Decision support method for planning broadcast transmissions

Abstract

A method and system for booking and scheduling requests for broadcast of programs by a station in which a request has at least a program time duration and required minimum broadcast bandwidth and the station has a fixed bandwidth broadcast capability. A schedule is maintained of programs that have been booked for broadcast, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast, time duration and broadcast bandwidth and the request is checked against the schedule of the booked programs for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration of the request. The request also can contain a specified time and date for the broadcast. If the request can be satisfied a notice of acceptance is sent and if it cannot, advice is given of this and a listing of alternate times is provided at which the request can be satisfied.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for booking and scheduling a request made by a first party to a second party for broadcast at a preferred time of first party controlled program content having at least one of audio and video information of a given time duration and having a required minimum broadcast bandwidth to be broadcast by a station associated with the second party and has a fixed maximum bandwidth broadcast capability comprising the steps of:
 said second party maintaining a schedule of programs that have been booked for broadcast by the station, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast during the day, time duration and broadcast bandwidth; 
 said first second party submitting receiving a request for broadcast of first party program content by the station to from said second first party with the request having the parameters of program time duration, required bandwidth and a preferred broadcast time during one or more days of a week; and 
 said second party checking the request against the schedule of already booked programs scheduled for broadcast for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration and preferred time of broadcast of the request made by said first party. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of said second party replying to the request made by a said first party by providing a listing of times and dates that the request can be satisfied. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein the request made by said first party further includes a certain date of broadcast and further comprising the step of said second party replying as to whether or not the request can be satisfied. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3  wherein the step of replying by said second party further comprises providing a listing of alternate dates and times that the request made by said first party can be satisfied if the original request of said first party cannot be satisfied. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of said second party replying that the request has been accepted; and
 uploading the first party program content of the request to a broadcast station. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the program content is uploaded by said second party after receipt of the reply of the acceptance of the request made by the said first party that made the request. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein the step of scanning composes:
 comparing the minimum bandwidth of the program request to the difference between the fixed bandwidth and the bandwidth of any program that has been booked. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  wherein the program content is uploaded by said second party only shortly prior to the time of broadcast. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of said second party maintaining the schedule comprises maintaining a computer data file of the booked programs of program duration, bandwidth and time and date of broadcast, and the step of checking comprises
 placing the time duration, minimum bandwidth and preferred time of broadcast of the program content of the request made by a said first party in computer data form, and 
 scanning the computer data form of the request against the data file. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein each of multiple requests of one or more first parties for broadcast at the same time are placed in computer data form, and
 the computer data form of the multiple requests are compared to determine if the total bandwidth needed to satisfy the multiple requests is within the maximum bandwidth capability of the station. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein the second party books multiple requests of one or more first parties for broadcast at the same time provided that the total bandwidth of the multiple requests does not exceed the maximum bandwidth capability of the station. 
     
     
       12. A method for scheduling a request made by a content provider to a broadcaster to broadcast at a preferred time controlled program content supplied by the content provider, the controlled program content having at least one of audio and video information of a given time duration and having a required minimum broadcast bandwidth, comprising:
 the broadcaster receiving a request, submitted by the content provider, for broadcast of program content by the station to said broadcaster with the request having the parameters of program time duration, required bandwidth and a preferred broadcast time during one or more days of a week   the broadcaster, having an associated station that has a fixed maximum bandwidth broadcast capability, maintaining a schedule of programs that have been booked for broadcast by the station, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast during the day, time duration and broadcast bandwidth; and   the broadcaster checking the request against the schedule of already booked programs scheduled for broadcast for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration and preferred time of broadcast of the request made by said first party.   
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 further comprising having the broadcaster replying to the request made by said content provider by providing a listing of times and dates that the request can be satisfied. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim 12 wherein the request made by said content provider further includes a certain date of broadcast and further comprising the step of said broadcaster replying as to whether or not the request can be satisfied. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim 14 wherein the replying by said broadcaster further comprises providing a listing of alternate dates and times that the request made by said content provider can be satisfied if the original request of said content provider cannot be satisfied. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim 12 further comprising having said broadcaster replying that the request has been accepted; and uploading the program content of the request to the station. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 wherein the program content is uploaded by said broadcaster after receipt of the reply of the acceptance of the request made by the said content provider that made the request. 
     
