Abstract:
A method is described for rapidly changing digital content for a digital cinema house. The method includes assigning the digital content to a first server for transmitting to a first projector in a cinema house; and deciding to change an assigned playback location of the digital content to a second projector. Next, actually changing the assigned playback location of the digital content to a second projector; and switching the assigned playback of the digital content directly from the first server to the second projector.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/309,867, filed Dec. 4, 2002 by Bubie et al., and entitled, “Streamlined Methods and Systems For Scheduling and Handling Digital Cinema Content in a Multi-Theatre Environment”, wherein this prior application is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention is related to the field of digital cinema, and more particularly to the preparation, scheduling and use of digitized motion picture information in a multi-theater environment.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Today, motion pictures—from feature films, to film based commercials—are distributed and exhibited largely in the form of film. Studios produce film masters, and distributors produce film copies that are then distributed to theatres for exhibition. In the theatre, especially multi-screen ‘cineplexes’, incoming films need to be scheduled for exhibition. Specifically, the theatre home office and the theatre manager determine the auditorium and show times for a particular film. A schedule is compiled, usually describing the theatre exhibition plan for 1-2 weeks, or until a new feature is acquired. Executing a schedule typically entails moving huge rolls of film from one projector station to another station; preparing the new feature showing by splicing separate reels of film together, adding film trailers and ‘rolling advertisements’ to the beginning. Overall, it is a labor intensive process.  
         [0004]     There have been attempts in the prior art to automate the control of movie display electronics in a film cinema system. For instance, in U.S. Pat. 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, information regarding start times of movies and content of corresponding film reels. The information can be input a variety of ways. In one embodiment, the information is manually entered into a file or database for subsequent reference. The publication shows ( FIG. 4 ) an entry form that may be displayed. In this embodiment, an operator 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 film format of each segment. In addition, a film identifier, such as the title, is supplied along with the times it is to be played in a particular projection room. Other embodiments are also contemplated. For example, the information may be received or downloaded from a remote centralized location. Alternately, the information may be retrievable from a web site maintained to contain such information.  
         [0005]     Over the last few years, the digitization of film has become very common for the purpose of integrating computer generated special effects in scene content. Digitized content turns out to be much easier to handle, from the point of view of making copies, storing, distributing, and ‘touching up’. A natural outgrowth of digital special effects work is the attempt to carry the digitized content through postproduction, onto distribution and exhibition. Such a workflow is described in general as ‘digital cinema’. Recent technological advances in storage, networking and projection equipment are making digital cinema a genuine possibility.  
         [0006]     As described by S. A. Morley, in “Making Digital Cinema Actually Happen—What it Takes and Who&#39;s Going to Do It”, SMPTE 140 th  Technical Conference, Pasadena, Calif., Oct. 31, 1998, digital cinema provides an ability to extend presentation capabilities beyond just showing movies. More specifically, a simple graphical computer interface can make screen scheduling easy, 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 in a theater manager&#39;s office, a movie can be scheduled to show at a certain time in a given auditorium and with a defined set of trailers and promotions, which can be changed at each show time.  
         [0007]     Avica Technology Corp. markets a Digital Cinema Manager product that allows monitoring and control of storage server parameters by a theatre manager or engineering supervisor in a digital cinema environment. Security setting, playlist creation, content load-in and system maintenance functions can be accessed from local or network connections. Multiple servers can be monitored and controlled from a single terminal. Conversely, multiple management 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 auditorium at a time.  
         [0008]     Whether automating the scheduling of film cinema or digital cinema systems, the prior art has come up short in providing a user-friendly interface, particularly in a multi-screen cineplex environment. What is therefore needed is an approach that leverages the flexibility provided by digital cinema without adding unnecessary complexity in the scheduling task.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, a method is described for rapidly changing digital content for a digital cinema house. The method includes assigning the digital content to a first server for transmitting to a first projector in a cinema house; and deciding to change an assigned playback location of the digital content to a second projector. Next, actually changing the assigned playback location of the digital content to a second projector; and switching the assigned playback of the digital content directly from the first server to the second projector.  
