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Description  |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a program production and transmission
apparatus which is suitable for application in a news program production
and transmission apparatus for producing and transmitting a news program,
for example, in a press department of a television broadcasting station.
BACKGROUND ART
A news program in television broadcasting is required to rapidly and
correctly communicate to the audience miscellaneous news sources which may
have been collected at respective branch offices of a broadcasting
station, branch sections, clubs, and so on.
For the production of an actual news program, news sources must be
efficiently collected in respective branch offices, branch sections, clubs
or the like, after a news collection therefor is scheduled in a press
department, in order to smoothly edit the collected news sources and
broadcast the edited news program within a limited time frame of
broadcasting time allocated therefor.
The press department, when producing a news program, involves an editing
operation for news sources which includes the creation of a telop and a
caption to be superimposed on a screen on which a video image recorded by
the news collection is displayed. A news program produced in this way is
transmitted on the air in accordance with a cue sheet which indicates the
contents of the program, times at which respective items composing the
program are to be broadcast, and so on. The cue sheet on which the
broadcasting information for the program is written is also created in the
press department based on a broadcasting schedule determined in the
broadcasting station.
The press department also preserves and manages materials used in broadcast
programs thus produced, using a VTR (Video Tape Recorder) or the like, in
order to record such materials as program documents or source materials.
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
News sources collected at branch offices, branch sections, and clubs are
sent to the press department through telephone conversations and facsimile
transmissions using telephone lines for producing a news program.
Similarly, schedules for news reporters, situations of required equipment,
and so on for collecting news sources are also communicated through
telephone lines.
In this event, the information communications through telephone lines have
a problem that they are likely to fail to correctly transmit information
necessary to production and transmission to a party requiring the
information, thus causing a reduction in efficiency of program production.
Also, in a broadcasting station, a section in which a cue sheet is created,
a section in which program components are edited in accordance with the
cue sheet, and a section in which a produced program is transmitted are in
almost all cases located away from each other in a press department. In
this situation, communications of information between these sections for
creation of a cue sheet, editing of program components based on the cue
sheet, or transmission of an actually produced program in accordance with
the cue sheet are made through verbal messages, telephone communications,
delivery by hand of memorandum, and so on.
In this event, for example, if a program component must be changed due to a
collected urgent news while a news program is on the air in the press
department, it is necessary to immediately switch the broadcast program.
However, the information communications through verbal messages, delivery
by hand of memorandum, and so on may fail to rapidly communication
required information or fail to correctly communicate information to a
party who requires it, as is the case of the above-mentioned program
production, thus causing a problem that the working efficiency is reduced
during the production of the program and the transmission of the program.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing problems, and
is intended to propose a program production and transmission apparatus
which is capable of reliably and rapidly communicating and processing
information required for production and transmission of programs.
To solve the problems mentioned above, the present invention provides a
program production and transmission apparatus for creating a plurality of
materials constituting a program and sequentially transmitting the
materials based on a program progress table for indicating the progress of
the program, which comprises program production supporting means for
creating production information including a schedule for creating the
materials and program component information indicative of respective
components in the program, transmission equipment controlling means for
creating the program progress table from the program component information
created by the program production supporting means, and for transmitting
the materials based on the program progress table, material creation
managing means for recording the materials transmitted from the
transmission equipment controlling means, and for editing the respective
recorded materials, storing means for storing data other than the
materials, and network means for connecting the program production
supporting means, the transmission equipment controlling means, the
material creation managing means, and the storing means, wherein means for
managing the transmission of all programs, and exterior supporting means
for transmitting production schedule information for creating the
production information to the program production supporting means are
connected to the network means.
