Method and system for region-based monitoring of video assets

• US 8,458,757 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pham, Hung John
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US12/873,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 725/107, 725/119, 348/180, 348/192, 382/236
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5067 Customer-centric QoS measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring video assets provided by a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN) includes an expert test monitoring platform (ETMP) configured to emulate MCDN client systems at a facility of an MCDN service provider. The ETMP may be used to test monitor MCDN performance by acquiring a baseband video signal and performing a test operation including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing a baseband video signal associated with a video channel providing a multiview output including a plurality of video elements to generate a plurality of frame images;

verifying operation of the multiview output by accessing frame image masks to perform masked video check points for each of the plurality of video elements, wherein a masked video check point compares a masked region of a first frame image to a masked region of a second frame image wherein the masked region is indicated by a frame image mask;

based on results of said testing of the masked portion, executing a first script when the testing passes and executing a second script when the testing fails;

requesting, from a test monitor controller, access to the multimedia handling device as an active unit under test;

controlling power supplied to the active unit under test by sending a first network command to a network-based power controller;

selecting the baseband video signal by sending a second network command to generate a remote control signal instructing the active unit under test to output a multimedia content distribution network channel; and

sending a network command to the video matrix switch to route the baseband video signal from the active unit under test.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes determining that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a static image is intended as a static image and that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a dynamic image is intended as a dynamic image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the video elements include a main video element and wherein the frame image masks include a main video mask indicative of a frame image region where the main video is located.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes verifying the main video element as being a dynamic image.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the multiview output includes a main audio associated with the main video.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video elements include a static title bar element and wherein the frame image mask includes a title bar mask indicative of a frame image region where the title bar is located.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes verifying the static title bar element as being a static image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the video elements include a plurality of dynamic picture in picture elements and wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes verifying the picture in picture elements as being dynamic elements.

9. A test monitor platform, comprising:

a video matrix switch including interfaces to connect a plurality of set top boxes;

a test executor, coupled to the video matrix switch to configure, monitor, and test set top boxes connected to the video matrix switch, the text executor comprising;

a processor;

computer readable storage, accessible to the processor, including stored instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

processing a baseband video signal associated with a video channel providing a multiview output including a plurality of video elements to generate a plurality of frame images;

verifying operation of the multiview output by accessing frame image masks to perform masked video check points for each of the plurality of video elements, wherein a masked video check point compares a masked region of a first frame image to a masked region of a second frame image wherein the masked region is indicated by a frame image mask.

based on results of said testing of the masked portion, executing a first script when the testing passes and executing a second script when the testing fails;

requesting, from a test monitor controller, access to the multimedia handling device as an active unit under test;

controlling power supplied to the active unit under test by sending a first network command to a network-based power controller;

selecting the baseband video signal by sending a second network command to generate a remote control signal instructing the active unit under test to output a multimedia content distribution network channel; and

sending a network command to the video matrix switch to route the baseband video signal from the active unit under test.

10. The platform of claim 9, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes determining that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a static image is intended as a static image and that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a dynamic image is intended as a dynamic image.

11. The platform of claim 10, wherein:

the video elements include a dynamic main video element, a static title bar video element, and a plurality of dynamic picture-in-picture video elements; and

the frame image masks include a main video mask indicative of a frame image region where the main video is located, title bar mask indicative of a frame image region where the title bar is located, and pip masks indicative of where the picture in picture regions are located.

12. The platform of claim 9, wherein the operations include selecting a rate at which the frame images are generated from the baseband video.

13. The platform of claim 12, wherein the operations include:

application program instructions for generating the multiview object.

14. A computer readable memory including stored, processor executable instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

processing a baseband video signal associated with a video channel providing a multiview output including a plurality of video elements to generate a plurality of frame images;

verifying operation of the multiview output by accessing frame image masks to perform masked video check points for each of the plurality of video elements, wherein a masked video check point compares a masked region of a first frame image to a masked region of a second frame image wherein the masked region is indicated by a frame image mask;

based on results of said testing of the masked portion, executing a first script when the testing passes and executing a second script when the testing fails;

requesting, from a test monitor controller, access to the multimedia handling device as an active unit under test;

controlling power supplied to the active unit under test by sending a first network command to a network-based power controller;

selecting the baseband video signal by sending a second network command to generate a remote control signal instructing the active unit under test to output a multimedia content distribution network channel; and

sending a network command to the video matrix switch to route the baseband video signal from the active unit under test.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes determining that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a static image is intended as a static image and that each of the plurality of video elements identified as being a dynamic image is intended as a dynamic image.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 15, wherein the video elements include a main video element and wherein the frame image masks include a main video mask indicative of a frame image region where the main video is located.

17. The computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes verifying the main video element as being a dynamic image.

18. The computer readable memory of claim 16, wherein the multiview output includes a main audio associated with the main video.

19. The computer readable memory of claim 14, wherein the video elements include a static title bar element and wherein the frame image mask includes a title bar mask indicative of a frame image region where the title bar is located.

20. The computer readable memory of claim 19, wherein verifying operation of the multiview output includes verifying the static title bar element as being a static image.