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`EP 4418 786 A2
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`IPR2022-01228
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`Europaisches Patentamt
`
`European Patent Office
`
`Office européen des brevets
`
`(V4)
`
`EP 1427 218 AZ
`
`EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
`
`(19)
`
`(12)
`
`{43} Date of publication:
`99.06.2004 Bulletin 2004/24
`
`{21} Application number: 03078709.7
`
`(22) Date offiling: 24.44.2003
`
`(51) int cl?: HO4N 7/58, GOGF 15/00
`
`(84) Designated Contracting States:
`AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FIFR G8 GR
`HUE TT LILU MC NL PT ROSE SISK TR
`
`Designaiad Extension States:
`AL LT LV MK
`
`{30) Priarity: 04.42.2002 US 309887
`
`(71) Applicant EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
`Rochester, New York 14656 (US}
`
`° Jones, Bavid S., cio Eastman Kodak Company
`Rochester New York 14650-22071 (US}
`* Tomblin, Paul, clo Eastman Kodak Company
`Rochester New York 14650-2201 (US}
`° McCrackan, Michael E.,
`cle Eastman Kodak Company
`Rechester New York 14850-2204 (US}
`» Orfitelll, William A.,
`cle Eastman Kodak Company
`Rochester New York 14650-2201 (US)
`
`(72) inventors:
`* Buble, Walter C., clo Eastman Kodak Company
`Rochester New York 14650-2204 (US}
`* Gates, Curtis R., clo Eastman Kodak Company
`Harrow, Middlesex HAT 4TY (GB}
`Rochester New York 14650-2201 {US}
`
`
`| (74) Representative: Haile, Helen Cynthia et al
`Kodak Limited,
`Patents Department (W82-34},
`Headstone Drive
`
`(54) Method and system for generating a playlist for digital cinema
`
`A method is described for scheduling a playlist
`{57}
`
`from digital content supplied to a server in a multi-screan
`digital cinema theater, where the playlist includes com-
`ponents of the content stored in the server and repre-
`senis a digital entity that is subsequently projected in
`the digital cinema theater. The method includes the
`steps of: (a) generating and displaying a table ofplayl-
`ists currently available for scheduling, each playlist dis-
`playad along with its run time; (6) generating and dis-
`playing a schedule table showing a schedule view for
`each screen as an elongated timeline bar representing
`a time dimension, wherein the slongaied timeline bars
`
`for a plurality of the screens are arranged one adjacent
`the other relative to a displayed time axis to provide an
`overall perspective of the schedules for the screens of
`the theater; (c) selecting a playlist from the table of play-
`lists and specifying a scheduled start time and a selact-
`ed screen; and (d) updating the schedule table by in-
`serting the selected playlist as an elongated element in-
`to the elongated tirneline bar for the selected screen,
`wherein the element starts at the scheduled start time
`
`and has a time dimension corresponding to the run time
`of the selected playlist, whereby the updated schedule
`
`table is used to schedul
`e the selected playlist for the
`selected screen.
`
`
`
`
`
`EP1427218A2
`
`Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR)
`
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`EP 4 427 218 A2
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`Description
`
`This invention is related io the field of digital
`{0004}
`cinema, and moreparticularly to the preparation, sched-
`uhng and use of digitized motion picture information in
`a multi-theater environment.
`
`Today, motion picturas - fromfeature films, to
`{6062}
`film based commerciais - are distributed and exhibiled
`
`largely in the form of film. Studios produce film masters,
`and distributers produce filra copies that are then dis-
`tributed to theatres for exhibition. in the theatre, espe-
`cially mulii-sereen ‘cineplexes', incoraing films need to
`be scheduled for exhibition. Specifically,
`the theatre
`homeoffice and the theatre manager delermine the au-
`ditorium and show timesfor a particularfilm. A schedule
`is compiled, usually describing the theatre exhibition
`olan for 1-2 weeks, or until an new feature is acquired.
`Executing a schedule typically entails moving huge rolls
`of film from one projectorstation to anotherstation; pre-
`paring the newfeature showing by splicing separate
`D
`reels of film together, adding film trailers and ‘railing ad-
`vertisements' to the beginning. Overall, itis a laborin-
`iansive process.
