Multimedia information transmission and distribution system

• US 7,313,810 B1
• Filed: 09/25/1997
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weather Channel LLC (CF Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Weather Channel
• Inventors: Bell, Jackie Michael, McKeen, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/269,454
• Time in Patent Office: 3,743 Days
• Field of Search: 725/109, 725/105, 725/114, 725/116, 725 96- 97
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/71 using meteorological information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A communication system having programmable, addressable receivers that receive, store, process, and send digital and conventional video, audio and control signals for use in, among other things, a cable video network (9). Conventional audio and composite video and digital data signals are assembled into a single transmission by an automated production system. The transmission is delivered to the addressable receivers where the audio and video signals and some portion of the data may be selected and processed for re-transmission (114, 116, 118, 120, 98). The receivers may be addressed individually, in units or in groups for the purpose of receiving information on the basis of one or more pre-selected criteria.

Claims

1. A method of providing programming to a plurality of information distribution centers, comprising:

transmitting a national programming product to the information distribution centers;

transmitting a command to a first one of the information distribution centers that indicates availability of a first local programming product;

transmitting the first local programming product;

transmitting a command to a second one of the information distribution centers that indicates availability of a second local programming product;

transmitting the second local programming product; and

transmitting scheduling information to the information distribution centers, wherein the scheduling information indicates a time period for providing national programming and a time period for providing local programming,

wherein the first information distribution center creates local programming using the first local programming product and the second information distribution center creates local programming using the second local programming product, and

wherein the first local programming product includes weather information and wherein the first information distribution center analyzes the weather information and creates local programming based on the weather information and a playlist for the local programming based on the weather information.

2. A method of providing programming to a plurality of information distribution centers, comprising:

transmitting a national programming product to the information distribution centers;

transmitting a command to a first one of the information distribution centers that indicates availability of a first local programming product;

transmitting the first local programming product;

transmitting a command to a second one of the information distribution centers that indicates availability of a second local programming product;

transmitting the second local programming product; and

transmitting scheduling information to the information distribution centers, wherein the scheduling information indicates a time period for providing national programming and a time period for providing local programming,

wherein the first information distribution center creates local programming using the first local programming product and the second information distribution center creates local programming using the second local programming product, and

wherein the first local programming product includes weather information and wherein the first information distribution center analyzes the weather information and creates local programming based on the weather information and selects an advertisement based on the weather information.