Eastman-kodak Company

Paul Tomblin

David S Jones

Walter C Bubie

William A Orfitelli

Michael E McCrackan

Curtis R Cates

Leslie G Moore

Jeffrey S Loewenguth

Anthony Whyte

Michael E Mccrackan

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.

System for management of both pre-show and feature presentation content within a theatre

A method is described for scheduling a playlist from digital content supplied to a server in a multi-screen digital cinema theater. The playlist includes digital content stored in the server and that is subsequently projected in the digital cinema theater. The method includes: (a) generating and displaying a table of playlists currently available for scheduling; (b) generating and displaying a schedule table showing a schedule view for each screen as an elongated timeline bar representing a time dimension. The method further includes: (c) selecting a playlist from the table of playlists and specifying a scheduled start time and a selected screen; and (d) updating the schedule table by inserting the selected playlist as an elongated element into the elongated timeline bar for the selected screen, whereby the updated schedule table is used to schedule the selected playlist for the selected screen.

Scheduling between digital projection and film projection corresponding to a predetermined condition

A method is described for scheduling a playlist from digital content supplied to a server in a multi-screen digital cinema theater, where the playlist includes components of the content stored in the server and represents a digital entity that is subsequently projected in the digital cinema theater. The method includes the steps of: (a) generating and displaying a table of playlists currently available for scheduling, each playlist displayed along with its run time; (b) generating and displaying a schedule table showing a schedule view for each screen as an elongated timeline bar representing a time dimension, wherein the elongated timeline bars for a plurality of the screens are arranged one adjacent the other relative to a displayed time axis to provide an overall perspective of the schedules for the screens of the theater; (c) selecting a playlist from the table of playlists and specifying a scheduled start time and a selected screen; and (d) updating the schedule table by inserting the selected playlist as an elongated element into the elongated timeline bar for the selected screen, wherein the element starts at the scheduled start time and has a time dimension corresponding to the run time of the selected playlist, whereby the updated schedule table is used to schedule the selected playlist for the selected screen.

Streamlined methods and systems for scheduling and handling digital cinema content in a multi-theatre environment

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, NY, United States of America

Paul Tomblin