`{6063} There have been aitempts in the priorart to au-
`tomate the contro! of movie display electronics in a film
`cinema system. For
`instance,
`in U. S. Patent No.
`6,384,893 B1, which is entitled "Cinema Networking
`System” and was issued May 7, 2002, such a system
`includes a cinema controller which receives as input, in-
`formation regarding start times of movies and content
`of corresponding film reels. The information can be input
`8 varialy of ways. In one embodiment, the information
`is manually entered into a file or database for subse-
`quent reference. The publication shows (Fig. 4} an entry
`form that may be displayed. In this embodirnent, an op-
`erator enters, either via a keyboard and/or by using a
`cursor control device, a description of the content of the
`film reels including the duration and filrn format of each
`segment. In addition, a film identifier, such as the tlle,
`is supplied along with the times it is to be played in a
`particular projection room. Other embodiments are also
`contemplated. For example, ihe information may be re-
`ceived or downloaded from a remote centralized loca-
`
`tion. Alternately, the inforrnation may be retrievable from
`a web site maintained to contain such information.
`
`Over the last fewyears, the digitization of film
`(0004)
`has become very commonfor the purpose of integrating
`‘computer generated special effects in scene content.
`Digilized content turns oul be much easier fo handle,
`from the point of view of making copies, storing, distrib-
`uling, and ‘touching up’. A natural out-growth of digital
`special effects work is the attempt to carry the digitized
`content through postoroduction, onto distribution and
`exhibition. Such a workflow is described in general as
`‘digital cinema’. Recent technological advancesinsior-
`age, networking and projection equipment are making
`digital
`cinema a genuine possibility.
`(0005) As described by S.A. Morley, in “Making Digital
`
`10
`
`20
`
`25
`
`36
`
`40
`
`Cinema Actually Hapoen-—What it Takes and Who's
`Going to Da it’, SMPTE 140!" Technical Conference,
`Pasadena, California, October 31, 1998, digital cinerna
`provides an ability to extend presentation capabilities
`beyond just showing movies. More specifically, a simple
`graphical computerinterface can make screen sched-
`uling @asy, accurate and flexible for the theatre operator.
`Although no specific interface is described, Morley
`opines that by a simple drag-and-drop action on a PC
`ina theaier manager's office, amovie can be scheduled
`to showat a certain time in a given auditorium and with
`a defined set of trailers and promotions, which can be
`changed at each show time.
`{6006} Avica Technology Corp. markets a Digital Cin-
`ema Manager product that allows monitoring and con-
`trol of siorage server parameters by a theatre manager
`or engineering supervisor in a digital cinama environ-
`ment. Securify setting, playlist creation, content load-in
`and systern maintenance functions can be accessed
`from local or network connections. Multiple servers can
`be monitored and contralled from a single terminal. Gon-
`versely, multiple rnanagement terminals may access an
`individual server. The user interface provides creation
`of multi-event playlists including features, trailers and
`promotions, and timeline based playlist management for
`a single auditoriumat a time.
`{6007} Wheiher automating the scheduling of film cin-
`ema or digital cinerna systerns, the prior art nas come
`up short in providing a user-friendly interface, particu-
`larly in a multi-screen cineplex environment. Whatis
`therefore needed is an approach that leverages the flex-
`ibility provided by digital cinema without adding unnec-
`essary complexity in the scheduling task.
`{0603] The present invention is directed to overcom-
`ing one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly
`summarized, according fo one aspect of the present in-
`vention, a method is described for scheduling a playlist
`from digital content supplied to a server in a multi-screen
`digital cinema theater, where the playlist includes com-
`ponents of the content stored in the server and repre-
`senis a digital entity that is subsequently projected in
`the digital cinema theater. The method includes the
`steps of: (a) generating and displaying a iabie of playi-
`ists currently available for scheduling, each playlist dis-
`played along with its run time; (b) generating and dis-
`playing a schedule table showing a schedule viewfor
`each screen as an elongated timeline bar representing
`a time dimension, wherain the elongated timeline bars
`for a plurality of the screens are arranged one adjacent
`the other relative to a displayed time axis to provide an
`overall perspective of the schedules for the screens of
`the theater; (c}) selecting a playlist from the table of play-
`lists and specifying a scheduled start time and a selact-
`ed screen; and (d) updating the schedule table by in-
`serting the selected playlist as an elongated element in-
`to the elongated tirneline bar for the selected screen,
`wherein the element starts at the scheduled start time
`
`and has a time dimension corresponding to the run time
`
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`3
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`EP 4 427 218 A2
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`4
`
`of the selected playlist, whereby the updated schedule
`table is used to schedule the selected playlist for the
`selected screen.
