Media-broadcasting system with broadcast schedule simulation feature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762941-B1
Application number	US-201615135868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) accessing, by a computing system, a broadcast schedule, which indicates that a broadcast of a first media content item is scheduled to be followed by a broadcast of a second media content item, wherein the computing system can operate in a schedule mode or a breakout mode; (ii) switching from operating in the schedule mode to operating in the breakout mode; and (iii) while operating in the breakout mode: (a) simulating a broadcast of the first media content item; (b) making a determination that a particular signal is embedded in the first media content item; (c) responsive to making the determination, simulating a switch from broadcasting the first media content item to broadcasting the second media content item; (d) based on the simulated broadcast of the first and second media content items, generating a simulation log; and (e) presenting the generated log.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
accessing, by a computing system, a broadcast schedule, which indicates that a broadcast of a first media content item is scheduled to be followed by a broadcast of a second media content item, wherein the computing system is configured for operating in a schedule mode or a breakout mode, wherein when operating in the schedule mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item scheduled in the broadcast schedule, and wherein when operating in the breakout mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item that is not scheduled in the broadcast schedule;
switching, by the computing system, from operating in the schedule mode to operating in the breakout mode; and
while the computing system operates in the breakout mode:
simulating, by the computing system, a broadcast of the first media content item;
making, by the computing system, a determination that a particular signal is embedded in the first media content item;
responsive to making the determination, simulating, by the computing system, a switch from broadcasting the first media content item to broadcasting the second media content item;
based on the simulated broadcast of the first and second media content items, generating, by the computing system, a simulation log; and
presenting, by the computing system, the generated simulation log.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is a sequencing system component of a media-broadcasting system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second media content item is a commercial, and wherein the particular signal is a commercial roll signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the commercial roll signal is an audio tone.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the broadcast schedule indicates that the commercial is associated with a manual start-time type.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated simulation log identifies the first and second media content items.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the generated simulation log comprises displaying the generated simulation log.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, by the computing system, an item in the presented simulation log; and
while the computing system operates in the breakout mode:
performing, by the computing system, an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item associated with the selected item.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of acts comprising:
accessing, by a computing system, a broadcast schedule, which indicates that a broadcast of a first media content item is scheduled to be followed by a broadcast of a second media content item, wherein the computing system is configured for operating in a schedule mode or a breakout mode, wherein when operating in the schedule mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item scheduled in the broadcast schedule, and wherein when operating in the breakout mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item that is not scheduled in the broadcast schedule;
switching, by the computing system, from operating in the schedule mode to operating in the breakout mode; and
while the computing system operates in the breakout mode:
simulating, by the computing system, a broadcast of the first media content item;
making, by the computing system, a determination that a particular signal is embedded in the first media content item;
responsive to making the determination, simulating, by the computing system, a switch from broadcasting the first media content item to broadcasting the second media content item;
based on the simulated broadcast of the first and second media content items, generating, by the computing system, a simulation log; and
presenting, by the computing system, the generated simulation log.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computing system is a sequencing system component of a media-broadcasting system.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second media content item is a commercial, and wherein the particular signal is a commercial roll signal.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the commercial roll signal is an audio tone.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast schedule indicates that the commercial is associated with a manual start-time type.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the generated simulation log identifies the first and second media content items.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein presenting the generated simulation log comprises displaying the generated simulation log.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , the set of acts further comprising:
selecting, by the computing system, an item in the presented simulation log; and
while the computing system operates in the breakout mode:
performing, by the computing system, an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item associated with the selected item.

17. A computing system comprising:
a processor, and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that upon execution by the processor, cause performance of a set of acts comprising:
accessing, by the computing system, a broadcast schedule, which indicates that a broadcast of a first media content item is scheduled to be followed by a broadcast of a second media content item, wherein the computing system is configured for operating in a schedule mode or a breakout mode, wherein when operating in the schedule mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item scheduled in the broadcast schedule, and wherein when operating in the breakout mode, the computing system performs an act that facilitates broadcasting a media content item that is not scheduled in the broadcast schedule;
switching, by the computing system, from operating in the schedule mode to operating in the breakout mode; and
while the computing system operates in the breakout mode:
simulating, by the computing system, a broadcast of the first media content item;
making, by the computing system, a determination that a particular signal is embedded in the first media content item;
responsive to making the determination, simulating, by the computing system, a switch from broadcasting the first media content item to broadcasting the second media content item;
based on the simulated broadcast of the first and second media content items, generating, by the computing system, a simulation log; and
presenting, by the computing system, the generated simulation log.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the second media content item is a commercial, and wherein the particular signal is a commercial roll signal.

19. The computing system of claim 18 , wherein the commercial roll signal is an audio tone.

20. The computing system of claim 18 , wherein the broadcast schedule indicates that the commercial is associated with a manual start-time type.

Assignees

• Tribune Broadcasting Co Llc

Inventors

• Propst Scott Allan
• Lasher Dana A

Classifications

• H04N21/26258 Primary

  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 title

• H04N21/812

  involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02) · CPC title

• H04H20/10

  Arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or the distribution · CPC title

• H04N21/8456

  by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments · CPC title

• H04N21/2407

  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 title