System and method for distributing and broadcasting multimedia

• US 20030088873A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Buckley, James T., Russell, Ronald R., Andes, Edward R., Cockrell, Eric, Braunsma, Jon R., Lievsay, Randall C., Wallis, Robert A., Ford, Harlan, Kroh, Terry J., Roper, Alan K., Klich, Pamela S., Berezowski, David M., McCoy, Robert H., Demers, Timothy B., Blackwell, Bruce A., Boyer, Franklin E., Kern, Donald C., Reiser, Steven P., Naufel, Douglas E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Multimedia distribution and broadcast systems and related processes are provided for transmitting multimedia contents and control information from a central uplink facility to a remote downlink via a satellite. The system is preferably implemented in order to generate sequences of multimedia that are broadcast from the remote downlink facility to viewers. The display arrangements of the multimedia sequences are varied and customized by each downlink facility using the control information in order to better inform and entertain viewers.

Claims

1. A central multimedia provider for use in a multimedia distribution system having said central multimedia provider, a satellite and a remote station, said central multimedia provider comprising:

a central database for storing multimedia and control information, said control information allowing a plurality of display arrangements for multimedia sequences from a set of multimedia elements;

a central control unit for generating said control information; and

a transmitter for transmitting said multimedia and control information to said remote station via said satellite.

2. The central multimedia provider of claim 1, wherein said arrangements include a plurality of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

3. The central multimedia provider of claim 1, wherein said arrangements include windows with different sizes to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

4. The central multimedia provider of claim 1, wherein said arrangements allow different locations of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

5. The central multimedia provider of claim 1, wherein said arrangements include rotatable windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

6. A central multimedia provider for use in a multimedia distribution system having said central multimedia provider, a satellite and a remote station, said central multimedia provider comprising:

a central database for storing multimedia and control information, said control information including characteristic properties of multimedia used by said remote station to select at least one multimedia element and construct multimedia sequences based on said selected multimedia element;

a central control unit for preparing said control information; and

a transmitter for transmitting said multimedia and control information to said remote station via said satellite.

7. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include a type of an event promoted by said multimedia element.

8. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include a rating of an event promoted by said multimedia element.

9. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include a duration of said multimedia element.

10. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include a rating of said multimedia element.

11. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include an actor'"'"'s name included in said multimedia element.

12. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said properties include a network source of said multimedia element.

13. The central multimedia provider of claim 6, wherein said control information further includes at least one query that selects said multimedia element based on said properties.

14. A central multimedia provider for use in a multimedia distribution and broadcast system having said central multimedia provider, a satellite and a remote station, said central comprising:

a central database for storing multimedia and control information, said control information containing a plurality of prioritized schedules to be combined by said remote station to construct an implicit schedule;

a central control unit for preparing said control information; and

a transmitter for transmitting said multimedia and control information to said remote station via said satellite.

15. The central multimedia provider of claim 14, wherein said prioritized schedules include a national schedule,configured to place a set of national multimedia in said implicit schedule.

16. The central multimedia provider of claim 14, wherein said prioritized schedules include a local schedule configured to place a set of local multimedia in said implicit schedule.

17. The central multimedia provider of claim 14 wherein said prioritized schedules include an interrupt schedule configured to place a set of multimedia at a predetermined frequency in said implicit schedule.

18. The central multimedia provider of claim 14, wherein said prioritized schedules include a filler schedule configured to fill in spaces in said implicit schedule.

19. The central multimedia provider of claim 14, wherein said control information further includes a set of queries and multimedia characteristic properties, said queries configured for converting said implicit schedule to an explicit schedule by selecting said multimedia for use in said multimedia sequences based on said properties.

20. A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution system having said central multimedia provider, a satellite and said remote station, said remote station comprising:

a receiver for receiving multimedia and control information via said satellite, said control information for facilitating a plurality of display arrangements for multimedia sequences from a set of multimedia; and

a remote control unit for processing said multimedia and control information to generate said multimedia sequences.

21. The remote station of claim 20, wherein said arrangements include a plurality of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

22. The remote station of claim 20, wherein said arrangements include windows with different sizes to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

23. The remote station of claim 20, wherein said arrangements allow different locations of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

24. The remote station of claim 20, further comprising a broadcasting transmitter to broadcast said generated multimedia sequences to a plurality of subscribers.

25. A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider, a satellite and said remote station, said remote station comprising:

a receiver for receiving multimedia and control information via said satellite, said control information including characteristic properties of said multimedia used to construct multimedia sequences; and

a remote control unit for processing said multimedia and control information to select at least one multimedia element from said multimedia and generate said multimedia sequences based on said selected at least one multimedia element.

26. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said properties include a type of an event promoted by said multimedia element.

27. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said properties include a rating of an event promoted by said multimedia element.

28. The remote,station of claim 25, wherein said properties include a duration of said multimedia element.

29. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said properties include a rating of said multimedia element.

30. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said properties include an actor'"'"'s name included in said multimedia element.

31. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said properties include a network source of said multimedia element.

32. The remote station of claim 25, wherein said control information further includes at least one query that selects said multimedia element based on said properties.

