Capture of configuration and service provider data via OCR

• US 20080196075A1
• Filed: 02/14/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/113
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of obtaining information associated with a television access device used in a television reception system, wherein the method is carried out in a control device that does not have direct access to the configuration information of the access device involves directing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of one or more successive video frames containing at least one or more of the following: a service provider logo, a VOD channel accessible by the access device, a broadcast channel accessible by the access device, a program content stored on the access device, an access device model identifier, a MAC address, a software version and a system time on a display; receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame; processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) and pattern matching to extract information from the video frame; and storing the extracted information to a configuration database in the control device. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining information associated with a television access device used in a television reception system, wherein the method is carried out in a control device that does not have direct access to the configuration information of the access device, comprising:

directing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of one or more successive video frames containing at least one or more of the following;

a service provider logo, a VOD channel accessible by the access device, a broadcast channel accessible by the access device, a program content stored on the access device, an access device model identifier, access device serial number, a display output configuration, a storage configuration, a MAC address, a software version and a system time on a display;

receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame;

processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) and pattern matching to extract information from the video frame; and

storing the extracted information to a configuration database in the control device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracted information identifies the service provider from at least one of the logo, VOD channel, broadcast channel, content identified as stored on the access device a hard disk drive, the access device model identifier, access device serial number, and the system time.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising templating display screens used by the access device based upon the information and extracting by OCR processing of data displayed in selected areas of the templates;

instructing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of a video frame of the metadata when displayed on a display;

receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame;

processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) to extract configuration information from the video frame; and

storing the extracted configuration information in a configuration database.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the configuration information from the configuration database to control the access device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the representation of the video frame comprises one of a compressed representation and a bitmapped representation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises sending one or more of the following to the access device:

menu display command, a guide display command, a system setup display command, a preferences display command, a installation display command, a diagnostics display command, a HDTV set-up command, and a factory defaults display command.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the directing comprises transmitting a menu command to the access device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises positioning a cursor and sending a “

Select”

command over an icon displayed on screen representing one or more of the following functions;

menu, display, system setup, preferences, installation, diagnostics, HDTV set-up, and factory defaults.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the video frame comprises processing a selected segment of the video frame using optical character recognition to extract the configuration information from the video frame.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the OCR process is enabled to detect special symbols in the video frames.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the special symbols include at least one of a right arrow symbol, a left arrow symbol, a up arrow symbol, a down arrow symbol, a locked symbol, a unlocked symbol, a star symbol, a half star symbol and a pay symbol.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the OCR process is augmented by pattern matching to detect special symbols in the video frames.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the special symbols include at least one of a right arrow symbol, a left arrow symbol, a up arrow symbol, a down arrow symbol, a locked symbol, a unlocked symbol, a star symbol, a half star symbol and a pay symbol.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the OCR and pattern matching process is enabled to identify colors indicative of a plurality of service providers.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the directing comprises issuing the following sequence of commands:

[GUIDE] to identify the system time and service provider, and a [MENU] [SYSTEM SETUP] to identify a model number of the access device and a software version number.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the commands are preceded by a plurality of [CANCEL] commands to assure exit from any menu hierarchy and establish a known state.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein one or more of the commands are made by producing a sequence of navigation commands followed by a [SELECT] command.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the directing is carried out by a trial and error process of commands known to invoke display of the program guide frame.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a process according to claim 1.

28. The method according to claim 19, wherein one or more of the commands are made by producing a sequence of navigation commands followed by a [SELECT] command.

