System and method for monitoring and controlling the production of audio and video streams

• US 6,792,469 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2000
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Kenny, Kevin Bernard, Sarachan, Brion Daryl, Hammond, Christopher Reynolds, Goldfarb, Helena, Angelovich, Stephen John, Kinstrey, Michael Adam, Callahan, Mary Kathleen, Schmidt, Alexandra Jay, Henderson, David Lavan, Amaral, John Espirito Santo, Minerva, Ralph Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US09/531,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/227, 709/102, 709/203, 709/231, 705/8, 705/28, 725/104, 725/40, 725/14, 725/32, 725/36, 725/109, 725/142, 725/146, 725/148, 725/134, 725/87, 725/127, 725/89, 714/746, 700/94, 379/106.01
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• 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 21/26258 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An Integration Controller integrates broadcast automation systems and thereby provides a single command and control center for monitoring production of the audio and video stream. An event-based schedule, or a “playlist,” specifies the segments to be played along with the necessary timing and hardware information. Each event in the schedule commands the playback or record of a video segment, generation of a special effect, transfer of a video segment from one device to another or closure of one or more video switches. Events may be launched automatically at a specified time, or manually by an operator. An Integration Controller (IC) communicates with an Event Scheduling System via a Scheduling System Interface. The Scheduling System Interface communicates with the Integration Controller via the IC server. The IC server utilizes various modules to communicate with Device Drivers, a Log Manager and one or more User Interfaces.

Claims

1. An integration controller for managing scheduling, playback and media management of digital audio and video in response to an event-based playback schedule, comprising:

a device driver sub-system comprising a plurality of device drivers for video servers, a plurality of video switches, a plurality of under-monitor event displays, and video material management systems, wherein each said device driver maps an event-based schedule to system-specific commands;

a log manager for writing a record of transactions to a storage medium, said log manager enabling an operator to view current or archived logs, thereby providing monitoring and diagnostic capabilities during integration controller runtime;

at least one user interface for maintaining a plurality of displays for schedules organized by start times, channels, current on-air event, next on-air event, event data, event detailed status, system status, video material status, or error conditions, said at least one user interface enabling an operator to query status of events, video segments and devices, and edit said status and events;

an integration controller server for distributing a plurality of events to

a) said plurality of device drivers,

b) said at least one user interface, and

c) said log manager,

 

said integration controller server also collecting and summarizing execution status for each said event, and sending said execution status to the at least one user interface, said log manager, and to an event scheduling system;

a scheduling system interface for managing communication between a scheduling system and said integration controller server; and

wherein said integration controller is dynamically reconfigurable to exhibit selected functions.

2. An integration controller as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected functions are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

3. An integration controller as recited in claim 1, wherein said device driver sub-system is implemented with a modular architecture that allows new device drivers to be readily added to the system.

4. An integration controller as recited in claim 1, wherein an operator reconfigures the integration controller during runtime via a user interface, so that the scheduling system interface of the integration controller accepts or rejects events received from the scheduling system based on criteria as altered by the reconfiguration, thereby affecting distribution of the plurality of events to:

the plurality of device drivers, the at least one user interface, and the log manager.

5. An integration controller for managing scheduling, playback and media management of digital audio and video in response to an event-based playback schedule, comprising:

means for analyzing a schedule for validity, wherein said schedule comprises a plurality of events;

means for checking availability of video material or loading or acquiring said video materials, if necessary, wherein said video material resides on at least one archive device;

means for submitting commands to at least one real-time sub-system to execute a plurality of valid events, wherein said validity is determined by said analyzing means;

means for monitoring each said at least one real-time sub-system and collecting and summarizing a state of each said plurality of events;

at least one user-interface allowing an operator to

a) view said schedule,

b) view errors found by said analyzing means,

c) edit said schedule,

d) manually begin execution of operator selected events, and

e) reconfigure runtime parameters of the integration controller;

means for maintaining logs of event transitions, message traffic and system status;

means for allowing said operator to query and modify the status of a plurality of video segments and at least one real-time sub-system or device; and

wherein said integration controller is dynamically reconfigurable to exhibit selected functions.

6. An integration controller as recited in claim 5, wherein the selected functions are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

7. A method for controlling digital video and audio using an integration controller for managing scheduling, playback and media management of in response to an event-based playback schedule, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of events from a high availability database, wherein said events are received both in irregular bursts and in a steady stream of events;

throttling the plurality of events into a playback list, as new events are received in the receiving step;

storing the playback list in a scheduling database;

managing communication between the scheduling database and the integration controller;

setting timers which indicate a time for event execution of events on the playback list;

accepting manual events for entry into the playback list, the manual events being entered using a user interface;

preparing for event status collection;

checking for event validity;

displaying event information via at least one user interface; and

distributing each valid event to an appropriate real time driver by translating event information stored in the scheduling database associated with the scheduled event to specialized hardware commands specific to the real time driver, wherein said integration controller is dynamically reconfigurable to exhibit selected functions.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising the step of alerting an operator if an event is determined to be invalid in the checking step.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the selected functions are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

10. A system for controlling digital video and audio using at least one integration controller for managing scheduling, playback and media management in response to an event-based playback schedule, comprising:

means for event scheduling;

a first integration controller comprising;

a scheduling system interface;

a device driver sub-system comprising a plurality of device drivers for video servers, a plurality of video switches, a plurality of under-monitor event displays, and at least one video material management system, wherein each said device driver maps an event-based schedule to system-specific commands;

a log manager for writing a record of transactions to a storage medium, said log manager enabling an operator to view current or archived logs, thereby providing monitoring and diagnostic capabilities during integration controller runtime;

at least one user interface for maintaining a plurality of displays for schedules organized by start times, channels, current on-air event, next on-air event, event data, event detailed status, system status, video material status, or error conditions, said at least one user interface enabling an operator to query status of events, video segments and devices, and edit said status and events;

an integration controller server for distributing a plurality of events to

a) said plurality of device drivers,

b) said at least one user interface, and

c) said log manager; and

wherein said scheduling system interface manages communication between said means for event scheduling and said integration controller server, said means for event scheduling having a scheduling database, and wherein said integration controller also collects and summarizes execution status for each said event, and sending said execution status to at least one user interface, said log manager, and to said means for event scheduling, wherein said integration controller is dynamically reconfigurable to exhibit selected functions.

11. A system as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

at least one additional integration controller, wherein said event scheduling means coordinates message traffic comprising events and status among and between the first integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first integration controller is designated as a primary integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller is designated as a secondary integration controller, the secondary integration controller mirroring all activities of the primary integration controller, and controlling a set of hardware devices not controlled by the primary integration controller, the secondary integration controller producing video and audio output identical to video and audio output produced by the primary integration controller, wherein the identical video and audio output produced by the secondary integration controller is not aired.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein duplicate alarms generated by the first integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller are ignored.

14. A system as recited in claim 10, wherein the selected functions are distributed among a plurality of computing devices.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller are dynamically configured to accept only a desired set of commands and to control only a subset of devices in the system.

16. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller supports “

takes”

of “

sectional”

events, by “

taking”

multiple channels with one take.

17. A system of claim 11 further comprising a broadcast operation controller for monitoring the first integration controller and the at least one additional integration controller.