Command and control architecture for a digital studio

• US 5,880,792 A
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Christopher, Wine, Charles M., Homan, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/790,132
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/552, 348/722, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 348/722
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A studio class directory structure, for example, in a computer-readable media. The directory structure has a gateway service interface as a root directory, a devices class directory, coupled to said root directory, a servers class directory, coupled to said root directory, a studios class directory, coupled to said root directory and a software resources class directory, coupled to said root directory.

Claims

1. A command and control architecture for a digital studio having a plurality of studio components including studio components associated with respective objects, said objects providing virtual representation of one or more functions of said respective studio components, said command and control architecture comprising:

means for locating a desired studio component by locating an object associated with said desired studio component;

means, coupled to said locating means, for acquiring control of said desired studio component by controlling said object associated with said desired studio component; and

means, coupled to said acquiring means, for specifying an interconnection to said desired studio component to establish a stream through said desired studio component.

2. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein at least one said objects comprises a proxy object.

3. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said locating means locates said object using a naming context within a hierarchical directory structure comprising a service gateway at a root level.

4. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said stream is associated with a respective object providing virtual representation of a state of the underlying data comprising said stream.

5. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said stream established through said desired studio component is spliced from one or more other streams within the digital studio.

11. The command and control architecture of claim 2, wherein said proxy object provides a virtual representation of one or more operational parameters of a respective studio component by providing virtual representation of one or more operational parameters of a component controlling said respective studio component.

12. The command and control architecture of claim 4, wherein said object associated with said stream is selectively manipulated to effect real-time control of a studio function.

13. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said stream established through said desired studio component supports multiple clients.

14. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said stream established through said desired studio component supports multiple recipients.

15. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said object associated with said stream supports storage of digital data.

16. The command and control architecture of claim 1, wherein said object associated with said stream is spliced from one or more objects associated with other streams within the digital studio.

6. A method for managing digital data for a digital studio having a plurality of studio components including studio components associated with respective objects, said objects providing virtual representation of one or more functions of said respective studio components, said method comprising the steps of:

locating a desired studio component by locating an object associated with said desired studio component;

acquiring control of said studio component by controlling said object associated with said desired studio component; and

specifying an interconnection to said desired studio component to establish a stream through said desired studio component.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one said objects comprises a proxy object.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said proxy object provides a virtual representation of one or more operational parameters of a respective studio component by providing virtual representation of one or more operational parameters of a component controlling said respective studio component.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said stream is associated with a respective object, said stream object providing virtual representation of a state of the underlying data comprising said stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said object associated with said stream is selectively manipulated to effect real-time control of a studio function.