The program production supporting means, the transmission equipment
controlling means, the material creation managing means, and the storing
means are interconnected through the network means, and the managing means
and the exterior supporting means are connected to the network means,
thereby making it possible to realize a program production and
transmission apparatus capable of efficiently executing creation of
program component information with production information produced based
on production schedule information, creation of a program progress table
formed based on the program component information, and processing for
editing and transmission based on the program progress table at timing as
required.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing object and features of the present invention will become more
apparent from the following description made in connection with the
accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a general configuration of a news
program production and transmission apparatus according to the present
invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of news collection
managing terminals in a news program production support section in the
news program production and transmission apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3(A) is an example of a program table screen displayed on respective
terminals constituting the news program production support section;
FIG. 3(B) is an example of a program component table screen displayed on
respective terminals constituting the news program production support
section;
FIG. 3(C) is an example of a cue sheet screen displayed on a terminal
constituting a transmission equipment control section;
FIG. 3(D) is an example of a news collection schedule table screen
displayed on respective terminals constituting the news program production
support section;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart representing a processing procedure for
automatically creating a news collection item in an annual regular event
column of a news collection schedule table;
FIG. 5 is an example of a screen in which a news collection item has been
registered as an annual regular event in an annual regular event column of
the news collection schedule table;
FIG. 6 is an example of a work schedule table screen displayed on a work
schedule input terminal in the news production support section;
FIG. 7 is an example of a work schedule table screen displayed on a work
schedule input terminal in the news production support section;
FIG. 8 is an example of a screen on which an equipment staff list is
displayed on the work schedule table screen displayed on the work schedule
input terminal in the news program production support section;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart representing a processing procedure for referencing
an equipment schedule table on a news collection decision table displayed
on a screen;
FIG. 10 is an example of a screen on which the equipment staff list is
displayed on the work schedule table screen displayed on the work schedule
input terminal in the news program production support section;
FIG. 11 is an example of an on-air manuscript input initial screen
displayed mainly on a desk terminal in the news program production support
section;
FIG. 12 is an example of an on-air manuscript input screen displayed mainly
on a desk terminal in the news program production support section;
FIG. 13 is an example of a screen related to overall information displayed
on a manuscript input screen;
FIG. 14 is a flow chart representing a processing procedure for creating an
on-air manuscript;
FIG. 15(A) is a diagram illustrating the structure of a program table;
FIG. 15(B) is a diagram illustrating the structure of a program component
table;
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program table displayed
on a screen;
FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
displayed on a screen;
FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of how a video icon is
inserted in a video column in a program component table displayed on a
screen;
FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
in which a video icon has been inserted in a video column;
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for automatically creating a program component table
from program data;
FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a desk
terminal;
FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating an example for setting prohibition of
input access from another terminal to an item on a program component
table;
FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
on which prohibition of input access from another terminal has been set
for a predetermined item;
FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for setting prohibition of input access from another
terminal for a predetermined item;
FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a certain item or
component on a program component table is simultaneously being edited on
two terminals;
FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
on which time fixation frames are displayed and over which a popup is
displayed for indicating remaining time periods within respective time
fixation frames;
FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart for displaying
time fixation frames on a program component table;
FIG. 28 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart for
calculating a remaining time period in a time fixation frame on a program
component table, and displaying on the screen whether or not a component
or an item can be inputted in the time fixation frame;
FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program table in which a
program has been specified for a partial rehearsal;
FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program table in which a
program subjected to a partial rehearsal is displayed in a program name;
FIG. 31 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display on a screen on
which a popup is displayed for setting a partial rehearsal on a program
component table;
FIG. 32 is a diagram illustrating a flow chart for specifying a program
subjected to a partial rehearsal on a program table;
FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating a flow chart for specifying a component
or an item subjected to a partial rehearsal on a program component table;
FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating a flow chart for specifying a component
or an item subjected to a partial rehearsal on a program component table;
FIG. 35 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
on which manual TAKE or automatic TAKE is displayed in a component
duration column of each component;
FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet on which manual
TAKE or automatic TAKE is displayed in a component duration column of each
component;
FIG. 37 illustrates an example of a program component table displayed on a
screen;
FIG. 38 is an example of a popup on which a component and an item to be set
in automatic operation mode have been specified for specifying a time;
FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating an example of the program component table
with the time specified in FIG. 38;
FIG. 40 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet comprising
components and items for which the automatic operation mode has been
specified;
FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart for specifying
the automatic operation mode;
FIG. 42 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
displayed on a screen;
FIG. 43 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which displayed
is a popup for selecting a material to be automatically started
irrespective of a program progress situation, together with a program
component table;
FIG. 44 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
on which a material to be automatically started has been selected;
FIG. 45 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet on which a
material to be automatically started has been selected;
FIG. 46 is an example of a flow chart representing a processing procedure
for setting a material to be automatically started;
FIG. 47 is a diagram illustrating an example of how the order of items
specified for NEXT items is changed on a cue sheet;
FIG. 48 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet for changing
the order of items specified for NEXT items using an item list;
FIG. 49 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet on which the
order of items specified for NEXT items have been changed using an item
list;
FIG. 50 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for changing the order of items specified for NEXT
items;
FIG. 51 is a diagram illustrating an example of a recording screen
displayed on an on-air server management terminal;
FIG. 52 is a diagram illustrating an example of a transmission screen
displayed on an on-air server management terminal;
FIG. 53 illustrates an example of a popup display for selecting a material
to be inputted to an on-air server;
FIG. 54 illustrates an example of a transmission screen on which a popup is
displayed for selecting a destination of a material on the transmission
screen;
FIG. 55 is a diagram illustrating details of a popup for selecting a
destination of a material on a transmission screen;
FIG. 56 is a diagram illustrating details of a popup on which a destination
of a material is displayed.