         [0010]     In a further aspect of the invention, a method of assembling at a central digital cinema distribution facility associations between particular feature components, playlists and content to create scheduling items is described that includes the step of: generating at the central digital cinema distribution facility associations that tie particular digital content with a particular feature component that will be subsequently scheduled at a theatre site for a particular screen. In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for incorporating event tags within a playlist for controlling auditorium presentation functions, includes the steps of: a) organizing the playlist according to a predetermined criteria; b) deciding the auditorium presentation function corresponding to each piece of content in the playlist; and c) adding event tags to cue changes in the auditorium presentation functions reflective of the content listed in the playlist.  
         [0011]     These and other aspects, objects, 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 embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an exhibition component of a digital cinema system, showing in particular a cinema operating system in accordance with the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a pictorial illustration of a scheduling context screen from a graphical user interface implemented by the cinema operating system shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a pictorial illustration of the scheduling menus and controls accessible through the menu bar of the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a pictorial illustration of a window showing playlist properties, which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0016]      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 screen shown in  FIG. 2 , which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a pictorial illustration of a dialog box for scheduling a time block in a schedule timeline shown in the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2 , which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 7  is a pictorial illustration of a dialog box for scheduling a playlist in the background of a schedule timeline shown in the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2 , which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 8  is a pictorial illustration of a dialog box for scheduling a rolling ad in a schedule timeline shown in the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2 , which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 9  is a pictorial illustration of a schedule view by month which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 10  is a pictorial illustration of a window showing schedule item properties for a particular playlist on a particular day for a particular screen, which is accessible through the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2  and the menu controls shown in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 11  is a pictorial illustration of the scheduling context screen shown in  FIG. 2 , which is filled out to show the schedule properties on a particular day for the theater.  
         [0023]      FIG. 12  is a block diagram of an exhibition component of a digital cinema system, showing in particular a further embodiment of a cinema operating system in accordance with a further aspect of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0024]     Because digital image processing systems are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to attributes forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, a method and system in accordance with the present invention. Method and system attributes not specifically shown or described herein may be selected from those known in the art. In the following description, a preferred embodiment of the present invention would ordinarily be implemented as a software program, although those skilled in the art will readily recognize 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 described herein 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 program, the program may be stored in a conventional computer readable storage medium, which may comprise, for example; magnetic storage media such as a magnetic disk (such as a floppy disk or a hard drive) or magnetic tape; optical storage media such as an optical disc, optical tape, or machine readable bar code; solid state electronic storage devices such as random access memory (RAM), or read only memory (ROM); or any other physical device or medium employed to store a computer program.  
         [0025]     A digital cinema system comprises 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 center for projecting the content to audiences. The exhibition center will include, among its many parts, a projection system and a software application herein identified as the digital cinema operating system. The digital cinema operating system is a custom software solution that supports the loading, scheduling, control and playback of features, trailers and other pre-show content, such as slide shows and advertising, on multiple digital cinema screens. While not a specific part of this description, the digital cinema operating system will download decryption keys from studios to allow features to be played back on digital projectors, and also controls automated theatre operation such as lighting and sound systems. In the latter connection, the digital cinema operating system will typically interface with existing, commercially-available control systems 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 projection of pre-show entertainment, including commercials, music videos and other content, ordinarily in connection with the showing of full-length feature motion picture films, perhaps with film trailers and the like. Thus, and as used herein in a preferred embodiment, the digital cinema operating system refers to an in-theater network to receive, schedule, distribute and project advertising and other pre-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, distribute and project full-length feature digital content, often with digital trailers, advertising and other pre-show, or inter-show content, where all of the digital entities are combined together as a single digital presentation. Furthermore, in another embodiment, as will be illustrated in  FIG. 12 , the scheduling functionality of the digital cinema operating system may be shared with other components of the digital cinema system, such as a central digital cinema distribution facility or service, where it may be convenient to establish an association between certain digital content, such as between certain ad or trailer content and specific feature content.  
