AU653418B2 - Network transmission of commercial messages to regional stations - Google Patents

Description

6B -7 z S F Ref: 217092

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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Name and Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL [31] Application No(s) PK7560 Sony (Australia) Pty Limited 33-39 Talavera Road North Ryde New South Wales 2113

AUSTRALIA

Amitava Deb Spruson Ferguson, Patent Attorneys Level 33 St Martins Tower, 31 Market Street Sydney, New South Wales, 2000, Australia Network Transmission of Commercial Messages to Regional Stations APPLICATION DETAILS [331 Country

AU

[32] Application Date 1 August 1991 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5815/4 -1rThe present invention relates to the transmission of commercial messages from a central station to regional stations in a network controlled by the central station.

The integration of television broadcasting stations into a network with a central station and a number of regional stations has given rise to the need for an advanced, substantially automatic, technique to transfer commercial messages from the central station to the regional stations.

The major source of revenue for a television broadcasting network is advertising revenue derived from clients. During breaks between the network programme, referred to as commercial breaks, several advertising messages are broadcast on behalf of various fee paying clients. Each such advertisement is referred to as a-commercial message. Sometimes a particular client may wish to broadcast his commercial message throughout the network. Other clients may wish to broadcast their commercial message only at a particular regional station which transmits to the geographical region in which that particular client operates. For these reasons, the commercial breaks must be able to be separately arranged for each regional station.

However, the commercial messages are themselves generally produced at the large city where the central station is located. One reason for this is that advertising agencies and the head office of many advertisers, as well as the production houses which actually create the commercial messages, are located in such big cities. It is convenient for the advertising agencies and advertisers to submit the commercial messages to the central station in the city. Furthermore, even those advertisers from places close to regional stations, are likely to use advertising agents and commercial message production houses which are themselves located in the big city close to the central station.

Because of the close business relationships between the central 30 stations and the regional stations, often brought about by ownership or cross-shareholding, it is also necessary that commercial messages be transferred from the central station to the regional stations from time to time. For example, the network may itself wish to advertise, or change the network logo, for ex,.mple.

Finally, it is generally regarded as easier to control the financial and operational aspects of a network's advertising programme If all commercial messages are received via a single inlet which normally takes the form of the central station.

HRF/0475o -2- At present, the transfer of cassette tapes containing commercial messages is done by means of couriers. Whilst such couriers are generally reliable, there is always a chance of the cassette tapes being lost, or being misdirected, or otherwise being delayed. At worst, this can create a loss of advertising revenue if the commercial messages are unable to be broadcast at the required time. At best, this potential delay means that advertising campaigns cannot be altered quickly in response to some outside event such as a natural disaster, a political event, or the like.

It Is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or ameliorate the above mentioned difficulties by the provision of a method of, and system for, creating at a regional station a tape comprising a plurality of commercial m,ssages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link.

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a method of creating at a regional station a stored record comprising a plurality of audio/visual commercial messages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link, said central station having a central CPU, and a central Automatic Cassette Management and Filing System (ACMFS) library, and said regional station m.e 20 having a regional CPU, a first regional video recorder (VTR), and a regional ACMFS library, said method comprising the steps of: creating at the regional station a recording list comprising a list of each commercial message and its corresponding starting-time Information, sending from the central station to the regional station the audio/visual content comprising the commercial messages listed on the recording list of step and the time code information corresponding thereto, recording on a recording medium at the regional station the audio/visual content sent in step and repeating steps and as necessary until all the commercial messages are sent, the progress of steps being monitored by the regional CPU and being displayed at the regional station.

Preferably the recording medium is magnetic tape and the recording list is transmitted to the regional station from the central station.

Preferably the recording medium at the regional station comprhi>s a buffer tape operated by the first regional VTR, prior to step a command to record a mother tar within the regional ACMFS library, is sent froi. the HRF/0475o -3central station to the regional CPU, and each commercial message from the buffer tape as listed In the recording list sent on each occaslo" step (1) is carried out, is assigned a corresponding segment c the mother tape.