`
`In atfurther aspectof the invention, a digital cin-
`{0608]
`ema sysiem is described for exhibiting digital content
`supplied in a coded forrn to a central content manage-
`ment server in amuli-screendigital cinema theatre hav-
`ing a plurality of auditoriums. The digital cinema system
`includes: a plurality of digital projectors for projecting
`digital content in the plurality of auditoriums, each pro-
`jector inchiding a decoder for decoding the digital con-
`tentinto a device-dependent signal for projection; a plu-
`rality of content player servers, each one devoted to a
`respective digital projector; and a local area network
`linking the content player servers to the central content
`managementserver and to the digital projectors, whaere-
`by each digital projector is a network-enabled device
`that can communicate with any of the content player
`servers to display digital content. in still a further aspect,
`the digital cinema system includes a cinema operating
`sysiem for generating and scheduling playlists, each
`playlist including components of the content stored in
`the content management server and representing a dig-
`ital entity that is subsequently projectedin the digital cin-
`ema.
`
`By counting the creating of playlists as a pre-
`{0070}
`cursor to scheduling, there is the advantage that the
`need to physically handle, splice and set up farge
`lengths of film is obviated.
`{6014} These and other aspects, objecis, features
`and advantages of the present invention will be more
`clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the
`following detailed description of the preferred embodi-
`ments and appended claims, and by reference io the
`accompanying drawings.
`{0072]
`FIG. 1 ts a block diagram of an exhibition com-
`ponent of a digital cinema system, showing in particular
`a cinema operating system in accordance with the in-
`vention.
`
`FIG. 2 is a pictorial illustration of a scheduling
`{0073]
`cantext screen from @ graphical user interface imple-
`mented by the cinema operating sysiem shown in Fig-
`ure 1.
`
`FIG. Sis apictorial tustration of the scheduling
`(0074]
`menus and controls accessible through the menu bar of
`the scheduling context screan shownin Figure 2.
`{6045}
`Fic. 4 is a pictorial
`illustration of a window
`showing playlist properties, which is accessible through
`the scheduling context screen shown in Figure 2 and
`the menu controls shown in Figure 3.
`(0046)
`FiG. 5 is a pictorial illustration of a dialog box
`for scheduling a playlist in the foreground of a schedule
`timeline shown in the scheduling context screan shown
`in Figure 2, which
`is accessible through the scheduling
`context screen shownin Figure 2 and the menu controls
`shown in Figure 3.
`{6017}
`FIG. 6 is a sictorial illustration of a dialog box
`for scheduling a tirne block in a schedule timeline shown
`
`10
`
`20
`
`25
`
`36
`
`40
`
`in the scheduling context screen shown in Figure 2,
`which is accessible through the scheduling context
`screen shownin Figure 2 and the menu controls shown
`in Figure 3.
`{6018}
`FIG. 7 is a sictorial illustration of a dialog box
`for scheduling a playlist in the background of a schedule
`timeline shownin the scheduling coniexi screen shown
`in Figure 2, which is accessible through ithe scheduling
`coniext screen shown in Figure 2 and the menu controls
`shownin Figure 3.
`{0079]
`FIG. 3 is a pictorial illustration of a dialag box
`for scheduling a rolling ad in a schedule timeline shown
`in the scheduling context screen shown in Figure 2,
`which is accessible through the scheduling context
`screen shown in Figure 2 and the rnenu controls shown
`in Figure 3.
`(6020)
`FiG. 9 is a pictorial ilustration of a schedule
`view by month which is accessible through the sched-
`uling context screen shownin Figure 2 and the menu
`controls shown in Figure 3.
`(0027)
`FIG. 10 is a pictorial illustration of a window
`showing schedule iter properties for a particular playlist
`on a particular day for a particular screen, which is ac-
`cessibie through the scheduling context screen shown
`in Figure 2 and the menu controls shown in Figure 3.
