Playlist-based content assembly

• US 8,321,041 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2006
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jellison, David C. Jr., Coffman, Shawn, Bond, Dustin
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCORD, PAUL C
• Application Number:
  US11/415,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20060268667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,401 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4393 Multimedia presentations, e.g. slide shows, multimedia albums
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for content assembly is provided by which an automation playlist of media events is created, a relationship is defined between the media events, the media events are merged into a composite media event and published.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating an event log to be used to generate a single playable composite media event file, the event log including titles of at least two media events, each of the titles associated with broadcaster-defined metadata including media event relationship rules;

scheduling the generation and publication of the single playable composite media event file, wherein said scheduling includes scheduling a scheduled date and time at which the single playable composite media event file is to be generated, and a length of the single playable composite media event file;

upon receipt of notification that the scheduled date and time has been reached, and without user intervention or instruction, generating the single playable composite media event file using the event log and the broadcaster-defined metadata associated with the titles in the event log by;

selecting the at least two media events on the event log from a database,

appending one of the two media events to another of the two media events to generate appended media events, and

modifying the appended media events in accordance with the broadcaster-defined metadata associated with the titles in the event log;

without user intervention or instruction, preparing the single playable composite media event file to be transmitted over a network; and

without user intervention or instruction, publishing the single playable composite media event file.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting said at least two media events to a common file format.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said publishing publishes said playable composite media event as a podcast.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising decompressing said at least two media events.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising compressing said single playable composite media event file.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating additional metadata associated with the single playable composite media event file.

2. An apparatus for content assembly, said apparatus comprising:

a database containing a plurality of media events;

a memory including computer readable instructions for execution by a processor;

a processor in communication with said database, wherein the processor executes the computer readable instructions to;

generate an event log to be used to generate a single playable composite media event file,

the event log including titles of at least two media events, each of the titles associated with broadcaster-defined metadata including media event relationship rules;

schedule the generation and publication of the single playable composite media event file, wherein said scheduling includes determining a scheduled date and time at which the single playable composite media event file is to be generated, and a length of the single playable composite media event file;

upon receipt of notification that the scheduled date and time has been reached, and without user intervention or instruction, generate the single playable composite media event file using the event log and the broadcaster-defined metadata associated with the titles in the event log by;

select the at least two media events on the event log from at least one database, appending one of the two media events to another of the two media events to generate appended media events, and

modifying the appended media events in accordance with the broadcaster-defined metadata associated with the titles in the event log;

without user intervention or instruction, preparing the single playable composite media event file to be transmitted over a network; and

without user intervention or instruction, publish the single playable composite media event file.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes computer readable instructions to convert the at least two media events to a common file format.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes computer readable instructions to publish the single playable composite media event file as a podcast.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes computer readable instructions to decompress said at least two media events.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes computer readable instructions to compress said single playable composite media event file.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor further executes

computer readable instructions to create additional metadata associated with the single playable composite media event file.

13. A method for generating a podcast, the method comprising:

generating an event log to be used to generate a podcast, the event log including titles of at least two audio files, each of the titles associated with broadcaster-defined metadata, the broadcaster-defined metadata including audio file relationship rules;

scheduling the generation and publication of the podcast wherein said scheduling includes scheduling a scheduled date and time at which the podcast is to be generated, and a length of the podcast;

upon receipt of notification that the scheduled date and time has been reached, and without user intervention or instruction, generating the podcast using the event log and the broadcaster-defined metadata and audio file relationship rules associated with the titles in the event log by;

selecting the at least two audio files on the event log from a database,

appending one of the at least two audio files to another of the at least two audio files to generate appended audio files, and

modifying the appended audio files in accordance with the broadcaster-defined metadata associated with the titles in the event log;

without user intervention or instruction, preparing the podcast to be transmitted over a network; and

without user intervention or instruction, publishing the podcast.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising converting said at least two audio files to a common file format.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising decompressing said at least two audio files.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising compressing said podcast.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising creating additional metadata associated with the podcast.