JP2004535707A - Flow control for multi data sources - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and system for distributing a mixed information stream to a computer network, comprising a flow controller (10) connected to a plurality of data sources (12, 14, 16, 18). The flow controller (10) receives data from each of the two or more of these data sources and the data control manager (32). The system selectively controls a data flow received from a data source in response to a command from the data control manager (32) to generate a mixed information stream. The mixed information stream is passed to an encoder (26), which transmits the mixed information stream to a media player for display on an end processor. In the present invention, the advertisement may be inserted into a television broadcast and transmitted to the Internet for display on a video monitor.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

【Technical field】
[0001]
This application is related to US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 859,562 filed May 16, 2001 and US patent application Ser. No. 10 / 077,282 filed Feb. 14, 2002. Priority, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0002]
The present invention relates to systems and devices for controlling data flow from multiple data sources. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and apparatus for forming a hybrid information stream by automatically combining data from multiple data sources.
[Background Art]
[0003]
Businesses are investing a great deal of time and money in developing new ways to motivate potential customers. One common way for such companies to provide information about their products and services is to distribute commercials through television broadcasts. In a well-known manner, commercials are inserted into broadcast breaks. In another form, a commercial is broadcast in response to an audible dial tone embedded during the broadcast. For example, in some examples of those approaches, a sound at 25 Hertz (HZ) indicates the start of a commercial and a sound at 35 Hertz (Hz) indicates the end of a commercial. In these cases, such commercials are recorded on video cassettes and read into video cassette recorders (VCRs) connected to the broadcast system. Then, an operator who knows the order in which commercials should be broadcast manually starts an appropriate VCR (or playback device) at an appropriate time.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0004]
The phenomenal growth of Internet popularity is encouraging businesses that use the World Wide Web to engage potential customers. The development of "streaming media" has provided an effective method for delivering live performances, television broadcasts and similar events to Internet users. In general, streaming media includes a set of images and sounds that are transmitted over the Internet and played for viewers in the order in which they arrive. Without streaming media, Internet users would have to download the entire file before playing any audio or video. When downloading such files, they are often very large files and often consume a significant amount of time, causing considerable frustration. With the availability of streaming media broadcasts, companies have come to insert commercials and other information into media streams when they are delivered to users over the Internet.
[0005]
The use of gaps and beeps as triggers to insert information into the data stream has obvious obstacles in systems that require human intervention. Automated systems are available, but these systems also have problems. These systems traditionally store commercials and other information on video cassettes, which can be very inefficient. Proper positioning of the tape to play the desired message often takes a long time, and it is difficult to play the commercials once recorded on the tape in another order. Also, the videocassette may be damaged or worn out due to excessive use, so a backup tape was required.
[0006]
Thus, while known devices and processes may be suitable for their intended purpose, a need still exists for systems and methods for automatically inserting advertisements into streaming media broadcasts.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
[0007]
The present invention generally relates to a system for controlling the flow of data from multiple sources to generate a hybrid information stream. In one embodiment, the system comprises a plurality of data sources connected to a flow control system. The flow control system receives data from each of the two or more data sources and the data control management unit, and converts the data received from the plurality of data sources into a data stream in response to a command from the data control unit. Selectively insert and pass the combined data to the encoder.
[0008]
In some embodiments, the data includes commercial advertisements. The file containing the advertisement is downloaded to a computer connected to the encoder. The data control manager edits the list of advertisements sent to the media player.
[0009]
Other embodiments and features of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the detailed description set forth below and the accompanying drawings.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0010]
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. On the contrary, various changes or modifications can be made to the embodiments. It is apparent from the appended claims that embodiments with such modifications or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.
[0011]
Reference will now be made to the drawings, which are a plurality of drawings shown to describe a plurality of embodiments according to the invention, and the invention is not limited to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 100 that distributes a hybrid information stream over a computer network such as the Internet. As used herein, a "mixed information stream" is a stream of information containing one or more several different data types or data types in succession, or one or more different data items in a combination occurring simultaneously. Refers to a stream of information, including data types.
