Playlist-based content assembly

• US 20130117335A1
• Filed: 10/22/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• 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: Jellison, David C. Jr., Coffman, Shawn, Bond, Dustin
• Granted Patent: US 9,858,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/821
• 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 comprising:

creating an automation playlist of media events by executing an instruction in a computer system, wherein each of the media events has a native file format;

converting the media events to a common file format different from the native file format of at least one of the media events, by executing an instruction on the computer system;

merging the media events into a composite media event without playing said media events in real time, by executing an instruction on the computer system, wherein the merging includes using metadata; and

publishing the composite media event, by executing an instruction on the computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing the composite media event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the native file format of each of the media events comprises a compressed file format;

the common file format is an uncompressed file format; and

the compressing comprises converting the composite media event back to the native file format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the common file format is a pulse code modulated (PCM) format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the metadata comprises pre-determined metadata associated with individual media elements; and

the merging comprises obtaining the pre-determined metadata from a file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the metadata further comprises at least one transition determined contemporaneously with the merging.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the merging comprises generating a podcast using a podcast wizard interface.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

memory operably associated with the processor;

a program of instructions configured to be stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the program of instructions comprising;

at least one instruction to create an automation playlist of media events, wherein each of the media events has a native file format;

at least one instruction to convert the media events to a common file format different from the native file format of at least one of the media events;

at least one instruction to merge the media events into a composite media event, without playing said media events in real time, by using metadata ; and

at least one instruction to publish the composite media event.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one instruction to compress the composite media event.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the native file format of each of the media events comprises a compressed file format;

the common file format is an uncompressed file format; and

the at least one instruction to compress comprises at least one instruction to convert the composite media event back to the native file format.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the common file format is a .wav file format.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

at least one instruction to obtain a first event log from a first source;

at least one instruction to obtain a second event log from a second source; and

at least one instruction to create the automation playlist of media events from the first event log and the second event log.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the first source comprises broadcast automation software; and

the second source comprises a music-mixing software application.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the program of instructions comprises at least one instruction to generate a podcast using a podcast wizard interface.

15. A method comprising:

creating a list of separate media events to be automatically combined into a podcast by executing an instruction in a computer system, wherein each of the separate media events has a native format;

converting the separate media events to a common file format different from the native file format of at least one of the separate media events, by executing an instruction on the computer system;

obtaining metadata specifying transitions between the separate media events;

automatically merging the separate media events into a podcast comprising the transitions specified by the metadata, wherein the transitions are applied without playing back the media events in real time, by executing an instruction on the computer system; and

publishing the composite media event, by executing an instruction on the computer system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

compressing the podcast.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the native file format of each of the separate media events comprises a compressed file format;

the common file format is an uncompressed file format; and

the compressing comprises converting the podcast back to the native file format of at least one of the separate media events.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the common file format is a pulse code modulated (PCM) format.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining a first plurality of media events from a first source;

obtaining a second plurality of media events from a second source; and

selecting media events from the first plurality of media events and the second plurality of media events for inclusion in the list of separate media events.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first source comprises broadcast automation software; and

the second source comprises a music-mixing software application.