Automatic measurement of video parameters

• US 20040036773A1
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Project Giants, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Azinger, Frederick A., Whitling, Justin F., Engholm, Kathryn A., Janko, Bozidar
• Granted Patent: US 7,773,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2017/006 for television sound

Abstract

A system and method for automatic measurement of video parameters for a video sequence using a video processor that has a software waveform monitor implemented as an integral part of a video processing application run by the video processor. Each frame of the processed video sequence, either in realtime as processed by the video processor, in near realtime after storage by the video processor in a storage device, or in the background for each video sequence stored in the storage device, is analyzed against specified parameters for legalization and/or color balancing of the video sequence. The analysis results may be reported as a display in several forms—an error image map, an error log, a timeline graphic, etc. The analysis results may also be provided to the video processor for automatic correction of the video sequence when the specified parameters are not satisfied.

Claims

1. A system for automatic measurement of video parameters comprising:

a video processing environment having a digital processor for processing a sequence of video images from a storage device and for storing the sequence of video images after processing in the storage device; and

a software waveform monitor integrated into the video processing environment such that the sequence of video images is analyzed frame by frame according to specified parameters prior to output from the storage device to a distribution environment.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the software waveform monitor operates in realtime by analyzing the sequence of video images frame by frame after processing by the video processor prior to storage in the storage device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the software waveform monitor operates in near realtime on the sequence of video images in the storage device frame by frame after processing by the video processor.

4. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the software waveform monitor operates in the background independent of the video processor to assure that the sequence of video images in the storage device is analyzed and corrected frame by frame according to the specified parameters.

5. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the specified parameters define out-of-limits conditions for the sequence of video images.

6. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein the specified parameters define color unbalance between related sequences of video images.

7. A method of automatically monitoring a video sequence in a storage device by a video processor comprising the steps of:

evaluating video parameters for each frame of the video sequence against specified parameters prior to transmission to a distribution environment from the storage device; and

alerting an operator when the video sequence fails to satisfy the specified parameters.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the evaluating step occurs as the video sequence is output by the video processor prior to storing in the storage device.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the evaluating step occurs in near realtime on the video sequence stored in the storage device after processing by the video processor.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the evaluating step occurs in the background on each video sequence that is stored in the storage device to assure all video sequences satisfy the specified parameters.

11. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein the alerting step comprises providing a display for an operator of the video processor.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the display comprises one selected from the group consisting of an error image map, an error log, a timeline graphic and a defect report.

13. The method as recited in claim 7 further comprising the step of providing to the video processor control parameters as a result of the estimating step for automatically correcting the video sequence when the specified parameters are not satisfied.