Abstract:
There is provided a system and method of recipient specific lists for distribution of media content. The method comprises obtaining at least one unique identifier (UID), wherein the at least one UID identifies a content, and wherein the at least one UID identifies a recipient location and presentation data, generating a recipient specific list (RSL) using the at least one UID, wherein the RSL includes at least one content identifier, and wherein the RSL includes at least one recipient identifier, and transmitting the RSL to an encoded content transport stream creator for creation of an encoded content transport stream. The at least one recipient identifier may correspond to a broadcast affiliate television recipient or a multichannel video programming distributor. Additionally, the RSL may contain primary content, such as television programs, movies, commercials, and promotional programming, as well as secondary content, such as content overlays, program schedules, and triggers.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Television programs, live sports, and other media content are delivered to consumers from broadcast and cable networks through broadcast affiliate and multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) endpoints. The broadcast and cable networks choose the various versions of the media content to be delivered to the affiliate and/or MVPD based on time zones, market clearances, regionalization, or other criteria. The broadcast and cable networks are required to choose transport paths to ensure the media content arrives concurrently and efficiently. Therefore, the broadcast and cable networks must process a wide variety of data, ranging from regional commercial scheduling, time zone delays, sport clearances, and transport path health, to name a few, before the media content is delivered to affiliates or MVPDs. 
     Traditionally, broadcast automation systems rely on the output of a traffic system to provide information necessary to generate program playlists. These program playlists are typically translated into the broadcast automation system&#39;s proprietary playlist file format, and then loaded into the broadcast automation system to generate the respective content feed for the affiliate or MVPD. However, this is reliant on manual processes and creates generalized content feeds, which must later be matched to correct affiliate or MVPD recipients. Thus, specific changes to content feeds require continual adjustment to affiliate and MVPD endpoints or require continual adjustments in order for affiliate and MVPD end points to receive these feeds. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is directed to recipient specific lists for distribution of media content, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a diagram of one exemplary implementation of a system for generating a recipient specific list for distribution of media content; 
         FIG. 2  presents a recipient specific list and included data for distribution of media content; 
         FIG. 3  shows an exemplary system environment showing creation of a recipient specific list and ensuing generation and distribution of an encoded content transport stream; and 
         FIG. 4  presents an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for generating a recipient specific list for distribution of media content. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following description contains specific information pertaining to implementations in the present disclosure. The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to merely exemplary implementations. Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference numerals. Moreover, the drawings and illustrations in the present application are generally not to scale, and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions. 
       FIG. 1  shows a diagram of one exemplary implementation of a system for generating a recipient specific list (RSL) for distribution of media content. As shown in  FIG. 1 , RSL server  110  includes processor  112  and memory  114  storing RSL generation application  120 , unique identifiers  130  including program schedules and clearances  132  and commercial scheduling  134 , interstitial scheduling  136 , metadata  140 , and RSL  150  created by RSL generation application  120 . Also shown in  FIG. 1  are cloud  160  and RSL transmission and processing  170 . 
     RSL server  110  illustrates a simplified system for generating, publishing, and the transmission of an RSL. Thus, alternative implementations may support multiple systems or servers for balancing and/or reduced latency. Furthermore, as used herein, a processor, such as processor  112 , may refer to a single processor or a collection of more than one processor, e.g. microprocessor or a hardware processor. Similarly, memory  114  may refer to a single memory or a collection of more than one memory, such as a non-transitory memory or computer storage. 
     Unique identifiers  130  may contain program schedules and clearances  132 , commercial scheduling  134 , and interstitial scheduling  136 . Each unique identifier contained in unique identifiers  130  may identify a media content by scheduling and destination requirements. Thus, program schedules  132  may correspond to unique identifiers  130  identifying programming media content, such as television, movie, audio programming, or any other content, by time schedules of programming media content, such as a regional time schedule for a broadcast channels media content, a national channel schedule for a national movie channel, a pay-per-view schedule of a pay-per-view channel, or other scheduling information corresponding to programming media content. Commercial scheduling  134  may correspond to unique identifiers identifying all forms of commercial media content, or other metadata corresponding to commercial media content. Similarly, interstitial scheduling  136  may correspond to unique identifiers identifying all forms of interstitial media content, or other metadata corresponding to interstitial media content. Thus, unique identifiers  130  may collectively contain unique identifiers identifying a media content, as well as additional identification data related to creation and distribution of RSL  150 , such as destination points for RSL  150 , priority data to determine the priority of utilizing/playing RSL  150 , a name or location of an affiliate that receives the content included in RSL  150 , a time to play the content from RSL  150 , a name of RSL  150  and/or content included in RSL  150 , contents of RSL  150 , or other data corresponding to RSL  150  and/or content included in RSL  150 . 