For example, one composite information stream may be placed on live broadcast data from a television broadcast or on various files, such as on a digital video disc (DVD) player, video cassette recorder (VCR), personal computer, file storage device, etc. It may contain data, or one hybrid information stream may contain some combination of these data sources. For example, a stream may include data, such as live data, then stored data, then live data, and so on. Although a hybrid information stream is described as being part of a "single" stream, those skilled in the art will recognize that various data types may be split or duplicated, or portions of data may be combined. Clearly, more than one data stream can be generated, in which case each data stream may include a different data type. If the distribution of this information over the Internet is a normal use of the system 100, the system may be used to distribute information over a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or other system. 100 is available.
[0012]
The system 100 typically includes a plurality of end-processing devices 102, a streaming media server 104, a web server 106, and a flow control system 10. As will be described in more detail below, the flow control system 10 communicates with a plurality of data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18, and inserts data from these data sources into a mixed information stream. Usually, the terminal processing apparatus 102 includes an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, or a streaming media player such as Microsoft Windows Media Player or Real Network Real Player. Various web sites are connected to the flow control system 100 by the web server 106 for the end user 102 to browse. End users 102 may access streaming media and various other types of content by browsing websites and selecting various links.
[0013]
In FIG. 2, the flow control system 10 typically provides an intermediate link between the encoder 26 and the media distribution device 24 and generally includes various computer executable files. Media distribution device 24 typically includes a capture portion that receives data from one or more input sources, and a driver portion that forwards the received information to one or more output sources. In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the flow control system 10 is an independent module, physically separate from the media distribution device (eg, a split electronic device or unit), and At least the driver portion may be connected to a media distribution device for communication. Typical media distribution devices used in accordance with the present invention include, for example, Crystal Semiconductor, Inc.Corporate Red, audio cards manufactured by Antex Electronics Corporation, and video cards manufactured by Osprey Communications Inc. . As mentioned above, the encoder 26 typically communicates an audio and / or video data stream from a radio or television broadcast with the streaming media server 104 for transmission to a media player. is there. Each of the media distribution device 24, the flow control system 10, and the encoder 26 in one embodiment of the present invention is installed in a separate electronic device.
[0014]
In FIG. 3, the delivery of the hybrid information stream to the end user 102 according to the present invention begins by reading the start-up information at the encoder 26, as shown at block 202. As noted above, the present invention is utilized with Microsoft Windows Media Player. In such embodiments, startup information is typically provided in a configuration file that identifies the driver used to distribute audio and / or video data from media distribution device 24. The configuration file identifies the device driver 36 to be used, and the configuration file may describe the format in which data is to be delivered to the encoder 26.
[0015]
The instructions in the configuration file (although read into encoder memory at step 204) cause encoder 26 to deliver a mixed information stream. Here, the flow control system 10 is read into the encoder memory as shown in block 206. The encoder 26 initializes the flow control system 10 and distributes the data format obtained from the configuration file and device driver information, as shown in block 208. As shown in block 210, the flow control system 10 then loads and initializes the driver 36 and sets up a callback routine so that the encoder 26 can receive audio and / or video data from the driver 36. To At block 212, the flow control system 10 passes the media data received from the driver 36 to the encoder 26, thereby transferring the data to the media player at the end processor 102.
[0016]
Before the data in the driver 36 is transferred by the flow control system 10 to the encoder 26, as shown at block 214, the flow control system 10 inserts information from one or more other data sources into the media stream. Is determined from the startup information. If such a signal is received, the flow control system 10 selects another designated data source and passes data from the selected data source to the encoder 26, as shown in block 216. Data from this other data source is inserted into the data stream until the entire file has been delivered to the encoder 26. Once the file has been delivered to the stream, the flow control system 10 returns to block 214 to determine if yet another source has been selected for transfer to another file. If more data from another data source is to be inserted, the next further data source is selected and the data from the selected data source is passed to encoder 26. This operation continues until it is determined that there are no more files from another data source to pass to encoder 26 (ie, at block 214). Then, the flow control system 10 returns to the media distribution device 24 and passes the data from the media driver 36 to the encoder 26.