`(0022)
`FiG. itis a pictorial Hustration of the schedul-
`ing context screen shown in Figure 2, whichis filled out
`to show the schedule properties on @ particular dayfor
`the theater.
`
`FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an exhibition
`{0023]
`component of a digital cinema system, showing in par-
`ticular a further ernbodiment of a cinema operating sys-
`tem in accordance with a further aspectof the invention.
`{0024] Because digital image processing systems are
`wall known, the present description will be directed in
`particular to altributes forming part of, or cooperating
`rnore directly with, a method and systemin accordance
`with the present
`invention. Meithad and system at-
`iributes not specifically shown or described herain may
`be selected from those knownin the art. In the following
`description, a preferred ambodiment of the present in-
`vention would ordinarily be implernenied as a software
`
`program, although those skilled in the art will readily rec-
`ognize that the equivalent of such software may also be
`constructed in hardware. Given the method and system
`as described according to the invention in the following
`materials, software not specifically shown, suggested or
`describedherein that is useful for implementation of the
`invention is conventional and within the ordinary skill in
`such arts. if the invention is implemented as a computer
`pragrarn, the program may oe stored in a conventional
`camputer readable storage medium, which may com-
`prise, for example; magnetic storage media such as 4
`magnetic disk (such as a floppy disk or a hard drive) or
`rmnaqgnetic tape; optical storage media such as anoptical
`disc, optical tape, or machine readable bar code; solid
`staie electronic storage devices such as random access
`memory (RAM), or read only memory (ROM): or any oth-
`
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`an
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`EP 4 427 218 A2
`
`6
`
`er physical device or mediurn ernployed to store a corn-
`puter program.
`{0025} A digital cinema system coraprises a digital
`mastering center for generating digital content, such as
`from a feature film, a distribution center for transmitting
`the digital content, and a digital exhibition centerfor pro-
`jecting the content to audiences. The exhibition center
`wil include, among its many parts, a projection systern
`and a software application herein identified as the digital
`cinema operating sysiem. The digital cinema operating
`system is a custom software solution that supports the
`loading, scheduling, control and playback of features,
`trailers and other pre-showcontent, such as slide shows
`and advertising, on multiple digital cinema screens.
`While not a specific part of this description, the digital
`cinema operating sysiam will download decryption kays
`from studics to allow features to be played back an dig-
`ital projectors, and also controls automated theatre ap-
`eration suchas lighting and sound systems. In the latter
`connection, the digital cinema operating system will typ-
`ically interface witht existing, commoercially-available
`coritrol systerns for such automated theatre operations.
`{0026] Besides referring to the digital distribution and
`projection of first-run movies, digital cinema has also
`been used to refer to the digital distribution and projec-
`tion of pre-show entertainment, including commercials,
`music videos and other content, ordinarily in connection
`with the showing of full-length feature mation picture
`films, perhaps with film trailers and the like. Thus, and
`as used herein in a preferred ambodiment, the digital
`cinema operating system refers to an in-theater network
`io receive, schedule, distribute and project advertising
`and other ore-show content as a digital entity preceding
`and/or following a motion picture film feature, as well as
`to an in-theater network to receive, schedule, cdistrinute
`and project full-length feature digital content, often with
`digital trailers, advertising and other pre-show,or inter-
`show content, where ail of the digital entities are com-
`bined together as a single digital preseniation. Furiher-
`more, in another embodiment, as will be illustrated in
`Figure 12, the scheduling functionality of the digital cin-
`ema operating systern may be shared with other corn-
`ponents of the digital cinema system, such as a central
`digital cinerna distribution facility or service, where it
`may be convenient to establish an association between
`cerlain digital content, such as between certain ad or
`irailer content and specific feature content.
`{6027} The digital cinama system is comprised of
`hardware and software (ihe digital cinerna operating
`system) that, when installed in a multi-screen cineplex,
`can provide sophisticated digital cinema functionality.
