities by the at least one production user;

and

wherein the management module instructs the at least one production user to perform an aggregated series of activities upon the content asset.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a payment module for receiving payment for the deliverable asset.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising an auction module for auctioning off the capacity.

21. A computer program for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus;

a computer code segment for identifying capacity for a first application from the plurality of applications; and

a web service for enabling a system external from the integrated content production environment to access functionality from the first application.

22. The computer program of claim 21,

wherein the computer code segment for identifying capacity identifies capacity for a set of applications from the plurality of applications;

and

wherein the web service provides access to functionality for the set of applications.

23. The computer program of claim 21,

wherein the computer code segment for identifying capacity identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities in the integrated content production environment;

and

wherein the web service provides access to the aggregated series of activities, such that accessing the web service enables the system external from the integrated content production environment to accomplish the aggregated series of activities through calling the web service.

24. The computer program of claim 21, further comprising a computer code segment for accepting payment for use of the web service.

25. The computer program of claim 21, further comprising a computer code segment for auctioning off the capacity.

26. A computer program for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus, wherein the plurality of applications are run by at least one production user;

a computer code segment for identifying capacity in the integrated content production system;

a computer code segment for receiving a content asset from a system that is external to the integrated content production system;

a computer code segment for instructing the at least one production user to act upon the content asset for generating a deliverable asset; and

a computer code segment for sending the deliverable asset to the external system.

27. The computer program of claim 26, further comprising a web service for enabling the system that is external to the integrated content production system to access functionality.

28. The computer program of claim 26,

wherein the computer code segment for identifying capacity identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities by the at least one production user;

and

wherein the computer code segment for instructing instructs the at least one production user to perform an aggregated series of activities upon the content asset.

29. The computer program of claim 26, further comprising a computer code segment for receiving payment for the deliverable asset.

30. The computer program of claim 26, further comprising a computer code segment for auctioning off the capacity.

31. A system for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus;

means for identifying capacity for a first application from the plurality of applications; and

means for enabling a system external from the integrated content production environment to access functionality from the first application.

32. The system of claim 31,

wherein the means for identifying capacity identifies capacity for a set of applications from the plurality of applications;

and

wherein the means for enabling provides access to functionality for the set of applications.

33. The system of claim 31,

wherein the means for identifying capacity identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities in the integrated content production environment;

and

wherein the means for enabling provides access to the aggregated series of activities, enabling the system external from the integrated content production environment to accomplish the aggregated series of activities through calling the web service.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for accepting payment for use of the web service.

35. The system of claim 31, further comprising means for auctioning off the capacity.

36. A system for leveraging excess capacity in an integrated content production environment, comprising:

an integrated content production system comprising a plurality of applications connected by an enterprise service bus, wherein the plurality of applications are run by at least one production user;

means for identifying capacity in the integrated content production system;

means for receiving a content asset from a system that is external to the integrated content production system;

means for instructing the at least one production user to act upon the content asset for generating a deliverable asset; and

means for sending the deliverable asset to the external system.

37. The '"'"'system of claim 36, further comprising means for enabling the system that is external to the integrated content production system to access functionality.

38. The system of claim 36,

wherein the means for identifying identifies capacity for an aggregated series of activities by the at least one production user;

and

wherein the means for instructing instructs the at least one production user to perform an aggregated series of activities upon the content asset.

39. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for receiving payment for the deliverable asset.

40. The system of claim 36, further comprising means for auctioning off the capacity.