Patent US6032156A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6032156A
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US
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System for automated generation of media
Assignee: NTECH PROPERTIES Inc
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Filing: 1998-04-01
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Granted: 2000-02-29
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Expires: 2018-04-01
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for creating audiovisual programming has media elements, such as audiovisual clips, stored in a library. A database contains selected information about each of the media elements. The stored information in the database does not dictate the temporal sequence of the media elements. Media elements are selected in response to a request for media programming, and arranged in a temporal organization. A user does not select the individual media elements or their temporal organization. Transitions between audiovisual clips are determined by the system based on information stored in the database and predetermined preferences as to types of transitions. Transition information includes a variety of possible transition points in an individual clip, capable of selection by the system. Separate transitions for the audio and video portions of audiovisual clips may be provided. For unique media programming, a unique sequence of cues may be included within the program for use in verification of viewing and comprehension. Upon completion of the selection of the media elements, the sequence, and the transitions, the media elements are assembled into a media program, such as a video tape.
Inventors
- 👤 Dwight Marcus
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:12
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B27/00; G11B27/02; G11B27/031; G11B27/034; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/40; G06F16/43; G06F16/435; G06F16/438; G06F16/4387; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/107; G11B27/34; G16; G16H; G16H10/00; G16H10/60; H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/147; G11B2220/00; G11B2220/40; G11B2220/41; G11B2220/90; G11B2220/91; G11B2220/913; G11B27/19; G11B27/24; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99932; Y10S707/99938; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945; Y10S707/99948
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 46
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of creating media programming, comprising the steps of: maintaining a database containing selected information about each of a plurality of media elements; automatically selecting a plurality of said media elements in response to a request for media programming, and automatically selecting a temporal organization for said selected media elements, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and assembling said media elements into media programming.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of creating media programming, comprising the steps of: maintaining a database containing selected information about each of a plurality of media elements; automatically selecting a plurality of said media elements in response to a request for media programming, and automatically selecting a temporal organization for said selected media elements, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and assembling said media elements into media programming.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said media elements are audiovisual clips, and said media programming is an audiovisual program.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said media elements are still photographs, and said media programming comprises a series of said still photographs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said selected information comprises content information relating to said media assets.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said selected information comprises a plurality of tags associated with each of said media elements, at least one of said tags being a content tag containing information relating to content of said media element, and at least one of said tags being a control tag containing information other than content information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said media element in an audiovisual clip, and at least one of said control tags contains information indicating permitted transition points in said audiovisual clip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6, wherein at least one of said control tags contains a luminance range for a portion of said audiovisual clip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said step of selecting further comprises selecting two elements based on said request, selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and determining based on information in said control tags whether said two elements may be assembled in the selected temporal order, and, if not, deselecting at least one of said two elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 5, wherein said step of selecting further comprises selecting two elements based on said request, selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and selecting transitions for said two elements based on transition information associated with each of said elements and transition rules.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining demographic information concerning an intended view of a the programming prior to said step of selecting, and employing said demographic information in said step of selecting.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
76 words
A system of creating media programming from a library of media assets, comprising: a database containing selected information about each of said media assets; selection means for automatically selecting a plurality of said media assets in response to a request for media programming, and for automatically selecting a temporal organization for said selected media assets, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and assembling means for assembling said media elements into media programming.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
76 words
A system of creating media programming from a library of media assets, comprising: a database containing selected information about each of said media assets; selection means for automatically selecting a plurality of said media assets in response to a request for media programming, and for automatically selecting a temporal organization for said selected media assets, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and assembling means for assembling said media elements into media programming.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said media elements are audiovisual clips, and said media programming is an audiovisual program.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 12, wherein said media elements are still photographs, and said media programming comprises a series of said still photographs.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said selected information comprises content information relating to said media assets.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
57 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said selected information comprises a plurality of tags associated with each of said media elements, at least one of said tags being a content tag containing information relating to content of said media element, and at least one of said tags being a control tag containing information other than content information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 15, wherein said media element is an audiovisual clip, and at least one of said control tags contains information indicating permitted transition points in said audiovisual clip.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of said control tags contains a luminance range for a portion of said audiovisual clip.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
78 words
The system of claim 15, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for selecting two elements based on said request, means for selecting a temporal order for said two selected elements, means for determining based on information in said control tags whether said two elements may be assembled in the selected temporal order, means for deselecting at least one of said two elements if said two elements are not permitted to be assembled in the selected temporal order.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 15, wherein said selecting means further comprises means for selecting two elements based on said request, for selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and for selecting transitions for said two elements based on transition information associated with each of said elements and transition rules.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 11, further comprising means for obtaining demographic information concerning an intended viewer of the programming, said selecting means being adapted to employ said demographic information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said selection means comprises means for selecting fewer than all of said media elements responsive to said request.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said selection means prevents a user from selecting or ordering said media elements.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
52 words
A method for verifying viewing and comprehension of a unique media program, comprising the steps of: providing in a unique media program a unique sequence of cues; and receiving from a viewer of said unique media program information relative to said cues; and comparing said received information to said sequence of cues.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
52 words
A method for verifying viewing and comprehension of a unique media program, comprising the steps of: providing in a unique media program a unique sequence of cues; and receiving from a viewer of said unique media program information relative to said cues; and comparing said received information to said sequence of cues.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said step of providing a unique sequence of cues comprises providing a unique sequence of visual cues in an audiovisual program.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said cues comprise alphanumeric information.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said visual cues comprise icons.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of providing means for a viewer to transmit said information.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 27, wherein said step of providing comprises incorporating with programming media a printed document to be completed and returned by a viewer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 23, wherein said step of receiving information comprises receiving information via telephone communications.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of creating audiovisual programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising the steps of: automatically selecting from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, selecting automatically transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
59 words
A method of creating audiovisual programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising the steps of: automatically selecting from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, selecting automatically transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said step of automatically selecting transitions comprises selecting transitions independently for a video portion of said element and for an audio portion of said element.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said transitions are selected based on information relating to permitted transitions associated with each of said elements.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said transitions comprise fade out of a video portion of said element.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 30, wherein said information comprises a range of permitted transition points at the beginning and end of a plurality of said elements.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 34, wherein said information comprises an earliest permitted transition point, a default transition point, and a latest permitted transition point.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
61 words
A system for creating audiovisual programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising: means for automatically selecting from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, and means for selecting automatically transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
61 words
A system for creating audiovisual programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising: means for automatically selecting from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, and means for selecting automatically transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 36, wherein said means for automatically selecting transitions comprises means for selecting transitions independently for a video portion of said element and for an audio portion of said element.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 36, wherein said transitions are selected based on information relating to permitted transitions associated with each of said elements.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 36, wherein said transitions comprise fade out of a video portion of said element.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 36, wherein said information comprises a range of permitted transition points at the beginning and end of a plurality of said elements.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 40, wherein said information comprises an earliest permitted transition point, a default transition point, and a latest permitted transition point.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-02-28 | 2003-08-30 | 2004-02-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-02-28 | 2007-08-30 | 2008-02-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-02-28 | 2011-08-30 | 2012-02-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |