System and method for globally scheduling multimedia stories

Abstract

A multimedia system represents multimedia objects as ranges of time intervals, each bounded by a minimum and a maximum, and temporal relationships are given to a set of objects which are to be integrated. In this system, where there are uncertainties in time, a stretchable time-line is provided. The stretchable time-line is modeled after a spring system such that an object (or a spring) is associated not only with a minimum and a maximum length but also with a length at rest. As a spring rests at a certain length and stretches and shrinks by a certain degree when a force is applied, multimedia objects placed on the stretchable time-line may also rest at a certain length, and stretch or shrink if necessary. As a spring has a tendency to return to the length at rest, a multimedia object may stretch or shrink when necessary and by a smallest degree possible. The system according to the invention can answer a question like, 'Can I show this multimedia presentation in ten minutes, and if so, how should all the objects be scheduled?' If there is a solution that satisfies all the constraints given, the solution consists of a set of time intervals which 'minimally' deviate from the corresponding lengths at rest and also evenly distribute the variation of the difference between the optimum duration and the scheduled duration for each episode.