Alternatively, the recording medium at the regional station comprises a mother tape within the regional ACMFS library, and each commercial message listed In the recording list sent in step is assigned to a corresponding segment of the mother tape.

Once the above mentioned mother tape has been created, it Is possible for the regional station to transmit from the mother tape after it has been manually transported from the regional ACMFS library to the regional station transmitter. Alternatively, it is also possible for the regional station to transmit directly to air utilising the direct to air facilities of the regional ACMFS library and the mother tape created therein.

However, It is generally advantageous If a compiled tape is created for each commercial break. Such a compiled tape will have a predetermined sequence of commercial messages recorded thereon and the compiled tape can then be used by the staff at the regional station to transmit the desired commercial messages during the commercial break. In general, each commercial break will require a corresponding compiled tape.

In accordance with a preferred aspect of the present invention, the compiled tape Is compiled at the regional station from the mother tape under the control of the central station, the central station transmitting to the regional CPU commands and data information to select from the mother tape a predetermined sequence of those commercial messages already recorded on the mother tape. The compiled tape can be recorded In a compile VTR at the regional station, or the same VTR which was used to record the buffer tape can also be used to record the compiled tape.

Preferably, where the completion of a manual step is required to be carried out at the regional station, this completion can be input into the 30 regional CPU by an operator at the regional station. The regional CPU then transmits this data to the central CPU to initiate the commencement of the next transmission from the central CPU to the regional CPU. The transmission from the regional CPU to the central CPU can be by means of a low cost telephone link, for example. An example of such a manual step is the loading of a cassette tape into the regional VTR to enable the creation of either a buffer tape or a compiled tape.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is disclosed a system for creating at a regional station a mother record HRF/0475o -4medium comprising a plurality of commercial messages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link, said system comprising: at said central station, a central CPU controlling the operation of a central Automatic Cassette Management and Filing System (ACMFS) library and a timing and control generator, said ACMFS library and said generator being connected to a transmitter forming part of said comm:!nications link, and at said regional station, a receiver forming part of said communications link and having outputs respectively connected to a regional CPU and either a first regional video recorder (VTR) or a regional ACMFS library connected to said first regional VTR, said regional CPU controlling said first regional VTR and said regional ACMFS library, wherein data and audio/visual material respectively transmitted from said central station via said generator and said central ACMFS library are received at said receiver and passed to said regional CPU and either said first regional VTR, to form a buffer record medium therein for subsequent ,formation of a mother record medium in said regional ACMFS library, or said regional ACMFS library for direct formation of said mother record medium.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with 20 reference to the drawings in which, Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the spaclal inter-relationship between the central station and regional stations in a network, Fig. 2A is a schematic block diagram illustrating the hardware located at both the ceitral station and each of the regional stations of the network, Fig. 2B is a diagram similar to Fig. 2A but illustrating an alternative regional configuration, Fig. 3 shows a modification to the hardware at the regional station, 30 Fig. 4 shows a further modification to the hardware at the regional station, Fig. 5 illustrates the screen display at the remote terminal CRT, and Fig. 6 illustrates the screen display for operator prompts at the regional stations CRT.

As seen in Fig. 1, the network can take the form of a central station 1 and a number or regional stations 2 each of which is located at a substantial distance from the central station 1. The central station 1 is able to communicate vlth the regional stations 2 by means of a satellite 3 HRF/0475o which enables the establishment of a radio communications link 4 between the central station 1 and each of the regional stations 2.

With reference to Fig. 2A, it will be seen that both the central station and the regional stations each have an automated cassette management and filing system (ACMFS) which are respectively designated 14 and 15 and provide for the automatic recording of commercial messages onto a library of managed cassettes which then contain the commercial messages.

Each ACMFS incorporates at least one video tape recorder (VTR). Associated with each ACMFS library 14, 24 is a central processing unit (CPU) 15, including the usual keyboard 16, 26 and display cathode ray tube (CRT) 17, 27. Also located at the central station is a timing and control generator 18 and a transmitter 19.

