Method for scheduling distribution of content to a plurality of media devices

• US 9,015,237 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sg Gaming, Inc. (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Light & Wonder Incorporated)
• Inventors: Giacalone, Louis Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US14/220,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/218, 709/231, 709/244, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41415 involving a public display, viewable by several users in a public space outside their home, e.g. movie theatre, information kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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

Methods of electronic scheduling for playback of media contents are disclosed. Discrete items of content are scheduled for play back based upon a schedule created by the integration of scheduling methods into a single scheduling algorithm. In a first scheduling method, a discrete item of content is assigned a frequency rating relative to other items of content. A second way to schedule is repeating a content item at specific intervals of time. A third scheduling method allows the content to be played at a specific date and time. A fourth scheduling method includes playing a content item upon receipt of a trigger event which is received from a source external to the scheduling system. And lastly, means are provided for selectively determining whether or not particular content is available for play in a particular venue or during a particular period of time.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling distribution of advertising content to a plurality of media devices associated with gaming devices, the method comprising:

recursively generating, by a hardware processor, a scheduling data structure from a database including schedule data;

distributing content of one or more of a first type, a second type and a third type via a network to the media devices based on the scheduling data structure;

wherein any content of the first type is presented at the media devices by interrupting any current presentation of content of the second type or content of the third type;

wherein any content of the second type is placed in a priority queue for presentation at the media devices following any content of the first type and ahead of any content of the third type;

wherein any content of the third type is placed in the priority queue for presentation at the media devices subsequent to presentation of any content of the first type and any content of the second type; and

tracking the content last played in a media device from the plurality of media devices before the media device is turned off to prevent the replay of the last content once the media device is restarted.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule data comprises frequency of play.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule data comprises a predetermined time interval.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule data comprises time of day.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule data comprises triggering events.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule data comprises category filtering associated with an internal filter that restricts the play of a particular content in particular venues or settings.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each media device includes a display and a media controller for receiving content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is dynamically presented on display screens.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising saving the scheduling data structure on a first memory device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

replicating the scheduling data structure; and

saving the scheduling data structure on a second memory device that is separate and distinct from the first memory device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating data streams of content of corporate information or internet data from disparate sources into content of the third type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the scheduling data structure comprises processing external scheduling input to the database.

13. A system for dynamically presenting media content to a plurality of devices, comprising:

at least one hardware processor;

a plurality of media players in communication with a network;

a data network for receiving media content from one or more sources including a wide area network, a scheduler workstation, or a web gateway;

a schedule database for storing scheduling data; and

a server for recursively executing a schedule for dynamically presenting the media content,

wherein the schedule is based on the scheduling data, wherein the media content includes content of one or more of a first type, a second type and a third type;

wherein any content of the first type is presented at the media players by interrupting any current presentation or content of the second type or content of the third type, and wherein said any current presentation resumes subsequent to the presentation of the content of the first type;

wherein any content of the second type is placed in a priority queue for presentation of the media players following any content of the first type and ahead of any content of the third type;

wherein any content of the third type is placed in the priority queue for presentation at the media players subsequent to presentation at the media devices of any content of the first type and any content of the second type; and

wherein the system tracks the content last played in a media device from the plurality of media devices before the media device is turned off to prevent the replay of the last content once the media device is restarted.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the scheduling data comprises frequency of play.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the scheduling data comprises a predetermined time interval.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the scheduling data comprises time of day.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the scheduling data comprises triggering events.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the scheduling data comprises category filtering associated with an internal filter that restricts the play of a particular content in particular venues or settings.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein each media player includes a display and a media controller for receiving content.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein each media data is associated with at least one gaming device.