Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for using caller data to electronically disseminate a message. In one aspect, a method involves (i) a phone switch receiving a phone call and corresponding caller data, (ii) the phone switch sending to a record manager, the caller data, (iii) the record manager receiving the sent caller data, and (iv) responsive to the record manager receiving the sent caller data, the record manager (a) retrieving from a data storage, a school identifier corresponding to the received caller data, and (b) causing a notification system to electronically disseminate a message, wherein the message indicates that an updated operational-status of a school identified by the retrieved school identifier is expected soon.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method involves (i) selecting a log-entry, wherein the log entry corresponds to a streaming-video source; (ii) causing streaming video to start being channeled from the streaming-video source to an air-chain system; (iii) making a determination that the log-entry includes a special identifier; (iv) responsive to making the determination, causing a recording device to start recording the streaming video; (v) causing a set of commercial VCs to be sent to the air-chain system; (vi) causing the recording device to stop recording the streaming video; (vii) determining a beginning and an ending position of at least two show-segment VCs included in the recorded video, wherein the at least two show-segments are separated by a commercial break; and (viii) for each of the show-segment VCs included in the recorded video, assigning a corresponding segment identifier and the corresponding determined beginning and ending positions to the recorded video.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for generating a video clip and associated closed-captioning (CC) data. An example method involves accessing a first video clip demarcated into frames; accessing CC data demarcated into CC blocks, identifying a starting frame from among the frames; determining a first set of frames that are within a range of the starting frame; determining a first set of CC blocks that correlate to the first set of frames; receiving a selection of a starting position from among the first set of CC blocks; identifying an ending frame among the frames; using the ending frame to identify an ending position; and generating a second video clip and associated CC data, wherein the second video clip includes the frames spanning from the starting frame to the ending frame, and wherein the generated CC data includes the CC blocks spanning from the starting position to the ending position.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for identifying a scene-change/non-scene-change transition between frames. One embodiment takes the form of a method including receiving a first frame of video; defining a first region of the first frame, wherein the first region is associated with a first plurality of pixels of the first frame; receiving a second frame of video; defining a second region of the second frame, wherein the second region is associated with a second plurality of pixels of the second frame; using (i) a first plurality of luma values associated with the first plurality of pixels and (ii) a second plurality of luma values associated with the second plurality of pixels, as a basis to identify the pair of the first and second frames as having a particular scene-change/non-scene-change attribute; and storing in a memory an indication that the pair of the first and second frames has the identified attribute.

Abstract: An example method involves: (i) accessing data representing a news program schedule that specifies a sequence of events to be carried out using a news production system, wherein the schedule is divided into contiguous portions; (ii) for each portion: determining that m media servers are sufficient to execute any events of that portion and associated with a first device, allocating m media servers to the first device, thereby leaving one or more unallocated media servers, and allocating n media servers, from the unallocated media servers, to a second device; and (iii) for each of the contiguous portions, utilizing at least a portion of the allocated m media servers to carry out the events specified in that portion and associated with the first device and utilizing at least a portion of the allocated n media servers to carry out the events specified in that portion and associated with the second device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for electronically tagging a video component (VC) in a video package. One example method includes the steps of: (i) receiving a video package; (ii) identifying a position of each of multiple video sections (VS) in the received video package; (iii) identifying a type of at least a portion of the VSs having identified positions, wherein at least one VS is identified as having a show-segment VC type; (iv) determining a total duration of the VSs identified as having a show-segment VC type; (v) determining a total count of the VSs identified as having a show-segment VC type; (vi) responsive to determining that the determined total duration is within a threshold range of a predetermined duration, associating tagging data with the received video package, wherein the tagging data indicates the position and type of each VS identified as having a show-segment VC type.

Abstract: In one aspect, an example method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up video-broadcast system involves: a computing device receiving a first video-stream that represents first video-content; the computing device generating a first signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of black-frame/non-black-frame transitions included within the first video-content; the computing device receiving a second video-stream that represents second video-content; the computing device generating a second signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of black-frame/non-black-frame transitions included within the second video-content; the computing device making a determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack a threshold extent of similarity; and responsive to the determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack the threshold extent of similarity, the computing device outputting an alert.

Abstract: An example news production system includes a scheduling system, a composite display with multiple display panels, and a driver and a controller for the composite display. The controller receives data from the scheduling system. The controller then identifies a digital video effect to be run by the driver. The digital video effect involves the driver using an input video stream, at least in part, to generate output video streams for the display panels. In response, the controller prompts a user for an input, and then receives a timing signal based on a user input. In response to receiving the timing signal, the controller causes a video feed network to route the input video stream to the driver and causes the driver to run the digital video effect using the input video stream to thereby generate video streams to the composite display.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for enabling functionality of a trigger mechanism based on log entries in a traffic log. An example method involves (i) accessing a stored traffic log, wherein the log includes multiple ordered log entries including a first log-entry and a second log-entry; (ii) making a first determination that the first log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) of a live show, wherein the first log-entry further corresponds to a broadcast time-period; (iii) making a second determination that the second log-entry is positioned immediately after the first log-entry; (iv) making a third determination that the second log-entry corresponds to a manual start-time type; and (v) responsive to making the three determinations, enabling functionality of a trigger mechanism during the broadcast time-period, wherein the enabled trigger mechanism is configured to cause processing of a next log entry in the log in response to being triggered.

Abstract: A method and system to facilitate identifying and recording capture location of recorded video. A computing system determines multiple locations where a first wireless communication module and second wireless communication module have lost wireless connectivity with each other, as possible locations where a video camera may be used to capture video. The computing system then outputs, for presentation to the videographer or another user, a location-selection prompt that specifies the multiple determined locations as candidate capture-locations for a video that was captured by the video camera. Further, the computing system receives, in response to the location-selection prompt, data that represents a user selection of one of the specified locations. The computing system then records the selected location as capture-location metadata for the video, such as capture-location data integrated with the video or in a database relationship with the video.

