Apparatus and method for testing signal channels of DVR

• US 8,374,483 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hsu, Ming-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shibru, Helen
• Application Number:
  US12/879,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20110255843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 386/231, 386/230, 386/239, 386/326, 725/80, 725/81, 725/115, 725/74
• US Class Current: 386/231
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

An apparatus and method can test multiple signal channels of a digital video recorder (DVR). Image data are obtained from a storage device and converted the image data to a video signal. The DVR sends the video signal to an image distributor, and generates a selection command to a controller for controlling the image distributor to select a signal channel to be tested. After the video signal is received from the DVR, the image distributor sends the video signal to the selected signal channel. An ID number of the selected signal channel is displayed on a display device when the DVR does not receive the video signal from the selected video channel.

Claims

1. A digital video recorder (DVR), being connected with a controller and an image distributor, the DVR comprising:

at least one processor;

a storage device for storing image data; and

a channel test unit stored in the storage device and being executable by the at least one processor, the channel test unit comprising;

a command generation module operable to generate a selection command, and send the selection command to the controller for controlling the image distributor to select a signal channel to be tested from a plurality of signal channels of the DVR, wherein the image distributor comprises a first input port, a second input port, and a plurality of output ports, the first input port is switched to each of the output ports that connects to the selected signal channel, and the controller controls the image distributor through the second input port;

a signal generation module operable to obtain the image data from the storage device, convert the image data to a video signal, and send the video signal to the selected signal channel through the image distributor; and

a display module operable to display an ID number of the selected signal channel on a display device when the DVR does not receive the video signal from the selected signal channel.

2. The DVR according to claim 1, wherein the channel unit further comprises an image detection module operable to define an ID number for each of the signal channels in sequence, detect whether the DVR receives the video signal from each of the signal channels, and determine whether all of the signal channels have been tested by detecting the ID number of each of the signal channels.

3. The DVR according to claim 1, further comprising a signal output interface and a command output interface.

4. The DVR according to claim 3, wherein the command output interface is an RS-232 interface, and the signal output interface is a USB interface.

5. The DVR according to claim 3, wherein the DVR connects to the controller through the command output interface, and connects to the image distributor through the signal output interface.

6. The DVR according to claim 1, wherein the first input port is used for receiving the video signals from the DVR, the second input port is used for receiving the selection command from the controller, and the output port is used for outputting the video signals to the selected signal channel.

7. The DVR according to claim 1, wherein the storage device stores the image data having a national television standards committee (NTSC) format or a phase alteration line (PAL) format.

8. A method for testing signal channels of a digital video recorder (DVR), the method comprising:

defining an ID number for each signal channel of the DVR in sequence;

obtaining image data from a storage device, and converting the image data to a video signal;

sending the video signal to an image distributor through a signal output interface of the DVR, wherein the image distributor comprises a first input port, a second input port, and a plurality of output ports, and the first input port is switched to each of the output ports that connects to the selected signal channel;

generating a selection command, and sending the selection command to a controller through a command output interface of the DVR, wherein the controller controls the image distributor through the second input port;

controlling the image distributor to select a signal channel to be tested from the signal channels according to the selection command;

sending the video signal to the selected signal channel using the image distributor;

displaying the ID number of the selected signal channel on a display device when the DVR does not receive the video signal from the selected video channel; and

repeating the obtaining step to the displaying step when the DVR receives the video signal from the selected video channel, until all of the signal channels have been tested.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the first input port is used for receiving the video signal from the DVR, the second input port for is used receiving the selection command from the controller, and the output port is used for outputting the video signal to the selected signal channel.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the command output interface is an RS-232 interface, and the signal output interface is a USB interface.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein image data comprise national television standards committee (NTSC) format data or phase alteration line (PAL) format data.

12. A non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a least one processor, to perform a method for testing signal channels of a digital video recorder (DVR), the method comprising:

defining an ID number for each signal channel of the DVR in sequence;

obtaining image data from a storage device, and converting the image data to a video signal;

sending the video signal to an image distributor through a signal output interface of the DVR, wherein the image distributor comprises a first input port, a second input port, and a plurality of output ports, and the first input port is switched to each of the output ports that connects to the selected signal channel;

generating a selection command, and sending the selection command to a controller through a command output interface of the DVR, wherein the controller controls the image distributor through the second input port;

controlling the image distributor to select a signal channel to be tested from the signal channels according to the selection command;

sending the video signal to the selected signal channel using the image distributor;

displaying the ID number of the selected signal channel on a display device when the DVR does not receive the video signal from the selected video channel; and

repeating the obtaining step to the displaying step when the DVR receives the video signal from the selected video channel, until all of the signal channels have been tested.

13. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first input port is used for receiving the video signals from the DVR, the second input port is used for receiving the selection command from the controller, and the output port is used for outputting the video signals to the selected signal channel.

14. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the command output interface is an RS-232 interface, and the signal output interface is a USB interface.

15. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 12, wherein image data comprise national television standards committee (NTSC) format data or phase alteration line (PAL) format data.