[0017]
Returning now to FIG. 2, the flow control system 10 controls the flow of data from multiple sources to deliver a mixed information stream to the end user 102. In embodiments of the present invention, each of the two or more data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18 is connected to a flow driver 20. As shown, some data sources (ie, data sources 12, 14, 16) are connected via a media distribution device 24, and other data sources (ie, source 18) It is directly connected to the driver 20. Sources 12, 14, and 16 may supply analog data to be converted to digital data by media distribution device 24, or may perform (but not require) an encoder after predetermined processing. 26 may be provided. In contrast, a data source, such as data source 18 that is directly connected to flow driver 20, is typically provided in digital form, or has an analog-to-digital converter or data source prior to delivery to flow driver 20. Includes other devices that can convert to a digital format. In this figure, a plurality of data sources 12, 14, and 16 are connected to a media distribution device 24 and only a source 18 is directly connected to a flow driver 20, but a plurality of data sources are directly connected to a flow driver 20. And / or a single data source may be connected to the media distribution device 24.
[0018]
When an appropriate signal is received from data control manager 32, flow dry 20 selectively passes data from data sources 12, 14, and 16 to encoder 26. Then, the encoder 26 returns to the media distribution device 24 and combines the data to be provided to the composite stream into one. This transfers the information to the appropriate media player in the terminal processor 102 for display on a video monitor, personal digital display, or other output device.
[0019]
As already mentioned, the data sources 12, 14, 16 and 18 include, for example, live broadcasts from television broadcasts, one or more video cassette recorders, digital video disc players, digital satellite systems, or the like. But it's fine. Data sources 12, 14, 16 and 18 may also include computers or other devices that provide stored data such as AVI files, GIF files, and the like. The signal that triggers data from one of the added data sources to pass to the flow control system 10 is preferably embedded or included in the broadcast. As mentioned above, these may be audible signals, such as beeps and beeps, or some other indicator used in accordance with the present invention. The signals may be utilized in their distribution, or may be embedded in the broadcast in one form (eg, as an audible beep) and, if desired, in another form (eg, an electrical pulse). May be converted. Where the signal in embedded form is provided in a general manner, those skilled in the art will now be familiar with the signal, for example, by a timing device, a computer programmed to generate the signal at the appropriate time, a manual process, etc. Is given independently, the flow driver 20 may notice that it may be a trigger to change the data source to send.
[0020]
Although the present invention is described as delivering information from a single media delivery device 24 at a time, it is understood that the present invention is configured to pass data from multiple devices simultaneously. Should. For example, each of several encoders 26 may be connected to a remote flow control system 10, and each may be connected to communicate with a single end processor 102. In this case, different media distribution devices 24 communicate with their respective flow control systems and provide different types of data. Such an embodiment of the present invention may be used to deliver a mixed information stream containing data from, for example, DVD players and video cassette players, as well as two or more audio drivers and / or Or it may be used to deliver a hybrid information stream containing data from the video driver.
[0021]
Also, the output from a single flow control system 10 may be sent to multiple encoders 26, each encoding in a different manner. For example, it is often preferable to encode different types of information at different rates. More specifically, while one end user connects to the Internet using a 28 Kbs modem, another end user connects to the Internet using a 56 Kbs modem. With known devices, data encoded at different rates need to be passed to different encoders 26 before they are displayed on the associated output device. According to embodiments of the present invention, the information delivered by the sources 12, 14, 16, and / or 18 to the flow driver 20 may include a signal identifying an appropriate encoding rate. Encoder 26 may be configured to read these signals to encode the data as indicated.
[0022]
In FIG. 4, the flow driver 20 receives various instructions from the data control management unit 32, and the data control management unit 32 is usually a software component provided outside. Data control manager 32 is used to specify the order of data received from sources 12, 14, 16 and 18, encoded into a composite stream, and transmitted to end user 102. Here, it should be appreciated that the flow control system 10 may be used to combine many data types for delivery to the end user 102 as a hybrid stream. In one embodiment, the flow control system 10 may provide updated information regarding the content of the program being broadcast. For example, during the broadcast of a sporting event, the flow control system 10 may provide updated statistics about players and teams for the event. In another embodiment, information may be provided that allows a viewer to communicate with an appropriate source to order products or services related to the program content. In some embodiments, the flow control system 10 inserts commercial advertisements ("ads") into television broadcasts.
