Method and System for Controlling a Scheduling Order

• US 20130305154A1
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iHeartMedia Management Services, Inc. (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Channel Management Services LP (iHeartMedia, Inc.)
• Inventors: Attwell, Nigel
• Granted Patent: US 9,152,296 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres

Abstract

A scheduling order can be designated for the delivery and playback of media content (e.g., music, news, other audio, advertising, etc) with respect to particular slots within the scheduling order. The broadcast day is divided into blocks of time that include multiple time slots. One of those time slots, a transition slot, is adjacent to another block of time. The transition slot can be scheduled using a different algorithm than the one used for scheduling the other slots in the same block. At least the transition slot can be scheduled to satisfy both horizontal and vertical adjacency requirements. The remaining slots can be scheduled by selecting a next available media item from one or more categories of media items associated with the block being scheduled.

Claims

1. A method of populating a media schedule that includes multiple blocks of time to be scheduled, the method comprising:

selecting media items to be scheduled during a first block of time by executing a program instruction in a computer system, wherein the first block of time includes a plurality of schedule slots, and wherein the plurality of schedule slots includes a transition slot adjacent in time to a schedule slot included in a second block of time;

scheduling each of the first plurality of slots, except the transition slot, using a first scheduling algorithm by executing a program instruction in a computer system; and

scheduling the transition slot using a second scheduling algorithm, different from the first scheduling algorithm, by executing a program instruction in a computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scheduling algorithm comprises:

selecting media items for inclusion in the transition slot based on whether the media items have been scheduled for inclusion in a corresponding slot on a different day.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second scheduling algorithm comprises:

selecting media items for inclusion in the transition slot based on how long it has been since the media items have been previously scheduled for inclusion in a corresponding slot on a different day.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the first block of time to a limited number of media item categories; and

wherein the first scheduling algorithm comprises scheduling the first plurality of slots using a horizontal rotation that selects a next available media item from the limited number of categories.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the next available media item to be selected is determined based on a reverse-scheduling rule.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning the first block of time to a plurality of media item categories; and

wherein at least the first scheduling algorithm comprises;

selecting one of the media item categories according to pass order; and

scheduling a slot to include a media item selected from the one of the media item categories.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first scheduling algorithm comprises:

selecting media items in a strict rotation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling the transition slot to satisfy both horizontal and vertical adjacency requirements.

9. A method of populating a media schedule, the method comprising:

selecting a category of media items, by executing a program instruction in a computer system;

selecting a slot to be scheduled from a plurality of slots included in a first block of time, by executing a program instruction in a computer system;

determining whether the slot to be scheduled is a transition slot, by executing a program instruction in a computer system;

in response to determining that the slot to be scheduled is a transition slot, selecting a media item, from the category of media items that satisfies both horizontal and vertical adjacency requirements, by executing a program instruction in a computer system.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to determining that the slot to be scheduled is not a transition slot, selecting a next-due media item from the category of media items.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

associating a plurality of categories of media items with the first block of time, wherein the selecting a media item comprises selecting a media item from one of the plurality of categories of media items; and

wherein any particular media item is included in only a single category of media items associated with the first block of time.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

assigning a media item to a first category for purposes of scheduling the first block of time; and

assigning the same media item to a different category for purposes of scheduling a second block of time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the horizontal adjacency requirements include a requirement that no media item is scheduled in adjacent slots during a day; and

the vertical adjacency requirements include a requirement that no media item is scheduled during a same block of time on adjacent days.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting a media item comprises:

selecting a media item for inclusion in the transition slot based on whether the media item has been scheduled for inclusion during a same block of time on a different day.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting a media item comprises:

selecting media items for inclusion in the transition slot based on how long it has been since the media item has been previously scheduled for inclusion in a same block of time.

16. A system comprising:

a processor;

memory operably associated with the processor;

a program of instructions configured to be stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the program of instructions comprising;

at least one instruction to select media items to be scheduled during a first block of time, wherein the first block of time includes a plurality of schedule slots, and wherein the plurality of schedule slots includes a transition slot adjacent in time to a schedule slot included in a second block of time;

at least one instruction to schedule the first plurality of slots, other than the transition slot, using a first scheduling algorithm; and

at least one instruction to schedule the transition slot to satisfy both horizontal and vertical adjacency requirements by using a second scheduling algorithm, different from the first scheduling algorithm.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one instruction to schedule the transition slot comprises:

at least one instruction to select media items for inclusion in the transition slot based on whether the media items have been scheduled for inclusion in a corresponding slot on a different day.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the second scheduling algorithm comprises:

at least one instruction to select media items for inclusion in the transition slot based on how long it has been since the media items have been previously scheduled for inclusion in a corresponding block on a different day.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one instruction to assign the first block of time to a limited number of media item categories; and

wherein the at least one instruction to schedule the first plurality of slots comprises at least one instruction to use a horizontal rotation that selects a next available media item from the limited number of categories.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one instruction to schedule the first plurality of slots comprises:

at least one instruction to select media items in a strict rotation.