Each regional station includes a receiver 20 and two video tape recorders (VTR) 21 and 22. Clearly, the central station 1 can transmit to a number of the regional stations 2 simultaneously.

Within the ACMFS library 14 at the central station are stored each of the commercial messages which is currently desired, or thought likely in the near future to be desired, to be broadcast over the network. Input into the central station's CPU 15 Is an established file structure and file 20 names which are collectively termed material data registration. Also input into the central station's CPU 15 are the durations and Intended sequence of playing of the various commercial messages for each of the commercial breaks.

In order to convey the necessary information to the regional CPU the central CPU 15 can send, via the communication link 4, the information prior to receipt of the commercial message material. This is an optional operation. This operation is termed material data registration and can constitute the following five events, an event being an important milestone during the course of a remote operation.

30 Material Data Reg. Start file=<filename> Material Data Reg. Status OK material ,iat'1-ial ID> Material Data Reg. End: Norn 'i Material Data Reg. End: Error Material Data Reg. Error: <Error name> Once the material data file has been received and register In the regional CPU 25 it is then possible to send the audio video material corresponding to each commercial message, together with time code information indicating the commencement time and end time of each HRF/0475o commercial message. This material is sent in sequence from the ACMFS library 14 via the transmitter 19 and the communications link 4 to the regional station.

This information is received at the receiver 20 and is recorded on the VTR 1 which constitutes a buffer VTR 21 in the regional television station. This results in the creation of a buffer tape which is essentially a "scratch" storage medium.

The various possible events for the buffer tape creation are as follows: Buffer Tape Create Start VTR=l Buffer Tape Create Cueing Buffer Tape Create Cued Buffer Tape Create Recording Buffer Tape Create Record End Buffer Tape Create Rewinding Buffer Tape Create Rewind End Buffer Tape Create End Normal Buffer Tape Create End Error 0 Buffer Tape Create Error: <Error name> 20 Once the buffer tape has been created, it is then necessary to send from the central station to the regional station the necessary commands and information to individually identify the individual commercial messages recorded on the buffer tape, and file these into the ACMFS library 24.

Each commercial message is assigned to one or more segments in a tape in the library, with each segment of the tape having a corresponding filename. This tape is referred to as the mother tape. This process is termed mother tape creation and the various possible events for this operation are as follows: Mother Tape Crt. Start file=<filename> .0 30 Mother Tape Crt. Status OK Materlal=<Material Code> Mother Tape Crt. End: Normal Mother Tape Crt. End: Error Mother Tape Crt. Error: <Error name> Fig. 2B illustrates an alternative arrangement of receiver hardware in that the mother tape is created directly rather than via a buffer tape.

Thus only a single VTR 22 is required at the regional station.

Once the mother tape has been created, this means that all the individual commercial messages, together with data as to their duration and HRF/0475o file names, has been conveyed to the regional station. It is then desirable to prepare from the mother tape a relatively short "compiled tape" which consists of the small number of commercial messages to be played during a given commercial break. The source of each commercial message is the mother tape which has been prepared held in the ACMFS library 24. This operation is termed compiled tape creation and the commands for this operation are prepared and sent by the central station.

The various possible events for this operation are as follows: Comp. and Repl. Start file=9011213test Comp. and Repl. Status OK VTR=2 Comp. and Repl. Status OK Ready to compile Comp. and Repl. Status OK Compilation started Comp. and Repl. End: Normal Comp. and Repl. End: Error Comp. and Repl. Error: <Error name> The compiled tape is prepared in the compile VTR 22, which Is identified as VTR 2 by the CPU's 15, Once the compiled tape has been prepared, it is manually taken from the compile VTR 22 by an operator at the regional station and used in the 9 20 regional station equipment to broadcast the commercial break as and when required.

Alternatively, if the commercials transmitted from the central television station are to be directly "on-aired", rather than compiled, in the regional television station, the above described compiling steps are not required. Instead the transmission is directly from the ACMFS library 24.