[0023]
The order in which the connected sources were selected to send the data is stored in the queue 22. The transmission order stored in the queue 22 is obtained interactively in various formats such as a list format before programming and a computer program format. In one embodiment, the list is transferred or downloaded from another location, such as a personal computer, where the personal computer is directly connected to the queue 22 or includes, for example, but not necessarily the Internet. It is connected to the queue 22 via a non-limiting local area network or wide area network. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a telephone line may be used to provide information that controls the order in which data is transferred from data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18. In such an embodiment, the user presses various buttons on a telephone keypad or dial to select a number associated with a different data source 12, 14, 16, and 18, and the designated key is pressed. In this order, data from the data source is transmitted. In yet another embodiment, it may be possible to recognize voice commands and convert the recognized voice to a digital format provided by a sound card such as manufactured by Dialogic Corporation of Parsippany, NJ. . By adding such a device, the user may speak a number identifying the appropriate data source, or the user may identify the data to be transmitted, such as, for example, a publicity title or name or title. Just say one or more words. In another embodiment, the voice recognition software may be directly merged into the flow control system 10 to assure voice commands to the user without using an interactive board. When distributing instructions over a telephone line, the flow control system 10 is adapted to require the user to enter a personal identification number or other identification information to prevent unauthorized changes. It is desired to make it. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention can be adapted to mobile phones, PDAs, and other wireless devices.
[0024]
In one embodiment according to the present invention, data control manager 32 communicates with web server 106 to obtain data stored at source 18. More specifically, the data control management unit 32 determines the duration available for reproducing data (that is, the “interruption length” in the advertisement file) and the type of the stored file (for example, AVI or (WAV), a parameter indicating the type of the encoder 26 connected to the flow control system 10 and an application used to distribute the data stored in the source 18 are passed. In response, the web server 106 supplies a list of file names that are distributed in advance to encoders that satisfy the parameters. The actual file may be delivered to encoder 26 in various ways. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, a file is downloaded from web server 106 according to a scheduled job.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 3, once the appropriate signal is received at block 214,
The flow control system 10 selects another data source and passes data from the selected data source until the desired amount of data is delivered to the encoder 26. In one embodiment, this part of the invention operates as shown in FIGS. Initially, at block 402, data control manager 32 sends an instruction to flow control system 10 to set up queue 22. Identification information is associated with various data files distributed by the sources 12, 14, 16, and 18, and these identification information are usually numerical values. Setting up the queue 22 in block 402 typically involves placing a number associated with the ordered file to be delivered to the encoder 26. When a suitable signal is detected at block 214 in FIG. 3, the data control manager 32 sends the file name associated with the number provided by the queue 22 to the flow controller 10 at block 406.
[0026]
Referring now to FIG. 6, at block 408, the named file is read from the selected data source to a memory connected to the encoder 406. The file is converted to a format usable by encoder 26 and stored in encoder 26 memory, as shown in block 410. At block 412, the converted data file is passed to a media player for display on the terminal 102. At block 414, the unique data identification is passed to the data control manager 32 to indicate that the requested data was actually transmitted to the encoder 26. If desired, information about the file sent to the media player may be used by other applications. For example, in this system, each time a commercial advertisement is sent to a media player, the data control manager 32 records an event to generate an advertisement log that can be used to indicate which advertisement is being played. May be set up as follows.
[0027]
When the designated data is reproduced by the media player, the data control management section 32 replenishes the queue 22 with new file information and resets the queue. As already mentioned, the present invention may be used to distribute information to Windows media players. These embodiments of the present invention typically use an application programming interface provided as a software development kit, such as that provided by Microsoft Corp., to convert files for use with various media players. Executes the file conversion.
[0028]
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the data downloaded from the web server 106, stored at the source 18, and transmitted to the encoder 26 includes commercial advertisements. Assignment and transmission of unique identifying information allows tracking of the advertisement and provides a way to verify that the requested advertisement has been played.
[0029]
In this embodiment, the computer generates files stored in the source 18, such as audio-video interleaved files and / or graphic interchange files. These files may be compressed, for example, to conform to the JPEG and / or MPEG standards. It should be specified that the system installed between the data generated by the computer and the flow driver 20 performs an operation of “logical sum (AND)” or “logical product (OR)”. . Accordingly, the flow control unit 10 in the present embodiment causes the flow driver 20 to transmit data from any one of the sources 12, 14, 16, and 18. In such an embodiment, data from the two data sources may be passed to the flow control unit 10, which may determine which of the two data sources to send the data to, Determine if it should be connected to the flow driver 20.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 7, in another embodiment, the flow controller 10 may instruct the flow driver 20 to transmit data from two or more data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18 simultaneously. In such an embodiment, the video 22, for example from a television broadcast, may be accompanied by a symbol 42 such as a logo or watermark identifying a sponsor, content provider, or other entity associated with the information being transmitted. They may be displayed at the same time. In this embodiment, the flow controller 10 instructs the flow driver 20 to receive data from both data sources, and causes both data sources to pass data to the encoder 26 simultaneously.
