Method and apparatus for communicating interactive content in a broadcast communication system
View Patent ↗A system and method for communicating with a user device includes an interactive headend having an interactive content manager, an interactive event scheduler and queue manager communicating with a queue. A broadcast channel management system communicates bandwidth allocation data to the interactive head end. The interactive head end forms a queue corresponding to the bandwidth allocation data. The interactive event scheduler schedules the interactive broadcast with the queue and issues a start command. The queue manager pulls content from the interactive content manager and communicates interactive content from the queue to the user device.
1. A method for comprising:
allocating a bandwidth for an interactive broadcast;
forming a queue corresponding to the bandwidth;
scheduling the interactive broadcast to the queue;
issuing a start command;
pulling content from an interactive content manager using a queue manager; and
communicating the interactive content from the queue to a user device using the queue manager.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating a bandwidth comprises allocating a bandwidth at a broadcast operation management system and communicating a bandwidth allocation to a queue.
3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein allocating a bandwidth comprises allocating a bandwidth at a broadcast operation management system and communicating a bandwidth allocation to a queue and an interactive content system.
4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising storing content in the interactive content manager in a file-based system.
5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising updating content in the interactive manager prior to pulling content.
6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein updating content forming an updating file and updating the updating file.
7. A method as recited in claim 6 further comprising replacing a current file with the updating file after updating the updating file.
8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising formatting content in the interactive manager prior to pulling content.
9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising injecting content in the interactive manager prior to pulling content.
10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising assigning a service channel identifier to a queue.
11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein broadcasting content comprises streaming content to a transport system from the queue.
12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating a start command and a stop command to a queue manager.
13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the interactive content comprises communicating the interactive content through a satellite.
14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the interactive content comprises communicating the interactive content through a transport processing system.
15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the interactive content comprises communicating the interactive content through a broadband system.
16. A system for communicating with a user device comprising:
an interactive headend having an interactive content manager, an interactive event scheduler and queue manager communicating with a queue;
a broadcast channel management system communicating bandwidth allocation data to the interactive headend;
wherein said interactive headend forms a queue corresponding to the bandwidth allocation data, said interactive event scheduler schedules the interactive broadcast with the queue, issues a start command, said queue manager pulls interactive content from the interactive content manager and communicates the interactive content from the queue to the user device.
17. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the queue manager pulls interactive content from a file based system of the interactive content manager.
18. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the queue manager pulls content the interactive content manager in chunks of data.
19. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the broadcast channel management system communicates the bandwidth allocation to the queue manager and the interactive event scheduler.
20. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive content manager stores interactive content therein.
21. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive content manager updates the prior to pulling content.
22. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive content manager formats content to communicating the interactive content to the queue manager.
23. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein the interactive content manager injects content in the interactive manager prior to pulling content.
24. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising assigning a service channel identifier to a queue.
25. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising a transport processing system communicating interactive content from the queue through a satellite.