System and method of automated testing of a compressed digital broadcast video network

• US 6,411,623 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1998
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeGollado, Leonard, Lee, Leung P., Zetts, John Mark, Kuhn, Karl J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): VANDERPUYE, KENNETH N
• Application Number:
  US09/221,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/486, 370/242, 370/247, 370/251, 370/252, 370/535, 370/352, 370/353, 370/354, 370/401, 370/241, 348/423.1, 348/180, 348/192, 348/194
• US Class Current: 370/395.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5618 Bridges, gateways [GW] or interworking units [IWU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64307 ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A switched, digital high-broadband network provides automated control and in-service and out-of-testing of analog video signals, encoded and decoded real time, into MPEG 2 digitized format with a high level of security and protection of content and without attendant degradation of the analog signal sometimes experienced in satellite transmissions. The switch network, typically an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network, has multiple gateways for connection to video signal sources and sinks. Each gateway includes an analog/digital video switch for receiving the video signals and distributing them to an MPEG 2 encoder for conversion into digital packets. A multiplexer is coupled to the encoder and a digital switch for inserting the multiplexed signal into the switched ATM network. The multiplexer and the digital switch encode destination address information into the digital packets to ensure proper routing. Each gateway further includes a de-multiplexer and MPEG 2 decoder connected to the digital switch for separating the digital packets from the ATM network into separate MPEG 2 streams subsequently decoded into analog video and returned to the video sinks. A command and control center is coupled to each gateway for remote testing of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint circuits; testing a switch circuit before and after the establishment of a connection to a customer; in service testing of MPEG 2 encoding content; detecting and isolating digital network problems, and off-line network testing and automating network utilization. The command and control center includes test executives which ensure the quality and availability of video traffic. The test executives run continuously run without manual intervention providing network operators with network status through user consoles.

Claims

1. A switched digital broadcast network having real-time encoding and decoding of video signals for multi-point routing in an ATM network and automated central control and testing of the video signals with a high level of security and protection of signal content, comprising:

a switch packet network having multiple gateways, each gateway receiving video signals in analog form from a plurality of video signal sources and comprising;

an analog/digital video switch coupled to an encoder for receiving and distributing the video signals in packet form;

a multiplexer coupled to the encoder for inserting the digital packets into the ATM network through a digital switch, the digital switch and multiplexer encoding destination address information into the digital packets to ensure proper routing;

a de-multiplexer and decoder coupled to the digital switch for receiving and separating the digital packets from the digital switch into individual video streams subsequently decoded into analog video for distribution to the video sinks through the analog/digital video switch; and

a network test manager including an in-service test executive, an out of service test executive, and a video feed monitor running continuously for automated central control of all aspect of network testing and monitoring of the video signals;

each of the test executives controllable from a manual test console.

2. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 1 further comprising an automated central command and control center coupled to the gateways for executing remote in service and out of service testing of the video signals to ensure the quality, availability and content of video traffic to the video sources and sinks.

3. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 1 further comprising:

a command and control center coupled to the ATM network and including test executives which ensure the quality and availability of video traffic.

4. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 wherein the test executives continuously run without manual intervention providing network operators with network status through user consoles.

5. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 further comprising:

a network test manager including an in-service test executive, an out of service test executive, and a video feed monitor running continuously to control all aspect of network testing and monitoring;

each of the test executives controllable from a manual test console.

6. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 further comprising:

a test controller for serializing access of the test executives to the network;

a connection manager interfacing with the out of service test executive to test new connections before being released to a subscriber; and

a resource manager maintaining a database of all network resources available to be used for future video connections.

7. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 wherein the test executives performing periodic in-service testing of active video feeds in a non-invasive, non-service affecting manner.

8. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 wherein the test executives automatically re-configuring network circuits to restore service to video feeds which fail in-service testing.

9. The switched digital broadcast network of claim 3 wherein the test executives update network resources and reservation databases as components of the network malfunction or undergo repair.

10. In a switched digital broadcast network, an in-service test executive comprising;

timing means for generating an in-service test interval for the network;

means for responding to an alarm monitor to determine the cause of the alarm within the test interval;

means for querying a list of all active connections in the network from a resource manager;

means for performing in-service testing of each connection and storing the results;

means for automatically reconfiguring the network for failed connections requesting a new connection for subscribers on a failed connection; and

means for checking the timing means to determine whether periodic in-service testing of the network connection should begin.

11. In a switched digital broadcast network, an out-of-service test executive comprising;

means for receiving out-of-service requests for network equipment testing;

means for determining whether the request is for testing equipment subsequent to a new installation or maintenance testing;

means for notifying network operator of network equipment failing out-of-service testing;

means for adding network equipment to the network for successfully passing out-of-service testing;

means for checking reservation for the network equipment successfully passing out-of-service testing; and

means for logging test results in an operator console.