It will be apparent that under such circumstances it is not necessary to provide a compile VTR 22. Instead, the simplified apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 can be provided, however, with this apparatus it is not possible 30 to produce a compiled tape.

It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the buffer VTR 21 and the compile VTR 22 can be combined Into a single piece of equipment as illustrated in Fig. 4. This enables both the buffer function and the compile function to be carried out using the same VTR, but naturally at different times.

It will be apparent that the above described events are being monitored by the regional CPU and thus can be displayed at the regional station in order to enable the local operators to understand the overall HRF/04750 -8progress of the operation. Preferably this display takes place by means of the remote station CRT 27.

The screen displaying the remote events, which may be termed the "remote display monitor" Is a conventional visual display unit with a screen which preferably has scrollable and non-scrollable sections. Fig. illustrates an example of the screen display.. The information under the heading STATUS INFORMATION is scrollable using the normal cursor movement keys. This enables the regional operator to receive an indication of the completion of events which have happened In the past as well as an indication of the events which are happening at present. In the screen display each line corresponds to a single event.

As seen in Fig. 5, each event is displayed with the date and time information together with a relevant name which describes the event. The six columns at the right hand side of the scrollable section represents six different remote operations. An in a column indicates the continuation of the corresponding operation. In this way, a graphic map of the various remote operations occurring, or which have occurred, at any time is provided. A help key (Fl) is preferably provided to provide a text display explain the contents of the screen.

::oo 20 It will be apparent that certain of the above described operations, for example the compiled tape creation and the buffer tape creation, require certain actions to be taken by the regional operator during the course of the operation. For example, the regional operator Is required to Insert a cassette tape into the compile VTR 22 prior to the compile operation proceeding. Similarly, it Is necessary for the compiled cassette tape to be removed from the compile VTR 22 and a new cassette inserted prior to the creation of the next compile tape. Fig. 6 shows the prompts for the actions to be taken by tie regional operator during the course of such operations. [he regional operator after completion of the requested 30 actions, then presses the operation completion key (F7 Done) of the keyboard 26 after the actions are taken care of. This enables the regional CPU 25 to be advised that the operation is completed. This information is then transmitted from the regional CPU 25 to the central CPU 15 by any convenient means such as a conventional telephone data link. Once this information has been received by the central CPU 15, the next event in the operation can then be initiated.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art, can be HRF/0475o made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. In this connection it will be understood that the references herein to "tape", can include any convenient electronic or magnetic storage arra.ngement of which magnetic tape is currently the most convenient form.

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Claims (19)

1. A method of creating at a regional station a stored record comprising a plurality of audio/visual commercial messages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link, said central station having a central CPU, and a central Automatic Cassette Management and Filing System (ACMFS) library,.and said regional station having a regional CPU, a first regional video recorder (VTR), and a regional ACMFS library, said method comprising the steps of: creating at the regional station a recording list comprising a list of each commercial message and its corresponding starting-time information, sending from the central station to the regional station the audio/visual content comprising the commercial messages listed on the recording list of step and the time code Information corresponding thereto, recording on a recording medium at the regional station the audio/visual content sent i step and repeating steps and as necessary until all the commercial messages are sent, the progress of steps being monitored by the regional CPU and being displayed at the regional station.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recording medium at S.the regional station comprises a mother record medium within the regional ACMFS library, and each commercial message listed in the recording list of step being assigned to a corresponding segment of the mother record medium.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the recording medium at the regional station comprises a buffer record medium operated by the first regional VTR, prior to step a command to record a mother record medium Swithin the regional ACMFS library is sent from the central station to the regional CPU, and each commercial message from the buffer record medium as listed in the recording list sent on each occasion step is carried out, is assigned a corresponding segment of the mother record medium.

4. The method as claimed In claim L, 2)er-3 wherein the regional station transmits direct to air utilizing the regional ACMFS library and the mother record medium or media within that library.

