Patent · US Expired

System and method for globally scheduling multimedia stories

US5659790A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
5References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 23, 1995
Grant dateAug 19, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 23, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F16/40
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multimedia system represents multimedia objects as ranges of time intervals, each bounded by a minimum and a maximum, and temporal relationships are given to a set of objects which are to be integrated. In this system, where there are uncertainties in time, a stretchable time-line is provided. The stretchable time-line is modeled after a spring system such that an object (or a spring) is associated not only with a minimum and a maximum length but also with a length at rest. As a spring rests at a certain length and stretches and shrinks by a certain degree when a force is applied, multimedia objects placed on the stretchable time-line may also rest at a certain length, and stretch or shrink if necessary. As a spring has a tendency to return to the length at rest, a multimedia object may stretch or shrink when necessary and by a smallest degree possible. The system according to the invention can answer a question like, "Can I show this multimedia presentation in ten minutes, and if so, how should all the objects be scheduled?" If there is a solution that satisfies all the constraints given, the solution consists of a set of time intervals which "minimally" deviate from the corresp…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.