         [0027]     The digital cinema system is comprised of hardware and software (the digital cinema operating system) that, when installed in a multi-screen cineplex, can provide sophisticated digital cinema functionality. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the digital cinema system is comprised of: 
        a high storage capacity content management server  10  having a server database  12  associated therewith;     one or more high resolution digital projectors  14  and/or high resolution display screens  16 , each projector and/or screen connected to,     one or more specialized decoding processors  18  for decoding compressed digital content that is downloaded from the content management server  10  to one or more content player servers  20 , each content player server  20  connected to,     a local area network (LAN)  22  tying each of the content player servers  20  to the content management server  10 ; and     a cinema operating system graphical user interface  24  used to manage digital cinema content, schedule content, and in general control the various components of the system, wherein the user interface  24  interfaces with a high resolution display  26  to implement the functional interface components  28  of the cinema operating system. 
 
 As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cinema operating system operates in a multi-screen cineplex environment featuring both digital and film content shown in a plurality of auditoriums  30 , each having a screen  34  that is positioned to receive a projected image. More specifically, the digital projectors  14  are used in one or more auditoriums  30  (three being shown) to project a digitally-obtained image upon the screens  34  and a film projector  32  is used in at least one of the auditoriums  30   a  to project a film image upon a screen  34   a . In regard to film projection, the cinema operating system may signal a projectionist at an appropriate time to begin projection. Alternatively, actual control of the film projector may be integrated into the cinema operating system through the user interface  24 . Moreover, since digital content (such as ad content) may be played before and/or after a motion picture film, the film auditorium  30   a  may also contain a digital projector  14  connected as shown in broken line to the LAN  22  through a content player server  20  and a processor  18 . A theatre management system  36  may also be integrated into the cinema operating system through the user interface  24 , and it provides automated control of lighting and sound systems, as well as integrating with a ticket sales and advertising system. 
       
 
         [0034]     The illustrated LAN connection  22  may be implemented with any suitable network architecture, such as Ethernet. In practice, the processors  18  (which in one embodiment may be a processor board/card added to the content player servers  20  instead of a separate component ( 18 ) as shown in  FIG. 1 ) decode the image data into a device-dependent signal, such as RGB, suitable for driving the projectors  14 . This means that the connection between the processors  18  and the projectors  14  is a dedicated off-network connection. If the decoder processor ( 18 ) is instead embedded into the projectors  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  FIG. 12 , having the projectors  14  as network devices has an added redundancy benefit since any given projector can be driven off any content server  20 , therefore providing automatic backup in case the content server for a particular auditorium should go down.  
         [0035]     The user interface  24  of the cinema operating system is designed to be operated by a theatre manager and/or a lead projectionist or other designated person, usually in the environment of their offices or workspaces, such as a projection booth or for that matter any place connectable to the LAN  22 . At the core of the cinema operating system are the functional interface components  28 , which in this embodiment include four functional components: 
        a content management function  38 ;     a playlist management function  40 ;     a scheduling function  42 ; and     an exhibition/playback monitoring function  44 . 
 
 Under the content management function  38 , the theatre manager or another designated operator can load new digital content  46  to the central server  10 , and view, edit and delete the digital content stored in the server database  12 . Examples of content are rolling ads (commercials), trailers (feature film previews) and full features (feature films). Content generally comes, e.g., from a studio, an advertising provider or the like, and is intended to be exhibited for a contracted period of time. Thereafter, the content is purged. While not a part of this invention, the digital content  46  would typically be received over a satellite connection, a terrestrial network, or physical media such as a DVD that is delivered to the theater office. 
       
 
         [0041]     Another key use of content is for the creation of playlists. A playlist is an ordered collection of one or more content files available from the content management server  10 , and represents the content package that is scheduled into a particular auditorium at a particular time. In a totally digital environment, a playlist is analogous to the final reel of film that a projectionist prepares for exhibition, by splicing rolling ads and trailers to the main feature film. In a mixed digital and film environment, the playlist is analogous to the spliced film components comprising the rolling ads and perhaps the trailers that are scheduled to precede the main feature film, or simply run between main feature films as, e.g., a digitized slide show. Under the playlist management function  40 , the theatre manager create can create, edit and delete playlists. Having content at their core, playlists also have a 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  30 , or on a display  16 , e.g., in the theatre lobby.  
