System for automated generation of media

Abstract

A system and method for creating audiovisual programming has media elements, such as audiovisual clips, stored in a library. A database contains selected information about each of the media elements. The stored information in the database does not dictate the temporal sequence of the media elements. Media elements are selected in response to a request for media programming, and arranged in a temporal organization. A user does not select the individual media elements or their temporal organization. Transitions between audiovisual clips are determined by the system based on information stored in the database and predetermined preferences as to types of transitions. Transition information includes a variety of possible transition points in an individual clip, capable of selection by the system. Separate transitions for the audio and video portions of audiovisual clips may be provided. For unique media programming, a unique sequence of cues may be included within the program for use in verification of viewing and comprehension. Upon completion of the selection of the media elements, the sequence, and the transitions, the media elements are assembled into a media program, such as a video tape.

1. A method of creating media programming, comprising the steps of:
 maintaining in a memory device a database containing selected information about each of a plurality of media elements; 
 automatically selecting by a processor in communication with the memory device a plurality of said media elements in response to a request for media programming, and automatically selecting by the processor a temporal organization for said selected media elements, employing by the processor definitions associated with the request, correspondence between the definitions and information in the database, and a sequence of temporal positions for the media elements, to select fewer than all the media elements in the database responsive to the request and to select the temporal organization, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and 
 assembling said media elements into media programming. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said media elements are audiovisual clips, and said media programming is an audiovisual program. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said media elements are still photographs, and said media programming comprises a series of said still photographs. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selected information comprises content information relating to said media assets. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said selected information comprises a plurality of tags associated with each of said media elements, at least one of said tags being a content tag containing information relating to content of said media element, and at least one of said tags being a control tag containing information other than content information. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said media element in an audiovisual is a media clip, and at least one of said control tags contains transition information indicating permitted transition points in said audiovisual clip. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of said control tags contains a luminance range for a portion of said audiovisual media clip. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said step of selecting further comprises selecting two elements based on said request, selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and determining based on information in said control tags whether said two elements may be assembled in the selected temporal order, and, if not, deselecting at least one of said two elements. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said step of selecting further comprises selecting two elements based on said request, selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and selecting transitions for said two elements based on transition information associated with each of said elements and transition rules. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of obtaining demographic information concerning an intended view viewer of a the programming prior to said step of selecting, and employing said demographic information in said step of selecting. 
     
     
       11. A system of creating media programming from a library of media assets, comprising:
 a database containing selected information about each of said media assets; 
 selection means including a processor for automatically selecting a plurality of said media assets in response to a request for media programming, and for automatically selecting a temporal organization for said selected media assets, employing definitions associated with the request, correspondence between the definitions and information in the database, and a sequence of temporal positions for the media elements, to select fewer than all the media elements in the database responsive to the request and to select the temporal organization, said temporal organization not being dictated by said selected information; and 
 assembling means including a processor for assembling said media elements into media programming. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said media elements are audiovisual clips, and said media programming is an audiovisual program. 
     
     
       13. The system of claim  12  11, wherein said media elements are still photographs, and said media programming comprises a series of said still photographs. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said selected information comprises content information relating to said media assets. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said selected information comprises a plurality of tags associated with each of said media elements, at least one of said tags being a content tag containing information relating to content of said media element, and at least one of said tags being a control tag containing information other than content information. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said media element is an audiovisual a media clip, and at least one of said control tags contains transition information indicating permitted transition points in said audiovisual clip. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of said control tags contains a luminance range for a portion of said audiovisual media  clip. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said selecting means further comprises means for selecting two elements based on said request, means for selecting a temporal order for said two selected elements, means for determining based on information in said control tags whether said two elements may be assembled in the selected temporal order, means for deselecting at least one of said two elements if said two elements are not permitted to be assembled in the selected temporal order. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said selecting means further comprises means for selecting two elements based on said request, for selecting a temporal order for said two elements, and for selecting transitions for said two elements based on transition information associated with each of said elements and transition rules. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , further comprising means for obtaining demographic information concerning an intended viewer of the programming, said selecting means being adapted to employ said demographic information. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said selection means comprises means for selecting fewer than all of said media elements responsive to said request. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said selection means prevents a user from selecting or ordering said media elements. 
     
     
       23. A method for verifying viewing and comprehension of a unique media program, comprising the steps of:
 providing in a unique media program a unique sequence of cues; and   receiving from a viewer of said unique media program information relative to said cues; and   comparing said received information to said sequence of cues.   
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of providing a unique sequence of cues comprises providing a unique sequence of visual cues in an audiovisual program. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 23 , wherein said cues comprise alphanumeric information. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 23 , wherein said visual cues comprise icons. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of providing means for a viewer to transmit said information. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 27 , wherein said step of providing comprises incorporating with programming media a printed document to be completed and returned by a viewer. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 23 , wherein said step of receiving information comprises receiving information via telephone communications. 
     