     According to the implementation of  FIG. 1 , processor  112  may process information from cloud  160  and store it in memory  114  as metadata  140 . Cloud  160  may correspond to a content cloud containing media content, such as television media content, movie media content, recorded live media content, sports media content, news media content, music media content, or other media content. Processor  112  may receive additional metadata corresponding to content from cloud  160 , such as platform quality data, content title data, rating data, and reconciliation keys and store it in memory  114  as metadata  140 . Metadata  140  may further contain data from cloud  160  related to the media content and/or encoded content transport stream, such as an interrupt command to stop another encoded content transport stream, a name of the encoded content transport stream, contents of the encoded content transport stream, or other metadata corresponding to the media content and/or encoded content transport stream. 
     Processor  112  may access memory  114  to execute RSL generation application  120 . Processor  112  may execute RSL generation application  120  to obtain and process data from unique identifiers  130  and metadata  140 . After processor  112  receives data from unique identifiers  130 , such as content identifiers contained in program schedules and clearances  132 , commercial scheduling  134 , and/or interstitial scheduling  136  and recipient identifiers, RSL generation application  120  may generate a recipient specific list (RSL) using the unique identifiers. Next, processor  112  may further include additional metadata from unique identifiers  130  and/or metadata  140 . After, processor  112  creates RSL  150 , processor may then transmit RSL  150  for further processing and creation of an encoded content transport stream as shown by RSL transmission and processing  170 . 
     Moving to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2  presents a typical recipient specific list and included data for distribution of media content.  FIG. 2  shows RSL  250  having content identifiers  252 , recipient identifiers  254 , and additional content metadata  256 . Content identifiers  252  are shown with program television ID  1000 , commercial ID #1  1002 , and commercial ID #2  1004 , and interstitial ID  1006 . Recipient identifiers  254  contains recipient name/location  1100  and presentation data  1200  having content scheduling  1202 , presentation sequence  1204 , and intended use  1206 . While RSL  250  is shown with the above data, it is understood that RSL  250  is shown as a data structure by way of example, and RSL  250  may include more or less data as desired. 
     RSL  250  presents an exemplary data structure containing identification data to identify at least content and a recipient location for an encoded content transport stream. RSL  250  contains content identifiers  252 , recipient identifiers  254 , and additional content metadata  256 . Content identifiers  252  may correspond to identifiers uniquely identifying media content. Content identifiers  252  may correspond to identification data from a unique identifier. For example, as unique identifiers may identify a media content by scheduling and destination requirements, content identifiers  252  may thus contain identification data for retrieval of the media content, such as a location, name, and/or other identifying information. In one implementation, content identifiers  252  may include identification of media content in a cloud, such as television media content, movie media content, recorded live media content, sports media content, news media content, music media content, or other media content. However, content identifiers  252  may also include identifying data for media content located in databases, remote or local servers, or other data storage locations. 
     Program television ID  1000  may include identification data corresponding to a television media content, such as a broadcast television program. In other implementations, program television ID  1000  may also identify other types of content including but not limited to movie, music video, or audio programming. Commercial ID #1  1002  and commercial ID #2  1004  may correspond to identification data for commercial media content, such as commercial advertisements by regional advertising, national advertising, or other advertising campaigns. Similarly, interstitial ID  1006  may correspond to identification data for interstitial media content. Thus, RSL  250  contains content identifiers  252  including program television ID  1000  pointing to a broadcast television media content, commercial ID #1  1002  and commercial ID #2  1004  pointing to two commercial media contents, and interstitial ID  1006  pointing to interstitial media content. Using content identifiers  252  of RSL  250 , an RSL processing engine may locate and retrieve the three media contents. 
