Multimedia scheduling for airplay with alternate category support

• US 9,898,499 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Attwell, Nigel, Webber, Jr., Wiliam Wallace
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/809,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637

Abstract

A device and method for resolving a conflict in a chronological scheduling order for airplay while with constant order of the multimedia. A scheduling order can be designated for the delivery and playback of multimedia content (e.g., music, news, other audio, advertising, etc) with respect to particular slots within the scheduling order. Conflict resolution between multimedia content is based upon exchanging a slot position of either of one of a first set and one of a second set of a category of multimedia content identifiers with another corresponding one of either of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers based upon a predetermined number of slot value to resolve the conflict and to modify at least the portion of the chronological scheduling order while adhering to constant order for the multimedia content. Modified portions of the chronological scheduling order are produced for eventual airplay of multimedia content corresponding to the multimedia content identifiers.

Claims

1. A method for multimedia content airplay by a computing device, the method comprising:

retrieving a first set of multimedia content identifiers having a first sequential order and a first category, wherein each of the first set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter;

retrieving a second set of multimedia content identifiers having a second sequential order and a second category, wherein each of the second set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter, wherein a ratio of the number of multimedia content identifiers in the first set to the number of multimedia content identifiers in the second set is based on licensing fees of the multimedia content;

combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers based on the first category and the second category to produce at least a portion of a chronological scheduling order having a plurality of slot positions;

when a conflict occurs with the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the first set of the multimedia content identifiers and the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers by having equivalent data values within a predetermined number of slot values of the at least the portion of the chronological scheduling order;

producing a modified chronological scheduling order by exchanging a slot position of either of the one of the first set and the one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers with another corresponding one of the either of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers based upon the predetermined number of slot values to resolve the conflict;

scheduling the multimedia content based on the modified chronological scheduling order; and

airplaying the multimedia content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one multimedia parameter comprises at least one of:

multimedia genre data;

multimedia artist data;

multimedia author data; and

multimedia album data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the first sequential order or the second sequential order of either of the first set and the second set by exchanging the position of either of the one of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers on a scheduling order further comprises:

combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia identifiers on an interlacing basis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the interlacing basis is random.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the interlacing basis is based upon an algorithm using feedback of a target audience of the multimedia content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first category is a power currents category including top charted multimedia and the second category is a secondary currents category including either newly released multimedia increasing in popularity or familiar multimedia decreasing in popularity.

8. A computing device for multimedia content airplay, the computing device comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer code, the computer code including a program of instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

retrieving a first set of multimedia content identifiers having a first sequential order and a first category, wherein each of the first set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter, wherein a ratio of the number of multimedia content identifiers in the first set to the number of multimedia content identifiers in the second set is based on licensing fees of the multimedia content;

retrieving a second set of multimedia content identifiers having a second sequential order and a second category, wherein each of the second set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter;

combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers on a scheduling order based on the first category and the second category to produce at least a portion of a chronological scheduling order;

when a conflict occurs with the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the first set of the multimedia content identifiers and the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers by having equivalent data values within a predetermined number of slot values of the at least the portion of the chronological scheduling order;

producing a modified chronological scheduling order by exchanging a position of either of the one of the first set and the one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers with another corresponding one of the either of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers based upon the predetermined number of slot values to resolve the conflict;

scheduling the multimedia content based on the modified chronological scheduling order; and

airplaying the multimedia content.

9. The computer-based device of claim 8, wherein the at least one multimedia parameter comprises at least one of:

a multimedia genre data;

a multimedia artist data;

a multimedia author data; and

a multimedia album data.

10. The computer-based device of claim 8, wherein the program of instructions further configured for:

modifying the first sequential order or the second sequential order of either of the first set and the second set by exchanging the position of either of the one of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers.

11. The computer-based device of claim 8, wherein the combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers on a scheduling order further comprises:

combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia identifiers on an interlacing basis.

12. The computer-based device of claim 11, wherein the interlacing basis is random.

13. The computer-based device of claim 11, wherein the interlacing basis is based upon an algorithm using feedback of a target audience of the multimedia content.

14. The computer-based device of claim 8, wherein the first category is a power currents category identifying top charted multimedia and the second category is a secondary currents category identifying either newly released multimedia increasing in popularity or familiar multimedia decreasing in popularity.

15. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising a computer-executable program of instructions configured for:

retrieving a first set of multimedia content identifiers having a first sequential order and a first category, wherein each of the first set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter;

retrieving a second set of multimedia content identifiers having a second sequential order and a second category, wherein each of the second set of multimedia content identifiers includes at least one multimedia parameter, wherein a ratio of the number of multimedia content identifiers in the first set to the number of multimedia content identifiers in the second set is based on licensing fees of the multimedia content;

combining the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers on a scheduling order based on the first category and the second category to produce at least a portion of a chronological scheduling order;

when a conflict occurs with the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the first set of the multimedia content identifiers and the at least one multimedia parameter of one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers by having equivalent data values within a predetermined number of slot values of the at least the portion of the chronological scheduling order;

producing a modified chronological scheduling order by exchanging a position of either of the one of the first set and the one of the second set of the multimedia content identifiers with another corresponding one of the either of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers based upon the predetermined number of slot values to resolve the conflict;

scheduling the multimedia content based on the modified chronological scheduling order; and

airplaying the multimedia content.

16. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one multimedia parameter comprises at least one of:

multimedia genre data;

multimedia artist data;

multimedia author data; and

multimedia album data.

17. The non-transitory computer-usable medium of claim 15, wherein the a computer-executable program of instructions further configured for:

modifying the first sequential order or the second sequential order of either of the first set and the second set by exchanging the position of either of the one of the first set and the second set of the multimedia content identifiers.