Integrated multi-media production and authoring system

I claim:

1. An integrated multi-media production and authoring system, said system comprising:

a digital communications network for carrying a plurality of addressed messages such that communication on the digital communications network takes place in real-time;

a plurality of workstations comprising digital computers coupled to said digital communications network, said workstations transmitting and receiving said plurality of addressed messages over said digital communications network; and

a plurality of production resources including audio and video production and editing devices, said production resources coupled to said digital communications network, said production resources transmitting and receiving said plurality of addressed messages on said digital communications network such that a user working with any of said plurality of workstations may access any of said plurality of production resources coupled to said digital communications network to create and edit a multi-media work;

said plurality of workstations including a display system having a display and user input means, said display system comprising:

a user interface for display on said display, said user interface displaying representations of said production resources coupled to said digital communications network with which a user interacts using said user input means;

said representations of said production resources comprising at least three dimensions and being arranged in a venue of at least three dimensions, each of said dimensions corresponding to an attribute of said production resources which may be viewed using said user interface from a plurality of view ports, such that viewing said representations of said production resources from different view ports results in the display of different attributes of said production resources;

said representations of said production resources being arranged in said venue such that each of said production resources is disposed relative to one another in time and space within said venue;

manipulation means coupled to said user input means for selectively positioning said representations of said production resources within said venue.

2. The system as defined by claim 1 wherein said venue may be viewed from six view ports, namely, a top, left, right, rear, bottom and front view port.

3. The system as defined by claim 2 wherein viewing said venue from a top view port reveals the relative positions of each of said three dimensional representations of said production resources relative in time to one another.

4. The system as defined by claim 3 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port reveals an icon identifying the type of production resource each of said representations represent.

5. The system as defined by claim 4 wherein viewing said venue from a side view port reveals versions of said production resource and the lengths of said versions relative to one another.

6. The system as defined by claim 5 wherein viewing said venue from a front view port further reveals version activation buttons, one of said buttons for each of said versions, such that said user, using said user input means may selectively activate said versions.

7. The system as defined by claim 6 wherein if said user activates one of said versions, said version is executed within said representation of said production resource, and may viewed through said front view port of said venue on said display.

8. The system as defined by claim 7 wherein said user interface includes interface generation means for generating and displaying a control frame using said display means to display selected view ports of a venue, said control frame including a plurality of command options which may be selected by said user using said user input means.

9. The system as defined by claim 8 wherein said control frame further includes a first area for defining said attributes of said resources and displaying said representations of said resources once said attributes are defined.

10. The system as defined by claim 9 wherein said first area displays said representations of said production resources in a venue initially from a first view port.

11. The system as defined by claim 10 wherein said user may selectively change view ports from said first view port by selecting one of said command options.

12. The system as defined by claim 11 wherein said control frame further includes a second area for displaying said top view port of said venue, such that timing data representing relative time associated with said production resources is displayed in said second area.

13. The system as defined by claim 12 wherein said control frame further includes a event horizon bar, such that the placement of a representation of a production resource on said bar results in said timing data being displayed in said second area of said control frame.

14. The system as defined by claim 13 wherein selecting an Element command option results in the display of an element attribute box for defining said production resource attributes.

15. The system as defined by claim 14 wherein said representations of said production resources may be selectively placed on said event horizon bar, thereby altering the relative placement of said representations in said venue in time and space.

16. The system as defined by claim 15 wherein said command options of said control frame further includes a plurality of mode specific action options on the periphery of said control frame.

17. The system as defined by claim 16 wherein said command options of said control frame further includes a plurality of major mode options on the periphery of said control frame.

18. The system as defined by claim 17 wherein said first view port initially displayed comprises the front view port.

19. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of production resources are coupled to said digital communications network through a device translator, said device translator comprises:

a network interface coupled to said digital communications network such that said device translator transmits and receives said plurality of addressed messages over said digital communications network;

a central processing unit coupled to said network interface, said central processing unit programmed such that the plurality of addressed messages received over said digital communications network are translated into a plurality of device-specific commands; and

a device-specific interface coupled to said central processing unit and coupled to said production resource associated with said device translator, wherein said device translator communicates said plurality of device-specific commands to said production resource;

wherein said device translator translates said received plurality of addressed messages into said plurality of device specific commands.

