Program production and transmission apparatus

• US 6,460,018 B1
• Filed: 11/27/1998
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tadano, Yoshie, Kasai, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Kyle J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irshadullah, M.
• Application Number:
  US09/200,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,404 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/8, 717/1, 725/116-117, 725/138, 725/144, 725/145-147, 725/43, 725/50, 348/722, 348/565, 348/155, 380/210
• US Class Current: 705/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/95 for local area
• 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

Abstract

Program production supporting component, transmission equipment controlling component, material creation managing component, and storing component are interconnected through a network, and managing component and exterior supporting component are connected to the network, thereby making it possible to realize a program production and transmission apparatus capable of efficiently execution creation of program component information with production information produced based on production schedule information, creation of a program progress table formed based on the program component information, and processing for editing and transmission based on the program progress table at timing as required.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus for creating a program and sequentially transmitting the program based on a program progress table, comprising:

means for providing production schedule information;

program production support means for creating production information based upon said provided production schedule information, said production information including a schedule for creating said program and program component information indicative of each of a plurality of components that are to be selectively included in a program;

material creation managing means for receiving from an external source and recording in a storage means materials that are selectively included in each of said plurality of components, and for editing the recorded materials to form each of said plurality of said components in the program; and

transmission equipment controlling means for creating said program progress table based upon said production information and for transmitting each of the components included in the program in accordance with said program progress table;

said program production supporting means, said transmission equipment controlling means, said material creation managing means, said storing means, and said transmission means being interconnected through a network.

2. The program production and transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein said program production supporting means further creates a news collection schedule table indicating a schedule for collecting news and materials for each of said plurality of said components in the program.

3. The program production and transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein said program production supporting means further creates a work schedule table indicating a work schedule for staff assigned to collect materials for each of said plurality of said components in the program.

4. The program production and transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein said program production supporting means further creates an on-air manuscript which is transmitted along with the program.

5. The program production and transmission apparatus of claim 1, wherein said material creation managing means further includes recording means for recording received materials on a tape cassette or magnetic, optical or electronic storage device.

6. The program production and transmission apparatus of claim 1, further comprising computer graphics means connected to said network for applying computer graphics to said materials during editing.

7. A computerized method for creating a program and sequentially transmitting the program based on a program progress table, comprising the steps of:

providing production schedule information;

creating production information based upon said provided production schedule information, said production information including a schedule for creating said program and program component information indicative of each of a plurality of components that are to be selectively included in a program;

receiving from an external source and recording materials in a storage means that are selectively included in each of said plurality of components;

editing the recorded materials to form each of said plurality of said components in the program;

creating said program progress table based upon said production information; and

transmitting each of the components in the program in accordance with said program progress table.