Abstract: A method and system to facilitate identifying and recording capture location of recorded video. A computing system determines multiple locations where a video camera has been substantially stationary over time, such as by tracking location of the video camera itself or by evaluating where supplemental device carried with the video camera has been substantially stationary over time. The computing system then outputs, for presentation to the videographer or another user, a location-selection prompt that specifies the multiple determined locations as candidate capture-locations for a video that was captured by the video camera. Further, the computing system receives, in response to the location-selection prompt, data that represents a user selection of one of the specified locations. The computing system then records the selected location as capture-location metadata for the video, such as capture-location data integrated with the video or in a database relationship with the video.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for causing a stunt switcher to run a snipe-overlay video effect (DVE). An example method involves (i) selecting a first log-entry from a traffic log, the first log-entry corresponding to a snipe-overlay DVE, to a snipe video, and to a start time; (ii) selecting a second log-entry from the traffic log, the second log-entry corresponding 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 (a) causing the snipe video to be sent to the stunt switcher, and (b) causing the stunt switcher to run the snipe-overlay DVE, thereby overlaying the snipe video on the VC as the VC is being channeled through the stunt switcher.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for processing a traffic log having an optional-promotion log entry. An example method involves (i) accessing a stored television-broadcasting traffic log, wherein the traffic log includes multiple ordered log entries including at least a first log-entry and a second log-entry; (ii) making a first determination that the first log-entry corresponds to a show-segment video-component (VC) of a live news program; (iii) making a second determination that the second log-entry corresponds to an initial show-segment VC of a show, wherein the show is scheduled to follow the live news program; (iv) identifying, among log entries scheduled between the first log-entry and the second log-entry, a set of optional-promotion log entries, each such optional-promotional log entry having a duration; (v) determining a cumulative duration of the optional-promotion log entries in the identified set; and (vi) providing the determined cumulative-duration to an output device for presentation.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for determining a time period remaining until a live production system changes states. An example method involves accessing a stored television-broadcasting traffic log; making a first determination that a log-entry A in the traffic log does not correspond to a live-production source; making a second determination that a log-entry B in the traffic log is the next log entry after the log-entry A to correspond to a live-production source; making a third determination that the log-entry B includes a start-time B; responsive to making the first, second, and third determinations, proximate a current time that is on or after a start-time A corresponding to the log-entry A and that is before the start-time B, determining a time period as a difference between the current time and the start-time B; and providing the determined time-period to an output device for presentation proximate the current time.

Abstract: An example news production system includes a scheduling system, a composite display, and a camera. The scheduling system accesses a news program schedule that specifies a sequence of actions to be performed by the news production system. The scheduling system reads entries from the news program schedule, identifies actions associated with each, and sends signals to cause the actions to be performed. The news production system may cause the composite display to render video content in accordance with a specified layout. A camera can capture video of a field of view that includes at least a portion of the composite display while the specified video content is rendered thereon. The news production system may also cause an output video stream to be based, at least in part, on the captured video.

Abstract: An example news production system includes a scheduling system, a composite display with multiple display panels, and a driver and a controller for the composite display. The controller receives data from the scheduling system. The controller then identifies a digital video effect to be run by the driver. The digital video effect involves the driver using an input video stream, at least in part, to generate output video streams for the display panels. In response, the controller prompts a user for an input, and then receives a timing signal based on a user input. In response to receiving the timing signal, the controller causes a video feed network to route the input video stream to the driver and causes the driver to run the digital video effect using the input video stream to thereby generate video streams to the composite display.

Abstract: Presently described are systems and methods for identifying a mute/sound attribute of an audio sample set having first-channel samples and second-channel samples. An embodiment takes the form of a method that includes: (i) receiving the audio sample set; (ii) for each first-channel sample, determining a first max amplitude and a first min amplitude; (iii) calculating a first span based on a first function of the first max amplitude and the first min amplitude; (iv) for each second-channel sample, determining a second max amplitude and a second min amplitude; (v) calculating a second span based on a function of the second max amplitude and the second min amplitude; and (vi) identifying the audio sample set as having a sound attribute if both the first span and the second span are greater than a min-volume threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods for using caller data to add a phone number to an outbound-call list. In one aspect, a method involves (i) a device receiving caller data corresponding to a phone call sent by a phone switch to a phone terminal; (ii) retrieving a school record corresponding to the received caller data; (iii) making a determination that the school record is associated with a type of operational status; and (iv) responsive to making the determination that the school record is associated with the type of operational status, setting an operational mode of the phone switch, wherein in the operational mode, the phone switch refrains from sending any phone calls to the phone terminal.

Abstract: An example news production system includes a scheduling system, a composite display, and a camera. The scheduling system accesses a news program schedule that specifies a sequence of actions to be performed by the news production system. The scheduling system reads entries from the news program schedule, identifies actions associated with each, and sends signals to cause the actions to be performed. The news production system may cause the composite display to render video content in accordance with a specified layout. A camera can capture video of a field of view that includes at least a portion of the composite display while the specified video content is rendered thereon. The news production system may also cause an output video stream to be based, at least in part, on the captured video.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method involves (i) accessing data representing a traffic schedule for a television broadcast; (ii) selecting a record from the traffic schedule, wherein the record identifies a video source; (iii) determining a type of the identified video source; (iv) using the determined type of the identified video source as a basis to select a DVE; and (v) causing a computing device to run the selected DVE, wherein running the selected DVE causes the computing device to generate a modified version of an input video stream received from the identified video source.