System and method for a master scheduler

• US 6,222,530 B1
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Banbury Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Corporate Media Partners
• Inventors: Sequeira, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Chris
• Application Number:
  US09/137,618
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 345/327, 345/302, 348/906, 348/722, 348/7, 348/9, 348/6, 348/12, 348/13, 348/10, 348/907, 455/6.2, 455/6.3, 455/5.1, 455/6.1
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26266 for determining content or additional data repetition rate, e.g. of a file in a DVB carousel according to its importance arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

A system and method for associating and controlling multimedia supporting events with a primary event. The events are translated into tasks and sent to media servers for execution at a predetermined time by being further translated into media specific tasks to control a bit-pump.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling multimedia programs comprising:

creating a primary event in a schedule wherein said creating uses a graphical user interface;

selecting a multimedia event to associate with said primary event wherein said selecting uses said graphical user interface;

associating said multimedia event with said primary event in said schedule wherein said associating uses said graphical user interface;

transforming said schedule into at least one task wherein said transforming creates a task for a media server to provide said associated multimedia event;

distributing said task to said media server;

executing said task at a predetermined time.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said graphical user interface uses a grid layout for scheduling.

3. A method according to claim 2 wherein said selecting a multimedia event using a graphical user interface presents to a user a menu of choices.

4. A method according to claim 2 wherein said creating of said primary event and said associating said multimedia event with said primary event uses a cell in said grid in said graphical user interface.

5. A method for scheduling multimedia events comprising:

creating a primary event in a schedule;

associating a supporting event with said primary event in said schedule;

processing said schedule and creating at least one task from said supporting event;

distributing said task to a media server wherein said media server accesses multimedia corresponding to said supporting event;

processing said task and initiating at a predetermined time said media server to access and distribute said multimedia.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said primary event and said supporting event are associated with a cell in said schedule.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein said associating said primary event and said supporting event creates a graph wherein said primary event is a node and said secondary event is a leaf on a graph.

8. A method according claim 5 wherein said predetermined time includes a delta variance.

9. A method for scheduling related events comprising:

creating a primary event in a schedule;

associating a supporting event with said primary event wherein said supporting event is a multimedia event that will be distributed at a predetermined time and does not use cue tones;

translating said supporting event into at least one task by a master scheduler;

distributing said task to a media server;

translating said task into at least one device specific command for a bit-pump at a predetermined time;

sending said device specific command to said bit-pump;

processing said device specific command by said bit-pump and distributing requested data corresponding to said supporting event.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein said media server is independent of the availability of said master scheduler when a task has been distributed to said media server wherein said task will execute at a predetermined time even if said master scheduler has become unavailable.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein a status signal is sent to the master scheduler upon the completion of said execution of said task.

12. A system for scheduling multimedia programs comprising:

creating means for creating a primary event in a schedule wherein said creating uses a graphical user interface;

selecting means for selecting a multimedia event to associate with said primary event wherein said selecting uses said graphical user interface;

associating means for associating said multimedia event with said primary event in said schedule wherein said associating uses said graphical user interface;

transforming means for transforming said schedule into at least one task wherein said transforming creates a task for a media server to provide said associated multimedia event;

distribution means for distributing said task to said media server;

executing means for executing said task at a predetermined time.

13. A system for scheduling multimedia events comprising:

a graphical user interface for scheduling primary and supporting events;

a master scheduler wherein said master scheduler generates tasks from said schedule;

a media server;

a distributor module wherein said distributor distributes said tasks to said media server;

said media server comprising

a bit pump;

a timeline and task management module wherein said time and task management module receives said task from said distributor module;

a task translation module to receive said task, translate said tasks into commands and send said commands to said bit pump.

14. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for scheduling multimedia programs comprising:

event creation code segment for creating a primary event in a schedule wherein said creating uses a graphical user interface;

selection code segment for selecting a multimedia event to associate with said primary event wherein said selecting uses said graphical user interface;

association code segment for associating said multimedia event with said primary event in said schedule wherein said associating uses said graphical user interface;

transforming code segment for transforming said schedule into at least one task wherein said transforming creates a task for a media server to provide said associated multimedia event;

distribution code segment for distributing said task to said media server;

execution code segment for executing said task at a predetermined time.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for scheduling multimedia events comprising:

creation code segment for creating a primary event in a schedule;

association code segment for associating a supporting event with said primary event in said schedule;

first processing code segment for processing said schedule and creating at least one task from said supporting event;

distribution code segment for distributing said task to a media server wherein said media server accesses multimedia corresponding to said supporting event;

first processing code segment for processing said task and initiating at a predetermined time said media server to access and distribute said multimedia.

16. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for scheduling related events comprising:

creating code segment for creating a primary event in a schedule;

associating code segment for associating a supporting event with said primary event wherein said supporting event is a multimedia event that will be distributed at a predetermined time and does not use cue tones;

first translation code segment for translating said supporting event into at least one task by a master scheduler;

distribution code segment for distributing said task to a media server;

second translation code segment for translating said task into at least one device specific command for a bit-pump at a predetermined time;

sending code segment for sending said device specific command to said bit-pump;

processing code segment for processing said device specific command by said bit-pump and distributing requested data corresponding to said supporting event.