METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTENT REPLACEMENT IN LIVE PRODUCTION

• US 20110023059A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,200,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• 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 method for inserting a new content segment into a time slot between successive content segments played out during live production comprising the steps of:

selecting a new content segment for insertion into the time slot so the selected content does not exceed the length of the time slot;

encoding the content segments;

playing out a successive content segment 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; and

if the new content segment has a duration shorter than the time slot, padding the length of at least one content segment with at least one additional content segment.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein first set of channels includes at least one of (a) a terrestrial television broadcast channel, (b) a cable channel, and (c) a satellite channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one second channel comprises the Internet.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of selecting the at least one new content segment comprises the steps of:

establishing a duration of the time slot destined to receive the content segment; and

selecting from a least of available new content segments a new content segment having a duration which will closely fill the time slot.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of storing the at least one new content segment.

6. Apparatus for inserting a new content segment into a time slot between successive content segments played out during live production comprising means

means for selecting a new content segment for insertion into the time slot so the selected content does not exceed the length of the time slot;

means for encoding the content segments and for playing out a successive content segment 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; and

wherein the encoding means pads the length of at least one content segment with at least one additional content segment if the new content segment has a duration longer than the time slot to play out to provide a substantially uninterrupted content stream.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the means for selecting a content segment includes:

means for storing content segments for insertion; and

means responsive to an operator command for approving insertion of at least one of the stored content segments stored by the storage means.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the encoding means comprises:

first encoder for encoding content segments into a first format suitable for transmission over the second channel; and

a transcoder for encoding the content segments into at least one of a plurality of second formats, each suitable for distributing content over a separate one of the first set of channels.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising:

a second encoder for encoding a second new content segment into a first format suitable for transmission over the second channel; and

a transcoder for encoding a second new content segment into at least one of a plurality of second formats, each suitable for distributing content over a separate one of the first set of channels