     RSL  250  is further shown with recipient identifiers  254 . Recipient identifiers  254  contains recipient name/location  1100  and presentation data  1200  having content scheduling  1202 , presentation sequence  1204 , and intended user  1206 . Recipient identifiers  254  may contain identification data from unique identifiers that enables identification of an end recipient for an encoded content transport stream created using RSL  250 . As unique identifiers may identify a media content by scheduling and destination requirements, recipient identifiers  254  may contain identification data for a recipient location, name, and/or scheduling requirements of the recipient. 
     Recipient name/location  1100  of recipient identifiers  254  may include identification data corresponding to broadcast affiliate and multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) or other endpoints for an encoded media content stream. For example, the recipient may correspond to a local broadcast television affiliate endpoint for distribution of a media content, such as a broadcast television episode. Thus, recipient name/location  1100  may correspond to name, location, distribution path, endpoint location, or other identification data embedded in an encoded content transport streams created from RSL  250  and enabling distribution of the encoded content transport stream. 
     Recipient identifiers  254  further contains presentation data  1200  having content scheduling  1202 , presentation sequence  1204 , and intended use  1206 . Presentation data  1200  may correspond to data to be embedded within an encoded content transport stream for use with a presentation of media content. Presentation data  1200  enables the recipient endpoint to correctly schedule and present the media content. Content scheduling  1202  of presentation data  1200  may correspond to regional time schedule for a broadcast channels media content, a national channel schedule for a national movie channel, a pay-per-view schedule of a pay-per-view channel, commercial and/or interstitial scheduling requirements for regional and/or national advertising, and/or other scheduling information corresponding to programming media content designated by content identifiers  252 . 
     Presentation sequence  1204  of recipient identifiers  254  may correspond to data enabling proper presentation of media content identified by RSL  250 . For example, presentation sequence  1204  may correspond to data to be embedded in an encoded content transport stream that determines a play time, sequence of playing of program television ID  1000 , commercial ID #1  1002 , commercial ID #2  1004 , and interstitial ID  1006  and/or a time of arrival at the affiliate or MVPD endpoint for the encoded content transport stream. Presentation data  1200  further contains intended use including data designating a category of use of the media content, such as a television network broadcast, video on demand, advance preview, protection stream, or other intended use. 
     RSL  250  further contains additional content metadata  256 . Additional content metadata  256  may correspond to prioritization data of the encoded content transport stream, platform quality data, RSL identification data, content title data, V-Chip data or Nielsen data, and reconciliation keys. Additional content metadata  256  may contain further metadata as necessary for creation and/or transmission of the encoded content transport stream as well as by the affiliate endpoint. 
     Moving to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  shows an exemplary system environment showing creation of a recipient specific list and ensuing generation and distribution of an encoded content transport stream. System environment  300  shows RSL server  310  transmitting RSL  350  to transport stream creator  372 . Using RSL  350  and content cloud  360 , transport stream creator  372  creates encoded content transport stream  374 . Network director  376  receives encoded content transport stream  374  and distributes encoded content transport stream  374  to media distributor  380 . Media distributor  380  may correspond to an affiliate media distributor or a multichannel video programming distributor. Media distributor  380  may then distribute media content contained in encoded content transport stream  374  to user  302  through display  304 . 
     System environment  300  illustrates a simplified system for generating and distributing an encoded content stream from RSL  350 . Thus, alternative implementations may support one or multiple systems or servers for balancing and/or reduced latency. RSL server  310  may create RSL  350 , for example by using unique identifiers containing media content identifying data, recipient identification data, and additional content metadata. 
     According to the implementation of  FIG. 3 , after an RSL generation application of RSL server  310  creates RSL  350 , RSL server  310  may transmit RSL  350  to transport stream creator  372  for processing. Next, transport stream creator  372  may execute an RSL analyzer of transport stream creator  372  to determine at least one RSL processor engine to execute for processing RSL  350 . Transport stream creator  372  including an RSL analyzer and at least one RSL processor engine may be a system connected to RSL server  310  or may be application executed by RSL server  310 . After, transport stream creator  372  executes at least one RSL processor engine, the at least one RSL processor engine may create an encoded content transport stream  374  using RSL  350  and content from content cloud  360 . Thus, encoded content transport stream  374  may include media content, such as broadcast television programming, commercial programming, and interstitial programming, as well as additional identification data, such as recipient name, location, presentation data, and additional content metadata. 
