METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRACKING ACTUAL CHANNEL CONTENT OUTPUT

• US 20090070808A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jacobs, Mitch C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,681,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A system and method includes a first automation system generating a first run log a first on air status and a second automation system generating a second run log having a second on-air status. A billing module receives a consolidated run log corresponding to the first on-air status from the first run log and the second on-air status from the second run log.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a first run log at a first automation system;

generating a second run log a second automation system; and

generating a consolidated run log corresponding to an on-air status from the first run log and the second run log.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the consolidated run log to a scheduling system.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the consolidated run log to a billing system.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first automation system comprises a primary automation system and the second automation system comprises for processing a channel signal.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising inserting insert material at the first automation system or the second automation system into the channel signal to form a modified channel signal.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising updating the consolidated run log with an entry corresponding to the insert material.

7. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising forming an uplink signal from the modified channel signal and uplinking the uplink signal to a satellite.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising generating an on-air status signal in response to a switch position corresponding to a switch in communication with the first automation system or the second automation system.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time and scheduled end time.

10. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, an actual start time and duration.

11. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time, an actual start time and duration.

12. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time, an insert material identifier an actual start time and duration.

13. A method comprising:

generating a content signal;

monitoring a switch having a primary position and a back-up position and generating a switch position signal;

inserting insert material into the content signal at an automation system; and

generating a consolidated run log corresponding to the insert material, the content signal and the switch position signal.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising communicating the consolidated run log to a billing system.

15. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising a first automation system in communication with the primary position and a second automation system in communication with the back-up position.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 further comprising inserting insert material at the first automation system or the second automation system into the channel signal to form a modified channel signal.

17. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising updating the consolidated run log with an entry corresponding to the insert material.

18. A method as recited in claim 16 further comprising forming an uplink signal from the modified channel signal and uplinking the uplink signal to a satellite.

19. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time and scheduled end time.

20. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, an actual start time and duration.

21. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time, an actual start time and duration.

22. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the consolidated run log comprises a channel identifier, a scheduled start time, an insert material identifier an actual start time and duration.

23. A system comprising:

a first automation system generating a first run log a first on air status;

a second automation system generating a second run log having a second on-air status; and

a billing module receiving a consolidated run log corresponding to the first on-air status from the first run log and the second on-air status from the second run log.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 further comprising a scheduling system generating a schedule for inserting insert material.

25. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the consolidated log comprises an insert material status.