20. The system as set forth in claim 19 wherein said device translator includes a programmable translation data set stored in a memory means coupled to said central processing unit such that said device translator can be programmed to translate said plurality of addressed messages into a plurality of device-specific commands for a plurality of different production resources.

21. The system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said programmable translation data set is downloaded into said memory means in said device translator through said digital communications network.

22. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a library management system coupled to said digital communications network.

23. The system as set forth in claim 22 wherein said library management system comprises:

a library of digital media storage units;

means for accessing said digital media storage units, said accessing means coupled to said digital communications network;

means for loading said digital media storage units into said accessing means, said loading means coupled to said digital communications network.

24. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said digital media storage units in said library management system comprise magnetic tapes.

25. The system as set forth in claim 24 wherein said accessing means in said library management system comprise digital video tape recorders.

26. The system as set forth in claim 23 wherein said accessing means in said library management system comprise digital data tape recorders.

27. The system as set forth in claim 23 further comprising a matrix routing switcher coupled to said digital communications network.

28. The system as set forth in claim 27 wherein said matrix routing switcher is coupled to said plurality of production resources, said matrix routing switcher establishing a plurality of signals paths between said production resources.

29. An integrated multi-media production studio comprising:

a plurality of local area networks coupled to each other wherein each said local area network carries a plurality of addressed messages;

a plurality of production resources devices coupled to said local area networks, each of said plurality of production resources able to transmit and receive said plurality of addressed messages; and

a plurality of workstations coupled to said local area networks, each of said plurality of workstations able to transmit and receive said plurality of addressed messages wherein a user working on any said plurality of workstations may transmit and receive messages to any of said plurality of production resources coupled to said plurality of local area networks;

said plurality of workstations including a display system having a display and user input means, said display system comprising:

a user interface for display on said display, said user interface displaying representations of said production resources coupled to said digital communications network with which a user interacts using said user input means;

said representations of said production resources comprising at least three dimensions and being arranged in a venue of at least three dimensions, each of said dimensions corresponding to an attribute of said production resources which may be viewed using said user interface from a plurality of view ports, such that viewing said representations of said production resources from different view ports results in the display of different attributes of said production resources;

said representations of said production resources being arranged in said venue such that each of said production resources is disposed relative to one another in time and space within said venue;

manipulation means coupled to said user input means for selectively positioning said representations of said production resources within said venue.

30. The system as set forth in claim 29 wherein each of said plurality of production resources are coupled to said local area network local area networks through a device translator.

31. The system as set forth in claim 30 wherein said device translator comprises:

a network interface coupled to said local area networks such that said device translator transmits and receives said plurality of addressed messages over said local area networks;

a central processing unit coupled to said network interface, said central processing unit programmed such that the plurality of addressed messages received over said local area networks are translated into a plurality of device-specific commands; and

a device-specific interface coupled to said central processing unit and coupled to said production resource associated with said device translator, wherein said device translator communicates said plurality of device-specific commands to said production resource;

wherein said device translator translates said received plurality of addressed messages into said plurality of device specific commands.

32. The system as set forth in claim 31 wherein said device translator includes a programmable translation data set stored in a memory means coupled to said central processing unit such that said device translator can be programmed to translate said plurality of addressed messages into a plurality of device-specific commands for a plurality of different production resources.

33. The system as set forth in claim 32 wherein said programmable translation data set is downloaded into said memory means in said device translator through said digital communications network.

