Method and apparatus for cataloguing and scripting the display of informational content

• US 7,069,274 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: PRN Corp. (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stern, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANNALA, SATHYANARAYA R
• Application Number:
  US10/420,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20030208469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 707 3- 5, 705/26, 375/220, 369/84, 700/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A digital department system is disclosed. The digital department system of the present invention includes a network management center, a network operating center that is coupled to the network management center, a multimedia server, a multicasting transmission medium coupling the network operating center and the multimedia server, a listening post coupled to the multimedia server by the network, and one or more audio/video display capable of displaying video and capable of playing audio, the audio video display coupled to the multimedia server by the network. The audio and video content are stored in digitized files on the multimedia server for distribution throughout the site via the network.

Claims

1. A method for cataloguing and scripting consumer informational content, the consumer informational content corresponding to products for sale in commercial sales outlets, comprising the steps of:

cataloging portions of the consumer informational content, wherein the portions are cataloged by indicia including a uniform product code, and type of content;

defining temporal and geographic information related to the portions, wherein the temporal information includes dates and times for dissemination of each of the portions to one or more consumers and wherein the geographical information includes location of at least one commercial sales outlet;

generating one or more scripts for controlling the dissemination of certain of the portions, wherein the controlling is based on factors including the temporal and geographical information and wherein the certain of the portions are selected according to the temporal and geographic information; and

transmitting the one or more scripts and the certain of the portions to the one or more commercial sales outlets;

wherein;

the portions include a video bumper, an attract loop, a wall of eyes script, data specifying text and graphic overlays for titles during video and audio playback, text strings used during an endcap attract mode, and an endcap setting used during an endcap audio playback;

generating one or more scripts includes performing at least one operation on at least one of the portions, the at least one operation including editing, deleting and copying; and

a wall of eyes is a display that includes two or more display devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising executing a wall of eyes script at a wall of eyes in at least one commercial sales outlet, wherein executing the wall of eyes script includes:

controlling display of video clips on the wall of eyes;

controlling order and frequency of display of the video clips;

controlling video clip in/out data and time;

controlling graphic overlays associated with each of the video clips; and

controlling text overlays associated with each of the video clips.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein separate files are scripted for each content element handled by the wall of eyes script module.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein separate regionalized versions of program content are controlled by the wall of eyes script module.

5. The method according to claim 2, further including switching from execution of the wall of eyes script to delayed live feed programs for the purpose of displaying from live action sources at least one member selected from the group that includes special events and messages.

6. A system for cataloging and scripting consumer informational content, the consumer informational content corresponding to products for sale in commercial sales outlets, comprising:

means for cataloging portions of the consumer informational content, wherein the portions are cataloged by indicia including a uniform product code and type of content;

means for defining temporal and geographic information relate to the portions, wherein the temporal information includes dates and times for dissemination of each of the portions to one or more consumers and wherein the geographical information includes location of at least one commercial sales outlet;

means for generating one or more scripts for controlling the dissemination of certain of the portions, wherein the controlling is based on factors including the temporal and geographical information and wherein the certain of the portions are selected according to the temporal and geographic information; and

means for transmitting the one or more scripts and the certain of the portions to the one or more commercial sales outlets;

wherein;

the portions include a video bumper, an attract loop, a wall of eyes script, data specifying text and graphic overlays for titles during video and audio playback, text strings used during an endcap attract mode, and an endcap setting used during an endcap audio playback;

the means for generating one or more scripts includes means for performing at least one operation on at least one of portions, the at least one operation including editing, deleting and copying; and

a wall of eyes is a display that includes two or more display devices.

7. The system according to claim 6, further comprising means for executing a wall of eyes script at a wall of eyes in at least one commercial sales outlet, wherein means for executing the wall of eyes script includes:

means for controlling video clips displayed on a wall of eyes;

means for controlling video clip order and frequency;

means for controlling video clip in/out data and time;

means for controlling graphic overlays per clip; and

means for controlling text overlays per clip.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein separate files are scripted for each content element handled by the wall of eyes script module.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein separate regionalized versions of program content are controlled by the wall of eyes script module.

10. The system according to claim 7, further comprising means for switching from execution of the wall of eyes script to delayed live feed programs for the purpose of displaying from live action sources at least one member selected from the group that includes special events and messages.