Patent ID: 9232267
Filing Date: 2016-01-05
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. A method for dynamically constructing a broadcast television multiplex, from a plurality of source television channels, the method comprising: receiving metadata associated with a first plurality of events on a plurality of source television channels, the metadata including, at least, scheduling metadata indicating when specific events scheduled for broadcast on the respective source television channels are starting and stopping; selecting, on the basis of a rule-set applied to the metadata, whether events of the first plurality of events are to be included in said broadcast television multiplex, thereby producing a selected second plurality of events to be included in the broadcast television multiplex; for each one event of the selected second plurality of events, assigning a multiplex priority to the one event, the multiplex priority being a priority the one event is to be assigned in the broadcast television multiplex in case the one event contends for space in said broadcast television multiplex with a second event of the second plurality of events; constructing said broadcast television multiplex by copying events from said second plurality of events into said broadcast television multiplex at the time that the scheduled broadcast of the events begin and in dependence on the multiplex priorities only (a) when events in said second plurality of events are contended for space and overlap temporally at the time of their broadcast, or (b) to fill a gap in the multiplex created when the multiplex is constructed with less than 100% contention among respective events in said second plurality of events that overlap temporally at the time of their broadcast, wherein respective events are contending for space in (a), an event having a higher priority is copied into the multiplex before an event having a lower priority with the event having the lower priority being buffered for possible inclusion in a later gap in the multiplex, and wherein when events are contending for space in (b), an event having a highest priority is included in a next available gap of sufficient size; and broadcasting the broadcast television multiplex.