Content distribution and encoder testing techniques

• US 10,021,462 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Keys, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US15/071,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/166 concerning the amount of transmission errors, e.g. bit error rate [BER]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43635 HDMI
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6106 specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64784 Data processing by the network data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

According to one configuration, to test an encoder resource, a user controls operation of both a mobile communication device and a corresponding video management device. For example, the user inputs a command to a test control application executing on the mobile communication device to test encoding of content by the encoder resource. In response to receiving the input command to test a target encoder resource, the test control application on the mobile communication device transmits video information from the mobile communication device to in the video management device. The video management device processes the video information received from the mobile communication device. Using the video information, the video management device derives and outputs a corresponding coded video stream to the encoder resource under test. As its name suggests, the encoder resource encodes the received video stream and transmits it over an assigned channel in a shared communication link.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input command at a mobile communication device, the input command inputted to test encoding of content by an encoder resource under test;

in response to receiving the input command at the mobile communication device, transmitting video information from the mobile communication device to video management circuitry over a first communication link, the video management circuitry operable to output an encoded video stream derived from the video information to the encoder resource under test, the encoder resource under test operable to convert the encoded video stream into encoded data transmitted from the encoder resource under test over an assigned channel of a second communication link, the encoded data including tag information indicating the encoder resource under test as a source from which the encoded data is transmitted; and

receiving feedback, the feedback generated by a monitor resource communicatively coupled to the second communication link, the monitor resource operable to produce the feedback based on receipt of the encoded data over the second communication link.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the video management circuitry is operable to:

selectively output the video stream;

i) in a first format from a first hardware interface of the video management circuitry, ii) in a second format from a second hardware interface of the video management circuitry, and iii) in a third format from a third hardware interface of the video management circuitry.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the assigned channel is one of multiple channels in the second communication link distributing corresponding content to subscribers in a network.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving the feedback from the monitor resource that monitors the second communication link.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising:

performing a comparison of video data in the feedback to the video information;

based on the comparison, producing a metric indicating a degree to which an encoded version of the video information is received at the monitor resource without errors.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

initiating playback of video data obtained from the feedback as moving images on a display screen.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

establishing the first communication link as a wireless communication link between the mobile communication device and the video management circuitry; and

transmitting the video information over the wireless communication link from the mobile communication device to the video management circuitry.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing connectivity between a selected port of multiple output ports of the video management circuitry to an input port of the encoder resource under test; and

transmitting the encoded video stream out of the selected port of the video management circuitry to the input port of the encoder resource under test.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the encoder resource under test transmits the encoded data over the assigned channel to test an ability of the encoder resource under test to produce the encoded data without errors.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein a technician operates the mobile communication device and the video management circuitry to test the encoder resource under test, the technician communicatively coupling a port of the video management circuitry to a port of the encoder resource under test, the video management circuitry outputting the video stream from the port of the video management circuitry to the port of the encoder resource under test.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:

performing a comparison of the encoded data in the feedback to the video information;

producing a metric indicating a degree to which the video information is received at the monitor resource without errors; and

initiating display of the metric.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the video management circuitry is operable to convey the video stream to the encoder resource under test in a selected format depending on which port of multiple ports of the video management circuitry is connected to the encoder resource under test.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein receiving the feedback includes:

receiving the feedback at the mobile communication device.

14. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing the feedback to determine a degree to which the monitor resource received the encoded data generated by the encoder resource under test without errors.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein receiving the feedback includes:

receiving the feedback at the mobile communication device.

16. The method as in claim 14, wherein utilizing the feedback includes:

implementing a decoder resource to decode the encoded data into decoded data for playback on a respective display screen of the mobile communication device; and

using the decoded data, initiating display of a rendition of content captured by the video information on the respective display screen.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein the tag information is a network address assigned to the encoder resource under test;

and

wherein the encoded data includes encoded data packets, each of the encoded data packets including the network address assigned to the encoder resource under test, presence of the network address in each of the encoded data packets indicating that the encoder resource under test transmitted the encoded data packets downstream over the second communication link.

18. A system comprising:

a mobile communication device;

video management circuitry;

the mobile communication device operable to receive an input command to test encoding of content by an encoder resource under test, the mobile communication device operable to provide video information to the video management circuitry over a first communication link in response to receiving the input command; and

the video management circuitry operable to output an encoded video stream derived from the video information to the encoder resource under test, the encoder resource under test operable to convert the encoded video stream into encoded data transmitted from the encoder resource under test over an assigned channel of a second communication link, the encoded data including tag information indicating the encoder resource as a source from which the encoded data is transmitted;

the mobile communication device operable to;

receive feedback, the feedback generated by a monitor resource communicatively coupled to the second communication link, the monitor resource operable to produce the feedback based on receipt of the encoded data over the second communication link; and

utilize the feedback to determine a degree to which the monitor resource received the encoded data generated by the encoder resource under test without errors.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein the encoder resource under test is operable to convert the received video stream into encoded data packets for transmission over the second communication link.

20. The system as in claim 18, wherein the mobile device receives the

feedback from the monitor resource, the feedback including encoded data packets;

the mobile communication device operable to implement a decoder resource to decode the encoded data packets for playback on a respective display screen.

21. The system as in claim 20, wherein each of the encoded data packets includes tag information indicating that the encoder resource under test transmitted the encoded data packets downstream over the second communication link.

22. The system as in claim 18, wherein the video management circuitry is operable to selectively output the encoded video stream:

i) in a first format from a first hardware interface of the video management circuitry, ii) in a second format from a second hardware interface of the video management circuitry, and iii) in a third format from a third hardware interface of the video management circuitry.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein the first format is an SDI (Serial Digital Interface) format;

wherein the second format is an HDMI (High Definition Media Interface) format; and

wherein the third format is an analog format.

24. The system as in claim 19, wherein the assigned channel is one of multiple channels in the second communication link.

25. The system as in claim 18, wherein the mobile communication device is further operable to:

perform a comparison of the feedback to the video information;

produce a metric indicating the degree to which a rendition of the video information is received at the monitor resource without errors.

26. The system as in claim 25, wherein a technician operates the mobile communication device and provides the video management circuitry to test the encoder resource under test, the mobile communication device controlling the video management circuitry.

27. The system as in claim 26,

wherein the assigned channel of the second communication link is allocated for use by a corresponding entity to inject video into the second communication link.

28. Computer-readable storage hardware having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when carried out by computer processor hardware, causes the computer processor hardware to:

receive input at a mobile communication device, the input generated to test encoding of content by an encoder resource under test;

in response to receiving the input, transmit video information from the mobile communication device to video management circuitry over a first communication link, the video management circuitry operable to output an encoded video stream derived from the video information to the encoder resource under test, the encoder resource under test operable to convert the encoded video stream into encoded data transmitted from the encoder resource under test over an assigned channel of a second communication link, the encoded data including tag information indicating the encoder resource under test as a source from which the encoded data is transmitted;

receive feedback at the mobile communication device, the feedback generated by a monitor resource communicatively coupled to the second communication link, the monitor resource operable to produce the feedback based on receipt of the encoded data over the second communication link; and

utilize the feedback to determine a degree to which the monitor resource received the encoded data generated be the encoder resource under test without errors.