Systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-overlay DVE with absolute timing restrictions

• US 9,094,618 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tribune Broadcasting Company Incorporated (Nexstar Media Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hundemer, Hank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders, Justin
• Application Number:
  US13/828,939
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 348/705
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• 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 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE). In one aspect, a method involves (i) selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay DVE stored in the stunt switcher, and to a first start-time; (ii) selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to a second start-time, wherein the second start-time is later than the first start-time; (iii) causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the second start-time; (iv) determining a target time to run the bug-overlay DVE; and (v) causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the determined target time such that a bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

Claims

1. A method for use in a television-broadcasting system having a stunt switcher, the method comprising:

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher, and to a first start-time;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to a second start-time, wherein the second start-time is later than the first start-time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the second start-time;

determining a target time to run the bug-overlay DVE; and

causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the determined target time such that a bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first start-time is a top of an hour;

wherein the determined target time is either (i) within a range of thirteen minutes after the top of the hour and seventeen minutes after the top of the hour, or (ii) within a range of forty-three minutes after the top of the hour and forty-seven minutes after the top of the hour; and

wherein the overlayed bug includes time and/or temperature data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first start-time is before a top of an hour;

wherein the determined target time is within a range of three minutes before the top of the hour and three minutes after the top of the hour; and

wherein the overlayed bug includes a station'"'"'s call letters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined target time is a closest time to a predetermined absolute time while also corresponding to a show portion of a show-segment VC.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first log-entry includes a zero duration and wherein the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second log entries are non-adjacent in the log.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first log-entry includes a house-identifier field and an identifier stored in the house-identifier field, wherein the identifier maps to a set of program instructions that when executed, cause performance of the functions of:

(i) determining the target time to run the bug-overlay DVE; and

(ii) causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the determined target time such that the bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher; and

wherein the method further comprises responsive to determining that the first log-entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding an indication that the bug-overlay DVE has been run to an as-run log.

10. A method for use in a television-broadcasting system having a stunt switcher, the method comprising:

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher, and to a first start-time;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to a second start-time, wherein the second start-time is later than the first start-time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the second start-time;

determining a target time to run the bug-overlay DVE;

proximate the determined target time, (i) storing a DVE state of the stunt switcher, (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run a first key-reset DVE, and (iii) causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE such that a bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher;

making a determination that the bug-overlay DVE has completed running; and

responsive to making the determination that the bug-overlay DVE has completed running, (i) causing the stunt switcher to run a second key-reset DVE, and (ii) restoring the DVE state of the stunt switcher with the stored DVE state.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first start-time is a top of an hour;

wherein the determined target time is either (i) within a range of thirteen minutes after the top of the hour and seventeen minutes after the top of the hour, or (ii) within a range of forty-three minutes after the top of the hour and forty-seven minutes after the top of the hour; and

wherein the overlayed bug includes time and/or temperature data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first start-time is before a top of an hour, wherein the determined target time is within a range of three minutes before the top of the hour and three minutes after the top of the hour;

and wherein the overlayed bug includes a station'"'"'s call letters.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined target time is a closest time to a predetermined absolute time while also corresponding to a show portion of a show-segment VC.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first log-entry includes a zero duration and wherein the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first and second log entries are non-adjacent in the log.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first log-entry includes a house-identifier field and an identifier stored in the house-identifier field, wherein the identifier maps to a set of program instructions that when executed, cause performance of the functions of:

(i) storing the DVE state of the stunt switcher, (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run a first key-reset DVE;

(iii) causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE such that the bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher;

(iv) making the determination that the bug-overlay DVE has completed running;

(v) responsive to making the determination that the bug-overlay DVE has completed running, (a) causing the stunt switcher to run the second key-reset DVE; and

(b) restoring the DVE state of the stunt switcher with the stored DVE state; and

wherein the method further comprises responsive to determining that the first log-entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

adding an indication that the bug-overlay DVE has been run to an as-run log.

19. A television-broadcasting system comprising:

a stunt switcher; and

an automation system having a computer-readable medium including a set of program instructions, that when executed by the automation system, cause the automation system to perform a set of functions comprising;

selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher, and to a first start-time;

selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to a second start-time;

causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the second start-time;

determining a target time to run the bug-overlay DVE; and

causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the determined target time such that a bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

20. The television-broadcasting system of claim 19, wherein the first log-entry includes a house-identifier field and an identifier stored in the house-identifier field, wherein the identifier maps to a set of scripts that when executed cause performance of the functions of (i) determining the target time to run the bug-overlay DVE, and (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the determined target time such that the bug is overlayed on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher;

and wherein the set of functions further comprises responsive to determining that the first log-entry includes the identifier, executing the set of scripts.

21. The television-broadcasting system of claim 19, wherein the first start-time is a top of an hour;

wherein the determined target time is either (i) within a range of thirteen minutes after the top of the hour and seventeen minutes after the top of the hour, or (ii) within a range of forty-three minutes after the top of the hour and forty-seven minutes after the top of the hour; and

wherein the overlayed bug includes time and/or temperature data.

22. The television-broadcasting system of claim 19, wherein the first start-time is before a top of an hour, wherein the determined target time is within a range of three minutes before the top of the hour and three minutes after the top of the hour;

and wherein the overlayed bug includes a station'"'"'s call letters.