[0031]
Referring to FIG. 8, in yet another embodiment of the present invention, one event corresponding to one or more events initiates data transmission from data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18. It may be used for. Television relay 46 information, such as, for example, sports events or news events, may be transmitted to one or more data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18. Upon receiving the appropriate signal (eg, at the start or end of an incident), queue 22 selects the appropriate data source and outputs video clips, still images, reports, highlights, summaries, scores, and other events. Is inserted into the video stream. In the present embodiment according to the present invention, breaking news is sent to one of the data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18 according to a signal that triggers the flow control system 10 to immediately transmit data from the data source. May be given. At this time, the broadcast may be interrupted to provide breaking news to the viewer in response to the signal. In another embodiment, a video footage of a sporting event may be provided to any one of data sources 12, 14, 16, and 18. In this case, a signal is generated to indicate that the event has been concluded, causing the data source associated with queue 22 to be selected and the next (or designated) signal embedded in the broadcast being received. The final score is displayed, along with a highlight of the event, and the video clip is played. In an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention, the signals may be assigned at different priority levels, thereby interrupting the broadcast for certain information as needed and regularly for the system. Distribute other information at scheduled interruptions.
[0032]
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the dial tone incorporated in the broadcast may be detected by the data control management unit 32 by using hardware based on a detection procedure. In such embodiments, a signal is transmitted to a software component operating a device external to flow control system 10 when such a dial tone is detected. Here, the software component placed on the hardware thus divided may send a command to the data control management unit 32 in order to request the reproduction of the ad specified by the queue 22. Then, this instruction is transferred to the flow control system 10 for selecting and reproducing the ad. The signal is preferably sent to the data control manager 32 when the flow control system 10 has finished playing the ad, and the queue 22 is filled with another ad. In this embodiment, the data control manager 32 sends an instruction to the flow control system 10 to cause the ad identified while the queue is being played to be transmitted.
[0033]
In another embodiment according to the present invention, software based on the tone detection processing may be included in the flow control system 10, and the data management control unit 32 utilizes this processing to transmit data from various data sources. May be encoded into a mixed data stream. In such an embodiment, the dial tone control software is loaded into the flow control system 10 and the captured audio and / or video data determines which dial tone is currently being transmitted. May be analyzed. The detected dial tone is interpreted as an event by the flow control system 10 (as described above) and transferred to the data control manager 32. In response, the data control manager 32 returns a command to the flow control system 10 to cause it to transmit an advertisement designated to be played. In the present embodiment, in the initial state, the data control management unit 32 sets up a frequency that triggers an event in the data control management unit 32 by setting the flow control system 10.
[0034]
In other embodiments, how the information is reproduced, such as whether the information being transmitted is monochrome or color, whether it is a mono or stereo broadcast, what is the appropriate frame size, etc. The encoder 26 may be configured to read a signal that identifies some or all of the numerical parameters associated with what should be done. In such embodiments, the direction of the information received from encoder 26 is determined to pass through the appropriate portion of the circuit so that these parameters meet the imposed requirements.
[0035]
Some or all of the features described above, and similar features, may be incorporated into a single computer, or these features may be incorporated based on the choice of Internet users, content providers, etc. You can also. Also, some or all actions performed by the flow control system 10 may be tracked and stored in a single file or otherwise provided to a log for billing and other appropriate operations. Is done.
[0036]
Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method and apparatus for distributing a mixed information stream to a display device. As described above, the present invention has been described using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiment. It is apparent from the description of the appended claims that embodiments with such changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.