20. A method of obtaining information associated with a television access device used in a television reception system, wherein the method is carried out in a control device that does not have direct access to the configuration information of the access device, comprising:

directing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of one or more successive video frames containing at least one or more of the following;

a service provider logo, a VOD channel accessible by the access device, a broadcast channel accessible by the access device, a program content stored on the access device, an access device model identifier, access device serial number, a display output configuration, a storage configuration, a MAC address, a software version and a system time on a display;

receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame, wherein the representation of the video frame comprises one of a compressed representation and a bitmapped representation;

processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) and pattern matching to extract information from the video frame, wherein the extracted information identifies the service provider from at least one of the logo, VOD channel, broadcast channel, content identified as stored on the access device a hard PVR, the access device model identifier, and the system time; and

storing the extracted information to a configuration database in the control device.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising templating display screens used by the access device based upon the information and extracting by OCR processing of data displayed in selected areas of the templates;

instructing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of a video frame of the metadata when displayed on a display;

receiving the signal and storing a representation of the video frame;

processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) to extract configuration information from the video frame; and

storing the extracted configuration information in a configuration database.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the instructing comprises sending one or more of the following to the access device:

menu display command, a guide display command, a system setup display command, a preferences display command, a installation display command, a diagnostics display command, a HDTV set-up command, and a factory defaults display command.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the instructing comprises positioning a cursor and sending a “

Select”

command over an icon displayed on screen representing one or more of the following functions;

menu, display, system setup, preferences, installation, diagnostics, HDTV set-up, and factory defaults.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein the OCR process is enabled to detect special symbols in the video frames.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein the OCR and pattern matching process is enabled to identify colors indicative of a plurality of service providers.

26. The method according to claim 20, wherein the directing comprises issuing the following sequence of commands:

[GUIDE] to identify the system time and service provider, and a [MENU] [SYSTEM SETUP] to identify a model number of the access device and a software version number.

27. The method according to claim 20, wherein the commands are preceded by a plurality of [CANCEL] commands to assure exit from any menu hierarchy and establish a known state.

29. The method according to claim 20, wherein the directing is carried out by a trial and error process of commands known to invoke display of the program guide frame.

30. A control device for obtaining information associated with a television access device used in a television reception system, wherein the control device does not have direct access to the configuration information of the access device, comprising:

a command transmitter that sends commands directing the access device to generate and communicate a signal to the control device suitable for driving a display, wherein the signal contains a visual representation of one or more successive video frames containing at least one or more of the following;

a service provider logo, a VOD channel accessible by the access device, a broadcast channel accessible by the access device, a program content stored on the access device, an access device model identifier, a MAC address, a software version and a system time on a display;

a receiver that receives the signal;

a frame store that stores a representation of the video frame;

means for processing the video frame using optical character recognition (OCR) and pattern matching to extract information from the video frame; and

means for storing the extracted information to a configuration database in the control device.

31. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the extracted information identifies the service provider from at least one of the logo, VOD channel, broadcast channel, content identified as stored on the access device a hard PVR, the access device model identifier, and the system time.

32. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the transmitter further uses the configuration information from the configuration database to control the access device.

33. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the transmitter sends one or more of the following to the access device:

menu display command, a guide display command, a system setup display command, a preferences display command, a installation display command, a diagnostics display command, a HDTV set-up command, and a factory defaults display command.

34. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the transmitter transmits a menu command to the access device.

35. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the OCR and pattern matching process is enabled to identify colors indicative of a plurality of service providers.

36. The control device according to claim 30, wherein the directing comprises issuing the following sequence of commands:

[GUIDE] to identify the system time and service provider, and a [MENU] [SYSTEM SETUP] to identify a model number of the access device and a software version number.

37. The control device according to claim 36, wherein the commands are preceded by a plurality of [CANCEL] commands to assure exit from any menu hierarchy and establish a known state.

38. The control device according to claim 36, wherein one or more of the commands are made by producing a sequence of navigation commands followed by a [select] command.

39. The control device according to claim 36, wherein the directing is carried out by a trial and error process of commands known to invoke display of the program guide frame.

40. The method according to claim 30 wherein the instructing comprises positioning a cursor and sending a “

Select”

command over an icon displayed on screen representing one or more of the following functions;

menu, display, system setup, preferences, installation, diagnostics, HDTV set-up, and factory defaults.