# US 8,151,297 B2 · System and method for distributing and broadcasting multimedia > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,151,297 B2 - Document ID: US8151297B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/322,915 - Filed: 2002-12-17 - Published: 2003-05-08 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 1997-01-07 - Assignees: United Video Properties, Inc. - Inventors: Robert H. McCoy; Edward R. Andes; David M. Berezowski; Bruce A. Blackwell; Franklin E. Boyer; Jon R. Braunsma; James T. Buckley; Eric Cockrell; Timothy B. Demers; Harlan Ford; Donald C. Kern; Pamela S. Klich; Terry J. Kroh; Randall C. Lievsay; Douglas E. Naufel; Steven P. Reiser; Alan K. Roper; Ronald R. Russell; Robert A. Wallis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8151297B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/17318: {Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Multimedia distribution and broadcast systems and related processes are provided for transmitting multimedia contents and control information from a central uplink facility to a remote downlink via a satellite. The system is preferably implemented in order to generate sequences of multimedia that are broadcast from the remote downlink facility to viewers. The display arrangements of the multimedia sequences are varied and customized by each downlink facility using the control information in order to better inform and entertain viewers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider and a plurality of remote stations, said remote station comprising: a receiver for receiving a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from said central multimedia provider; a database for storing a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations; a control unit for: processing said control information; constructing multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip; selecting one of said plurality of display arrangements based on said processed control information; assembling said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements, wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements; and a broadcasting transmitter for broadcasting said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein said selected display arrangement includes a plurality of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein said selected display arrangement includes windows with different sizes to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different locations of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different text attributes to display text elements of said multimedia elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The remote station of claim 5 wherein said text attributes are selected from the group consisting of a font, a size, and a color. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein said receiver receives said multimedia elements and control information via satellite. ### Claim 8 A remote station for use in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider and a plurality of remote stations, said remote station comprising: means for receiving a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from a central multimedia provider; means for storing a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations; means for processing said control information; means for constructing multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip; means for selecting one of said plurality of display arrangements based on said processed control information; means for assembling said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements, herein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements; and means for broadcasting said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8 wherein said selected display arrangement includes a plurality of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8 wherein said selected display arrangement includes windows with different sizes to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different locations of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different text attributes to display text elements of said multimedia elements. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The remote station of claim 12 wherein said text attributes are selected from the group consisting of a font, a size, and a color. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8 wherein said means for receiving said multimedia elements and control information comprises means for receiving said multimedia elements and control information via satellite. ### Claim 15 A method for providing multimedia to viewers comprising: receiving at a remote station a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from a central multimedia provider; storing, at said remote station, a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations; processing, at said remote station, said control information; constructing, at said remote station, multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip; selecting, at said remote station, one of said plurality of predefined display arrangements based on said processed control information; assembling, at said remote station, said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements, wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements; and broadcasting by said remote station said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said selected display arrangement includes a plurality of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said selected display arrangement includes windows with different sizes to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different locations of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different text attributes to display text elements of said multimedia elements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 wherein said text attributes are selected from the group consisting of a font, a size, and a color. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein said receiving said multimedia elements and control information comprises receiving said multimedia elements and control information via satellite. ### Claim 22 Non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium for a remote station in a multimedia distribution system having a central multimedia provider and a plurality of remote stations, said non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium comprising program logic recorded thereon for: receiving a plurality of multimedia elements and control information from said central multimedia provider; storing a plurality of different predefined display arrangements, wherein said display arrangements provide the look and feel of multimedia presentations; processing said control information; constructing multimedia sequences from a subset of said multimedia elements based on said processed control information, wherein at least one element in said subset is a video clip; selecting one of said plurality of predefined display arrangements based on said processed control information; assembling said constructed multimedia sequences in the selected one of the plurality of different display arrangements selected, wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of position information indicating where to place the multimedia sequences on a display, and wherein the set of position information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements; and broadcasting said assembled multimedia sequences in said selected display arrangement to a plurality of viewers at user devices, wherein said assembled multimedia sequences are broadcast without receiving input from any of said user devices. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22 wherein said selected display arrangement includes a plurality of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22 wherein said selected display arrangement includes windows with different sizes to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different locations of windows to display said multimedia elements. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22 wherein said selected display arrangement allows different text attributes to display text elements of said multimedia elements. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 26 wherein said text attributes are selected from the group consisting of a font, a size, and a color. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22 wherein receiving said multimedia elements and control information comprises receiving said multimedia elements and control information via satellite. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1, further comprising a database for storing said received multimedia elements and control information. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The remote station of claim 29, wherein said control unit is further capable of retrieving said subset of said multimedia elements from said stored multimedia elements in said database based on said processed control information. ### Claim 31 (depends on 8) The remote station of claim 8, further comprising means for storing said received multimedia elements and control information. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The remote station of claim 31, further comprising means for retrieving said subset of said multimedia elements from said stored multimedia elements in means for storing based on said processed control information. ### Claim 33 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising storing, at said remote station, said received multimedia elements and control information in a database. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The method of claim 33, further comprising retrieving, at said remote station, said subset of said multimedia elements from said stored multimedia elements in said database based on said processed control information. ### Claim 35 (depends on 22) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 22, further comprising program logic recorded thereon for storing said received multimedia elements and control information in a database. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 35, further comprising program logic recorded thereon for retrieving said subset of said multimedia elements from said stored multimedia elements in said database based on said processed control information. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of display arrangements specifies a different graphical arrangement of said multimedia elements. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) The remote station of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of display arrangements includes a set of size information for the multimedia sequences on the display, and wherein the set of size information is different for each of the plurality of display arrangements.