Method for ensuring reliable playout in a DMD system

• US 9,066,113 B1
• Filed: 03/13/2000
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ching, Jennie, Hsiao, Eric, Lee, Peter S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US09/523,827
• Time in Patent Office: 5,580 Days
• Field of Search: 725/32, 725/34, 725/35, 725/36, 725/110, 725/89, 725/50, 725/97, 725/143, 725/22, 725/23, 725116-117, 725/94, 725/115, 725/145, 725/146, 707/662, 707/663, 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Aspects for ensuring digital media data delivery from remote sites in a digital media distributor system are presented. The aspects include receiving playout data in the remote sites from a central site in the digital media distributor system. The received playout data is then utilized in the remote site by an inventory manager to direct control of proper playout of digital media data. The playout data includes spot files, playlists, and purge lists.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving playout data at a remote site from a central site in a digital media distributor system, wherein the playout data includes at least one playlist;

responsive to a determination that a spot file within the at least one playlist is missing at the remote site using a look-ahead mechanism, receiving the missing spot file from the central site, wherein the look-ahead mechanism includes a remote site parameter that sets a look-ahead window to identify at least one spot file which will be needed;

broadcasting at least one spot file within the at least one playlist from the remote site; and

generating an as-run log of the at least one spot file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the playout data further includes a purge list.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

deleting at least one spot file within the purge list at the remote site in accordance with a delete product flag set by the central site.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the deleting is based on a high watermark deletion algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the high watermark deletion algorithm reduces disk usage down to a low watermark.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one playlist specifies a time each of the at least one spot file is broadcasted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the look-ahead mechanism includes a transmission scheduler parameter that indicates a number of playlists to process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting the missing spot file from the central site.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the spot file is any of a commercial, an advertisement, a station identification, a promotion, and a public service announcement.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the as-run log to the central site for billing at least one customer that requested the broadcasting of the at least one spot file.

11. A system, comprising a processor, a memory device coupled to the processor, and an application coupled to the memory device, wherein when executed by the processor, the application provides instructions for:

receiving playout data at a remote site from a central site in a digital media distributor system, wherein the playout data includes at least one playlist;

responsive to a determination that a spot file within the at least one playlist is missing at the remote site using a look-ahead mechanism, receiving the missing spot file from the central site, wherein the look-ahead mechanism includes a remote site parameter that sets a look-ahead window to identify at least one spot file which will be needed;

broadcasting at least one spot file within the at least one playlist from the remote site; and

generating an as-run log of the at least one spot file.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the playout data further includes a purge list.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the application further provides instructions for:

deleting at least one spot file within the purge list at the remote site in accordance with a delete product flag set by the central site.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the deleting is based on a high watermark deletion algorithm.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one playlist specifies a time each of the at least one spot file is broadcasted.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the look-ahead mechanism includes a transmission scheduler parameter that indicates a number of playlists to process.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the application further provides instructions for:

requesting the missing spot file from the central site.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the spot file is any of a commercial, an advertisement, a station identification, a promotion, and a public service announcement.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the application further provides instructions for:

transmitting the as-run log to the central site for billing at least one customer that requested the broadcasting of the at least one spot file.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising computer-executable instructions for:

receiving playout data at a remote site from a central site in a digital media distributor system, wherein the playout data includes at least one playlist;

responsive to a determination that a spot file within the at least one playlist is missing at the remote site using a look-ahead mechanism, receiving the missing spot file from the central site, wherein the look-ahead mechanism includes a remote site parameter that sets a look-ahead window to identify at least one spot file which will be needed;

broadcasting at least one spot file within the at least one playlist from the remote site; and

generating an as-run log of the at least one spot file.