         [0042]     Once the playlists are created, the theater manager or another designated person must schedule when and where the required playlists are played. This is done in the scheduling function  42 . The schedules for playlists to be exhibited are also tied to the theatre management system  36 , and specifically to the theater&#39;s ticketing system, which also provides show times to newspapers and other sources well in advance of the scheduled showings. In the cinema operating system according to the preferred embodiment, 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 system controls the starting and playback of the content represented within the digital playlist. Finally, a monitoring function  44  provides the theatre manager and projectionist a means to view the current state of playlist playback. The monitor user interface is similar to the scheduling user interface set to the present time, in that the theatre manager can view the overall state of playback in the various auditoriums and on the various displays tied to the cinema operating system.  
         [0043]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the functional interface components ( 28 ) for content management  38 , playlist management  40  and the scheduling function  42  are represented by respective tabs  50 ,  52  and  54 . Clicking on the schedule tab  54  brings up a scheduling function context screen  56 , which specifies the workflow and user interface of the scheduling function  42  according to the invention, and provides access to the menus, controls and commands for the scheduling function  42 . A menu bar  58  provides access to certain menus and controls for the scheduling function  42 , as further shown in  FIG. 3 , including alternative access to some of the controls and commands provided by the context screen  56 .  
         [0044]     The compact 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 displays  16  tied to the cinema operating system. The specifics of the scheduling function context screen  56  include a panel (toolbar)  60  of buttons, a table  72  of playlists currently in the content management server  10 , a drop-menu  74  of predefined views that control what is displayed in the table  72 , and a schedule table  76  that provides scheduling information and controls for each of the auditoriums  30  (and  30   a ) and displays  16  that exhibit digital content. The schedule table  76  shows, for each auditorium  30  ( 30   a ) and lobby display  16 , an elongated timeline bar  78  arranged as shown in  FIG. 2  one adjacent the other in relation to a time axis grid  80  to reveal the schedule for each auditorium  30  ( 30   a ) and lobby display  16 , both individually and from the overall perspective of the whole cineplex theater. Furthermore, as will be noted in  FIG. 2 , certain auditoriums, i.e., auditoriums  1 ,  2  and  3 , are digital auditoriums, while auditorium  4  is a film auditorium.  
         [0045]     The panel (toolbar)  60  of buttons, labeled with icons, identifies frequently used actions. As defined in the preferred embodiment, these buttons include: a magnify timeline button  62 , a reduce timeline button  64 , a month view button  66 , a show playlist properties button  68  and a save schedules button  70 . The theatre manager can use the magnify timeline button  62  and the reduce timeline button  64  to control the granularity of the schedule view, that is, by adjusting magnification settings the time axis grid  80  is adjusted such that the view in the schedule table  76  encompasses all or some smaller portion of the exhibition schedule for the day. The show playlist properties button  68  acts upon a currently selected playlist to show further properties of the selected playlist. The save schedules button  70  saves the results of the scheduling function into the server database  12 . The month view button  66  presents the schedule view by month, as shown in  FIG. 9 . A feature of this view is that a schedule for a particular day in the month 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 , then clicking on, or otherwise designating, the area (e.g., by a copy and paste operation). When thus invoked, as shown in the example, the schedule for June 3 is replicated for June 4-6 and 10-13, and appears in the appropriate calendar blocks associated with these dates. The area  84   a  represents a portion of the month where this feature was previously invoked.  FIG. 9  also shows that when the tool-tip of the cursor  82  is positioned over a particular day (June 17 in this example), a pop-up box  86  appears that reveals further information about the schedule, including the beginning time of each playlist within the schedule for the day.  
