Systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-removal DVE

• US 9,473,801 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raman, Usha
• Application Number:
  US13/828,632
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2323 using file mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• 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 21/2407 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 21/262 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 21/26258 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 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-removal digital-video effect (DVE). In one aspect, a method involves selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-removal DVE stored in the stunt switcher; selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) and a start time; causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; making a determination that a threshold time-period remains in a show portion of the VC; and responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of 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-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher;

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

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

making a determination that a threshold time-period remains in a show portion of the VC; and

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second log-entry is the next log entry after the first log-entry to have a duration field having a non-zero duration value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first log-entry includes the start time represented as an absolute start time, and wherein the second log-entry includes the start time represented as the absolute start time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the VC consists of the show portion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the VC consists of the show portion and a barter-VC portion, and wherein the show portion is before the barter-VC portion.

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) making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC;

and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE; 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-removal 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-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher;

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

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

causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE proximate an end of a show portion of the VC, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

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

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second log-entry is the next log-entry after the first log entry to have a duration field having a non-zero duration value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first log-entry includes the start time represented as an absolute start time, and wherein the second log-entry includes the start time represented as the absolute start time.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the VC consists of the show portion.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the VC consists of the show portion and a barter-VC portion, and wherein show portion is before the barter-VC portion.

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 causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE proximate an end of a show portion of the VC;

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 16, 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-removal 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-removal digital-video effect (DVE) stored in the stunt switcher;

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

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

making a determination that a threshold time-period remains in a show portion of the VC; and

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period remains in the show portion of the VC, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-removal DVE, thereby removing any bug overlayed on the VC as a remainder of the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

20. The television-broadcasting system of claim 19, wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value.