Integrated live video production system

• US 7,526,568 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcast Pix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Broadcast Pix, Inc.
• Inventors: Swanton, John B., Swanton, Kenneth, Whittaker, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNES-BULLOCK, CRYSTAL JOY
• Application Number:
  US10/783,944
• Time in Patent Office: 1,894 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700 19- 21, 700/79, 700/82, 700/83, 702/188, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/208, 709/238, 709/239, 710/100, 710/104, 710/305, 710/316, 714/100, 714 1- 4, 714/57, 714/25, 714/37, 714 46- 48, 725/37, 348/180, 348/207.99, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 370216-218, 370/221, 370/225, 370/228
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

Described is a system used in defining and producing a live television broadcast. The system includes one or more control panels, a workstation, a router, and devices. The control panels may be hard control panels or soft control panels. The control panel includes programmable buttons having a display determined in accordance with a show definition. Display and control of a portion of the control panel buttons may vary in response to another control or button selection. Primary and backup communication connections are used to control the live show production.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a show comprising:

sending messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitoring said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel; and

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, using a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show, wherein said backup communication connection from said control panel is used to control said one or more devices without communicating with said computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said primary communication connection is independent from said backup connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer system controls at least one of said one or more devices by communicating with a router to which said computer system and said at least one device is connected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said control panel is connected to said router using said backup communication connection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more devices is directly connected to said computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a message from said control panel to said computer system in response to a selection on said control panel.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in response to receiving said message:

updating state information about said control panel; and

updating system status of a show.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said state information includes at least one of:

information local to said control panel, and information affecting a state of multiple control panels.

9. A method of controlling a show comprising:

sending messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitoring said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel; and

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, using a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show, wherein said monitoring is performed by said control panel.

10. A method of controlling a show comprising:

sending messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitoring said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel;

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, using a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show;

sending a message from said control panel to said computer system in response to a selection on said control panel; and

in response to receiving said message, updating state information about said control panel, and updating system status of a show, wherein said state information includes at least one of;

information local to said control panel, and information affecting a state of multiple control panels, and wherein said multiple control panels include at least one hard control panel and at least one soft control panel having identical functionality.

11. A method of controlling a show comprising:

sending messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitoring said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel; and

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, using a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show, wherein said sending and said monitoring are performed during a show, and, prior to said sending and said monitoring, a configuration of at least one programmable button on said control panel is defined.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

updating a display associated with said at least one programmable button in response to selection of another button of said control panel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein updating said display includes displaying a filename of content associated with said at least one programmable button.

14. A method of controlling a show comprising:

sending messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitoring said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel; and

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, using a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show, wherein a transition is made of on-air content from a first source to a second source using an effect indicated on a transition effect button, said transition effect button including a display that varies in accordance with a current selection of one of a plurality a selected effect buttons.

15. A computer readable memory comprising code stored thereon for controlling a show, the computer readable medium comprising code that:

sends messages between a control panel and a computer system over a primary communication connection to control one or more devices;

monitors said primary communication connection to determine if said computer system is unavailable for communicating with said control panel; and

in response to determining that said computer system is unavailable, uses a backup communication connection to control said one or more devices during said show, wherein said backup communication connection from said control panel is used to control said one or more devices without communicating with said computer system.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein said code that monitors is included in said control panel.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein said primary communication connection is independent from said backup connection.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein said computer system controls at least one of said one or more devices by communicating with a router to which said computer system and said at least one device is connected.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 18, wherein said control panel is connected to said router using said backup communication connection.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein at least one of said one or more devices is directly connected to said computer system.

21. The computer readable memory of claim 15, further comprising:

code that sends a message from said control panel to said computer system in response to a selection on said control panel.

22. The computer readable memory of claim 21, further comprising, code that, in response to receiving said message:

updates state information about said control panel; and

updates system status of a show.

23. The computer readable memory of claim 22, wherein said state information includes at least one of:

information local to said control panel, and information affecting a state of multiple control panels.

24. The computer readable memory of claim 23, wherein said multiple control panels include at least one hard control panel and at least one soft control panel having identical functionality.

25. The computer readable memory of claim 15, further comprising code that defines a configuration of at least one programmable button on said control panel, and

wherein said code that defines is executed prior to said code that sends and monitors, said code that sends and monitors being executed during a show.

26. The computer readable memory of claim 25, further comprising:

code that updates a display associated with said at least one programmable button in response to selection of another button of said control panel.

27. The computer readable memory of claim 26, further comprising code that updates said display by displaying a filename of content associated with said at least one programmable button.

28. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein a transition is made of on-air content from a first source to a second source using an effect indicated on a transition effect button, said transition effect button including a display that varies in accordance with a current selection of one of a plurality a selected effect buttons.