         [0046]     The drop-menu  74  of predefined views, which controls what is displayed in the playlist table  72 , includes several core views of the playlists available from the content management server  10 . These core views include, but are not limited to, showing: All (playlists), Not Scheduled (playlists), Scheduled (playlists), Playlists with Ads, Playlists with Slideshows, Playlists with Features, Playlists with Live Events, and so on. (A “slideshow” is a series of digital still images that are repetitively displayed before and/or after the feature presentation and its associated ads and trailers. A “live event” is a live feed of a currently happening event, such as a musical performance or a sporting event.) In the playlist table  72 , key attributes of the listed playlists are shown, such as playlist title, run time, and the starting and ending dates for the playlist engagement; other information can be had by selecting a particular playlist (as depicted by the broken line selection box  73  around the first playlist “Ad Pack-Week  23 ”) and applying the toolbar button  68  for showing playlist properties, which produces the playlist properties window shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown therein, the selected playlist title “Ad Pack-Week  23 ” is comprised of five pieces of digital content, each shown with their content title, type, run time, rating and acquire date.  
         [0047]     The schedule table  76  provides scheduling information and controls for each of the auditoriums  30  ( 30   a ) and displays  16  that exhibit digital content. In the top left of the schedule table  76 , the date is shown for which schedules are being viewed and managed. A set of three controls  88   a ,  88   b  and  88   c  are used to change the day/date of the schedule view. The left arrow  88   a  changes the view to the previous day; the right arrow  88   b  changes the view to the next day, and the middle control  88   c  brings up a pop up calendar control (not shown) for the user to select a specific day to view. In the left column  90  of the schedule table  76  are the names of the auditoriums (screens)  30  ( 30   a ) and displays  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 providing for customization. By design, the screen names are also labeled by an index number, i.e., the numbers  1  to  7  as shown in  FIG. 2 . Each of the screen names can be selected; when one is selected, the month view button  66  can be invoked and the theatre manager can view five weeks of schedule information, set for the selected screen, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The vertical control bar  92   a  to the left of each screen&#39;s timeline  78  includes icons  92   b  and  92   c  for showing (icon  92   b ) or ‘collapsing’ or hiding (icon  92   c ) the corresponding screen (e.g., in  FIG. 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 together, to accommodate special scheduling tasks. The controls  92   b  and  92   c  are reversible; when clicked again, after hiding a timeline, the timeline is re-presented and the schedule can be worked on.  
         [0048]     The timeline for each of the screens is represented by the narrow timeline bar  78 , representing from left to right, the theatre day, i.e., the hours on the time axis grid  80  during which content can be exhibited in the theatre. Before a schedule is generated, the timeline  78  is represented by an open space  94 , as shown for auditorium  2  in  FIG. 2  (which is closed). As a schedule is generated, there are two types of scheduling elements that may reside in the timeline bar: one is referred to as a “block” and the other as a “time block”. The block, e.g., the block  96  in the auditorium  3 , represents a period of time in which a playlist is scheduled to play, while the time block, e.g., the block  98  in auditorium  4 , represents a period of time that the schedule timeline is busy with some other activity (typically a non-digital activity, such as film projection), during which a block should not be scheduled. (It should be understood that the use of a block is a matter of convenience and preferred usage and presentation; other elongated timeline elements, such as a line, could be used instead.) The timeline is also separated into a background and a foreground. The background represents any time in the timeline that is available for scheduling; the foreground represents a period of time within which a playlist is scheduled to override the background.  
         [0049]     The representation of blocks varies, according to the way a playlist is scheduled: a block  100  represents a background-scheduled playlist as a “block” stretched across the entire timeline. A playlist scheduled in the background can play repeatedly. A block  102  represents a playlist scheduled as a rolling ad. A rolling ad playlist has the property of being attached to a feature playlist of a time block. The consequence of this property is that if the feature playlist or time block is rescheduled, the rolling ad is automatically rescheduled, so that it stands to play before the feature playlist or time block. As mentioned before, the block  98  represents a time block, which is a period of time that the schedule timeline is busy. An example of its use is to block off time that the digital projector does not project content, allowing instead, the projection of film-based content. As shown in  FIG. 1 , scheduled playlists and time blocks are labeled for easy identification, directly in the block, and in a tooltip tag  104  when the cursor  82  hovers over the block. At the bottom of the screen is a status message line  106 . It is used to feedback results of user actions, such as the rescheduling of a playlist, the addition of a new playlist, and so forth.  
