On-line data distribution and broadcast system
View Patent ↗Information from a database containing weather and sports information is customized to the needs of specific broadcaster customers in an editing procedure that is remote in location from the customers. Selected information is formatted and integrated with suitable graphics in the editing procedure to produce a plurality of individualized data streams that are ready for on-air broadcast. Those data streams are transmitted to an Internet web site for on-call customer access, and a customer may then broadcast the data stream as it is received from the web site.
1. A method for merchandising information to a broadcast customer for inclusion in an output video digital data stream, said method comprising:
storing the merchandising information in a database;
receiving changed information;
automatically updating the stored information based on the received changed information;
receiving, from the broadcast customer, a first selection identifying a subset of the stored information as display data;
receiving, from the broadcast customer, a second selection identifying a screen arrangement for the display data, the screen arrangement determining where the display data will be positioned on an output screen which is displaying the output video digital data stream;
defining, at a server, a video layout based on the first and second selections received from the broadcast customer;
formatting, at the server, a broadcast-ready video data stream which includes the display data based on the video layout
transmitting the broadcast-ready video data stream from the server to the broadcast customer;
receiving the broadcast-ready video data stream from the server; and
combining, prior to broadcast, the received broadcast-ready video data stream with video content broadcast by the broadcast customer thereby producing the output video digital data, wherein the combining positions the display data of the received broadcast-ready video data stream and the video content broadcast by the broadcast customer according to the screen arrangement.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said defining and formatting are performed at a single location that is remote from a location of the broadcast customer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said formatting further comprises integrating images associated with the broadcast customer with the broadcast-ready video data stream.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said merchandising information comprises sports data and weather information.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said merchandising information includes scores and schedules of contests within a marketing area of the broadcast customer.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said merchandising information includes weather data from sites within a marketing area of the broadcast customer.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said defining further comprises associating weather and sports information in the display data with a game-time forecast of weather conditions at a specific game location.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output video digital data is a video stream which is correspondingly updated during broadcast when a new first or second selection is received by the server.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitting further comprises transmitting the broadcast-ready data stream to the broadcast customer upon request of the broadcast customer.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said formatting further comprises integrating advertising material with the broadcast-ready video data stream.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein each broadcast-ready data stream is different from another broadcast-ready data stream.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said information includes proprietary information.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein to the broadcast-ready data stream is limited to only the broadcast customer by use of a password.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the changed information is real-time weather data.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second selections are performed using an interactive dialog stored on the server.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stored information is real-time information.
17. The method of claim 16 ,
further comprising:
receiving a third selection identifying a second subset of the stored information as second display data;
receiving a fourth selection identifying a second screen arrangement for the second display data, the second screen arrangement determining where the second display data will be positioned on the output screen which is displaying the output video digital data stream,
wherein the defining further comprises defining the video layout based on the first, second, third and fourth selections received from the broadcast customer.
18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
displaying the output video digital data in which the received broadcast-ready data stream and the video content broadcast by the broadcast customer are simultaneously displayed.