Encapsulated, streaming media automation and distribution system

• US 6,792,615 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: New Horizons Telecasting, Inc.
• Inventors: Rowe, Lynn T., Ernst, Peter A., Olson, Gary H., Heinen, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/314,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/12, 348/13, 348/906, 345/327, 345/328, 345/700, 345/722, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 725/37, 725/62, 725/67, 725/70, 725/135, 725/138, 725/143, 725/144
• US Class Current: 725/37
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/07 characterised by processes or methods for the generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/71 using meteorological information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 : Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 : involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 : Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 : the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• 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

Disclosed are systems and methods for creating and distributing programming content carried by a digital streaming media to be a plurality of remote nodes located over a large geographic area to create customized broadcast quality programming at the remote nodes. At the remote nodes, a multi-window screen display simultaneously shows different programming including national programming and local programming content. The remote nodes utilize a remote channel origination device to assemble the customized programming at the remote location that can be controlled from a central location. An encapsulated IP and IP encryption system is used to transport the digital streaming media to the appropriate remote nodes. Also disclosed is a graphical user interface (“GUI”) providing a software control interface for creating and editing shows or programs that can be aired or played on a remote display device having a multi-window display. The intuitive GUI Software provides the user the ability to easily manage and assemble a series of images, animations and transitions as a single broadcast quality program to be displayed on a remote display device. Another application software system is capable of automating the production of audio narration reports. The disclosed audio concatenation engine automates the creation of audio narration using prerecorded audio segments to minimize the requirement for live, on-air personnel to record audio narration segments.

Claims

1. An information distribution system delivering digital program information over a large geographic area wherein the digital program information providesdifferent broadcast quality television programming to a plurality of remote locations within the large geographic area, the system comprising:

a network operation center creating a national program feed and information components that are multiplexed to create a digital streaming media;

a broadcast quality multi-window screen display at the remote location, the multi-window display comprising a plurality of different programming in each of the multi-window screens, wherein at least a portion of the different programming is carried by, the digital streaming media from the network operation center and comprises at least a national program feed;

a graphical user interface accessing a software control process at the network operation center for controlling through the digital streaming media the assembly of the multi-window screen display;

a distribution system transmitting the digital streaming media to a plurality of remote locations; and

a plurality of remote nodes receiving the digital streaming media wherein the plurality of remote locations have at least one remote node and wherein the digital streaming media is used to produce the multi-window display at the remote node.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the remote nodes use the digital streaming media and locally provided information from sources at the remote node location to produce customized programming with local content.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the digital streaming media is transmitted to the plurality of remote nodes using an encapsulated Internet Protocol (IP) with IP encryption techniques.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the encapsulated IP with IP encryption distributes the digital streaming media to remote nodes configured in a serial network configuration.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the digital streaming media carries MPEG-2 compressed digital video.

6. The invention of claim 3 wherein the encapsulated IP with IP encryption distributes the digital streaming media to remote nodes configured in a point to multi-point network configuration.

7. The invention of claim 1 wherein the information distribution system transmits weather information television programming.

8. The invention of claim 1 the network operation center further comprising:

an audio concatenation engine producing audio narration that is transmitted to the remote nodes by the digital/streaming media.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein the audio concatenation engine produces audio narration describing local weather conditions and forecasts.

10. An information distribution system delivering digital program information over a large geographic area wherein the digital program information provides customized programming to a plurality of remote locations within the large geographic area, the system comprising:

a network operation center creating a national program feed and information components that are multiplexed to create a digital streaming media;

a broadcast quality multi-window television display at the remote location, the multi-window display comprising a plurality of different programming in each of the multi-window screens, wherein at least a portion of the different programming is carried by the digital streaming media from the network operation center and comprises at least a national program feed;

an application software process to create audio narrations by assembling audio narrations from a stored format without requiring a live, on-air announcer to produce the narration;

a distribution system transmitting the digital streaming media to a plurality of remote locations;

a plurality of remote nodes receiving the digital streaming media wherein the plurality of remote locations have at least one remote node and wherein the digital streaming media is used to produce the multi-window display at the remote node;

locally provided information relevant to the remote location where a remote node is located, wherein the locally provided information is utilized by the remote node for programming in at least one of the multi-windows.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the locally provided information includes weather data from the remote location to implement a local weather information graphic in one of the multi-windows.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the insertion of the locally provided information is created into program material under the control of the network operation center through the digital streaming media.