         [0050]     The user interface shown in  FIG. 2  is used for several different types of scheduling, including foreground scheduling, background scheduling, time block scheduling, and rolling ad scheduling. Each type of scheduling will now be discussed in more detail, further including the related matters of scheduling by film booking number and adjusting the schedules.  
         [0051]     Foreground scheduling. To schedule a playlist in the foreground, the theatre manager selects an appropriate playlist from the playlist table  72 , and selects either ‘Add to Timeline’ from the tools menu ( FIG. 2 ), or clicks the add to timeline control button  108 . This initial action opens a dialog box for the theatre manager to enter specific scheduling information, as shown in  FIG. 5 . After entering valid scheduling information, the schedule table  76  is updated, showing the newly scheduled playlist as a timeline block  96 , on the specified screen&#39;s timeline.  
         [0052]     Background scheduling. To schedule a playlist in the background, the theatre manager selects an appropriate playlist from the playlist table  72  and selects ‘Schedule in Background’ from the tools menu ( FIG. 2 ). This action opens a dialog box for the theatre manager to enter specific scheduling information, as shown in  FIG. 7 . After entering valid scheduling information, the schedule table  76  is updated. If only one screen is specified in the scheduling dialog, then a new background block  100  appears in the timeline of that screen. If more than one screen is specified in the scheduling dialog, then replicas of the background block  100  appear in timelines of the associated screens.  
         [0053]     Time Block scheduling: Scheduling a time block basically establishes in the cinema operating system that at the scheduled time and for the specified duration, the specified digital projector  14  tied to a particular screen, or the specified digital monitor  16  will not play back content. One purpose for this functionality is to schedule a time block  98  that the digital projector/system will ‘stand by’, while, in parallel, a film content is played/projected. Tied to this use of time blocks, is the capability of switching between digital projection and film projection. This capability is based on “event tags”, that are purposefully integrated in playlists, in or between content items in the playlist. An example of an “event tag” is an automation cue integrated into a playlist to enable an audio format switch to occur between digital ad content and feature film content, such as from a lesser featured sound presentation to a surround sound Dolby™ presentation.  
         [0054]     To schedule a time block  98 , the theatre manager selects ‘Schedule Time Block’ from the tools menu ( FIG. 2 ). This action opens a dialog box for the theatre manager to enter specific information, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The dialog is designed such that the theatre manager can enter a series of time blocks to the schedule, for a given day, without closing and reopening the dialog box. After clicking “Apply” in the dialog box, the schedule table  76  is updated, showing the newly scheduled time block  98  on the specified screens&#39; timeline.  
         [0055]     Rolling Ad Scheduling: Rolling ads as content can be embedded at the start of a feature (movie) playlist, and thus, be scheduled in a typical foreground process. In theatres that exhibit digital ads in combination with features on film, rolling ads are scheduled as stand alone playlists. The basic goal of scheduling a stand-alone rolling ad is to ensure that it plays immediately before the start of a scheduled feature playlist or time block. The cinema operating system provides a means of automatically ensuring this type of scheduling. The theatre manager selects an appropriate rolling ad playlist from the playlist table  72  and selects ‘Schedule Rolling Ad’ from the tools menu ( FIG. 2 ). This action opens a dialog box for the theatre manager to enter specific scheduling information, as shown in  FIG. 8 . Note that the current schedule date (or in some cases, start time) input in the dialog box is the earliest date (time) that the selected rolling ad is to be scheduled. After entering valid scheduling information, the schedule table  76  is updated.  