34. A method for accessing and editing a set of multi-media elements in a distributed computing environment, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a digital communications network coupled to a plurality of multi-media production resources having defined attributes and a plurality of edit workstations each of said workstations including a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to a display and user input means, one of said edit workstations executing a database server process and an allocation and routing process;

commencing an edit session on an edit workstation by requesting a set of multi-media elements and production resources using a client process running on said edit workstation;

extracting said set of multi-media elements from a multi-media element database using said database server process;

providing said set of multi-media elements from said database server process to said client process;

allocating production resources from a production resource allocation and routing database using said allocation and routing process;

providing said allocated production resources from said allocation and routing process to said client process;

editing said multi-media elements using said client process on said edit workstation including the steps of:

providing a user interface on said screen of said display for displaying representations of said production resources coupled to said display system with which a user interacts through said user input means;

generating and displaying a control frame on said display using interface generation means coupled to said CPU, said control frame including a plurality of command options which may be selected by said user using said input means, and further including an event horizon bar, such that the placement of a representation of a resource on said bar using said user input means results in predetermined data being displayed in said control frame, and said representations of said resources being disposed relative to one another in time;

said representations of said production resources comprising at least three dimensions and being arranged in a venue comprising at least three dimensions which may be viewed using said user interface from a plurality of view ports, such that viewing said representations of said resources from different view ports results in the display on said screen of different attributes of said resources;

completing said edit session by returning multi-media elements to said database server and returning said allocated production resources to said allocation and routing process;

updating said multi-media element database and said production resource allocation and routing database.

Description Submit all comments and votes

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus to provide an integrated intelligent environment for the production and post-production of multi-media works. In particular, the present invention relates to the integration of a plurality multi-media production and post-production resources into a networked multi-media production and authoring system. The system provides multiple users with control of a plurality of dynamically allocated shared resources using a common intuitive user interface.

2. Art Background

A variety of resources must be integrated, scheduled and coordinated in the production of a feature film or video presentation. Various production media resources such as video, dialog audio, special effects, music audio, and graphics must be edited and selectively integrated into the overall production. Consequently, computer controlled editing systems and integration methods have been used for editing and synchronization of completed music scores, special effects sequences and the like.

Although present editing systems are capable of machine control, they provide few capabilities in dealing with the content of the actual program being edited. Frequently, identifiable sequences of a production, such as special effects, are accomplished through the use of special effects personnel who operate independently of the primary director and production scheduler. Discrete teams of individuals may work on audio editing, video editing, titles, special effects and other related operations required to collectively form a multi-media production. For example, suppose an advertisement agency decides to produce a beer commercial in which the star is a dog. In the final day of post-production, an executive makes a decision which requires that the dog be removed from the commercial and that girls in bikinis should be inserted as the stars of the commercial. If the dog was shot using well-known blue screen image technology and inserted in the final production as a matte layer, it would be easy to remove the image of the dog and replace him with the girls in the bikinis. However, even assuming that the dog had been shot using a blue screen technique, the task remains to remove all dog sounds and other elements related to the previous star. This task is not simple, nor inexpensive, using today's technology.

As will be appreciated from the discussion which follows, the elimination of the dog and the replacement with the girls may be accomplished during a single edit session at one workstation utilizing the present invention's integrated multi-media production and authoring system. Utilizing the present invention, cross media links are established between the various production PG,4 resources comprising a multi-media production. Using a common user interface (see copending patent application, Ser. No. 07/622,821, filed Dec. 4, 1990) the visual image of the dog may be removed and the bikinied girls added. Since the audio track with the dog sounds is linked to the dog visual image, it is easily removed such that an update of all audio and related information is completed, necessary to modify the commercial in a post-production process.

The present invention provides an integrated intelligent studio in which a multi-media production may be realized in a coordinated fashion. Multi-media projects cover many communication media types, including printed materials, audio programs, television shows, feature films and many others. The ability to integrate the functions of the resources utilized in the production of multi-media projects into a single shared system provides a level of performance and capability unknown in the prior art. A variety of hardware and software tools addressing each phase of the multi-media production provide machine readable information from the initial project conception to completion. The present invention's approach of integration permits individual or grouped elements in the multi-media production to be incrementally added or deleted from the production.

