Automated Television Broadcast

The purpose of this project was to provide a system that would generate a television traffic condition broadcast that was capable of running unattended. The system itself consisted of:

• Software which gathered data on traffic flow and incidents from a central data distribution server and display the information on a real-time map, controlled a large full matrix video switcher to interlace live video with maps and other messages.
• Converting SVGA video to NTSC
• Allowing for audio input from either pre-recorded messages or live microphone
• Transmission of the programming from the source to the broadcast tower through a combination of fiber optic and microwave transmission.

The software portion of this system was composed of two different applications written by our partners:

1. An incident entry interface- This application enabled operator's to enter traffic incidents into the system. These incidents were then encoded for location, direction, type, and anticipated duration in accordance with the Intelligent Transportation Information Systems (ITIS) standards. This encoded information was then passed on to the Data Distribution Server (DDS).
2. A map generation, camera switcher control application- This is the software that generated the views seen on the television broadcast. It gathered the incident and traffic flow information from the DDS and generated a map displaying the flow information as color coded roadways and the incidents as icons. Additionally a text explanation of the incidents was scrolled on the screen as well. MapViewer was capable of generating any number of map zoom levels (selected by the user) and displaying them sequentially. It was also possible for the user to intermix these views with live video feeds from traffic cameras located on the freeway system. These cameras and the order of display was selectable by an operator either at the application console or a remote location.

While this programming has subsequently been taken off the air, the software and hardware performed daily for over 2 years.