Patent ID: 7139858

Claim:
A server for carrying out synchronization control, comprising: (a) at least one event receiver for receiving an event at said server from external systems and channel drivers via a network; (b) a memory storing therein distribution schedule information including a plurality of schedule data therein, each of said schedule data including (b1) a timing at which one channel driver of said channel drivers controls a media server, (b2) a content of how said channel driver controls said media server, and (b3) a timing type indicating which one of a time and said event said timing is defined by; and (c) a controller which detects whether the timing is established for each of said schedule data included in said distribution schedule information, and transmits a signal to said channel driver, said signal being indicative of a control associated with the established timing, wherein each of said schedule data includes: at least one timing-describing section including data indicative of the timing at which said channel driver controls said media server; and at least one command-describing section including data indicating said content of how said channel driver controls said media server, said timing-describing section including: a timing type section indicative of which one of the time and the event the timing is defined by; and a timing data section including, if the timing is defined by the time, the time, and if the timing is defined by the event, conditions in accordance with which said timing is established, said controller including: (ci) a first timing-controller which detects whether the timing is established in said timing-describing section indicating that the timing is defined by the time; (c2) a second timing-controller which detects whether the timing is established in said timing-describing section indicating that the timing is defined by the event; and (c3) a distribution controller which produces the signal in accordance with a command-describing section of the at least one command-describing sections associated with said timing-describing section indicating that the timing has been established and which is stored in a queue, and transmits said signal to said channel driver through the network, wherein said timing-describing section includes an operation-point item indicative of a start of a schedule, an end of the schedule or the timing at which an action is to be carried out, said command-describing section includes an action-point item indicative of the start of the schedule, the end of the schedule or the timing at which the action is to be carried out, and said controller processes all of command-describing sections including said action-point item having the same content as that of said operation-point item of said timing-describing section indicating that the timing has been established, among command-describing sections included in schedule data, when the timing is established in said timing-describing section in the schedule data.