Channel path display of a video network

• US 8,000,255 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Qian, Jie, Hunniecutt, Tim, Puthalapat, Govinda
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duong; Duc T
• Application Number:
  US11/860,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370/400, 370/401, 370/420, 370/421, 370/433, 370/437, 370/463, 709/226, 709/229, 715/719, 715/722, 715/733, 715/734, 715/738
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2852 Metropolitan area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A device may receive selection of a channel provided by a video network, determine equipment, of the video network, associated with the selected channel, determine status information of the associated equipment, determine port level details of the associated equipment, combine the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details into a path for the selected channel, and provide the selected channel path to a user.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, selection of a channel provided by a video network;

determining, by the computing device, equipment, of the video network, associated with the selected channel;

determining, by the computing device, status information of the associated equipment;

determining, by the computing device, port level details of the associated equipment;

combining, by the computing device, the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details into a path for the selected channel;

providing, by the computing device, the associated equipment for display; and

providing, by the computing device, the selected channel path for display, where the displayed selected channel path includes interconnections between the associated equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing for display status information related to the associated equipment;

providing for display identification information related to the associated equipment; and

providing for display port level details of the associated equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

highlighting connected ports of the displayed associated equipment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing for display an indicator that is based on a signal flow between the associated equipment.

5. The method of claim 4, where providing an indicator comprises:

providing color coding for connected ports of the displayed associated equipment, where the color coding is based on the signal flow.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling scrolling of the displayed selected channel path and the displayed associated equipment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a zoom operation to be performed on the displayed associated equipment, where the zoom operation causes connection details of the associated equipment to be displayed.

8. A device comprising:

a memory to store a database and a plurality of instructions; and

a processor to execute instructions in the memory to;

retrieve channel information and equipment information associated with a video network,

store the channel information and the equipment information in the database provided in the memory,

receive selection of a channel provided by the video network,

determine equipment, of the video network, associated with the selected channel and based on the channel information and the equipment information,

determine status information of the associated equipment based on the equipment information,

determine port level details of the associated equipment based on the equipment information,

combine the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details into a path for the selected channel, and

provide the selected channel path to a user.

9. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display the selected channel path.

10. The device of claim 8, where, when determining the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details, the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

query the channel information and the equipment information in the database.

11. The device of claim 8, where the video network comprises a television network.

12. The device of claim 11, where the television network comprises an interconnected super head end (SHE), a video hub office (VHO), and a video service office (VSO).

13. The device of claim 12, where the SHE, the VHO, and the VSO comprise a portion of the associated equipment.

14. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display the associated equipment; and

provide for display interconnections between the associated equipment that form the selected channel path.

15. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display status information related to the associated equipment;

provide for display identification information related to the associated equipment; and

provide for display port level details of the associated equipment.

16. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

highlight connected ports of the displayed associated equipment.

17. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display an indicator that is based on a signal flow between the associated equipment.

18. The device of claim 14, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide color coding for connected ports of the displayed associated equipment, where the color coding is based on a signal flow between the associated equipment.

19. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display the selected channel path and the associated equipment; and

enable scrolling of the displayed selected channel path and the displayed associated equipment.

20. The device of claim 8, where the processor is further to execute instructions in the memory to:

provide for display the selected channel path and the associated equipment; and

enable a zoom operation to be performed on the displayed associated equipment, where the zoom operation causes additional or fewer connection details of the associated equipment to be displayed.

21. One or more computer-readable memory devices storing instructions executable by one or more processors of a computing device, the one or more memory devices storing one or more instructions for:

receiving selection of a channel provided by a video network;

determining equipment, of the video network, associated with the selected channel;

determining status information of the associated equipment;

determining port level details of the associated equipment;

combining the associated equipment, the status information, and the port level details into a path for the selected channel;

providing the associated equipment for display; and

providing the selected channel path for display, where the displayed selected channel path includes interconnections between the associated equipment.