[Brief description of the drawings]
[0037]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system capable of delivering a hybrid information stream to a computer network according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram of a flow control system connected to hardware in one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of an operation capable of selectively transmitting data from a plurality of data sources in one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of a flow driver connected to a flow control unit in one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed example of an operation in which stored data is distributed to a flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed example of an operation in which recorded data is transmitted to a terminal process according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which data from a plurality of data sources are simultaneously displayed on a video monitor.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state where an event is triggered by display data in the video monitor according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
[0038]
10 ... Flow control system, 12, 14, 16 ... Data source, 20 ... Flow driver, 22 ... Queue, 24 ... Media distribution device, 32 ... Data control management unit, 36 ... device driver, 26 ... encoder, 18 ... data source, 106 ... web server

Claims (69)

A system for delivering a hybrid information stream to a computer network,
A media distribution device having a media distribution driver;
A flow control system independent of the media distribution device and communicating with each of the media distribution device and a recorded data source, the flow control system comprising: A flow control system for receiving data and controlling the respective flows of the media distribution device data, and the recorded data source data, and an encoder in communication with the flow control system for receiving the controlled data flow. Prepare system. An Internet media player that receives the data from the encoder and displays the data on a video monitor by using an Internet browser;
A data classification device that associates identification information with the data,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an identification information recording unit that records one sentence of a designated data type on the Internet media player; and an identification information control device that inputs a plurality of recorded one sentence into a common data file. 3. The described system. The system according to claim 2, wherein the specified data type is a commercial advertisement, and the common data file is an advertisement log. The system of claim 1, wherein the media distribution device supplies live broadcast data. The system of claim 1, wherein the media distribution device supplies a television broadcast. The system of claim 1, wherein the recorded data is downloaded from a web server and stored on a computer connected to the encoder. The system of claim 1, wherein the recorded data comprises a commercial advertisement. The system according to claim 7, wherein the flow control system causes a user to acquire information on the content displayed in the commercial advertisement. The system according to claim 8, wherein the flow control system causes a user to order a product or a service associated with the content. The system of claim 7, wherein the flow control system provides updated information about the media distribution device data. The system according to claim 1, wherein the recorded data is stored in an AVI file or a GIF file. The system of claim 1, wherein the flow control system is located in an electronic unit physically separated from the media distribution device. The flow control system is a software module,
The system of claim 1, further comprising a data control management software module for passing control instructions to the flow control system. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a queue connected to the flow control system for passing information related to a desired order of data delivered from the stored data source. 14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the data control management unit passes the control instruction via the Internet. The system of claim 14, wherein the queue is indirectly changeable. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the queue is modified by information transferred across a computer network. The system of claim 17, wherein the queue is modified by download information from the Internet. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the queue is changed by pressing a button on a telephone keypad. The flow control system monitors the media distribution device data for a control signal, and sends a signal to the data control management unit that receives the control signal,
The system of claim 1, wherein the data control manager controls the flow control manager in response to the control signal. The system of claim 20, wherein the control signal is an elapsed time. The system of claim 20, wherein the control signal is embedded in the media distribution device data. The system of claim 22, wherein the control signal is an audible dial tone. It also has a software log about the event,
The software log is generated in response to the controlled data flow, wherein the software log includes a record of data passing from the stored data source to the encoder by the flow control unit. The system according to claim 1. The system according to claim 24, wherein the software log is transferable to the Internet. The system according to claim 1, wherein the media distribution device data is a television broadcast. The system of claim 1, wherein the stored data is an advertisement. The system of claim 14, wherein the queue is a queue of advertisements. The system of claim 24, wherein the software log is an advertisement log. A system for delivering a hybrid information stream to a computer network,
Multiple data sources,
Receiving data from two or more of the plurality of data sources and a data control manager, selectively controlling a flow of data received from the plurality of data sources in response to a command from the data control manager; A flow control system for passing the controlled data flow as a hybrid information stream to an encoder. A media player that communicates with the encoder to receive the hybrid information stream from the encoder;
A data classification device that associates identification information with the data,
31. The apparatus according to claim 30, further comprising: an identification information recording unit that records one sentence of a specified data type on the Internet media player; and an identification information control device that inputs the plurality of recorded one sentences to a common data file. The described system. The system of claim 31, wherein the specified data type of the identification information identifies a commercial advertisement, and the common data file is an advertisement log. At least one of the plurality of data sources is a live data source; at least one of the plurality of data sources is a stored data source;
