Multi-Channel Signal Transmission Management System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for organizing a plurality of signals to be transmitted to a plurality of subscriber receivers. At least one client computer having an interface towards a central management server. The client computer is configured to produce administrative instructions for organizing signals to be transmitted over at least one of a number of transmission resources. The administrative instructions produced by each computer specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, at least one particular transmission resource of a number of transmission resources available to each client computer. The administrative instructions for at least one signal determines which signal that will be transmitted through which transmission resource. The central management server adapted to receive, from the at least one computer, the administrative instructions pertaining to the transmission of the signals. In response to the administrative instructions, the central management server organizes and synchronizes signals originating from one or more signal sources before these signals are transmitted to the subscriber receivers.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for organizing a plurality of signals to be transmitted to a plurality of subscriber receivers, comprising:
 at least one central management server; and   at least one client computer having an interface towards the central management server, wherein the at least one client computer configured to produce administrative instructions for organizing at least a sub-set of the signals to be transmitted to the subscriber receivers, whereby the administrative instructions produced by each client computer specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, at least one particular transmission resource of a number of transmission resources available to each client computer,   the central management server adapted to receive, from the at least one client computer, the administrative instructions produced at the at least one client computer pertaining to the transmission of the signals to the subscriber receivers, and in response to the administrative instructions organize signals from the at least one signal source before transmitting the signals to at least one of the plurality of subscriber receivers.   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the administrative instructions specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, at least a contents category and a time instance. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the administrative instructions specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, a transmission unit through which the signals being transmitted. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 3 , wherein the transmission unit is adapted to receive the signals from the central management server and, in accordance with an organisation scheme produced by the central management server, transmit the signals to the subscriber receivers. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 4 , wherein the organization scheme specifies a scalable timeline which represent an absolute time reference for at least one transmission resource. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the central management server is adapted to generate a compiled data set representing the activity-monitoring information, and at least one of the at least one client computer is adapted to receive the compiled data set from the central management server, and produce the administrative instructions on basis thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises at least one billing unit adapted to produce billing information pertaining to a respective utilization of the transmission resources administrated by the central management server. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein it comprises at least one auxiliary distribution channel which includes at least one distribution resource in addition to the central signal distribution system adapted to transmit signals to the subscriber receivers outside the central management server. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the signals represent at least one of text information, acoustic information, image information and video information. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the subscriber receivers is represented by at least one of a TV-tuner, a satellite signal decoder, a computer and a broadband mobile communication terminal. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the at least one client computer is represented by at least one of an advertiser operator, a satellite operator, a cable network operator, a TV operator or other distribution network operator. 
     
     
         12 . A client computer for transmitting a set of signals to a plurality of subscriber receivers, comprising:
 the client computer having a graphical user interface towards a central management server, and configured to produce administrative instructions for organizing a sub-set of the signals to be transmitted over at least one of a number of channels, whereby the administrative instructions produced by the client computer specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, at least one particular transmission resource of a number of transmission resources available to each client computer,   and wherein the central management server adapted to receive the administrative instructions pertaining to the transmission of the signals to the subscriber receivers from the client computer, wherein the central management server is further adapted to, in response to the administrative instructions, organize signals from at least one signal source before transmitting the set of signals to the subscriber receivers.   
     
     
         13 . A client computer according to  claim 12 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to, for each of the signals to be transmitted on the at least one channel, present the signal's contents category, and a second graphical means adapted to, for at least a sub-set of the signals to be transmitted on the at least one channel, enable a user to manipulate segments of each signal such that a particular sub-segment will be transmitted over a particular channel. 
     
     
         14 . The client computer according to  claim 12 , wherein the graphical user interface is configured to verify the content of the each of the signals to be transmitted with respect to the contents of any neighbouring signal segments. 
     
     
         15 . A client computer according to  claim 12 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to, for at least a sub-set of the signals to be transmitted on the at least one channel, enable the user to select a suitable sub-segment. 
     
     
         16 . A client computer according to  claim 14 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to allow the user to, for each sub-segment select a geographical area within which subscriber receivers will present the sub-segment, wherein a default geographical area is based on positional information pertaining to signals having been presented in the subscriber receivers. 
     
     
         17 . A client computer according to  claim 14 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to enable the user to, for each sub-segment select a priority level denoting a relative position of the sub-segment within a particular segment. 
     
     
         18 . A client computer according to  claim 12 , comprising a compiler adapted to produce a preliminary organization of the signals on the at least one channel before transmitting corresponding administrative instructions to the central management server. 
     
     
         19 . A client computer according to  claim 17 , wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to enable a user to manipulate the preliminary organization of the signals, and the client computer comprises processing means adapted to, based on the user manipulations, produce administrative instructions to the central management server. 
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising at least one electronic computer readable storage memory storing computer executable instructions for transmitting a set of signals to a plurality of subscriber receivers, the executable instructions comprising:
 first computer instructions for producing, at the client computer, administrative instructions for organizing a sub-set of the signals to be transmitted over at least one transmission resource of a number of transmission resources,   second computer instructions for receiving, at the central management server, administrative instructions produced at the client computer pertaining to the transmission of the signals to the subscriber receivers, and in response to the administrative instructions, organizing signals from at least one signal source before transmitting the set of signals to the subscriber receivers, and   third computer instructions for receiving, at the central management server, the signals and, in accordance with the administrative instructions, transmitting these signals to at least a portion of plurality of the subscriber receivers, wherein the administrative instructions specifies, for each signal to be transmitted, at least one particular transmission resource of a number of transmission resources available to each client computer, over which the signal is to be transmitted to the subscriber receivers.