News production system with dynamic character generator output

• US 10,321,180 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cox, Gary Wilson
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US15/973,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20180255337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/237 Communication with additional data server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

In one aspect, an example method involves: using, by a computing device, data associated with multiple elections to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes content associated with a respective one of the multiple elections, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; using, by a computing device, at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one of the multiple elections satisfies each condition in a condition set; and based, at least in part, on the determination, while the video stream is being generated, modifying, by the computing device, the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using, by a computing device, data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated;

using, by the computing device, at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying, by the computing device, the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a character generator uses the set of ordered content items to generate the video stream representing video content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling fashion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a rotating fashion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the video stream to an end-user device for presentation of the video content to an end-user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a set of acts comprising:

using data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated;

using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein a character generator uses the set of ordered content items to generate the video stream representing video content.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling or rotating fashion.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more data storage units; and

program instructions, stored in the one or more data storage units, that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the system to perform a set of acts comprising;

using data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated;

using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling or rotating fashion.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

20. The system of claim 15, the set of acts further comprising:

transmitting the video stream to an end-user device for presentation of the video content to an end-user.