Method and apparatus for generating carousels

• US 7,305,699 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2001
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Crinon, Regis J., Stanley, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US09/895,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20030001901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,349 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/14, 725 48- 51, 725109-113, 725/131, 725/132, 725/136, 725139-142, 725/152, 370230-235, 370/468, 370442- 3, 370535- 40, 370/545, 348/385.1, 348/423, 348552-553
• US Class Current: 725/136
• 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 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, display a module schedule for the plurality of modules, and display a goodness metric for the module schedule, the metric including a sum of interval differences for all of the instances of all of the modules, wherein the interval difference for an instance of one of the modules corresponds to a difference between an actual interval and a desired interval for the instance,

wherein the graphical user interface displays a penalty term and a function of the plurality of modules.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the graphical user interface to display at least a second module schedule for the plurality of modules.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the graphical user interface to display a description for each of the plurality of modules.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an input device coupled with the graphical user interface to receive commands from a user.

5. 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;

recieving a function and a penalty term of the plurality of modules;

generating a carousel including the plurality of modules; and

determining a goodness metric for the carousel, the metric including a sum of interval differences for all of the instances of all of the modules, wherein the interval difference for an instance of one of the modules corresponds to a difference between an actual interval and a desired interval for the instance.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving from a data source the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving from a user interface the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the carousel to a user interface.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the carousel to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

10. 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;

displaying to the user a penalty term and a function of the plurality of modules;

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

reporting to the user a first goodness metric associated with the first module schedule, the metric including a sum of interval differences for all of the instances of all of the modules, wherein the interval difference for an instance of one of the modules corresponds to a difference between an actual interval and a desired interval for the instance.

11. The method of claim 10, 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.

12. The method of claim 11, 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.

13. 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 an object module;

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

generating a first module schedule for the plurality of modules;

receiving a function and a penalty term of the plurality of modules;

determining a goodness metric for the first module schedule, the goodness metric based, at least in part, on the function and the penalty term; and

outputting the first module schedule and the goodness metric to a user interface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising outputting the function and the penalty term to the user interface.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

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

outputting the second module schedule to the user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing one of the first module schedule and the second module schedule to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions capable of being executed by a machine in order to 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;

receive a function and a penalty term of the plurality of modules;

generate a carousel including the plurality of modules; and

determine a goodness metric for the carousel, the metric including a sum of interval differences for all of the instances of all of the modules, wherein the interval difference for an instance of one of the modules corresponds to a difference between an actual interval and a desired interval for the instance.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, 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.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to receive from a user interface the designated number of instances, the function, and the penalty term.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the carousel to a user interface.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to provide the carousel to an insertion device for encapsulation into a transmission.

22. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions capable of being executed by a machine in order to 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;

display to the user a penalty term and a function of the plurality of modules;

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

report to the user a first goodness metric associated with the first module schedule, the metric including a sum of interval differences for all of the instances of all of the modules, wherein the interval difference for an instance of one of the modules corresponds to a difference between an actual interval and a desired interval for the instance.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, 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.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, 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.

25. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions capable of being executed by a machine in order to 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;

receive a function and a penalty term of the plurality of modules;

determine a goodness metric for the first module schedule, the goodness metric based, at least in part, on the function and the penalty term; and

output the first module schedule and the goodness metric to a user interface.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to output the function and the penalty term to the user interface.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 25, 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.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, 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.