The flow control system selectively passes data from at least one of the live relay data sources and at least one or more of the recorded data sources in response to a command from the data control manager. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein the system is configured to communicate with a data control manager. 34. The system of claim 33, further comprising an encoder that receives the data to be selectively passed to convert received data to a hybrid information stream. The system of claim 33, wherein the flow control system includes an electronic queue. The system of claim 33, wherein the stored data is downloaded from a web server and stored on a computer connected to the encoder. The system of claim 30, wherein the flow control system includes an electronic queue. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources provides live relay data. The system of claim 38, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources comprises a video image. The system of claim 39, wherein the video image is a television broadcast. 31. The system of claim 30, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources provides stored data. The system of claim 41, wherein the stored data comprises a commercial promotion. The system according to claim 41, wherein the recorded data is installed in an AVI file or a GIF file, and is installed in a file compressed according to the JPEG standard or the MPEG standard. The system of claim 41, wherein the stored data is downloaded from a web server and stored on a computer connected to the encoder. The system of claim 44, wherein the stored data comprises a commercial promotion. A system for delivering a hybrid information stream to an output device, the system comprising:
Multiple data sources,
A flow control system for receiving data from one or more of the plurality of data sources and selectively passing data from one or more of the plurality of data sources to an encoder;
A media player that receives the data from the encoder and distributes the data to a video player. A delivery method for delivering a hybrid information stream to a computer network, comprising:
Obtaining data from multiple data sources;
Receiving a control signal from a flow control system located between the plurality of data sources and an encoder;
Selectively passing data from one or more of the plurality of data sources to the encoder in response to the received control signal;
Delivering the selectively passed data to the encoder;
Converting the selectively passed data into a mixed data stream;
Distributing the hybrid data stream to a media player. The step of selectively passing further comprises:
Specifying the order of transmission of data from two or more of the plurality of data sources;
Inserting the data into the information stream in the specified order;
48. The method of claim 47, further comprising passing the information stream to the encoder. The step of obtaining data is further
Setting a plurality of data identification information in an order based on the specified transmission order;
48. The distribution method according to claim 47, further comprising: transmitting a name of a data set associated with the plurality of pieces of identification information to the flow control system in the order of the data identification information. The step of selectively passing data further comprises:
Loading the named dataset into the encoder;
50. The method of claim 49, comprising transmitting the named dataset to a media player. 50. The distribution method according to claim 49, further comprising passing the data identification information to the flow control system in the order of the data identification information. Recording a sentence of identification information associated with a specified type in the named dataset for the Internet media player;
Inputting the plurality of recorded one sentence in a common data file. The specified type of the identification information is a commercial advertisement,
The distribution method according to claim 52, wherein the common data file is an advertisement log. The distribution method according to claim 47, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources provides live broadcast data. The distribution method according to claim 54, wherein the live data source is a video image. The distribution method according to claim 55, wherein the video image is a television broadcast. The distribution method according to claim 47, wherein at least one of the plurality of data sources provides stored data. The distribution method according to claim 57, wherein the recorded data belongs to an AVI file, a GIF file, a file compressed according to the JPEG standard, or a file compressed according to the MPEG standard. A distribution method for distributing a hybrid information stream via a computer network, comprising:
Capturing the first data set;
Receiving a request for transmission of at least a second data set;
Specifying the order of transmission of the first data set and at least the second data set,
Controlling the flow of data from the first data set and at least the second data set based on the specified order. Delivering the controlled flow to a media player;
Associating identification information with the data;
Recording a sentence of a specified type in the identification information to the media player;
Inputting the plurality of recorded one sentences in a common data file format. The distribution method according to claim 60, wherein the specified type of the identification information is a commercial advertisement, and the common data file is an advertisement log. The distribution method according to claim 59, wherein the output device is a video monitor. The distribution method according to claim 59, wherein the output device is a portable information terminal. 60. The distribution method according to claim 59, wherein in the step of designating the order, a predetermined data transmission order is searched from an electronic queue. The distribution method according to claim 59, wherein the at least one data set includes live broadcast data. The distribution method according to claim 65, wherein the source of the live broadcast data is a video image. The distribution method according to claim 66, wherein the video image is a television broadcast. The distribution method according to claim 59, wherein at least one of the data sets distributes stored data. 69. The distribution method according to claim 68, wherein the recorded data belongs to an AVI file, a GIF file, a file compressed according to the JPEG standard, or a file compressed according to the MPEG standard.

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