12. In a switched digital broadcast network, a gateway comprising:

real-time encoding and decoding of video signals for multi-point routing through connections in an ATM network, an analog/digital video switch coupled to an encoder for receiving and distributing the video signals in packet form, a multiplexer coupled to an encoder for inserting the digital packets into the ATM network through a digital switch, a de-multiplexer and decoder coupled to the digital switch for receiving and separating the digital packets from the digital switch into individual video streams; and

an automated central control including test executives, a method of testing network connections using a test executive, comprising the steps of;

generating an in-service test interval for the network;

responding to an alarm monitor to determine the cause of the alarm;

querying a list of all active connections in the network from a resource manager;

performing in-service testing of each connection and storing the results;

automatically reconfiguring the network for failed connections or requesting a new connection for subscribers on a failed connection; and

checking the timing means to determine whether periodic in-service testing of the network connection should begin.

13. The method of claim 12 further using a test executive to perform out-of-service testing, comprising the steps of:

receiving out-of-service requests for network equipment testing;

determining whether the request is for testing equipment subsequent to a new installation or maintenance testing;

notifying network operator of network equipment;

failing out-of-service testing;

adding network equipment to the network for successfully passing out-of-service testing;

checking reservation for the network equipment successfully passing out-of-service testing; and

logging test results in an operator console.

14. The method of claim 12 further checking network resource commitments in a test executive, comprising the steps of:

examining all network resource reservations for a selected period;

determining if a resource to be removed from the network is dedicated to a reservation;

determining if another resource is available;

setting an overcommitted flag if another resource is not available;

updating reservation with new resource if new resource available.

15. The method of claim 12 further checking over committed reservations in a test executive, comprising the steps of:

determining if an overcommitted flag has been set;

clearing over committed flag;

determining if a reservation is viable;

checking a resource being returned satisfies a reservation waiting for a resource;

setting an overcommitted flag to ensure a reservation gets automatically updated when an awaited resource becomes available;

updating reservation waiting for a resource with new resource ID; and

notifying requester of new reservation.

16. The method of claim 12 further processing commands to a video feed monitor test executive, comprising the steps of:

decoding command;

determining to freeze or unfreeze a monitor display;

using a multipoint request to isolate connection quality problems by adding an unscheduled connection to monitor video feed directly;

creating an unscheduled request for a fixed Video Feed Monitor (VFM) when using a fixed connection and setting a fixed flag;

reverting to dynamic connections and breaking the fixed VFM connection, after which the fixed flag is rest;

creating a new processing thread to configure an extra waveform; and

removing a VFM resets an active flag and causing the VFM thread to end.

17. A medium, executable in a computer system, for testing network connections in a switched digital broadcast network using a test executive, comprising:

program instructions generating an in-service test interval for the network;

program instructions responding to an alarm monitor to determine the cause of the alarm;

program instructions querying a list of all active connections in the network from a resource manager;

program instructions performing in-service testing of each connection and storing the results;

program instructions automatically reconfiguring the network for failed connections or;

program instructions requesting a new connection for subscribers on a failed connection; and

program instructions checking the timing means to determine whether periodic in-service testing of the network connection should begin.

18. The medium of claim 17 further using a test executive to perform out-of-service testing, comprising:

program instructions receiving out-of-service requests for network equipment testing;

program instructions determining whether the request is for testing equipment subsequent to a new installation or maintenance testing;

program instructions notifying network operator of network equipment failing out-of-service testing;

program instructions adding network equipment to the network for successfully passing out-of-service testing;

program instructions checking reservation for the network equipment successfully passing out-of-service testing; and

program instructions logging test results in an operator console.

19. The medium of claim 17 further checking network resource commitments in a test executive, comprising:

program instructions examining all network resource reservations for a selected period;

program instructions determining if a resource to be removed from the network is dedicated to a reservation;

program instructions determining if another resource is available;

program instructions setting an over committed flag if another resource is not available; and

program instructions updating reservation with new resource if new resource available.

20. The medium of claim 17 further checking over committed reservations in a test executive, comprising:

program instructions determining if an over committed flag has been set;

program instructions clearing over committed flag;

program instructions determining if a reservation is viable;

program instructions checking a resource being returned satisfies a reservation waiting for a resource;

program instructions setting an over committed flag to ensure a reservation gets automatically updated when an awaited resource becomes available;

program instructions updating reservation waiting for a resource with new resource ID; and

program instructions notifying requester of new reservation.

21. The medium of claim 17 further processing commands to a video feed monitor test executive, comprising:

program instructions decoding a command;

program instructions determining to freeze or unfreeze a monitor display;

program instructions using a multipoint request to isolate connection quality problems by adding an unscheduled connection to monitor video feed directly;

program instructions creating an unscheduled request for a fixed Video Feed Monitor (VFM) when using a fixed connection and setting a fixed flag;

program instructions reverting to dynamic connections and breaking the fixed VFM connection, after which the fixed flag is rest;

program instructions creating a new processing thread to configure an extra waveform; and

program instructions removing a VFM resets an active flag and causing the VFM thread to end.