FIG. 57 is a diagram illustrating examples of status displays given on a
screen of a recording screen;
FIG. 58 illustrates an example of a popup displayed for stopping recording
a material or transmitting a material on a recording screen or a
transmission screen;
FIG. 59 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for recording a material on a recording screen;
FIG. 60 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for recording a material on a recording screen;
FIG. 61 is a diagram illustrating details of the configuration of a news
material creation management section;
FIG. 62 illustrates examples of credit information displayed on a screen;
FIG. 63 is a flow chart representing a processing procedure for writing
credit information for recording when a material is recorded in an on-air
server;
FIG. 64 is a flow chart representing a processing procedure for writing
credit information for transmission when a material is transmitted from
the on-air server;
FIG. 65 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the news
material creation management section;
FIG. 66(A) is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed screen
structure for selecting a pool material from a recording screen;
FIG. 66(B) is a diagram illustrating a detailed structure of a popup
display for selecting a pool material;
FIG. 66(C) is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed screen
structure for selecting a general material from a recording screen;
FIG. 67 is a diagram illustrating an example of a detailed screen structure
of a material selection popup;
FIG. 68 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which a list of
pool materials recorded in a pool material region in the on-air server is
displayed on a program component table;
FIG. 69 is a diagram illustrating an example of a program component table
in which a pool material is inserted;
FIG. 70 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which a list of
pool materials recorded in a pool material region in the on-air server is
displayed on a cue sheet;
FIG. 71 is a diagram illustrating an example of a cue sheet screen on which
pool materials are inserted before and after each component;
FIG. 72 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
procedure for recording a pool material in a pool material region;
FIG. 73 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for newly inserting an additional pool material on a
program component table;
FIG. 74 is a diagram illustrating an example of a format on a tape in a
tape cassette for integrated materials recorded on the tape;
FIG. 75 is a diagram illustrating an example of an integration list
creating screen displayed on the on-air management terminal;
FIG. 76 is a diagram illustrating an example of a material selection popup
displayed by selecting a material list button on a program component
table;
FIG. 77 is a diagram illustrating an example of a material list displayed
on a screen;
FIG. 78 is a diagram illustrating an example of a list creating popup for
creating an integration list;
FIG. 79 is a diagram illustrating an example of an integration executing
popup display for executing an integration operation;
FIG. 80 is a diagram illustrating an example of a popup displayed for
executing printing of a created integration list;
FIG. 81 is a diagram illustrating an example of an integration list
displayed in a popup style;
FIG. 82 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for automatically creating an integration list; and
FIG. 83 is a diagram illustrating an example of a flow chart representing a
processing procedure for automatically executing an integration operation.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described with
reference to the drawings.
(1) News Program Production and Transmission Apparatus
(1-1) Description on General Configuration of News Program Production and
Transmission Apparatus 1 and Outline of Operations Thereof
Here, a news program production and transmission apparatus 1 will be
described in connection with a general configuration and an outline of its
operations.
First, a general configuration of the new program production and
transmission apparatus will be described.
FIG. 1 generally illustrates the news program production and transmission
apparatus 1. The news program production and transmission apparatus 1
mainly comprises a news program production support section 2; a news
material creation management section 3; and a transmission control section
5. The news program production support section 2, the news material
creation management section 3 and the transmission control section 5 are
interconnected through a network, respectively.
The news program production and transmission apparatus 1 is further
connected to a database server (DB server) 7 for preserving data required
for production of news programs and transmission of news programs, and
branch office/branch station/club terminals 6 located external to the
station through the network 8. Also, the news program production and
transmission apparatus 1 is interconnected to other systems such as a
master room for managing the broadcasting of the overall broadcasting
station, a CG (Computer Graphics) editor section 36A and so on through an
interface (a gateway 40 in FIG. 1).
