Method and apparatus for generating carousels

• US 20030001901A1
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Crinon, Regis J., Stanley, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,305,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/810
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65

Abstract

An apparatus for generating one or more carousels. A carousel includes a plurality of modules, at least one of which exhibits multiple instances, that are arranged in a module schedule. The apparatus may create, through multiple iterations, two or more module schedules for a carousel, and the optimum module schedule may then be selected and implemented on the carousel.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data source to provide a plurality of modules for a carousel, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module; and

a processing unit coupled with the data source to generate a module schedule including at least two instances of said at least one of module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface coupled with the processing unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled with the processing unit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a buffer memory device coupled with the processing unit to store the carousel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an insertion device coupled with the processing unit to encapsulate the carousel into a transmission.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a transmission system coupled with the insertion device to transmit the encapsulated carousel to a receiving system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the data source comprising one of an external data source, an internal data source, and a removable data source.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, the processing unit including a pseudo random generator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pseudo random generator coupled with the processing unit.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

a set of instructions resident on the memory, the set of instructions, when executed, generating a module schedule including a plurality of modules, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module, said at least one module exhibiting a first instance and at least a second instance; and

a processing unit coupled with the memory to execute the set of instructions.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, the set of instructions, when executed, determining a goodness metric of the module schedule.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, the set of instructions, when executed, making at least one random scheduling decision.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, the set of instructions, when executed, generating at least one other module schedule including the plurality of modules.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a user interface coupled with the processing unit, wherein the set of instructions, when executed, output the module schedule to the user interface.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a data source to provide the plurality of modules.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the graphical user interface to display a goodness metric for the module schedule.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the graphical user interface to display a penalty term and a function.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, the graphical user interface to display at least a second module schedule for the plurality of modules.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, the graphical user interface to display a description for each of the plurality of modules.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an input device coupled with the graphical user interface to receive commands, from a user.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processing unit to generate a carousel, the carousel including a plurality of modules; and

a graphical user interface coupled with the processing unit to display a list of the plurality of modules, display a number of instances for each of the plurality of modules, and display a module schedule for the plurality of modules.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a carousel generator to generate a carousel having a plurality of modules, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module, said at least one module exhibiting a first instance and at least a second instance;

an insertion device coupled with the carousel generator to encapsulate the carousel into a transmission; and

a transmission system coupled with the insertion device to transmit the encapsulated carousel to a receiving system.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the carousel generator to determine a goodness metric for the carousel.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

a session server disposed at the transmission system; and

a return channel to couple the session server with a run-time processing environment at the receiving system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving a function and a penalty term; and

determining a goodness metric for the carousel.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving from a data source the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving from a user interface the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing the carousel to a user interface.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing the carousel to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

25. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of modules, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module;

receiving a designated number of instances for said at least one module, the designated number of instances being at least two; and

generating a carousel including the plurality of modules.

31. A method comprising:

displaying to a user a list of a plurality of modules on a carousel;

displaying to the user a number of instances of each module of the plurality of modules; and

reporting to the user a first module schedule for the carousel.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising reporting to the user a first goodness metric associated with the first module schedule.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising displaying to the user a penalty term and a function.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

reporting to the user a second module schedule for the carousel; and

reporting to the user a second goodness metric associated with the second module schedule.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising receiving a module schedule selection from the user, the module schedule selection designating one of the first module schedule and the second module schedule for encapsulation into a transmission.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

determining a goodness metric for the first module schedule; and

outputting the goodness metric to the user interface.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

receiving a function and a penalty term; and

outputting the function and the penalty term to the usei-interface.

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

generating a second module schedule for the plurality of modules; and

outputting the second module schedule to the user interface.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising providing one of the first module schedule and the second module schedule to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

36. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of modules for a carousel, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and am object module;

receiving at least two instances of said at least one module;

generating a first module schedule for the plurality of modules; and

outputting the first module schedule to a user interface.

41. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine accessible medium, the machine accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to

receive a plurality of modules, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module;

receive a designated number of instances for said at least one module, the designated number of instances being at least two; and

generate a carousel including the plurality of modules.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

receive a function and a penalty term; and

determine a goodness metric for the carousel.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to receive from a data source the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

44. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to receive from a laser interface the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

45. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the carousel to a user interface.

46. The article of manufacture of claim 41, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the carousel to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

48. The article of manufacture of claim 47, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to report to the user a first goodness metric associated with the first module schedule.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 48, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to display to the user a penalty term and a function.

50. The article of manufacture of claim 48, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

report to the user a second module schedule for the carousel; and

report to the user a second goodness metric associated with the second module schedule.

51. The article of manufacture of claim 50, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to receive a module schedule selection from the user, the module schedule selection designating one of the first module schedule and the second module schedule for encapsulation into a transmission.

47. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine accessible medium, the machine accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to

display to a user a list of a plurality of modules on a carousel;

display to the user a number of instances of each module of the plurality of modules; and

report to the user a first module schedule for the carousel.

52. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine accessible medium, the machine accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to

receive a plurality of modules for a carousel, at least one module of the plurality of modules comprising one of a data module and an object module;

receive at least two instances of said at least one module;

generate a first module schedule for the plurality of modules; and

output the first module schedule to a user interlace.

53. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

determine a goodness metric for the first module schedule; and

output the goodness metric to the user interface.

54. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

receive a function and a penalty term; and

output the function and the penalty term to the user interface.

55. The article of manufacture of claim 52, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

generate a second module schedule for the plurality of modules; and

output the second module schedule to the user interface.

56. The article of manufacture of claim 55, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide one of the first module schedule and the second module schedule to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.