HRF/0475o T 0_ -11- The method claimed in claim -3-r wherein the regional station transmits from a compiled record medium which is compiled from the mother record medium at said regional station under the control of the central station, the compiling of the mother record medium comprising the steps of: sending from the central station to the regional station a compilation list comprising a listing of commercial messages to be compiled, and recording on the compiled record medium at the regional station, the commercial messages listed in the compilation list sent in step from the mother record medium or media in the regional ACMFS library.

6. A method as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims wherein the or each record medium comprises magnetic tape.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 when dependent upon claim wherein said compiled record medium is recorded in a second regional VTR.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 when dependent upon claim wherein said compiled record medium is recorded in said first regional VTR.

9. The method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the completion of a manual step required to be carried out at the regional station is input into the regional CPU and transmitted thereby, if necessary, to the central CPU to initiate the commencement of the next transmission from the central CPU to the regional CPU.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 when dependent upon claim 6 wherein the manual step comprises the loading cf a cassette tape into the first regional VTR.

11. The method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the central station simultaneously transmits to a plurality of the regional stations via said communications link.

12. A method as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims wherein prior to step said recording list is transmitted from said central station to the regional station.

13. A system for creating at a regional station a mother record medium comprising a plurality of commercial messages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link, said system comprising: X 1 (4 u HRF0 475o -12- 4 at said centra1 station, a central CPU controlling the operation of a central Automatic Cassette Management and Filing System (ACMFS) library and a timing and control generator, said ACMFS library and said generator being connected to a transmitter forming part of said communications link, and at said regional station, a receiver forming part of said communications link and having outputs respectively connected to a regional CPU and either a first regional video recorder (VTR) or a regional ACMFS library connected to said first regional VTR, said regional CPU controlling said first regional VTR and said regional ACMFS library, wherein data and audio/visual material respectively transmitted from said central station via said generator and said central ACMFS library are received at said receiver and passed to said regional CPU and either said first regional VTR, to form a buffer record medium therein for subsequent formation of a mother record medium in said regional ACMFS library, or said regional ACMFS library for direct tormation of said mother record medium.

14. A system as claimed in claim 13 and including a second regional VTR connected to both said regional CPU and said regional ACMFS library wherein under command of said central CPU, said regional CPU operates to select predetermined segments of said mother record medium and record same so\ as a compiled record medium in said second regional VTR. am

15. A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said first regional VTR is connected to both said regional CPU and said ACMFS library wherein under command of said central CPU, said regional CPU operates to select predetermined segments of said mother record medium and record same as a compiled record medium in said first regional VTR.

16. A system as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15 wherein said regional CPU includes manually operable input means operable to indicate the completion of a manual task at said regional station.

17. A sys ,m as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 16 wherein the or each record medium comprises magnetic tape

18. A method of creating at a regional station a stored record comprising a plurality of &udio/visual commercial messages sent to the regional station from a central station via a communications link, said method being substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 5 and 6 and apy one of Figs. 2A, 2B, 3 and 4 of the drawings. HRF/04750 -13-

19. A system for creating at a regional station a motheir record medium comprising a plurality of commercial messages sent to the re 2 4 qnal station from a central station via a communications link, said 494.hod~being substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 5 anid 6 anid any one of Figs. 2A, 2B, 3 and 4 of the drawings. DATED this THIRTY FIRST day of JULY 1992 Sony (Australia) Pty Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON sea go 0 0e0 step.. 800 HRF/0475o ABSTRACT The present invention discloses a method of, and system for, transmitting via a communications link commercial messages from a central station to any one or more of a number of regional stations (2) in a television network. A record list is created at the regional station then each commercial message is transmitted in turn and compiled on a corresponding segment of a mother tape. Preferably the record list is also transmitted from the central station to the regional station Subsequent transmissions of commercial messages by the regional stations are derived from the recorded audiolvisual content received from the central station. F;g. 2A. too o 00 a *oo* 0 0 S* f S HRF/04750