Channel path display of a video network

• US 8,929,231 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• 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: Puthalapat, Govinda, Qian, Jie, Hunniecutt, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, DUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/185,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 comprising:

receiving, by a computer device and from a user, a selection of a channel provided by a video network;

determining, by the computer device, network devices, of the video network, that are associated with the selected channel,

at least one of the network devices not being associated with another channel provided by the video network,

the other channel being different from the selected channel;

determining, by the computer device, status information of the network devices,

the status information including information identifying one or more ports, in each of the network devices, associated with the selected channel;

identifying, by the computer device and based on the status information, a path in the video network for the selected channel,

the path including the network devices; and

providing, for display and by the computer device, information regarding the path to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, where providing, for display, the information regarding the path includes:

providing, for display, data associated with the status information.

3. The method of claim 2, where providing, for display, the data associated with the status information includes:

providing, for display, a visual indication of the one or more ports, in each of the network devices, associated with the selected channel.

4. The method of claim 2, where providing, for display, the data associated with the status information includes:

providing, for display, a visual indication of at least one different port, in one of the network devices, that is not associated with the selected channel.

5. The method of claim 1, where providing, for display, the information regarding the path includes:

providing, for display, data identifying the network devices.

6. The method of claim 1, where the path includes one or more interconnections between each of the network devices, and

where providing, for display, the information regarding the path includes:

providing a visual indication of the one or more interconnections.

7. The method of claim 1, where providing, for display, the information regarding the path includes:

providing, for display, an indication of a signal flow, associated with the selected channel, between the network devices.

8. The method of claim 1, where providing the path for display includes:

providing, for display, a visual identification that another network device, in the video network, is not associated with the selected channel.

9. A memory device storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer device, cause the processor to;

identify one or more devices, of a plurality of devices in a video network, associated with a channel;

identify one or more interconnections, between the one or more devices and associated with the channel;

determine status information associated with the one or more devices and the one or more interconnections; and

provide, for display, data associated with the one or more devices, data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information.

10. The memory device of claim 9, where the status information includes information identifying one or more ports, in the one or more devices coupled to the one or more interconnections, and

where the one or more instructions to provide, for display, the data associated with the one or more devices, the data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information include:

one or more instructions to provide, for display, data identifying the one or more ports.

11. The memory device of claim 10, where the one or more instructions to provide, for display, the data associated with the one or more devices, the data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information further include:

one or more instructions to provide, for display, data identifying at least one port, in the one or more devices, that is not associated with the channel.

12. The memory device of claim 9, where the one or more instructions to provide, for display, the data associated with the one or more devices, the data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information further include:

one or more instructions to provide, for display, data identifying the one or more devices.

13. The memory device of claim 9, where the one or more instructions to provide, for display, the data associated with the one or more devices, the data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information further include:

one or more instructions to provide, for display, an indication of a signal flow, associated with the channel, between the one or more devices.

14. The memory device of claim 9, where the one or more instructions to provide, for display, the data associated with the one or more devices, data associated with the one or more interconnections, and the status information further include:

one or more instructions to provide, for display, a visual identification that another device, in the video network, is not associated with the channel.

15. A device comprising:

a processor to;

receive a selection of a channel provided by a video network,

determine a path associated with the selected channel,

the path including equipment of the video network and interconnections connecting the equipment,

determine status information associated with the equipment and the interconnections, and

provide a visual indication of the path and the status information.

16. The device of claim 15, where the processor is further to:

identify port level information associated with the equipment and the interconnections, and

provide a visual indication of the port level information.

17. The device of claim 16, where the processor, when providing the visual indication of the port level information, is further to:

provide a visual indication of one or more ports, in the equipment, associated with the channel.

18. The device of claim 15, where the video network comprises a television network, and

where the equipment includes one or more of:

a super head end (SHE),

a video hub office (VHO), or

a video service office (VSO).

19. The device of claim 15, where the processor is further to:

determine another path associated with another channel,

where the other path is different from the path, and

where the other channel is different from the channel, and

provide a visual indication of the other path, including visually distinguishing the path and the other path.

20. The device of claim 15, where the processor is further to:

receive updated status information associated with the equipment and the interconnections, and

modify the visual indication based on the updated status information.