System and method of analyzing video streams for detecting black/snow or freeze

• US 8,564,669 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seigneurbieux, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Application Number:
  US12/512,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 348/192, 348/193, 348180-182, 348184-185, 348/559, 348/560, 282/100, 282/286, 282/236, 714 39- 40
• US Class Current: 348/180
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/156 Availability of hardware or computational resources, e.g. encoding based on power-saving criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression

Abstract

A method is disclosed of analyzing a video stream using a video analyzer. The video stream includes image frame data corresponding to an integer N number of image frames, respectively. The video analyzer includes a controller and a frame processor. The method includes setting a problem threshold value corresponding to a parameter of the image frame data, receiving first image frame data corresponding to a first image frame, analyzing the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data and generating an analyzed value and determining whether there is a problem based on the analyzed value and the problem threshold value. The portion of the analyzed portion of the received first image frame data is less than the total received first image frame data.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a video stream using a video analyzer, the video stream comprising image frame data corresponding to an integer N number of image frames, respectively, the video analyzer comprising a controller and a frame processor, said method comprising:

setting, by way of the controller, a problem threshold value corresponding to a parameter of the image frame data, wherein said setting a problem threshold value corresponding to a parameter of the image frame data comprises setting an interrupted threshold value;

receiving, by way of the frame processor, first image frame data corresponding to a first image frame;

analyzing, by way of the frame processor, the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data and generating an analyzed value;

determining that there is a problem when the analyzed value is less than the interrupted threshold value; and

generating, via the controller, an indication of a black or snowy image when the problem is determined, wherein the portion of the analyzed portion of the received first image frame data is less than the total received first image frame data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said setting a problem threshold value comprises changing the problem threshold value from a first problem threshold value to a second problem threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data comprises analyzing the parameter of a first portion of the received first image frame data and a second portion of the first image frame data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data comprises analyzing the parameter of a line of pixels of the received first image frame data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said analyzing the parameter of a line of pixels of the received first image frame data comprises analyzing the parameter of a vertical line of pixels of the received first image frame data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said analyzing the parameter of a line of pixels of the received first image frame data comprises analyzing the parameter of a horizontal line of pixels of the received first image frame data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the parameter of a portion of the received first image frame data comprises analyzing the parameter of a group of pixels of the received first image frame data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by way of the frame processor, second image frame data corresponding to a second image frame;

analyzing, by way of the frame processor, the parameter of a portion of the received second image frame data and generating a second analyzed value;

receiving, by way of the frame processor, third image frame data corresponding to a third image frame;

analyzing, by way of the frame processor, the parameter of a portion of the received third image frame data and generating a third analyzed value; and

generating a first average analyzed value based on the analyzed value and the second analyzed value; and

generating a second average analyzed value based on the analyzed value, the second analyzed value and the third analyzed value;

wherein said setting a problem threshold value corresponding to a parameter of the image frame data comprises setting an average change threshold, and

wherein said determining whether there is a problem based on the analyzed value and the problem threshold value comprises determining whether there is a problem based on the average change threshold, the first average analyzed value and the second average analyzed value.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

changing a window size of a moving-average window from a first window size to a second window size,

wherein said determining whether there is a problem based on the average change threshold, the first average analyzed value and the second average analyzed value comprises a moving-average computation using the moving-average window.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising changing the average change threshold from a first average change threshold to a second average change threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said setting an interrupted threshold value comprises setting a snowy threshold value, Ssnow, and setting a black threshold value, Sblack, wherein Sblack<

Ssnow, wherein said determining that there is a problem when the analyzed value is less than the interrupted threshold value comprises determining that there is a problem when the analyzed value is less than Ssnow and is greater than Sblack, and wherein said generating an indication of a black or snowy image when a problem is determined comprises generating an indication of a snowy image.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said setting an interrupted threshold value comprises setting a black threshold value, Sblack, wherein said determining that there is a problem when the analyzed value is less than the interrupted threshold value comprises determining that there is a problem when the analyzed value is less than Sblack, and

wherein said generating an indication of a black or snowy image when a problem is determined comprises generating an indication of a black image.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the interrupted threshold value from a first interrupted threshold value to a second interrupted threshold value.

14. A video analyzer for use with image frame data, which corresponds to an integer N number of image frames, respectively, said video analyzer comprising:

a frame processor operable to process a portion of image frame data corresponding to a portion of one of the integer N number of image frames and to output an image frame data output signal;

a comparator operable to compare the image frame data output signal with a predetermined threshold and to output a compared signal; and

a controller operable to output a first indicator signal based on the compared signal, wherein the portion of the one of the integer N number of image frames is less than the entire one of the integer N number of image frames, wherein the first indicator signal corresponds to a problem in the image frame data when the compared signal corresponds to the image frame data output signal being less than the predetermined threshold, and

wherein the first indicator signal corresponds to no problem in the image frame data when the compared signal corresponds to the image frame data output signal being more than the predetermined threshold; and

wherein said frame processor is further operable to process a second portion of image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames, and

wherein the portion of image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames is not equal to the second portion of image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames.

15. The video analyzer of claim 14, further comprising:

a moving-average processor operable to process a moving-average of image frame data of up to an integer M number corresponding to up to integer M number of image frames, respectively, and to output a moving-average output signal; and

a second comparator operable to compare the moving-average output signal with a second predetermined threshold and to output a second compared signal, wherein said controller is further operable to output a second indicator signal based on the second compared signal,

wherein the second indicator signal corresponds to a problem in the image frame data when the second compared signal corresponds to the moving-average data output signal being less than the second predetermined threshold, and

wherein the second indicator signal corresponds to no problem in the image frame data when the second compared signal corresponds to the moving-average data output signal being more than the second predetermined threshold.

16. The video analyzer of claim 15, wherein said frame processor is operable to process the portion of image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames as a spatial portion of the image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames.

17. The video analyzer of claim 16, wherein said frame processor is operable to process the portion of image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames as a line of data corresponding to a line of pixels of the image frame data of the one of the integer N number of image frames.

18. A video analyzer for use with image frame data, which corresponds to an integer N number of image frames, respectively, said video analyzer comprising:

a frame processor operable to process a portion of image frame data corresponding to a portion of one of the integer N number of image frames and to output an image frame data output signal;

a moving-average processor operable to process a moving-average of image frame data of up to an integer M number corresponding to up to integer M number of image frames, respectively, and to output a moving-average output signal;

a comparator operable to compare the moving-average output signal with a predetermined threshold and to output a compared signal; and

a controller operable to output an indicator signal based on the compared signal, wherein the portion of the one of the integer N number of image frames is less than the entire one of the integer N number of image frames, wherein the indicator signal corresponds to a problem in the image frame data when the compared signal corresponds to the moving-average data output signal being less than the predetermined threshold, and

wherein the indicator signal corresponds to no problem in the image frame data when the compared signal corresponds to the moving-average data output signal being more than the predetermined threshold.