IP Library Granted Patent US 10,321,180
Granted Patent B2
US 10,321,180 · App. 15/973,441 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

News production system with dynamic character generator output

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,321,180
App. No.
15/973,441
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, an example method involves: using, by a computing device, data associated with multiple elections to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes content associated with a respective one of the multiple elections, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; using, by a computing device, at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one of the multiple elections satisfies each condition in a condition set; and based, at least in part, on the determination, while the video stream is being generated, modifying, by the computing device, the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

Claims (58)

1. A method comprising:

using, by a computing device, data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated:

using, by the computing device, at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying, by the computing device, the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a character generator uses the set of ordered content items to generate the video stream representing video content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling fashion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a rotating fashion.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the video stream to an end-user device for presentation of the video content to an end-user.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a set of acts comprising:

using data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated:

using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein a character generator uses the set of ordered content items to generate the video stream representing video content.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling or rotating fashion.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more data storage units; and

program instructions, stored in the one or more data storage units, that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the system to perform a set of acts comprising:

using data associated with multiple sets of voting options to generate a set of ordered content items, wherein each content item of the set of ordered content items includes vote content of a respective set of the multiple sets of voting options, and wherein the set of ordered content items is used to generate a video stream representing video content; and

while the video stream is being generated:

using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set; and

based, at least in part, on the determination, modifying the set of ordered content items by (i) reordering a content item of the set of ordered content items relative to the other content items of the set of ordered content items or (ii) adding to the set of ordered content items a duplicate of a content item of the set of ordered content items, thereby causing the video content to be modified.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a scrolling or rotating fashion.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the video content presents the set of ordered content items in a repeated fashion.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the condition set comprises at least one condition from the group consisting of:

a first condition that at least a threshold amount of votes cast in connection with the one set of voting options have been tabulated;

a second condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount;

a third condition that a difference between an amount of votes tabulated for a first candidate of the one set of voting options and an amount of votes tabulated for a second candidate of the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a fourth condition that a first projected outcome of an election associated with the one set of voting options and a second projected outcome of the election differ by at least a threshold extent, wherein the first projected outcome of the election is determined before the second projected outcome of the election is determined;

a fifth condition that voter-turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at least a threshold amount;

a sixth condition that voter turnout associated with the one set of voting options is at most a threshold amount; and

a seventh condition that the one set of voting options is a subject of a threshold extent of social-media activity.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein using at least a portion of the data to make a determination that a status of one set of voting options of the multiple sets of voting options satisfies each condition in a condition set comprises making a determination that (i) an election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly close, (ii) the election associated with the one set of voting options is significantly lopsided, or (iii) an earlier projected outcome of the election associated with the one set of voting options was significantly inaccurate.

20. The system of claim 15 , the set of acts further comprising:

transmitting the video stream to an end-user device for presentation of the video content to an end-user.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE - REEL/FRAME 048783/0537 Recorded Sep 24, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: TRIBUNE BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 050473/0797 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2019
From: CHICAGOLAND TELEVISION NEWS, INC.; KPLR, INC.; KSTU, LLC; KSWB, LLC; KTLA, LLC; KTVI, LLC; KWGN, LLC; TRIBUNE BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC; TRIBUNE BROADCASTING DENVER, LLC; TRIBUNE BROADCASTING FORT SMITH, LLC; TRIBUNE ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, LLC; TRIBUNE MEDIA COMPANY; TRIBUNE TELEVISION NEW ORLEANS, INC.; WDAF LICENSE, INC.; WDCW, LLC; WGHP, LLC; WGN CONTINENTAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC; WHNT, LLC; WJW TELEVISION, LLC; WNEP, LLC; WPIX, LLC; WQAD, LLC; WREG, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050438/0004 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2019
From: TRIBUNE BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 048783/0537 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2018
From: COX, GARY WILSON
To: TRIBUNE BROADCASTING COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 045736/0543 →