Systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a bug-overlay DVE
View Patent ↗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 start time; (ii) selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and the start time; (iii) causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; (iv) making a determination that a threshold time-period has passed since the start time; and (v) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying a bug on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.
1. A method for use in a television-broadcasting system having an automation system and a stunt switcher, the method comprising:
the automation system selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log that defines a television-broadcast schedule, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) and to a start time, and wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value;
the automation system selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to the start time, and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value;
the automation system causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time;
the automation system making a determination that a threshold time-period has passed since the start time; and
responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, the automation system causing the stunt switcher to run the bug-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying a bug on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a start-time field of the first log-entry includes the start time, and wherein a start-time field of the second log-entry includes the start time.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second log-entry is a next log entry after the first log-entry to have the 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 is a show-segment VC.
6. 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 has passed since the start time, and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying the bug 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.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.
8. A method for use in a television-broadcasting system having an automation system and a stunt switcher, the method comprising:
the automation system selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log that defines a television-broadcast schedule, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) and to a start time, and wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value;
selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to the start time, and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value;
the automation system causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time; and
the automation system causing the stunt switcher to run the bug-overlay DVE proximate the start time, thereby overlaying a bug on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a start-time field of the first log-entry includes the start time, and wherein a start-time field of the second log-entry includes the start time.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second log-entry is a next log-entry after the first log entry to have the non-zero duration value.
11. The method of claim 8 , 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.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the VC is a show-segment VC.
13. The method of claim 8 , 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 function of causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE proximate the start time, thereby overlaying the bug 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.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the set of program instructions comprises a set of PHP-Hypertext-Preprocessor (PHP) scripts.
15. 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 that defines a television-broadcast schedule, wherein the first log-entry corresponds to a bug-overlay digital video effect (DVE) and to a start time, and wherein a duration field of the first log-entry includes a zero duration value;
selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, wherein the second log-entry corresponds to a video component (VC) and to the start time, and wherein a duration field of the second log-entry includes a non-zero duration value;
causing the VC to start being channeled through the stunt switcher proximate the start time;
making a determination that a threshold time-period has passed since the start time; and
responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, causing the stunt switcher to run the bug-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying a bug on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.
16. The television-broadcasting system of claim 15 , wherein a start-time field of the first log-entry includes the start time, and wherein a start-time field of the second log-entry includes the start time.
17. The television-broadcasting system of claim 15 , wherein the second log-entry is a next log-entry after the first log entry to have the non-zero duration value.
18. The television-broadcasting system of claim 15 , 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.
19. The television-broadcasting system of claim 15 , wherein the VC is a show-segment VC.
20. The television-broadcasting system of claim 15 , 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) making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, and (ii) responsive to making the determination that the threshold time-period has passed since the start time, causing the stunt switcher to run the stored bug-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying the bug 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.