As will be described, the present invention provides the users with total control of all allocated production resources through a high-performance multi-media workstation. Multiple workstations may be configured into a distributed network architecture, each specifically configured for a range of tasks, as described more fully below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An integrated multi-media production and authoring system is disclosed. The present invention includes a plurality of multi-media production resources coupled to real-time local area networks referred to as "AV LANs". The production resources are generally placed into individual AV LAN networks by job function (e.g., audio production resources, video post production resources, etc.). Each production resource, such as a video tape recorder or a video production switcher, is coupled to the AV LAN through a device translator which translates generic device commands received over the AV LAN into device-specific commands for the particular production resource. Each of the individual AV LANs are in turn coupled to one another over network bridges. In addition to the various production resources, individual "edit workstations", and other computers including mini-computers, mainframes and personal computers, etc., are coupled to the AV LANs. The edit workstations are used to control the production resources located on the AV LANs. Each of the workstations utilize the present invention's intuitive graphical user interface. The graphical user interface of the present invention includes a control frame which, in practice, substantially fills the outer border of the display screen coupled to a workstation. The control frame is comprised of control panels which surround an application area, and acts as a consistent user interface. The application area is used by the various applications to display data. One use of the application area is to display view ports of the present inventions "venues" concept. The "venues" concept is a method of storing information about resources coupled to the AV LAN using three-dimensional element representations. "View ports" are used to provide a two-dimensional windows to view the three-dimensional data elements in three-dimensional venues. A top view port illustrates the time relationship between the various resources in a "venue". In operation, a user specifies mandatory attributes, which an element must have, and optional attributes that define the element representing the resource within the application area. Once an element is defined, it may be selectively "dragged" down to an event horizon bar at which time, time data is displayed in the time view port of the control frame. Using the intuitive user interface of the present invention, multi-media elements may be created, edited, bundled, integrated and rearranged along the event horizon. A user may address and selectively use the production resources coupled to the various AV LANs, and then edit, modify and update the created work product using the user interface. Accordingly, an integrated intelligent studio is disclosed which permits a plurality of users to access a plurality of shared production resources heretofore unknown in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an example of a computer controlled video editing device that is in the prior art.

FIG. 2 is an artist's conception of a self contained facility for creating an integrated multi-media production utilizing the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the network topology of the present invention's intelligent studio network.

FIG. 4 is an artist's illustration of a control room for the editing and production facilities utilized by the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a more detailed block diagram of the present invention's production systems network.

FIG. 6 is an artist's illustration of one use of the invention to integrate a live action production with special effects and/or outdoor scenes, without the need for the actor to be placed in the actual environment depicted in the scene.

FIG. 7 is a more detailed block diagram of the audio systems network comprising the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an artist's illustration of a studio incorporating the teachings of the present invention for the generation and integration of audio components into a production utilizing the present invention's common user interface.

FIG. 9 is an artist's illustration of a production studio incorporating the teachings of the present invention for the generation and integration of audio components into a production utilizing the present invention's common user interface.

FIG. 10 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating the graphics systems network of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an artist's illustration of the integration of graphics into a production utilizing the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a more detailed block diagram of the video systems network comprising the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an artist's illustration of a situation room encompassing control of all networks and resources in the facility for final editing of audio, video, special effects and other resources in a final feature.

FIG. 14 is a more detailed block diagram of the facility management network comprising the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a more detailed block diagram of the management information systems network comprising the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a more detailed block diagram of the gateway management network comprising the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating the present invention's use of an AV LAN for coupling a plurality of resources to workstations and the use of another standard computer network for connecting the workstations.

FIG. 18 is a detailed block diagram showing one possible implementation of a workstation for use in the present invention.

FIG. 19 is an illustration of several production resources coupled to the present invention's AV LAN through the use of device translators.

FIG. 20 is a detailed block diagram of the internal workings of a device translator employed by the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a possible embodiment of a video systems network.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram of the software communications architecture.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart of a sample edit session using the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a conceptual illustration of the present invention's use of venues to represent data sets of resources available to a user.

FIG. 25 conceptually illustrates the use of venues and view ports by the interface of the present invention.

FIG. 26 illustrates operators controlling various resources through the use of the present invention's common user interface.

FIG. 27 is a view of a user display screen utilizing the control frame and venues concept in the present invention's graphical user interface.

FIG. 28 is the same view as FIG. 27 except with the element attributes window open for venue selection.

