Systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a multi-video-source DVE

• US 9,883,220 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• 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): Lewis, Jonathan V
• Application Number:
  US15/370,177
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83 Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
• 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 multi-video-source digital-video effect (DVE). An example method involves (i) selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a first video-component (VC) and a first start-time; (ii) selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a multi-video-source DVE, and a second start-time; (iii) causing the first VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the first start-time; (iv) making a determination that a threshold time-period remains before the second start-time; and (v) responsive to making the determination, (a) causing a second VC to start being sent to the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output a combined video, wherein the combined video includes the first VC and the second VC.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of functions for use in a television broadcasting system having a master control system, the set of functions comprising:

selecting, by the master control system, a first log entry from a traffic log accessed from a traffic system, wherein the traffic log is a broadcast schedule for a given station during a given time period, and wherein the first log entry corresponds to a first video component (VC) and to a first start time;

selecting, by the master control system, a second log entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log entry corresponds to a multi video source digital video effect (DVE), and to a second start time, wherein the second start time is later than the first start time;

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

making a determination that a threshold time period remains before the second start time; and

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, (i) causing a second VC to start being sent to the stunt switcher, and (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output a combined video, wherein the combined video includes both the first VC and the second VC.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the set of functions further comprising:

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, selecting the second VC as an audio source for the combined video.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second VC comprises a promotion VC.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first log entry includes a non zero duration and wherein the second log entry includes a zero duration.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second log entry is the next log entry after the first log entry.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second log entry includes the second start time represented as a calculated start time.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second 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 before the second start time, and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, (a) causing the second VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output the combined video;

and wherein the set of functions further comprises responsive to determining that the second log entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the determination is a first determination, the set of functions further comprising:

making a second determination that the second VC has ended; and

responsive to making the second determination that the second VC has ended, causing the stunt switcher to run a DVE, thereby causing only the first VC to be channeled through the stunt switcher.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, the set of functions further comprising:

adding an indication that the second VC has been broadcast to an as run log.

11. A method for use in a television broadcasting system having a master control system, the method comprising:

an automation system selecting a first log entry from a traffic log accessed from a traffic system, wherein the traffic log is a broadcast schedule for a given station during a given time period, and wherein the first log entry corresponds to a first video component (VC) and to a first start time;

the automation system selecting a second log entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log entry corresponds to a multi video source digital video effect (DVE), and to a second start time, wherein the second start time is later than the first start time;

the automation system causing the first VC to start being channeled through a stunt switcher proximate the first start time;

the automation system making a determination that a threshold time period remains before the second start time; and

responsive to the automation system making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, the automation system (i) causing a second VC to start being sent to the stunt switcher, and (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output a combined video, wherein the combined video includes both the first VC and the second VC.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to the automation system making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, the automation system selecting the second VC as the audio source for the combined video.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second VC comprises a promotion VC.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first log entry includes a non zero duration and wherein the second log entry includes a zero duration.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second log entry is the next log entry after the first log entry.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second 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 the automation system to perform the functions of (i) making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, (a) causing the second VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output the combined video;

and wherein the method further comprises responsive to determining that the second log entry includes the identifier, the automation system executing the set of program instructions.

17. A master control system configured to perform a set of functions comprising:

selecting a first log entry from a traffic log accessed from a traffic system, wherein the traffic log is a broadcast schedule for a given station during a given time period, and wherein the first log entry corresponds to a first video component (VC) and to a first start time;

selecting a second log entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log entry corresponds to a multi-video-source digital video effect (DVE), and to a second start time, wherein the second start time is later than the first start time;

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

making a determination that a threshold time period remains before the second start time; and

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, (i) causing a second VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher, and (ii) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output a combined video, wherein the combined video includes both the first VC and the second VC.

18. The master control system of claim 17, the set of functions further comprising:

responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, selecting the second VC as the audio source for the combined video.

19. The master control system of claim 17, wherein the first log entry includes a non zero duration and wherein the second log entry includes a zero duration.

20. The master control system of claim 17, wherein the second 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 an automation system to perform the functions of (i) making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time period remains before the second start time, (a) causing the second VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the multi-video-source DVE, thereby causing the stunt switcher to output the combined video;

and wherein the set of functions further comprises responsive to determining that the second log entry includes the identifier, executing the set of program instructions.