Video-Production System With Social-Media Features

Abstract

In one aspect, a method includes (a) accessing, by a computing system, a social media (SM) platform, (b) selecting a SM content item published on the SM platform, (c) responsive to the selection, accessing a webpage of the SM platform, (d) detecting that the webpage contains a nested link object, (e) selecting the nested link object to display the hidden SM content item(s) on the webpage, (f) responsive to selecting the nested link object, evaluating the displayed hidden SM content item(s) on the webpage to determine whether the selected SM content item is displayed on the webpage, (g) repeating acts (d)-(f) until the computing system determines that the selected SM content item is displayed on the webpage, and (h) responsive to determining that the selected SM content item is displayed on the webpage, retrieving the selected SM content item via the webpage.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 selecting a publisher of social media (SM) content items on a SM platform;   periodically retrieving, from the SM platform, one or more SM content items published by the selected publisher;   storing each retrieved SM content item in a cache storage of a computing system;   selecting a SM content item on the SM platform to be integrated in a video program;   responsive to selecting the SM content item, determining that the selected SM content item is stored in the cache storage; and   using the selected SM content item stored in the cache storage to integrate the selected SM content item into the video program.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing each retrieved SM content item in the cache storage further comprises, for each of the retrieved SM content items:
 (1) receiving information corresponding to the SM content item;   (2) determining whether the SM content item was previously stored in the cache storage using the received information;   (3) responsive to determining that the SM content item was not previously stored in the cache storage, storing the SM content item in the cache storage.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the received information is a timestamp corresponding to the retrieved SM content item, and wherein determining whether the SM content item was previously stored in the cache storage comprises comparing the timestamp to timestamp information stored in the cache storage for previously retrieved SM content items. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 (a) periodically accessing a webpage corresponding to the selected publisher on the SM platform;   (b) detecting that the webpage contains a nested link object on the webpage, wherein the nested link object is selectable to display one or more hidden SM content items on the webpage;   (c) selecting the nested link object on the webpage to display the one or more hidden SM content items on the webpage;   (d) responsive to selecting the nested link object, the computing system retrieving the displayed one or more hidden SM content items on the webpage; and   (e) repeating acts (b)-(d).   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 using a set of rules to recursively search for, identify, select, and retrieve SM the one or more SM content items from a webpage associated with the selected publisher.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 accessing a webpage associated with the selected publisher; and   comprehensively identifying SM content items on the webpage associated with the publisher.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 generating a request for the one or more SM content items based on an account identifier corresponding to the selected publisher; and   transmitting the generated request to an application programming interface (API) associated with the SM platform.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 evaluating a program schedule for an upcoming video program; and   selecting the publisher from among a plurality of potential publishers based on the evaluation of the program schedule.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 determining a frequency with which the publisher's SM content items have been added to a database; and   selecting the publisher from multiple publishers based on the frequency.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 determining a particular event associated with a future broadcast; and   selecting a publisher that publishes SM content items associated with the particular event.   
     
     
         11 . A computing system comprising:
 a computer-readable medium that stores program instructions; and   one or more processors configured by the program instructions to perform operations comprising:
 selecting a publisher of social media (SM) content items on a SM platform; 
 periodically retrieving, from the SM platform, one or more SM content items published by the selected publisher; 
 storing each retrieved SM content item in a cache storage of a computing system; 
   selecting a SM content item on the SM platform to be integrated in a video program;   responsive to selecting the SM content item, determining that the selected SM content item is stored in the cache storage; and   using the selected SM content item stored in the cache storage to integrate the selected SM content item into the video program.   
     
     
         12 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein storing each retrieved SM content item in the cache storage further comprises, for each of the retrieved SM content items:
 (4) receiving information corresponding to the SM content item;   (5) determining whether the SM content item was previously stored in the cache storage using the received information;   (6) responsive to determining that the SM content item was not previously stored in the cache storage, storing the SM content item in the cache storage.   
     
     
         13 . The computing system of  claim 12 , wherein the received information is a timestamp corresponding to the retrieved SM content item, and wherein determining whether the SM content item was previously stored in the cache storage comprises comparing the timestamp to timestamp information stored in the cache storage for previously retrieved SM content items. 
     
     
         14 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 using a set of rules to recursively search for, identify, select, and retrieve SM the one or more SM content items from a webpage associated with the selected publisher.   
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 accessing a webpage associated with the selected publisher; and   comprehensively identifying SM content items on the webpage associated with the publisher.   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein periodically retrieving the one or more SM content items comprises:
 generating a request for the one or more SM content items based on an account identifier corresponding to the selected publisher; and   transmitting the generated request to an application programming interface (API) associated with the SM platform.   
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 evaluating a program schedule for an upcoming video program; and   selecting the publisher from among a plurality of potential publishers based on the evaluation of the program schedule.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 determining a frequency with which the publisher's SM content items have been added to a database; and   selecting the publisher from multiple publishers based on the frequency.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the publisher comprises:
 determining a particular event associated with a future broadcast; and   selecting a publisher that publishes SM content items associated with the particular event.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, program instructions that when executed by a processor, cause a computing system to perform a set of acts comprising:
 selecting a publisher of social media (SM) content items on a SM platform;   periodically retrieving, from the SM platform, one or more SM content items published by the selected publisher;   storing each retrieved SM content item in a cache storage of a computing system;   selecting a SM content item on the SM platform to be integrated in a video program;   responsive to selecting the SM content item, determining that the selected SM content item is stored in the cache storage; and   using the selected SM content item stored in the cache storage to integrate the selected SM content item into the video program.