Describing briefly the operation of the news program production and
transmission apparatus 1 in the foregoing configuration, in the news
program production support section 2, a work schedule is inputted for
employees dedicated to the production of news programs; a news collection
schedule is inputted; and press staff members who actually go out for
collecting news sources are assigned. They are charged with actually
photographing of materials (data including video and audio data), and so
on at news collecting locations. Inputted data and so on are stored in the
DB server 7. Photographed materials are once stored in the news program
material creation management section 3 and edited to be materials actually
usable in news programs. In addition, the news program production support
section 2 creates a table for indicating components of a program, referred
to as a program component table. Materials edited in the news material
creation management section 3 are transferred to the transmission control
equipment section 5 which creates a table for indicating program
components, on-air times of respective items, and so on, referred to as a
cue sheet, based on the program component table created in the program
production support section 2. Based on the cue sheet, a material is
actually transmitted from the transmission control section 5 to the
outside when a predetermined time is reached.
Now, the respective sections in the news program production and
transmission apparatus 1 described above will be described in detail with
reference to FIG. 1.
Description is first made on the news program production support section 2.
The news program production support section 2 comprises a work schedule
input terminal 10, a news collection management terminal 11 and a desk
terminal 18.
The work schedule input terminal 10 inputs in a work schedule table a work
schedule for news collection staff who actually goes out for news
collection. For example, the work schedule table is created by inputting
working days, working hours and so on for each member, and stored in the
DB server 7. Since the work schedule table for the news collection staff
is stored in the DB server 7, the work schedule table can be seen from
every section connected thereto through the network 8, thereby making it
possible to verify working situations of the news collection staff. An
example of the work schedule table is illustrated in FIG. 47. In FIG. 47,
task distributions in a news collection activity and a working situation
on a working day are displayed for each employee in charge (each news
collection member). Details will be described later.
The news collection management terminal 11 is a terminal for creating
information related to news collection management such as news collection
planning and assignment of news collection staff. As illustrated in FIG.
2, the news collection management terminal 11 comprises a device schedule
terminal 11A, a news collection schedule terminal 11B and a news
collection staff terminal 11C. The device schedule terminal 11A is a
terminal for inputting broadcasting devices required when news sources are
collected. The news collection schedule terminal 11B is a terminal for
inputting news collection items, contents of news collection and so on for
planning news collection. The news collection staff terminal 11C is a
terminal for assigning members to each news collection item as news
collection staff. Specifically, in a table referred to as a news
collection decision table stored in the DB server 7, broadcasting devices
required during news collection activities are inputted from the device
schedule terminal 11A; news collection items, contents of news collection
and so on are inputted from the news collection schedule terminal 11B, and
who is assigned to news collection staff is inputted from the news
collection staff terminal 11C. An example is illustrated in FIG. 3(A). In
FIG. 3(A), a news collection decision table comprises, for each news
collection item, the contents of the news collection, a news collecting
location, time at which the staff leave the press department HB for the
news collection and time at which the staff returns to the press
department HB (departure time at a news program broadcasting station and
return time at the news program broadcasting station), and news collection
time at news collecting location, as well as various items including an
assigned reporter, an assigned cameraman, VE, illumination, part-time
worker and broadcasting devices used for the news collection, for
assigning staff for each news collection. These items are inputted to the
news collection decision table from the device schedule terminal 11A, the
news collection schedule terminal 11B, and the news staff terminal 11C.
The news collection decision table with inputted items is stored again in
the DB server 7, so that inputs can be made from the respective terminals
as required. The news collection decision table will be described later in
detail.
The desk terminal 18 is a terminal for creating a program component table
for indicating components of a news program which is actually broadcast.
The program component table refers to a table listing components of each
program for indicating at which time which material is broadcast, with
respect to each program. An example is illustrated in FIG. 3(B). As
illustrated in FIG. 3(B), the program component table is composed of
Broadcasting Start Time 98, Broadcasting Duration 99, and so on of each
item corresponding to each Item Name 96 of an item to be broadcast, and
the program component table is created by inputting necessary information
to the respective items from the desk terminal 18. Incidentally, while the
program component table may be automatically created based on a program
table inputted from the master room 36B or the like through the gateway 40
and the network 8, details on the automatic creation of a program
component table and the program component table will be described later.
As described above, work schedules are inputted from the work schedule
input terminal 10 in the news program production support section 2 to
create a work schedule table for each staff member. News collection
schedules and news collection staff members are inputted from the news
collection management terminal 11 to create a news collection decision
table which is based on to actually perform news collection. Then,
actually collected materials (data including video data and audio data)
are once recorded by the news material creation management section 3 in
the news program production and transmission apparatus 1, and then edited
to create materials for transmission.