         [0056]     The scheduled rolling ad is automatically replicated and placed as a block  102  immediately before every feature-containing block and/or time block in the specified timelines. Being essentially attached to a time block or feature playlist, a rolling ad is automatically rescheduled if its corresponding time block or feature playlist schedule is adjusted. Besides rolling ads, any particular playlist, e.g., a background playlist, can be associated with a feature (movie) playlist or attached to a time block, and automatically rescheduled if its corresponding time block or feature playlist schedule is adjusted.  
         [0057]     Scheduling by a Unique Film Identification Number: A variation on the process of scheduling a rolling ad is to schedule by a unique film identification number, e.g., a number similar to a film booking number (FBN). A film booking number is a unique number, assigned at the time the content is created in the theatre. This method of scheduling allows rolling ad exhibition to be targeted with particular features. To schedule by a unique film identification number, the theatre manager selects an appropriate rolling ad playlist from the playlist table  72 , and selects ‘Schedule Rolling Ad’ from the tools menu ( FIG. 2 ).  
         [0058]     Adjusting Schedules: The cinema operating system provides various ways to adjust the schedules of items. In general, blocks on a timeline can be individually selected and managed. The basic way to reschedule an item is to re-open the scheduling dialog box of a selected scheduled playlist, and enter new parameters. Re-opening the scheduling dialog box is by double-clicking the scheduled playlist. Other ways of adjusting are sliding, stretching and dragging.  
         [0059]      FIG. 12  shows an alternative embodiment of the digital cinema system, where components similar to those shown in  FIG. 1  have similar reference characters and descriptions, and generally will not be further described here. One exception is the LAN  22 , which is embodied here as a network switch  22 ′ specifically (but without limitation) For an Ethernet LAN application In  FIG. 12 , the digital content would typically be received from several digital sources, including from a satellite receiver  110 , over a terrestrial network  112 , or as physical media  114  such as a DVD that is delivered to the theater office. As shown, the satellite network may handle both prerecorded digital content (including ads, trailers, slide shows, features (movies) and the like) received from any of the above sources, and live digital content from, e.g., live musical performances, live sporting events, and the like, that is received from the satellite receiver  110 .  
         [0060]     Live digital content from the satellite receiver  110 , which may be in MPEG or any other suitable well-known data format, is split by an L band splitter  118  and decompressed by one or more high definition (HD) decoders  120  and transmitted to the projectors  14  in accordance with the Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE)  292  protocol, which is a well-known high definition standard for digital transmission. Note also that live event data can be streamed from the HD decoders  120  through the LAN network switch  22 ′, from which it may be alternatively fed through the LAN to any of the projectors  14 . For satellite reception of live performances, the live digital content is routed through a conditional access stage  116 . The transmission protocols for the live performances may prescribe an encrypted link that is decrypted in the conditional access stage  116  by a key provided over the LAN through the network switch  22 ′ from the local cinema operating system.  
         [0061]     In the case of satellite reception of prerecorded digital content, the digital content is routed through (or bypasses) the conditional access stage  116  (which does not perform any data decryption) and the L band splitter  118  to an edge media router  122 , which stores and forwards the digital content to the content management server  10  and the archive  12  through the network switch  22 ′. Digital content from the terrestrial network  112  is routed through a firewall  124  into the network switch  22 ′. In addition, the Ethernet LAN connects with an auditorium system  126 , which controls the lighting and other such functions in the theater, and optionally to an audio system  128 , which provides the audio feed for the auditoriums. As mentioned earlier, one of the things that is different here from  FIG. 1  is that the decoding processor identified as component  18  in  FIG. 1  is here embedded into the projectors  14 , where the decoder processing performs both decompression and decryption of the prerecorded digital content data. If the decoder processor ( 18 ) is embedded into the projectors  14 , then the projectors  14  become network devices capable of being driven directly off the Ethernet LAN  22 . Having the projectors  14  as network devices has an added redundancy benefit since any given projector can be driven off any content server  20 , therefore providing automatic backup in case the content server for a particular auditorium should go down.  
