Dynamic generation of video content for presentation by a media server

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for dynamically generating digital video streams without an equivalent analog stream. The apparatus includes a configuration manager. The configuration manager presents configuration options to a user. User selections are recording as user preferences. The configuration manager is coupled to a media generator, which generates intermediate digital content based upon the user preferences. The media generator may be coupled to a local storage for storing electronic audio and visual information. The intermediate digital content is transferred to an encoder, which encodes the intermediate digital content to a digital format specified by in the user preferences.

1 . A method for generating a digital video stream, comprising: 
 at a media generator, generating intermediate digital content based on data that 
 indicates what content in said digital video stream  
 without digitizing an analog video stream;  
   transferring intermediate digital content to an encoder; and    at said encoder, encoding said intermediate digital content into said digital video stream.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the following steps that precede said step of generating intermediate digital content at a media generator; 
 presenting a user with a list of available configuration options;    recording a set of user preferences which correspond to said list of available 
 configuration options selected by said user;  
   transferring said set of user preferences to a media generator.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said data that indicates what content to include in said digital video stream includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: a particular background color, a particular number of objects presented on screen, a particular color of objects presented on screen, a particular shape of objects presented on screen, a particular velocity of objects presented on screen, and a particular sound played during presentation.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said media generator is operatively connected to a local storage, said local storage storing electronic still images or video.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said step of generating intermediate digital content comprises said media generator retrieving digital pictures, video, or sound from said local storage.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of generating intermediate digital content includes said media generator generating at least one timestamp on one or more frames, wherein for each of said one or more frames said at least one timestamp indicates at least one member selected from the group consisting of: time said frame is encoded, time said frame is served by a digital video server, and time said frame is displayed by a client.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of digitizing said segment of intermediate digital video into said digital video stream includes digitizing according to at least one member selected from the group consisting of: the DVB standard, the ATSC standard, the MPEG-1 standard, the MPEG-2 standard, the AVI standard, the QuickTime standard, and the MPEG-4 standard.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said step of presenting a user with a list of available configuration options is performed by presenting the user with one or more web pages.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of transferring said set of user preferences to a media generator is performed over at least one member selected from the group consisting of: the Internet and a proprietary Intranet.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of digitizing said segment of intermediate digital video into said digital video stream occurs in real time.  
   
   
       11 . A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for presenting dynamic content from a server to a client, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of: 
 at a media generator, generating intermediate digital content based on data that 
 indicates what content to include in said digital video stream without digitizing an analog video stream;  
   transferring intermediate digital content to an encoder; and    at said encoder, encoding said intermediate digital content into said digital video stream.    
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the following steps that precede said step of generating intermediate digital content at media generator: 
 presenting a user with a list of available configuration options;    recording a set of user preferences which correspond to said list of available    configuration options selected by said user;    transferring said set of user preferences to a media generator.    
   
   
       13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said data that indicates what content to include in said digital video stream includes at least one member selected from the group consisting of: a particular background color, a particular number of objects presented on screen, a particular color of objects presented on screen, a particular shape of objects presented on screen, a particular velocity of objects presented on screen, and a particular sound played during presentation.  
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said media generator is operatively connected to a local storage, said local storage storing electronic still images or video.  
   
   
       15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein said step of generating intermediate digital content comprises said media generator retrieving digital pictures, video, or sound from said local storage.  
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said step of generating intermediate digital content includes said media generator generating at least one timestamp on one or more frames, wherein for each of said one or more frames said at least one timestamp indicates at least one member selected from the group consisting of: time said frame is encoded, time said frame is served by a digital video server, and time said frame is displayed by a client.  
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said step of digitizing said segment of intermediate digital video into said digital video stream includes digitalizing according to at least one member selected from the group consisting of: the DVB standard, the ATSC standard, the MPEG-1 standard, the MPEG-2 standard, the AVI standard, the QuickTime standard, and the MPEG-4 standard.  
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein said step of presenting a user with a list of available configuration options is performed by presenting the user with one or more web pages.  
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said step of transferring said set of user preferences to a media generator is performed over at least one member selected from the group consisting of: the Internet and a proprietary Intranet.  
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said step of digitizing said segment of intermediate digital video into said digital video stream occurs in real time.  
   
   
       21 - 29 . (canceled)