FIG. 29 is the same view as FIG. 28 further illustrating the present invention's user interface in the display of a plurality of elements and venues selected for the production of a multi-media work.

FIG. 30 is the same view as FIG. 29 further illustrating the element attribute block opened and venue and resource selection.

NOTATION AND NOMENCLATURE

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth such as functional blocks representing data processing devices or networks, window configurations, etc. in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known circuits and structures are not described in detail in order not to obscure the present invention unnecessarily.

Some portions of the detailed descriptions which follow are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art.

An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, bytes, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.

Further, the manipulations performed are often referred to in terms, such as adding or comparing, which are commonly associated with mental operations performed by a human operator. No such capability of a human operator is necessary or desirable in most cases in any of the operations described herein which form part of the present invention; the operations are machine operations. Useful machines for performing the operations of the present invention include general purpose digital computers or other similar devices. In all cases the distinction between the method operations in operating a computer and the method of computation itself should be borne in mind. The present invention relates to both apparatus and method steps for operating a computer in processing electrical or other (e.g. mechanical, chemical) physical signals to generate other desired physical signals.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

The following list of technical definitions for certain terms associated with the present invention is provided for this Specification:

ANALOG ADJUSTMENTS-- Real Time adjustments that are made to production resources over the AV LAN. These type of adjustments would normally be made using a local control panel or console on a production resource. An example might be an audio fader, a switcher transition bar, or a key clip adjustment on a video switcher. These adjustments are made using a Control Console or other assignable input device connected to an edit workstation and transmitting the adjustment over the AV LAN.

ANALOG ADJUSTMENT HISTORY-- The data for a series of analog adjustments that are made to a production resource which are Time Stamped and recorded by the Edit Workstation. The Time Stamped information allows the system to accurately re-create the series of Analog Adjustments using their relative times.

ASSIGNABLE INPUT DEVICE-- An input device coupled to an edit workstation that may be assigned to perform many different input functions as designated by the software.

ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION-- Communications that do not have a specific relationship in time to the system reference. The communications themselves may be Time Line or Time Stamped information, but do not occur at an absolute position within a frame, or within a guaranteed frame boundary.

AUDIO TAPE RECORDER (ATR)-- A type of production resource that records audio signals on to magnetic tape.

AUTOMATIC EVENTS-- An event that requires the synchronization of one or more devices using a Time Line, or the automatic positioning of material on a production resource. The event may involve a preview or a record of information, or may simply be a cue to a particular time code location.

AV LAN-- A defined communications network that will couple all of the various devices present in a production and post production environment together with edit workstations. This will include devices such as VTRs, DME units, production switchers, routing switchers, random access recorders, time base correctors, graphics and animation devices, etc.

CONTROL CONSOLE-- An assignable input device which can be assigned to any controllable device on the AV LAN. The control console has N number of assignable controls (these controls will be similar to an endless audio fader, see the copending application `Variable Scale Input Device`, Ser. No. 07/622,727, filed Dec. 12, 1990), and a conventional transition bar that will be similar to one found on an effects switcher. See copending design patent application entitled "Control Console", Ser. No. 07/718,819, filed Jun. 21, 1991, and assigned to the assignee of the present application for the design of a control console.

D1 VTR-- A D1 VTR is a video tape recorder that records video data in a 4:2:2 digital component video format.

D2 VTR-- A D2 VTR is a video tape recorder that records video data in a 4 f.sub.sc digital composite video format.

DD1 DATA RECORDER-- A magnetic tape recorder that stores normal digital data. An example of a data recorder would be the DIR-1000 Series manufactured by Sony Corporation.

DEVICE-- A VTR, production switcher, routing switcher, time base corrector, DME unit, graphics or animation device, etc. In general a device is anything that is being controlled via the AV LAN network. The terms `DEVICE` and `PRODUCTION RESOURCE` are interchangeable.

DEVICE TRANSLATOR-- A generic add-on box that acts as an initial interface between the AV LAN and current devices. The device translator unit has an AV LAN network interface, a central processing unit, memory, and enough generic I/O to allow it to interface to the various interface ports of the current production resources. The standard SMPTE RS-422 interface is supported.