     
       30. A method of creating audiovisual media programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising the steps of:
 automatically selecting by a processor from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, the media elements being selected for each position in the template in accordance with correspondence between definitions associated with each position and the information in the database; and 
 automatically selecting automaticallyby the processor transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements to create a file of element identifiers and transition information for creation of media programming. 
 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said step of automatically selecting transitions comprises selecting transitions independently for a video portion of said element and for an audio portion of said element. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said transitions are selected based on information relating to permitted transitions associated with each of said elements. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said transitions comprise fade out of a video portion of said element. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 30 , wherein said information comprises a range of permitted transition points at the beginning and end of a plurality of said elements. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 34 , wherein said information comprises an earliest permitted transition point, a default transition point, and a latest permitted transition point. 
     
     
       36. A system for creating audiovisual programming from a plurality of stored audiovisual media elements, comprising:
 means including a processor for automatically selecting from a database containing information concerning said audiovisual media elements a plurality of said audiovisual media elements and automatically designating a temporal sequence for said selected audiovisual media elements, the selecting and designating employing a template defining a sequence of temporal positions for the media elements, the media elements being selected for each position in the template in accordance with correspondence between definitions associated with each position and the information in the database; and 
 means including a processor for selecting automatically transitions for each of said audiovisual media elements. 
 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 36 , wherein said means for automatically selecting transitions comprises means for selecting transitions independently for a video portion of said element and for an audio portion of said element. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 36 , wherein said transitions are selected based on information relating to permitted transitions associated with each of said elements. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 36 , wherein said transitions comprise fade out of a video portion of said element. 
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 36 , wherein said information comprises a range of permitted transition points at the beginning and end of a plurality of said elements. 
     
     
       41. The system of  claim 40 , wherein said information comprises an earliest permitted transition point, a default transition point, and a latest permitted transition point. 
     
     
       42. The method of claim 6 wherein said transition information comprises:
 a transition point.   
     
     
       43. The method of claim 6 wherein said transition information comprises:
 a transition type.   
     
     
       44. The method of claim 43 wherein said transition type is a dissolve. 
     
     
       45. The method of claim 43 wherein said transition type is a cut. 
     
     
       46. The method of claim 43 wherein said transition type is a fade. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of obtaining desired content information concerning an intended viewer of the programming prior to said step of selecting, and employing said desired content information in said step of selecting. 
     
     
       48. The method of claim 6 wherein said transition information comprises:
 a modification parameter wherein said modification parameter is used to modify a transition.   
     
     
       49. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of obtaining desired style information concerning an intended viewer of the programming prior to said step of selecting, and employing said desired style information in said step of selecting. 
     
     
       50. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
 deriving said selected information from said media assets.   
     
     
       51. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
 automatically deriving said selected information from said media assets.   
     
     
       52. The method of claim 16 wherein said transition information comprises:
 a transition point.   
     
     
       53. The method of claim 16 wherein said transition information comprises:
 a transition type.   
     
     
       54. The method of claim 53 wherein said transition type is a dissolve. 
     
     
       55. The method of claim 53 wherein said transition type is a cut. 
     
     
       56. The method of claim 53 wherein said transition type is a fade. 
     
     
       57. The method of claim 30 wherein said transitions comprise a dissolve. 
     
     
       58. The method of claim 30 wherein said transitions comprise a cut. 
     
     
       59. The method of claim 30 wherein said transitions comprise a fade of an audio portion of said element. 
     
     
       60. The method of claim 36 wherein said transitions comprise a dissolve. 
     
     
       61. The method of claim 36 wherein said transitions comprise a cut. 
     
     
       62. The method of claim 36 wherein said transitions comprise a fade of an audio portion of said element. 
     
     
       63. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
 assembling an automatically assembled media clip into said media programming.   
     
     
       64. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
 obtaining psychographic information concerning an intended view of the programming prior to said step of selecting, and employing said psychographic information in said step of selecting.   
     
     
       65. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting comprises:
 filtering a first media element out of consideration for inclusion in said media programming wherein said filtering is performed by a mediating layer.   
     
     
       66. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of said tags is a taxonomic tag. 
     
     
       67. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of said tags is an attribute tag. 
     
     
       68. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of said tags is a reusability tag. 
     
     
       69. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporal positions are in a sequence defined by a template stored in the database. 
     
     
       70. The method of claim 69, wherein the media elements are further selected for each position of the template in accordance with demographic characteristics of an intended viewer. 
     
     
       71. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting media elements having an aggregate duration limited to a predetermined duration of the media programming. 
     
     
       72. The method of claim 11, wherein the definitions associated with the request are further associated with a template. 
     
     
       73. The method of claim 72, wherein the template defines the sequence of temporal positions for media elements.