33. A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution and broadcast system having a central multimedia provider, a satellite and said remote station, said remote station comprising:

a receiver for receiving multimedia and control information via said satellite, said control information containing a plurality of prioritized schedules to be combined by said remote station to construct an implicit schedule;

a remote control unit for processing said multimedia and control information to generate said multimedia sequences; and

a broadcasting transmitter to broadcast said generated multimedia sequences to a plurality of subscribers.

34. The remote station of claim 33, wherein said prioritized schedules include a national schedule configured to place a set of national multimedia in said implicit schedule.

35. The remote station of claim 33, wherein said prioritized schedules include a local schedule configured to place a set of local multimedia in said implicit schedule.

36. The remote station of claim 33, wherein said prioritized schedules include an interrupt schedule configured to place a set of multimedia at a predetermined frequency in said implicit schedule.

37. The remote station of claim 33, wherein said prioritized schedules include a filler schedule configured to fill in spaces in said implicit schedule.

39. The remote station of claim 33, wherein said control information further includes a set of queries and multimedia properties, said remote station processing said queries to convert said implicit schedule to an explicit schedule by selecting said multimedia for use in said multimedia sequences based on said multimedia properties.

40. A multimedia management system for use in a multimedia distribution and broadcast system having a central multimedia provider, a satellite and a plurality of remote stations comprising:

a central database at said central multimedia provider for storing multimedia and control information, said control information facilitating a plurality of display arrangements from a set of multimedia for multimedia sequences;

a transmitter at said central multimedia provide for distributing said multimedia and control information to said stations via said satellite;

a receiver at each of said remote stations for selectively receiving said multimedia and control information that are particular to said remote station;

a remote database at each of said remote station for storing said multimedia and said control information; and

a remote control unit at each of said remote stations for selecting one of said display arrangements for each of said multimedia sequences and generating said multimedia sequences based on said control information and said multimedia.

41. The multimedia management system of claim 40, wherein said control information includes characteristic properties of said multimedia used by said remote station to select at least one multimedia element from said multimedia and to construct multimedia sequences.

42. The multimedia management system of claim 40, said control information containing a plurality of prioritized schedules to be combined by said remote station to construct an implicit schedule;

43. The multimedia management system of claim 42, wherein said control information further includes a set of queries and multimedia properties, said remote station processing said queries to convert said implicit schedule to an explicit schedule by selecting said multimedia for use in said multimedia sequences based on said multimedia properties.

44. A promotion management system for use in a multimedia distribution and broadcast system having a central multimedia provider, a satellite and a plurality of remote stations comprising:

a central database at said central multimedia provider for storing control information and multimedia, said control information including a set of queries and multimedia properties, a set of multimedia properties and a set of prioritized schedules wherein said queries utilizes said multimedia properties to construct promotions that satisfy said schedules;

a central control unit at said central multimedia provider for customizing said control information for each of said remote stations;

a transmitter at said central multimedia provider for distributing said customized control information and said multimedia to said remote stations via said satellite;

a receiver at each of said remote stations for selectively receiving said customized control information for each respective remote station and for receiving said multimedia;

a remote database at each of said remote station for storing said customized control information and said multimedia; and

a remote control unit at each of said remote stations for combining said prioritized schedules to construct an implicit schedule, and processing said queries to convert said implicit schedule to an explicit schedule by selecting said multimedia for use in said promotions based on said multimedia properties.

45. A method of providing multimedia sequences in a multimedia distribution and broadcast system having a central multimedia provider, a satellite and a plurality of remote stations comprising the steps of:

providing at said central multimedia provider multimedia and control information including display arrangements for said multimedia, preferences of said remote stations, scheduling information;

distributing said multimedia and control information to said remote stations via said satellite;

receiving at each of said remote stations said multimedia and control-information;

storing at each of said-remote stations said multimedia and control information;

processing said scheduling information to construct an implicit schedule;

selecting said multimedia to convert said implicit schedule to an explicit schedule;

selecting said display arrangements;

generating multimedia sequences in said display arrangements; and

broadcasting said multimedia sequences in accordance with said explicit schedule to viewers.

46. The method of claim 45, further including the step of providing at said remote station local multimedia and local control information.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein said local,control information includes local multimedia for a special promotion.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein said control information providing step includes the step of assigning properties to multimedia.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said properties include ratings of events promoted by said multimedia.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said properties include particular genre of events promoted, by said multimedia.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein said control information providing step includes the step of formulating queries based on said properties, said queries configured to assist said remote stations to select multimedia for said multimedia sequences.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the selecting step includes the step of processing said queries.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein said arrangements include a plurality of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein said arrangements include windows with different sizes to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

55. The method of claim 45, wherein said arrangements allow different locations of windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

56. The method of claim 45, wherein said arrangements include rotatable windows to display multimedia elements of said multimedia.

57. The method of claim 45, wherein said arrangements allow different text attributes to display text elements of said multimedia.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said text attributes include a font, a size and a color.

59. The method of claim 45, further comprising the step of transmitting a confirmation message for a successful satellite transmission from said remote stations to said central provider.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising the step of retransmitting said multimedia and control information if said satellites transmission fails.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein said transmitting step utilities a public telephone network.