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  System for management of both pre-show and feature presentation content within a theatreRelated Patent Categories: Interactive Video Distribution Systems, Video Distribution System Components, Headend, Control ProcessThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070204322. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/972,183, filed on Oct. 22, 2004, entitled "System For Management of Both Pre-Show and Feature Presentation Content Within a Theatre", in the names of Anthony Whyte, David S. Jones, Jeffrey S. Loewenguth, Leslie G. Moore, and Paul Tomblin, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,994 B2, issued on Nov. 2, 2004, entitled "Streamlined Methods and Systems for Scheduling and Handling Digital Cinema Content in a Multi-Theatre Environment", in the names of Walter C. Bubie, Curtis R. Cates, David S. Jones, Paul Tomblin, Michael E. McCrackan, and William A. Orfitelli. The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 6,812,994 B2 are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention is related to the field of digital cinema, and more particularly to the use of digitized advertising information in mixed film projection and digital projection multi-theater environments. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Today's theater management systems are structured for film projection. Key elements of the systems include a ticketing system, a film projector, a slide projector, a sound system and a theater automation system for semi-automatically controlling basic theater functions such as lighting and audio. [0004] A typical show is divided into two major time segments, pre-show slides used for advertisements, trivia, and facility announcements, and the actual show time composed of show trailers and the feature film. [0005] The exhibitor sells pre-show time to screen advertisers. The screen advertiser then forms advertising contracts with its clients. Contractual conditions include the number of times an advertisement must play, what kind of feature film the advertisement will play with, how long the advertisement will be, and what the start and end engagement dates will be. [0006] With today's slide projector advertising systems these conditions are laborious to fulfill, and are at best based on trust relationships that cannot be easily verified or repudiated by the advertiser. These systems therefore do not leave the advertiser much room for process, product, or profit improvement. [0007] What advertisers require are flexible systems that give them control of pre-show advertising content creation, distribution and projection. What exhibitors require are systems that minimize their need to support the advertising portion of the show and do not negatively impact their current feature film workflow and practices. [0008] The show time is used to present trailers and feature films. The theater owner rents films from the originating studios under a set of terms and conditions. These terms include the financial arrangements between the two parties, and the start and end engagement dates. The theater owner does exercise some freedom in terms of executing the schedule on a day-to-day basis during this time. The scheduling is completed weekly, but in some cases the schedule is updated on short notice to accommodate customer response. [0009] The schedule is entered into a point of sale ticketing system that drives a display of the schedule, manages ticket sales and printing, and reports financials associated with the sales. Playback execution of this schedule is effectively independent of that data entry. It is rather a projectionist's interpretation of the schedule and subsequent physical setup of advertising slides on slide projectors, and splicing of advertisement, trailer and feature film content reels on specific instances of projection equipment that are the manifestation of the schedule. Again, a laborious process that can benefit significantly from digital management systems. [0010] Such systems and methods for presentation of digitized content in a cinema environment have been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,033 B2, entitled "Presentation Scheduling in Digital Cinema System" presents a system that supports scheduling of digitized content in a purely digital cinema system. It recognizes the need for interfacing with existing theater automation subsystems for environment control but does not adequately address issues with "transitional" digital cinema; "transitional" meaning a system that is comprised of both film projection and digital projection subsystems and incorporates methods and mechanisms that permit cooperation of the two. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,640 B2, entitled "Apparatus and Method For Cueing a Theater Automation System", describes a solution for building digital "platters" comprised of trailers and feature film content with sensitivity to attributes such as display aspect ratio, sound track format, and Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings. Again, this is discussed in the context of pure digital cinema where presenting alerts to a user at schedule creation time enforces the compatibility of content. This contrasts the algorithm-driven schedule assessment to be described here, which encompasses both hybrid systems utilizing a combination of film projection and digital projection systems and/or combination systems meeting the unique needs of pre-show in combination with show time. Lastly, WO 01/13301 entitled "System and Method For Digitally Providing and Displaying Advertisement Information To Cinemas and Theaters" discusses a just-in-time advertising model. In this invention, content providers submit new content data instances to an algorithmic "carousel" which may not guarantee playback. While this may suit some advertising situations it is not a widespread practice and still requires operator support at the exhibition facility. What is required by advertisers and exhibitors are systems that at a minimum give them the control to manage their respective portions of the show time with no additional workflow and more ideally add new efficiencies to their existing workflow. A void therefore remains in the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, is a method for enabling seamless transitions for a cinema presentation package, wherein the cinema presentation package includes pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features. The steps include determining the requirements of specific protocols corresponding to the cinema presentation that will affect transitioning between the pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features. Transition behaviors have to be identified between the pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features that form the cinema presentation package. Flexibility exists in displaying the cinema presentation package, and yet the pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features are displayed according to the specific protocols and transition rules associated with the specific protocols. [0012] Another aspect of the present invention provides a system for enabling seamless transitions for a cinema presentation package, wherein the cinema presentation package includes pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features, that include predetermined specific protocols for governing transitions between the pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features. Also included are means for organizing scheduling of the pre-shows, trailers, live events, and main features; and flexibility. The present invention enables starting and ending an individual pre-show, trailer, live event, or main feature in a seamless fashion. [0013] A third aspect of the present invention provides a method for scheduling and presenting digital advertising content to an audience at an exhibitor site, the method that includes reading a relational database that contains records of schedule items. Additional reading steps include reading a relational database that contains records of advertising play lists; reading a relational database that contains rules of association; and creating relational database records that associate schedule items in said database with advertising play lists in said database per association rules in said database. Advantageous Effect of the Invention [0014] Enables the screen advertiser to manage and control the pre-show experience. [0015] Enables the theatre owner to manage and control the showtime experience. [0016] Seamlessly manages the transition and hand off in control between the pre-show and showtime period of the theatre experience. [0017] Enables cooperation with the theatre's ticketing system. [0018] Enables scheduling pre-show based on feature attributes. [0019] Enables scheduling pre-show based on theatre attributes. [0020] Enables avoidance of dark time on screens between pre-show and feature (transition). [0021] Enables flexible inter-show scheduling. [0022] Enables scheduling and playback for any digital display device such as lobby displays. [0023] Enables scheduling pre-show based on presumed time-of-day populations (time slices). [0024] Enables theatre owner to fully control the showtime portion of the theatre experience including show time, and house within the theatre complex. [0025] These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0026] FIG. 1 illustrates the segmentation of theater show periods and ownership in the context of a feature presentation. [0027] FIG. 2 illustrates the segmentation of theater show periods and ownership in the context of a live event alternative presentation. [0028] FIG. 3 describes the hierarchical relationships and scheduling flexibilities among repeating, single-play, transition playlists and feature presentation time. Continue reading... Full patent description for System for management of both pre-show and feature presentation content within a theatre Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System for management of both pre-show and feature presentation content within a theatre patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. 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