DIGITAL MULTI-EFFECTS UNIT (DME)-- A digital video processing device used to create video special effects such as 3D rotations, compression, mirror, page turns, etc.

EDIT WORKSTATION-- A computer platform that is coupled to the AV LAN, and controls the production resources on the AV LAN to create and edit multi-media material. Also referred to as `Workstation`. The presently preferred embodiment is a UNIX based workstation such as a NEWS.TM. workstation manufactured by SONY CORPORATION or a SPARCstation.TM. manufactured by Sun Microsystems, Inc.

ISOSYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS-- Communications that are guaranteed a repetitive time slot. Isosynchronous communications are used to transmit data for audio, video, or Real Time control. These applications require a minimum repetitive access to the AV LAN network, and a guaranteed minimum bandwidth between two channels.

LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS)-- A Library Management System is a large storage and replay facility of magnetic tapes. The tapes can be formatted to store video data or normal digital data.

MANUAL COMMANDS-- In general, manual commands are commands that could be performed at the local console of a production resource by pushing a button. Manual commands may put the production resource into various modes such as Play, Still, Stop, Fast-Forward, Rewind, etc. Manual commands may also change crosspoints on a switcher, or roll a character generator page, etc.

MEDIA ELEMENTS-- The various `pieces` of a multi-media production. They included audio elements, visual elements, graphical elements, etc.

MULTI-MEDIA WORK-- A multi-media work is a work that is comprised of a number of different media elements such as video, audio, still photos, music, visual effects, etc.

PLAY LIST-- A list of edit decisions that relate directly to the position of the material on a Random Access Device. This list will need to be updated and maintained over the AV LAN as edit decisions are made.

PRODUCTION RESOURCE-- A VTR, production switcher, routing switcher, time base corrector, DME unit, graphics or animation device, etc. In general a device is anything that is being controlled via the AV LAN network. The terms `PRODUCTION RESOURCE` and `DEVICE` are interchangeable.

PRODUCTION SWITCHER-- A production switcher is a device for cutting between two input video signal sources or combining them in a variety of ways such as mixing, wiping, and keying to produce an output video signal.

RANDOM ACCESS DEVICE-- A device that can randomly access material in Real Time. This type of device allows an entirely different mode of system operation should the editor so desire. It has a unique requirement for a "Play List", or a list of information to be played to represent a final product. This Play List is downloaded to the Device Translator by an Edit Workstation, and will then be updated over the AV LAN as edit decisions are made.

REAL TIME CONTROL-- The ability to control production resources thru the control console, ASCII keyboard, or other assignable input devices connected to the Edit Workstation with no humanly perceptible time delay. The individual production resources allow external control without their own unreasonable perceptible time lag.

REAL TIME COMMUNICATIONS-- Communications that are used to make Analog Adjustments and/or control other time critical machine functions over the AV LAN. The Real Time Communications require a guaranteed access to the AV LAN and may need to be Time Stamped to allow the Device Translator to recreate proper command spacing to the Device.

ROUTING SWITCHER-- A routing switcher is a hardware device that establishes electrical signal paths between a number of signal sources and a number of signal destinations. Routing Switchers are also referred to as "Matrix switchers".

SLIDER CONTROL-- A relative position type device that will control the audio levels and other setup adjustments of the devices connected to the AV LAN. The device is a continuous turn belt that will have LED indicators associated with it to indicate the current position of the assigned control. One possible slider control is fully described in the copending application `Variable Scale Input Device`, Ser. No. 07/622,727, filed Dec. 12, 1990.

TRANSITION BAR-- The fader bar located on the control console. This device is an absolute position type device used to remotely control the audio and video transitions of the devices connected to the AV LAN. A similar device would be the a fader arm of a production switcher.

TIME LINE COMMUNICATIONS-- A group of commands that are downloaded to a Device Translator prior to an event. Each command has associated with it a specific time that the command function is to be performed. As the system clock reaches the times specified, the Device Translator executed the commands. All Time Line Communication will normally precede an Automatic Event.

TIME STAMPED COMMUNICATIONS-- A g