`Referring to Figure 1, the digital cinema system is com-
`prised of:
`
`¢
`
`»
`
`ahigh storage capacity content management serv-
`er 16 having a server database 12 associated ihere-
`with;
`one or more high resolution digital prajectors 14
`
`10
`
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`*
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`*
`
`e
`
`and/orhigh resolution display screens 16, each pro-
`Jector and/or screen corinected to,
` oneor more specialized decoding processors 18 for
`decoding compressed digital content that is down-
`loaded from the content management server 18 to
`one or more content player servers 20, each con-
`tent player server 20 connected to,
`alocal area network (LAN) 22 tying each of the con-
`tant player servers 20 to the content management
`server 10; and
`acinema operating system graphical user interface
`24 used to manage digital cinerna content, sched-
`ule content, and in general contral the various com-
`ponents of the system, wherein the user interface
`24 interfaces with a high resolution display 26 to im-
`plement the functional interface components 28 of
`the cinema operating sysiem.
`
`As shown in Figure 1, ihe cinerna operating system op-
`erates in a multi-screen cineplex environment featuring
`both digital and film content shown in a plurality of au-
`ditoriums 36, each having a screen 34 that is positioned
`fo receive a projected image. More specifically, the dig-
`tal proiectors 14 are used in one or more auditoriums
`3@ (three being shown) to project a digitally-cbtained im-
`age upon the screens 34 and a filmprojector 32 is used
`in at least one of the auditoriums 38a to project a film
`nage upon a screen 34a. In regard to filrn projection,
`
`the cinema operating system may signal a projectionist
`atan appropriate time to bagin projection. Alternatively,
`actual control of the film projector may be integrated into
`the cinemaoperating system through ihe user interface
`24, Moreover, since digital content (such as ad content)
`may be played before and/or after a mation picture film,
`the film auditorium 30a may aiso contain a digital pro-
`Jector 14 connected as shown in broken line to the LAN
`22 through 2 conient player server 28 and a processor
`48. A theatre management system 36 may also be inte-
`grated into the cinemaoperating system through the us-
`er interface 24, and it provides automated control of
`highting and sound systems, as well as integrating with
`a ticket sales and advertising system.
`{0628] The illustrated LAN connection 22 may be im-
`plemented with any sullable network architecture, such
`as Ethernet. In practice, the processors 18 (which in one
`embodiment may be a processor board/card added tc
`the content player servers 20 instead of a separate com-
`ponent (18) as shownin Figure 1) decode the image
`daia into a device-dependent signal, such as RGB, suif-
`able for driving the projectors 14. This means that the
`connection between the processors 18 and the projec-
`tors 141s a dedicated off-network connection. If the de-
`
`coder processor (48) is insiead ernbedded into the pro-
`jectors 14, then the projectors 14 will become network
`devices capable of being driven directly off the LAN 22.
`As will be explained further in connection with Figure 12,
`having the projectors 14 as network devices has an add-
`ed redundancy benefit since any given projector can be
`
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`griven off any content server 20, therefore providing au-
`tomatic backup in case the content server for a particular
`auditorium should go dawn.
`{0028] The user interface 24 of the cinema operating
`systemis desigried to be operated by a theatre manager
`and/or a lead orojectionist or other designated person,
`
`usually in the environment of their offices or workspac-
`es, such as a projection booth or for that matter any
`place connectable to the LAN 22. At the core of the cin-
`ema operaling sysiem are the functional interface corn-
`ponents 28, which in this embodiment include four func-
`tional camponents:
`
`9
`
`*
`»
`*
`
`a content management function 38;
`aplaylist management function 46;
`ascheduling function 42; and
`an exhibition/playback monitoring function 44.
`
`Under the content management furiction 38, the theatre
`manager or another designated operator can load new
`digital content 46 to the central server 78, and view, edit
`and delete the digital content stored in the server data-
`base 12. Examples of coniant are rolling ads (commaer-
`cials), trailers Geature film previews) and full features
`feature films). Content generally comes, ¢.g., from a
`studio, an advertising providerorthe like, andis intend-
`ed to be exhibited for a contracted period of time. There-
`after, the conient is purged. While not a part of this in-
`vention,
`the digital confent 46 would typically be re-
`ceived over a satellite connection, a terrestrial network,
`or physical media such as a DVD thatis delivered to the
`theater office.
`
`(0038) Another key use of content is for ihe creation
`of playlists. A playlist is an ordered collection of one or
`rnore content files available from the content manage-
`ment server 10, and represenis the content package
`that is scheduled into a particular auditoriumat a partic-
`ular time.
