Method and apparatus for content replacement in live production

• US 10,200,749 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grass Valley Canada (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gvbb Holdings SARL (Vislink Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCallister, Benjamin, Holtz, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Mushfikh I
• Application Number:
  US12/736,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,590 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

The insertion of an advertisement or other new content into a time slot between content segments advantageously occurs by selecting the new segment to fill its associated slot as closely as possible. Play out of a successive content segment occurs for distribution over at least one of a first set of channels and at least one second channel until the occurrence of the time slot whereupon the new content segment undergoes play out for distribution over the at least one second channel. If the new content segment has a duration longer than the time slot, the length of at least one content segment gets reduced to provide substantially seamless play out.

Claims

1. A system for seamlessly distributing content within live production, the system comprising:

a broadcast production system that assembles a script for automated rundown to distribute a live program, the script including a plurality of content segments comprising audio and video content for the live program that is received from a news room computer system (NRCS);

a database storing a plurality of alternative content segments each having a unique identifier and a respective duration time; and

a plurality of encoders including;

a first encoder that encodes the plurality of content segments into a first coding format for linear transmission over of a first set of channels including at least one of a terrestrial television broadcast channel, a cable channel and a satellite channel,

a second encoder that encodes the plurality of content segments into a second coding format for non-linear transmission over an internet channel that includes a client-server network of webpages, and

a transcoder that encodes the plurality of alternative content segments as uncompressed data for transmission over the internet channel,

wherein the broadcast production system includes;

a workflow manger that executes the script and transmits the plurality of content segments encoded in the first coding format as a first data stream as over-the-air content over at least one of the first set of channels and transmits the plurality of content segments encoded in the second coding format as a second data stream as the over-the-air content over the internet channel,

a time slot identifier that receives, from the NRCS, at least one time slot within the plurality of content segments, wherein the at least one time slot includes an occurrence time and a duration time associated with the plurality of content segments,

an alternative content segment selector that selects, from the database, at least one of the alternative content segments, such that the duration of the selected at least one alternative content segment is within the duration time of the at least one time slot, and

an alternative content distributor that seamlessly stitches the uncompressed data of the selected at least one alternative content segment in the second data stream at the occurrence time of the at least one time slot as over-the-internet content over the internet channel, such that the stitched and uncompressed data does not replace any of the plurality of content segments transmitted in the second data stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative content distributor reduces a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time longer than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative content distributor pads a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time shorter than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coding format is one of a MPEG2, a H.264, and an Apple®

Quick Time format, and wherein the second coding format is a Windows®

Media Video format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of alternative content segments comprise internet advertisements.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the alternative content distributor seamlessly switches the uncompressed data of the selected at least one alternative content segment in the second data stream, such that the selected at least one alternative content segment is consumed by a receiving device during the identified time slot with no perceivable space between the alternative content segment and the plurality of content segments associated with the identified time slot.

7. A system for distributing content within a live program, the system comprising:

a broadcast production system that assembles a script for automated rundown to distribute a live program, the script including a plurality of content segments comprising audio and video content received from a news room computer system (NRCS);

a database that stores a plurality of alternative content segments each having a respective duration time;

at least one encoder that encodes the plurality of content segments and the plurality of alternative content segments into a first coding format for transmission over an internet channel;

a workflow manager that transmits, when executing the script to distribute the live program, the plurality of content segments encoded in the first coding format as a first data stream as over-the-air content over the internet channel;

a time slot identifier that receives, from the NRCS, at least one time slot associated with the plurality of content segments, wherein the at least one time slot includes an occurrence time and a duration time;

an alternative content selector that selects, from the database, at least one of the alternative content segments based on the duration of the selected at least one alternative content segment and the duration time of the at least one time slot within the plurality of content segments; and

an alternative content distributor that seamlessly switches from transmitting the over-the-air content in the first data stream to transmitting the selected at least one alternative content segment as over-the-internet content in the first data stream at the occurrence time of the at least one time slot over the internet channel, such that the transmitted at least one alternative content segment does not replace any of the plurality of content segments transmitted in the first data stream.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein the at least one encoder encodes the plurality of content segments into a second coding format for transmission over of a set of channels including at least one of a terrestrial television broadcast channel, a cable channel and a satellite channel, and

wherein the workflow manager transmits, when executing the script to distribute the live program, the plurality of content segments encoded in the second coding format as over-the-air content over at least one of the set of channels.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the alternative content distributor reduces a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time longer than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the alternative content distributor pads a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time shorter than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of alternative content segments comprise internet advertisements.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the alternative content distributor seamlessly switches from transmitting the over-the-air content in the first data stream to transmitting the selected at least one alternative content segment as over-the-internet content in the first data stream, such that the selected at least one alternative content segment is consumed by a receiving device during the identified time slot with no perceivable space between the alternative content segment and the plurality of content segments associated with the identified time slot.

