Systems and methods for formulating and delivering video having perishable information

• US 8,046,814 B1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Weather Group Television, LLC (CF Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Weather Channel Incorporated (CF Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Badenell, Jon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US10/690,936
• Time in Patent Office: 2,925 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725/93, 725/116, 725/146, 725/105, 715/500.1, 702/3
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8458 involving uncompressed content

Abstract

A system and method for dynamically formulating and delivering a video program that includes perishable information is provided. The system includes a video server that creates a video program using one or more recent video segments in combination with other video segments. The recent video segments are typically generated in a studio, whereas the other video segments are obtained from a variety of sources, including databases and live feeds. An audio system stores pre-recorded audio and is used to create audio for certain video segments. The video server enables an organization to deliver more customized video programs to more users and to update those video programs more frequently without requiring additional studio time or resources.

Claims

1. A system for creating a video program comprising:

a video server that executes a script created in response to receiving a request, the script defining the sequencing of audio and video segments associated with the request;

a plurality of decoders supporting a plurality of encoding schemes, wherein a first decoder receives a first video input of recorded live video content and decodes the first video input to create a first video segment that includes a selected speaker;

a plurality of converters, wherein a first converter receives a data input that includes data related to a plurality of conditions and creates a new video segment having new content based on selected data that corresponds to a selected condition;

a linear frame buffer for assembling frames from the first video segment and frames from the new video segment to create the video program, wherein the frames from the new video segment correspond to the selected condition and wherein the selected condition is received from a remote device via a network;

a plurality of encoders for receiving the video program from the linear frame buffer and encoding the video program; and

an audio database that stores a plurality of audio recordings, each audio recording corresponding to a particular condition and a particular speaker,

wherein the system, in accordance with the script, creates a new audio segment that includes at least one of the audio recordings that corresponds to the selected condition and the selected speaker and synchronizes the new audio segment to the new video segment.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a video database for storing the new video segment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first decoder receives the first video input from a database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first decoder receives the first video input in real-time.

5. A method for creating a video program, wherein the video program comprises a plurality of video segments and a plurality of audio segments, comprising:

providing a plurality of audio recordings, wherein each audio recording corresponds to a particular condition and a particular speaker;

receiving a recently recorded live video segment and a recently recorded audio segment associated with the recently recorded live video segment, the recently recorded live video segment and the recently recorded audio segment featuring a selected speaker;

receiving data related to a plurality of conditions; and

receiving a request for the video program from a remote device via a network, wherein the request specifies a selected condition; and

in response to receiving the request, creating a script based on the request and the selected condition that defines the types of information to be included in the video program, and in accordance with the script;

using at least the data related to the selected condition to create a new video segment having new content;

using at least one of the audio recordings that corresponds to the selected condition and the selected speaker to create a new audio segment;

associating the new audio segment with the new video segment; and

combining the recently recorded live video segment and the recently recorded audio segment with the new video segment and the new audio segment to create the video program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the recently recorded video segment and the recently recorded audio segment include content directed to a time and a location.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the video program is transmitted to the remote

device via the network.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the request for the video program includes an encoding parameter, further comprising:

encoding the video program using an encoding scheme that corresponds to the encoding parameter.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the request for the video program includes a location parameter, and wherein the data is related to a location that corresponds to the location parameter.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the recently recorded video segment is encoded, further comprising:

decoding the recently recorded video segment prior to combining the recently recorded video segment and the recently recorded audio segment with the new video segment and the new audio segment.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the selected condition corresponds to a weather condition.

12. A method for creating a plurality of distinct video programs, comprising:

receiving a plurality of requests from a plurality of remote devices via a network for the distinct video programs, wherein each request specifies a condition;

for each of the requests, creating the requested video program by creating a script based on the request and the condition that defines the types of information to be included in the requested video program, and based on the script;

selecting a recently recorded live video segment and a recently recorded audio segment associated with the recently recorded live video segment that is relevant to the request, wherein the recently recorded live video segment and the recently recorded audio segment both feature a selected speaker;

receiving data that is relevant to the condition specified by the request;

using the data relevant to the condition specified to create a new video segment having new content;

selecting one or more audio recordings that correspond to the selected speaker and to the received data;

using the selected one or more audio recordings to create a new audio segment;

associating the new audio segment with the new video segment; and

combining the recently recorded live video segment and the recently recorded audio segment with the new video segment and the new audio segment to create the requested video program; and

delivering the requested video programs to the remote devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the condition corresponds to a weather condition.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the recently recorded video segment corresponds to a particular time period.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the requests for the video programs includes a location parameter, and wherein the data is related to a location that corresponds to the location parameter.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein each request is associated with a different requestor and wherein delivering the requested video programs comprises delivering each of the requested video programs to the associated requestor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the requestor is an end user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the requestor is a server.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the new video segment.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the data is non-video data.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving an encoded video segment;

decoding the encoded video segment to obtain one of the live recently recorded video segments; and

encoding at least one of the requested video programs prior to delivering the at least one requested video program,

wherein the decoding scheme used to decode the encoded video segment is independent of the encoding scheme use to encode the at least one requested video program.