`in a totally digital environment, a plavlist is
`analogousto the final reel offilm thai a projectionist pra-
`pares for exhibition, by splicing rolling ads and trailers
`to the main feature film. In a mixed digital and film envi-
`ronment, the playlist is analogous to the spliced film
`components comprising the rolling ads and perhans the
`trailers that are scheduled to precede the rain feature
`film, or simply run between main feature films as, e.¢.,
`a digitized slide stiow. Under the playlist management
`function 40, the theatre manager create can create, edit
`and delete playlists. Having coniantat their core, playl-
`ists also have 4 specific lifetime, after which they are
`purged. Accordingly, each playlist represents the digital
`entity that is subsequently projected, either through a
`projector in an auditorium 38, or on a display 16, @.¢.,
`in the theatre lobby.
`the theater
`{00231] Once the playlists are created,
`manager or another designated person must schedule
`when and where the required playlists are olayed. This
`is done in the scheduling function 42. The schedules for
`playlists ta be exhibited are aiso tied ta the theatre man-
`
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`40
`
`agement system 36, and specifically to the iheater’s
`ticketing systern, which also provides show times to
`newspapers and other sources weil in advance of the
`scheduled showings.
`In the cinema operating system
`according to the preferred embodirnent, the function of
`scheduling is to program into the system the start time
`and the auditorium in which each playlist will play. When
`the scheduled time arrives, the cinema operating sys-
`tem controls the starting and playback of the content
`represented within the digital glayiist. Finally, a monitor-
`ing function 44 provides the theatre manager and pro-
`jectionist a means io view the current state of playlist
`playback. The moniter user interface is similar to the
`scheduling user interface set to the presenttime, in that
`the theatre manager can viewthe overall state of play-
`back in the various auditoriums and onthe various dis-
`
`plays tied to the cinema operating system.
`{6032] Referring to Figure 2, the functional interface
`components (28) for conient management 38, playlist
`management 40 and the scheduling function 42 are rep-
`resented by respective tabs 80, 52 and 54. Clicking an
`the schedule tab $4 brings up 4 scheduling function con-
`text screen 86, which specifies the work flow and user
`interface of the scheduling function 42 according io the
`invention, and provides access to the menus, controls
`and coramands for ihe scheduling function 42. A rnenu
`bar 58 provides access io certain menus and controls
`for the scheduling function 42, as further shownin Fig-
`ure 3, including alternative access ta some of the can-
`irols and commands provided by the context screen 56.
`{6033}
`The cornpact layout of the scheduling function
`context screen 56 provides a view of the ‘free time’ and
`schedules for all or some of the auditoriums 30 and dis-
`
`plays 16 tied to the cinema operating system. The spe-
`cifics of the scheduling function context screen 36 in-
`clude a panel (toolbar) 60 of buttons, a table 72 of play-
`lists currenty in the content management server 10, a
`drop-menu 74 of predefined views that contro! whatis
`displayed in the table 72, and a schedule table 76 that
`provides scheduling information and controls for each
`of the auditoriums 38 (and 38a) and displays 16 that ex-
`nibit digital content. The schedule table 76 snows, for
`each auditorium 38 (30a) and lobby display 16, an eion-
`gated timeline bar 78 arranged as shownin Figure 2 one
`adjacent the other in relation to a time axis grid 80 to
`reveal the schedule for each auditorium 30 (30a) and
`lobby display 78, both individually and frorn the overall
`perspective of the whole cinaplex theater. Furthermore,
`as will be noted in Figure 2, certain auditoriums, ie., au-
`ditoriurns 1, 2 and 3, are digital audiioriums, while audi-
`torium4 is a filre auditorium.
`
`{0634] The panel (toolbar) 88 of buttons, labeled with
`icons, identify frequently used actions. As defined in the
`preferred embodiment, these buttons include: a magnify
`timeline bution 62, a reducetimeline bution 64, a month
`view button 68, a show playlist properties button 68 and
`a save schedules button 78. The theatre manager can
`use the rnagnify timeline button 62 and the reduce time-
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`10
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`line butten 64 to contro} the granularity of the schedule
`view, thatis, by adjusting magnification settings the time
`axis grid 80 is adjusied such that the view in the sched-
`ule fable 7& encornpasses all or some smaller portion
`of the exhibition schedule for the day. The showplaylist
`properties button 68 acts upon a currently selecied play-
`ist to show further properties of the selected playlist.