13. A system for seamless content distribution, the system comprising:

a database for storing a plurality of alternative content segments each having a respective duration time;

a content segment encoder for encoding a plurality of content segments for transmission over at least one internet channel;

an alternative content segment encoder for encoding the plurality of alternative content segments as uncompressed data for transmission over the at least one internet channel; and

a broadcast production system including;

a workflow manager for executing a script including at least a portion of the plurality of content segments to create and distribute a program by transmitting the plurality of encoded content segments as a data stream according to the script as over-the-air content over the at least one internet channel,

a time slot identifier for identifying at least one time slot within the plurality of content segments, wherein the at least one time slot includes an occurrence time and a duration time,

an alternative content segment selector for selecting, from the database, at least one of the alternative content segments based on the duration time of the at least one time slot, and

a seamless alternative content distributor for seamlessly stitching the uncompressed data of the selected at least one alternative content segment in the data stream at the occurrence time of the at least one time slot and to be distributed as over-the-internet content over the internet channel.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the seamless alternative content distributor reduces a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment to seamless distribute the alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time longer than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the seamless alternative content distributor pads a length of the selected at least one alternative content segment to seamless distribute the alternative content segment when the selected at least one alternative content segment has a duration time shorter than the duration time of the at least one time slot.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of alternative content segments comprise internet advertisements.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the alternative content distributor seamlessly switches the uncompressed data of the selected at least one alternative content segment in the second data stream, such that the selected at least one alternative content segment is consumed by a receiving device during the identified time slot with no perceivable space between the alternative content segment and the plurality of content segments associated with the identified time slot.

18. A system for seamlessly inserting an advertisement in an open time slot within a plurality of audio and video content segments to be distributed not only linearly across a network of broadcast channels, but also non-linearly across a network of Internet websites, the system comprising:

a content encoding configuration manager configured to encode a plurality of audio and video content segments into linear and non-linear encoded formats so as to configure the plurality of audio and video content segments to be distributed not only linearly across a network of broadcast channels in a broadcast data stream, but also non-linearly across a network of Internet websites in an Internet data stream;

an open time slot identifier configured to identify an open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments;

an advertisement segment encoder configured to encode an advertisement segment into the non-linear transmission encoded format so as to configure the advertisement segment to be non-linearly transmitted over the internet channel; and

a seamless advertisement segment inserter configured to seamlessly insert the encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream at the identified open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments without replacing the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments in the Internet data stream such that both the encoded plurality of audio and video content and the inserted and encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream are configured to be non-linearly distributed across the network of Internet websites.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a seamless content distributor that transmits the plurality of encoded content segments as over-the-air content in the data stream and is configured to switch to transmit the encoded advertisement segment as over-the-internet content in the data stream.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the seamless advertisement segment inserter seamlessly inserts the encoded advertisement segment in the data stream by reducing a length of the encoded advertisement segment when the encoded advertisement segment has a duration time longer than a duration time of the at least one time slot.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the seamless advertisement segment inserter seamlessly inserts the encoded advertisement segment in the data stream by first padding a length of the at least one alternative content segment when the at least one alternative content segment has a duration time shorter than a duration time of the at least one time slot.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the seamless content distributor encodes the encoded advertisement segment in the data stream in an uncompressed form for distribution of the at least one internet channel.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the uncompressed form is a Windows®

Media Video format.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the seamless advertisement segment inserter seamlessly inserts the encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream at the identified open time slot, such that the inserted, encoded advertisement segment is consumed by a device receiving the Internet data stream during the identified time slot with no perceivable space between the advertisement segment and the plurality of audio and video content segments associated with the identified time slot.

25. A system for seamlessly inserting an advertisement in an open time slot within a plurality of audio and video content segments to be distributed not only linearly across a network of broadcast channels, but also non-linearly across a network of Internet websites, comprising:

a content production, encoding and distribution manager configured to encode a plurality of audio and video content segments into linear and non-linear encoded formats so as to configure the plurality of audio and video content segments to be distributed not only linearly across a network of broadcast channels in a broadcast data stream, but also non-linearly across a network of Internet websites in an Internet data stream;

an open time slot identifier configured to identify an open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments;

an advertisement segment encoder configured to encode an advertisement segment into the non-linear transmission encoded format so as to configure the advertisement segment to be non-linearly transmitted over the Internet channel; and

a seamless advertisement segment insertion module configured to seamlessly insert the encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream at the identified open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments without altering the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments in the data stream such that both the encoded plurality of audio and video content and the inserted and encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream are configured to be non-linearly distributed across the network of Internet websites,

wherein the encoded advertisement segment has a first duration and the identified open time slot has a second duration, and

wherein the seamless advertisement segment insertion module is configured to seamlessly insert the encoded advertisement segment in the open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments by changing the first duration of the encoded advertisement segment to fit the second duration of the identified open time slot without altering the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments in the data stream.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein when the first duration of the encoded advertisement segment is greater than the second duration of the open time slot, the seamless advertisement segment insertion module is configured to seamlessly insert the encoded advertisement segment in the open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments by decreasing the first duration of the encoded advertisement segment so as to fit the second duration of the identified open time slot.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein when the first duration of the encoded advertisement segment is less than the second duration of the open time slot, the seamless advertisement segment insertion module is configured to seamlessly insert the encoded advertisement segment in the open time slot within the encoded plurality of audio and video content segments by increasing the first duration of the encoded advertisement segment so as to fit the second duration of the identified open time slot.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the advertisement segment encoder is configured to encode the advertisement segment in an uncompressed media video format so as to be transmitted over the Internet channel.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the seamless advertisement segment insertion module seamlessly inserts the encoded advertisement segment in the Internet data stream at the identified open time slot, such that the inserted, encoded advertisement segment is consumed by a device receiving the Internet data stream during the identified time slot with no perceivable space between the advertisement segment and the plurality of audio and video content segments associated with the identified time slot.