The news material creation management section 3 comprises, as illustrated
in FIG. 1, a linear editor 20, a VTR 21, an on-air server unit 22, a
server control terminal 23, an equipment control unit 24, an on-air server
management terminal 25, a non-linear editor 26 and a library 28.
The linear editor 20, VTR 21, and non-linear editor 26 constitute editing
apparatus for editing recorded materials. In the linear editor 20,
materials recorded on a tape medium such as a video tape or the like is
edited. Edited materials are outputted to the VTR 21. The non-linear
editor 26 edits recorded materials using a randomly accessible recording
medium without taking into account the order of the recorded materials,
and outputs the edited data.
The data edited by the VTR 21 and the non-linear editor 26 is stored in the
on-air server unit 22.
The on-air server unit 22 comprises randomly accessible recording media,
and comprises, for example, a plurality of hard disk drives. The on-air
server unit 22 has a plurality of input/output ports, though not shown, so
that a plurality of inputs, for example, data outputted from the
non-linear editor 26 and data outputted from the VTR 21, can be
simultaneously inputted. It is further possible to output data from a
plurality of output ports while data are being inputted thereto.
The control for the foregoing data input/output in the on-air server unit
22 is performed by an on-air server controller terminal 9 which is
connected through the equipment control unit 24 and the server control
unit 23 as well as through a network B.
The equipment control unit 24 controls the plurality of input/output ports
to switch which input or output port is used in response to an instruction
from the server control terminal. The server control terminal 23 controls
which of the input/output ports of the on-air server unit 22 is used for
an inputted or outputted material, and so on based on control data from
the higher ranked on-air server controller terminal 9.
The on-air server management terminal 25, for managing the on-air server
unit 22, instructs to input or output materials to the on-air server unit
22, and instructs to output stored data from the on-air server unit 22 in
a transmission time order. These instruction data are outputted to the
on-air server controller terminal 9 to control the on-air server unit 22
through the server control terminal 23 and the equipment control unit 24.
The on-air server management terminal 25 also issues an instruction for
deleting a material stored in the on-air server unit 22. The on-air server
unit 22 is controlled similarly in this case to delete a specified
material therefrom. Materials integrated in the transmission time order
and outputted from the on-air server unit 22 are delivered to the library
28. The library 28 comprises a plurality of tape cassettes, not shown, and
a plurality of VTRs such that materials outputted from the on-air server
unit 22 are recorded on a tape cassette by the VTR to deposit the
materials. Materials for broadcasting transmission sent from the on-air
server in response to an instruction of the on-air server management
terminal 25 or the like are outputted to the transmission equipment
control unit 5.
The transmission equipment control unit 5 comprises a switcher/mixer 30; a
transmission equipment control terminal 31; an equipment control unit 32;
a clock 33; a sub-input terminal 34; a VTR 35; a transmitter 37; a camera
38; a cue sheet terminal 39; and a trigger 55.
The switcher/mixer 30 receives materials for broadcasting transmission sent
from the news material creation management unit 3; materials sent from the
VTR 35; materials sent from the camera 38; and CG (computer graphics) sent
from the transmitter 37 to select which of inputted materials is
outputted. The output is controlled by the equipment control unit 32 and
the transmission equipment control terminal 31. The equipment control unit
32 and the transmission equipment control terminal 31 will be described
later.
A program component table, in turn, is created on the desk terminal 18 in
the news program production support section 2, and a program progress
table referred to as a cue sheet is automatically created on the
transmission equipment control terminal 31 in the transmission equipment
control section 5 based on the created program component table. Then, the
equipment control unit 32 transmits on the air materials stored in the
on-air server 22 and so on based on this cue sheet as a transmission time
is reached.
This cue sheet refers to a program progress table for indicating which is
broadcast when with which program components within a duration allocated
to the broadcasting. An example is illustrated in FIG. 3(C). Although
details are described later, a broadcasting duration, video, audio, and so
on are comprised in each item name, as illustrated in the drawing. Thus,
in an actual news program, broadcasting materials are sequentially
transmitted in accordance with this cue sheet. For reference, this cue
sheet is displayed on the cue sheet terminal 39.
The VTR 35 is a VTR for urgent measures. A news collection tape brought by
urgent news collection is loaded in this VTR 35 such that materials, wh | | |