     
       18. The method of claim 17 wherein the scanning process comprises comparing the minimum bandwidth of the request to the difference between the fixed bandwidth and the bandwidth of any program that has been booked. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim 16 wherein the program content is uploaded by said broadcaster only shortly prior to the time of broadcast. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim 12 wherein the schedule process comprises maintaining a computer data file of the booked programs of program duration, bandwidth and time and date of broadcast, and the checking process comprises placing the time duration, minimum bandwidth and preferred time of broadcast of the program content of the request made by a said content provider in computer data form, and scanning the computer data form of the request against the data file. 
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20 wherein each of multiple requests of one or more content providers for broadcast at the same time are placed in computer data form, and the computer data form of the multiple requests are compared to determine if the total bandwidth needed to satisfy the multiple requests is within the maximum bandwidth capability of the station. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 12 wherein the broadcaster books multiple requests of one or more content providers for broadcast at the same time provided that the total bandwidth of the multiple requests does not exceed the maximum bandwidth capability of the station. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus for scheduling a request made by a content provider to a broadcaster to broadcast at a preferred time controlled program content supplied by the content provider, the controlled program content having at least one of audio and video information of a given time duration and having a required minimum broadcast bandwidth, comprising:
 a reception module, wherein the reception module is configured to receive a request for broadcast of program content by the station to said broadcaster with the request having the parameters of program time duration, required bandwidth and a preferred broadcast time during one or more days of a week;   a schedule module, wherein the schedule module is configured to maintain a schedule of programs that have been booked for broadcast by the station, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast during the day, time duration and broadcast bandwidth; and   a comparison module, wherein the comparison module is configured to check the request against the schedule of already booked programs scheduled for broadcast for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration and preferred time of broadcast of the request made by said first party.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:
 a reply module, wherein the reply module is configured to reply to the request made by said content provider by providing a listing of times and dates that the request can be satisfied.   
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the request made by said content provider further includes a certain date of broadcast and further comprising the step of said broadcaster replying as to whether or not the request can be satisfied. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the reply includes a listing of alternate dates and times that the request made by said content provider can be satisfied if the original request of said content provider cannot be satisfied. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising:
 an acceptance module, wherein the acceptance module is configured to send a reply that the request has been accepted; and upload the program content of the request to the station.   
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 27 further including:
 an upload module, wherein the upload module is configured to upload the program content to said broadcaster after receipt of the reply of the acceptance of the request made by the said content provider that made the request.   
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 28 further including:
 a scan module, wherein the scan module is configured to compare the minimum bandwidth of the request to the difference between the fixed bandwidth and the bandwidth of any program that has been booked.   
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the schedule means is configured to maintain a computer data file of the booked programs of program duration, bandwidth and time and date of broadcast, and wherein the comparison module is configured to place the time duration, minimum bandwidth and preferred time of broadcast of the program content of the request made by a said content provider in computer data form. 
     
     
       31. A system for booking and scheduling a request made by a first party to a second party for broadcast at a preferred time of first party controlled program content having at least one of audio and video information of a given time duration and having a required minimum broadcast bandwidth to be broadcast by a station associated with the second party and has a fixed maximum bandwidth broadcast capability, the system comprising:
 means for maintaining a schedule of programs that have been booked for broadcast by the station, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast during the day, time duration and broadcast bandwidth;   means for receiving a request for broadcast of first party program content by the station from said first party with the request having the parameters of program time duration, required bandwidth and a preferred broadcast time during one or more days of a week; and   means for checking the request against the schedule of already booked programs scheduled for broadcast for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration and preferred time of broadcast of the request made by said first party.   
     
     
       32. A tangible storage device whose contents cause a scheduling system to perform operations for booking and scheduling a request made by a first party to a second party for broadcast at a preferred time of first party controlled program content having at least one of audio and video information of a given time duration and having a required minimum broadcast bandwidth to be broadcast by a station associated with the second party and has a fixed maximum bandwidth broadcast capability, the operations comprising:
 maintaining, at the second party, a schedule of programs that have been booked for broadcast by the station, each booked program having a date of broadcast, time for broadcast during the day, time duration and broadcast bandwidth;   receiving a request for broadcast of first party program content by the station from said first party with the request having the parameters of program time duration, required bandwidth and a preferred broadcast time during one or more days of a week; and   checking the request against the schedule of already booked programs scheduled for broadcast for availability of the requested minimum bandwidth for the time duration and preferred time of broadcast of the request made by said first party.