System for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks and associated methods

• US 8,595,784 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Vanderhoff, Earl W., Laparidis, Alexander, Halstead, Rick, Downey, William S., Chen, Leonardo C., Parrino, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Kieu Oanh T
• Application Number:
  US11/620,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,517 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 21, 725/107, 725/116
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416

Abstract

Systems for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks are provided. In general, systems and methods are described for simulating a set-top box subscriber base, remotely controlling the operations of the set-top boxes of the simulated subscriber base, and analyzing the quality of transmissions received by the set-top boxes. Houses, streets, and towns are simulated using multiple set-top boxes connected to a network. A controller is configured to remotely instruct the set-top boxes to access content from the network and to monitor the operations of the set-top boxes, and an analyzer is configured to monitor the quality of the transmissions received. Methods are also provided for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks and for testing the quality of transmissions from one source as compared to another source.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of set-top boxes configured to receive content and to interface with a communications network;

a controller configured to receive a user input and to transmit a digitized infrared signal based upon the user input;

an infrared server configured to receive the digitized infrared signal from the controller, convert the digitized infrared signal into an infrared signal, and transmit the infrared signal to at least one designated set-top box within the plurality of set-top boxes to control an operation of the at least one designated set-top box; and

an analyzer in communication with the set-top boxes and configured to receive video and audio feedback from the at least one designated set-top box and use the received video and audio feedback to analyze in real time at least one of a transmission degradation and a perceptual degradation associated with the operation controlled by the infrared signal and executed by the at least one designated set-top box by analyzing the received video and audio feedback to identify at least one degradation in the video and audio feedback, wherein the identified degradation is identified as one of the transmission degradation and the perceptual degradation.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a power cycling device configured to isolate the at least one designated set-top box from an A/C power source to simulate a power outage.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is configured to report a result of the analysis, wherein the report includes characteristics of the at least one identified degradation.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is configured to store a copy of the content received by the at least one designated set-top box in response to the identification.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the analyzer is configured to convert an output of the at least one designated set-top box to a representative telemetry signal.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a computer configured to receive a plurality of representative telemetry signals and to compare at least one of the representative telemetry signals to a reference representative telemetry signal.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a video encoder configured to receive an analog video output of the at least one designated set-top box and to convert the analog video output to a digital video signal.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to parse the digital video signal to analyze execution of the operation.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a monitor configured to display the content received by the at least one designated set-top box.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously control the operation of multiple set-top boxes.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of set-top boxes is configured to simulate a set-top box subscriber base.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the infrared server is configured to transmit the infrared signal to the at least one designated set-top box via a cable having one or more infrared diodes.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission degradation comprises at least one of a tiling degradation, a freezing degradation, and an audio synchronization degradation, and wherein the perceptual degradation comprises at least one of a fuzzy picture, a grainy picture, and a dingy picture.

14. A method comprising:

receiving an input to control an operation of at least one designated set-top box from among a plurality of set-top boxes coupled to a communications network;

transmitting a digitized infrared signal based upon the input to control the operation of the at least one designated set-top box;

receiving the digitized infrared signal with an infrared server;

converting the digitized infrared signal into an infrared signal;

transmitting the infrared signal from the infrared server to the at least one designated set-top box;

receiving video and audio feedback from the at least one designated set-top box;

analyzing, based on the received video and audio feedback and in real time, at least one of a transmission degradation and a perceptual degradation associated with the operation controlled by the infrared signal and executed by the at least one designated set-top box, wherein the analyzing includes identifying at least one degradation in the video and audio feedback, wherein the identified degradation is identified as one of the transmission degradation and the perceptual degradation.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising displaying content received by the at least one designated set-top box executing the operation.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising reporting the result of the analysis wherein, the report includes characteristics of the at least one identified degradation.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving an input defining a scheduled time for transmitting the digitized infrared signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving a plurality of inputs to control one or more operations of the at least one designated set-top box;

storing the plurality of inputs; and

transmitting a plurality of digitized infrared signals associated with the plurality of inputs at a scheduled time.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the identifying of the at least one degradation in the video and audio feedback comprises:

comparing content received by the at least one designated set-top box executing the operation to a predefined standard;

storing a copy of the content received by the at least one designated set-top box; and

reporting a result of the comparison.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising displaying the stored copy of the content received by the at least one designated set-top box.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmission degradation comprises at least one of a tiling degradation, a freezing degradation, and an audio synchronization degradation, and wherein the perceptual degradation comprises at least one of a fuzzy picture, a grainy picture, and a dingy picture.

22. A system comprising:

a plurality of set-top boxes operably coupled to a communications network and configured to simulate network loading of a set-top box subscriber base in a controlled environment;

an infrared server connected to the plurality of set-top boxes;

a controller that receives a user input and transmits a digitized infrared signal based on the user input to the infrared server, wherein the infrared server receives the digitized infrared signal from the controller, converts the digitized infrared signal into an infrared signal, and transmits the infrared signal to at least one designated set-top box within the plurality of set-top boxes to control an operation of the at least one designated set-top box; and

an analyzer in communication with the plurality of set-top boxes and that receives video and audio feedback from the at least one designated set-top box, uses the received video and audio feedback to analyze in real time at least one of a transmission degradation and a perceptual degradation associated with the operation controlled by the infrared signal and executed by the at least one designated set-top box by analyzing the received video and audio feedback to identify at least one degradation in the video and audio feedback wherein the identified degradation is identified as one of the transmission degradation and the perceptual degradation.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the transmission degradation comprises at least one of a tiling degradation, a freezing degradation, and an audio synchronization degradation, and wherein the perceptual degradation comprises at least one of a fuzzy picture, a grainy picture, and a dingy picture.