`The save schedules button 70 saves the resulis of the
`
`scheduling function into the server database 72. The
`manth view button 66 presents the schedule view by
`month, as shown in Figure 9. A feature of this viewis
`that a schedule for a particular day in the rmonih can be
`replicated for other days of the month by dragging the
`cursor 82 across the month until the desired days are
`highlighted, as shown by the shaded selection area 84,
`than clicking on, or otherwise dasignating, the area (e.
`g., by a copy and paste operation). When ihus invoked,
`as shownin the exampie, the schedule for June 3 is rep-
`licated for June 4 - 6 and 10-13, and appears in the
`appropriate calendar blocks associated with these
`dates. The area 84a represents a portion of the month
`where this feature was previously invoked. Figure 9 also
`shows that when the toal-tip of the cursor 82 is pasi-
`tioned over a particular day (June 17 in this example),
`a pop-up box 86 appears that reveals furtherinformation
`about the schedule, including the beginning time ofeach
`playlist within the schedule for the day.
`(0038) The drap-menu 74 of predefined views, which
`controls what is displayed in the playlist table 72,
`in-
`cludes several core views of the playlists available from
`the content management server 18. These core views
`include, but are not limited fo, showing: All (playlists),
`Not Scheduled (playlists), Scheduled (playlists), Phayl-
`ists with Ads, Playlists with Slideshows, Playlists with
`Feaiures, Playlists with Live Events, and so on.
`(A
`"slideshow"is a series of digital still images that are re-
`petilively displayed before and/or after the feature pres-
`entation and its associated ads and trailers. A “live
`
`event"is a live feed of a currently happening event, such
`38 a musical performance or a sporting event.) in the
`playlist table 72, key attributes of the listed playlists are
`shown, such as playlist tile, run time, and the starting
`and ending dates for the playlist engagement; other in-
`formation can be had by selecting a particular playlist
`(as depicted by the broken line selection box 73 around
`thefirst playlist "Ad Pack-Week 23") and applying the
`toolbar bution &8 for showing playlist properties, which
`produces the playlist properties windowshownin Figure
`4. As shown therein, the selected playlist title "Ad Pack-
`Week 23" is comprised of five pieces of digital content,
`each shownwith their content title, type, run time, rating
`and acquire date.
`{0036} The schedule iable 76 provides scheduling in-
`formation and conirals for each of the audiforiums 34
`
`(30a) and displays 16 that exhibit digital content. In the
`top left of the schedule fable 76, the date is shown for
`which schedules are being viewed and managed. A set
`ofthree controls 88a, 88b and 88¢ are used to change
`
`10
`
`20
`
`25
`
`36
`
`40
`
`the day/date of the schedule view. The lefi arrow 884
`changes the viewto the previous day; the right arrow
`88b changes the view to the next day, and the middle
`control 88c¢ brings up a pop up calendar control (not
`shown) for the user to select a specific day to view. In
`the left column $0 of the schedule table 76 are the
`
`names of the auditoriums (screens) 30 (38a) and dis-
`plays 16 for which the theatre manager can develop a
`schedule. The names of the screens can be defined and
`
`changed by the theatre manager, thus oroviding for cus-
`tomization. By design, the screen names are also ja-
`beled by an index number, i.e., the numbers 1
`fo 7 as
`shown in Figure 2. Each of the screen names can be
`selected; when one is selected, the month view bution
`6&8 can be invoked and ihe theatre rmanager can view
`five weeks of schedule inforrnation, set for the selected
`screen, as shown in Figure 93. The vertical contro! bar
`92a to the left of each screen's timeline 78 inchides
`
`icons $2b and $26 for showing (icon $21) or ‘collapsing’
`or hiding (icon $2c) the corresponding screen (e.g., in
`Figure 2, screen 5 is shown as hidden). By hiding one
`or more timelines 78 this way, the theatre manager can
`visually bring normally separated timelines 78 closer to-
`gether, to accommodate special scheduling tasks. The
`controls $926 and $26 are reversible; when clicked again,
`after h