Systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-removal DVE

• US 10,021,442 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hundemer, Hank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raman, Usha
• Application Number:
  US15/265,598
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2323 using file mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-removal digital-video effect (DVE). In one aspect, a method involves selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-removal DVE stored in the stunt switcher; selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) and a start time; causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; making a determination that a threshold time-period remains in a show portion of the VC; and responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of function comprising:

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in a stunt switcher;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) and a start time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time;

making a determination that a threshold time-period remains in a show portion of the VC; and

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second log-entry is the next log entry after the first log-entry to have a duration field having a non-zero duration value.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first log-entry includes the start time represented as an absolute start time, and wherein the second log-entry includes the start time represented as the absolute start time.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the VC consists of the show portion.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the VC consists of the show portion and a barter-VC portion, and wherein the show portion is before the barter-VC portion.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first log-entry includes a house-identifier field and an identifier stored in the house-identifier field, wherein the identifier maps to a set of program instructions that when executed cause performance of the functions of (i) making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC;

and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE; and

wherein the set of functions further comprises responsive to determining that the first log-entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the set of functions further comprising:

adding an indication that the bug-removal DVE has been run to an as-run log.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of function comprising:

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in a stunt switcher;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video component (VC) and a start time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; and

causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE proximate an end of a show portion of the VC, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the second log-entry is the next log-entry after the first log entry to have a duration field having a non-zero duration value.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first log-entry includes the start time represented as an absolute start time, and wherein the second log-entry includes the start time represented as the absolute start time.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the VC consists of the show portion.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the VC consists of the show portion and a barter-VC portion, and wherein show portion is before the barter-VC portion.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first log-entry includes a house-identifier field and an identifier stored in the house-identifier field, wherein the identifier maps to a set of program instructions that when executed cause performance of the functions of causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE proximate an end of a show portion of the VC;

and wherein the set of functions further comprises responsive to determining that the first log-entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, the set of functions further comprising:

adding an indication that the bug-removal DVE has been run to an as-run log.

19. A television-broadcasting system comprising:

a stunt switcher; and

an automation system having a computer-readable medium including a set of program instructions, that when executed by the automation system, cause the automation system to perform a set of functions comprising;

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) and a start time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; and

causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE proximate an end of a show portion of the VC, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

20. The television-broadcasting system of claim 19, wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value.