Video abnormality detection

• US 20070242163A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harmonic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omneon Video Networks
• Inventors: Stevens, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/702
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to detect presence of undesirable video abnormalities during, for example, video ingest or playback. These undesirable characteristics may include an average picture level that is less than a preset threshold value, or static input, in which the content does not change over a significant number of frames. Detection of abnormalities results in an alarm to a system operator. Analysis and alarm may occur automatically during processing of video data streams. The same abnormalities may be detected during playback of the image data.

Claims

4-1. The method of claim 1 wherein the comparing, for pixels in an image frame, a luminance value for each of the pixels to a threshold luminance value to determine whether a luminance threshold condition is met for the frame is performed for all pixels in the image frame.

10. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

compare, for pixels in an image frame, a luminance value for each of the pixels to a threshold luminance value to determine whether a luminance threshold condition is met for the frame;

count a number of consecutive frames for which the luminance threshold condition is met;

compare the number of consecutive frames counted to a frame threshold value to determine whether a frame threshold condition is met; and

generate a human-observable condition if the frame threshold condition is met.

11. The article of claim 10 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to compare the luminance values, count the number of consecutive frames, compare the number of consecutive frames and generate the human-observable condition are executed during playback of the image frames.

12. The article of claim 10 wherein the instructions that cause the one or more processors to compare the luminance values, count the number of consecutive frames, compare the number of consecutive frames and generate the human-observable condition are executed during transfer of the image frames from a first storage medium to a second storage medium.

13. The article of claim 10 wherein the instructions that cause the processors to compare, for pixels in an image frame, the luminance value for each of the pixels to the threshold luminance value to determine whether a luminance threshold condition is met for the frame is performed for all pixels in the image frame.

14. The article of claim 10 wherein the luminance threshold value is user selectable.

15. The article of claim 14 wherein the threshold condition comprises the luminance value for a selected pixel being less than the luminance threshold value.

16. The article of claim 10 wherein the frame threshold value is user selectable.

17. The article of claim 10 wherein the frame threshold condition comprises the number of consecutive frames counted being greater than the frame threshold value.

18. The article of claim 10 wherein the human-observable condition comprises an electronic message.

19. A method comprising:

comparing, for pixels in an image frame, color values to corresponding color values of a time-adjacent image to determine whether a color threshold condition exists;

counting a number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists;

comparing the number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists to a frame change threshold value to determine whether a frame change condition is met;

generating a human-observable condition if the frame change condition is met.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein color values comprise luminance values and chroma values.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the color threshold condition comprises a predetermined number of pixels having a color difference between the color threshold value.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the color threshold value is user selectable.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the frame change threshold value is user selectable.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the human-observable condition comprises an electronic message.

25. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

compare, for pixels in an image frame, color values to corresponding color values of an adjacent image to determine whether a color-difference threshold condition exists;

count a number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists;

compare the number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists to a frame change threshold value to determine whether a frame change condition is met;

generate a human-observable condition if the frame change condition is met.

26. The article of claim 25 wherein color values comprise luminance values and chroma values.

27. The article of claim 25 wherein the color threshold condition comprises a predetermined number of pixels having a color difference between the color threshold value.

28. The article of claim 25 wherein the color threshold value is user selectable.

29. The article of claim 25 wherein the frame change threshold value is user selectable.

30. The article of claim 25 wherein the human-observable condition comprises an electronic message.

31. A system comprising:

a storage medium;

video processing circuitry including one or more processors to execute instructions including instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to automatically compare, for pixels in an image frame, a luminance value for each of the pixels to a threshold luminance value to determine whether a luminance threshold condition is met for the frame, to count a number of consecutive frames for which the luminance threshold condition is met, to compare the number of consecutive frames counted to a frame threshold value to determine whether a frame threshold condition is met, and to generate a human-observable condition if the frame threshold condition is met.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the human-observable condition comprises an electronic message.

33. A system comprising:

a storage medium;

video processing circuitry including one or more processors to execute instructions including instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to automatically compare, for pixels in an image frame, color values to corresponding color values of an adjacent image to determine whether a color threshold condition exists, count a number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists, compare the number of consecutive frames for which the color threshold condition exists to a frame change threshold value to determine whether a frame change condition is met, and generate a human-observable condition if the frame change condition is met.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the human-observable condition comprises an electronic message.