         [0062]      FIG. 12  also shows that a central digital cinema distribution facility or service  130  can provide content through a satellite link  132  to the satellite receiver  110 , through a terrestrial link  134  (e.g., the Internet) to the terrestrial network  112 , or through a transportation link  136  (e.g., UPS, FedEx, Postal Service, etc.) as physical media  114 . In a further aspect of the invention, some or all of the functional interface components  28  (see  FIG. 1 ) may be provided according to the invention by the central digital cinema distribution facility  130  through its own graphical user interface  138 . In particular, playlists may be assembled at the central digital cinema distribution facility  130 , where the associations between the playlists and the features and films necessary to create a scheduling item may be established. More specifically, under the playlist management function  40 , the facility can create, edit and delete specific playlists, especially playlists of the type (such as rolling ads) that are embedded at the start of a feature (movie) playlist and which will later be scheduled at the cineplex in a typical foreground process for a specific screen. For a film, such playlists could be scheduled as stand alone playlists associated with a specific film by a unique film identification number (e.g., in certain cases, the aforementioned FBN).  
         [0063]     Besides alleviating the need for local cineplex scheduling of certain content, e.g., rolling ads, the basic goal of such scheduling at the central digital cinema distribution facility  130  is to tie a specific playlist to a specific feature playlist or time block during which a feature film is projected, therefore ensuring that the playlist runs immediately before the start of a subsequently scheduled feature playlist or time block. This can be significant because the distributor may want to ensure that a specific playlist (with, e.g., specific ad content) should be tied to films/features having a specific rating, genre, or the like. Furthermore, advertising may be rationed to a certain number of screens (e.g., some ads to odd screens/other ads to even screens, in a cineplex) depending on the advertising schedule received by the distributor, e.g., based on sliding scales of advertising charges/revenues proportioned to the number of screens or the number of “eyes” viewing the content. In these situations, scheduling items established by the distributor may be carried as meta-data that is associated with the digital content to the exhibition location, where scheduling for specific screens will occur. For instance, the meta-data may be embedded into, or otherwise carried with, the digital content signal over any of the several aforementioned communication links, or the meta-data could be linked to specific feature/film content by a unique identification number and transmitted separately, e.g., over the Internet, through the terrestrial link  134  to the LAN  22 .  
         [0064]     The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.  
       Parts List  
       [0065]    
       
           10  content management server  
           12  server database  
           14  digital projector  
           16  display screen  
           18  decoding processor  
           20  content player server  
           22  local area network (LAN)  
           22 ′ network switch  
           24  graphical user interface  
           26  high resolution display  
           28  functional interface components  
           30  auditorium  
           30   a  film auditorium  
           32  film projector  
           34  screen  
           36  theater management system  
           38  content management function  
           40  playlist management function  
           42  scheduling function  
           44  exhibition/playback monitoring function  
           46  digital content  
           50  content management tab  
           52  playlists management tab  
           54  schedules function tab  
           56  scheduling function context screen  
           58  menu bar  
           60  panel (toolbar) of buttons  
           62  magnify timeline button  
           64  reduce timeline button  
           66  month view button  
           68  show playlist properties button  
           70  save schedules button  
           72  playlist table  
           74  drop-menu  
           76  schedule table  
           78  elongated timeline bar  
           80  time grid  
           82  cursor  
           84  shaded selection area  
           84   a  selected area  
           86  pop-up box  
           88   a  left arrow  
           88   b  right arrow  
           88   c  middle control  
           90  left column  
           92   a  vertical control bar  
           92   b  show icon  
           92   c  hide icon  
           94  open space  
           96  block  
           98  time block  
           100  background scheduled playlist block  
           102  rolling ad scheduled playlist block  
           104  tooltip tag  
           106  status message line  
           108  add to timeline button  
           110  satellite receiver  
           112  terrestrial network  
           114  physical media  
           116  conditional access stage  
           118  L band splitter  
           120  high definition decoders  
           122  edge media router  
           124  firewall  
           126  auditorium  
           128  audio system  
           130  central digital cinema distribution facility or service  
           132  satellite link  
           134  terrestrial link  
           136  transportation link  
           138  distribution facility user interface