     Encoded content transport stream  374  is then transmitted to network director  376 . Network director  376  is used to distribute encoded content transport stream  376  media distributor  380 . Network director  350  may receive information necessary to distribute encoded content transport stream  374  using network paths. Such information may come from data contained in the RSL  350 , or sources such as live content encoding, health of distribution channels monitoring, monitoring and control or other sources. Network paths may correspond to communication channels used for distribution of media content, such as radio, satellite, fiber optic, or other communication channels. 
     Once an encoded content transport stream arrives at media distributor  380 , media distributor  380  may act as a distribution point and distribute content contained in encoded content transport stream  374  to consumers. If a plurality of encoded content transport streams arrive at media distributor  380 , media distributor  380  may determine which encoded content transport stream to give priority based on identification data and/or metadata contained in each encoded content transport stream and/or live content encoding. For example, if encoded content transport stream  374  contains priority data, media distributor  380  may give priority in decoding encoded content transport stream  374  into video content and/or audio content for distribution to display  304 . Thus, media distributor  380  may control priority and transmission of content, such as television programming, live content, or commercial advertising, based on identification data and/or metadata contained in encoded content transport stream  374 . After arriving at display  304 , user  302  may then view the media content. 
       FIG. 4  presents flowchart  400  illustrating a method for generating a recipient specific list for distribution of media content. 
     At operation  410 , at least one unique identifier  130  (UID) is obtained, for example, by processor  112  of RSL server  110 , wherein the at least one UID  130  identifies a content  1000 / 1002 / 1004 / 1006 , and wherein the at least one UID identifies a recipient location  1100  and presentation data  1200 . Unique identifiers  130  contain program schedules and clearances  132 , commercial scheduling  134 , and interstitial scheduling  136 . Thus, unique identifiers  130  include data to uniquely identify content and a recipient location with presentation data for the content. 
     At operation  420 , a recipient specific list  150 / 250 / 350  is generated using the at least one UID  130 , for example, by processor  112  of RSL server  110 , wherein the RSL  150 / 250 / 350  includes at least one content identifier  252 , and wherein the RSL  150 / 250 / 350  includes at least one recipient identifier  254 . RSL generation application  120  of RSL server may be executed by processor  114  to generate RSL  150 / 250 / 350  using data from unique identifiers  130 . Once RSL  150 / 250 / 350  is generated, RSL  150 / 250 / 350  contains identification data including content identifiers  252  and recipient identifiers  254 . Content identifiers  252  may uniquely identify content, such as program television ID  1000 , commercial ID #1  1002 , commercial ID #2  1004 , interstitial ID  1006 . Recipient identifiers  254  may uniquely identify a recipient name/location  1100  and presentation data  1200  including content scheduling  1202 , presentation sequence  1204 , and intended use  1206 . RSL  150 / 250 / 350  may also include additional content metadata  256 . 
     At operation  430 , the RSL  150 / 250 / 350  is transmitting, for example, by processor  112  of RSL server  110 , to a content transport stream creator  372  for creation of an encoded content transport stream  374 . Encoded content transport stream creator  372  may be located on RSL server  110  or may be a networked processing unit. Once encoded content transport stream  374  is created, it may be transmitted to network director  376  to determine network paths for distribution of encoded content transport stream  374  to media distributor  380 . 
     In this manner, a RSL may be generated and distributed according to programs schedules corresponding to affiliate endpoints. Therefore, media content may be distributed intelligently with less infrastructure and monitoring of the media content and distribution channels. 
     From the above description it is manifest that various techniques can be used for implementing the concepts described in the present application without departing from the scope of those concepts. Moreover, while the concepts have been described with specific reference to certain implementations, a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of those concepts. As such, the described implementations are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. It should also be understood that the present application is not limited to the particular implementations described above, but many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.