Method and system for long term monitoring of video assets

• US 9,071,821 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• 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, Clark, John Clayton IV
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Sumaiya A
• Application Number:
  US13/690,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 725/68, 725/70, 725/107, 348/180, 348/192, 382/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems

Abstract

A method and system for test 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. The test operation may involve determining if a video freeze event and/or an audio freeze event has occurred with respect to the baseband video signal. In one example, detection of both an audio and a video freeze event may determine a freeze event for an MHD. After a freeze event is detected, the MHD may be restarted. The freeze event may be logged as a result of the test operation. A predetermined network address may be sent a notification of the freeze alert.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

requesting a master controller coupled to a video matrix switch for access to a multimedia handling device as an active unit under test, wherein the video matrix switch is coupled to the multimedia handling device and to a plurality of additional multimedia handling devices;

obtaining, from the multimedia handling device via the video matrix switch, a video signal including a series of frame images and corresponding audio data output by the multimedia handling device operating as a terminal device of a multimedia content distribution network;

recognizing a video freeze event when a difference between two images in the series of frame images is less than a video threshold;

recognizing an audio freeze event when a signal power of a portion of the audio data is below an audio threshold; and

sending a command to the multimedia handling device responsive to recognizing an instance of the video freeze event coexisting with an instance of the audio freeze event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing the absence of a video freeze event when the difference between the two images is greater than the video threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling, via the master controller, an aspect of the active unit under test wherein the aspect is selected from;

power supplied to the active unit under test;

a channel for which content associated with the video signal is selected; and

a video matrix switch routing of the video signal from the active unit under test.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the command sent includes a power down command and wherein the method includes:

sending a power up command subsequent to sending the power down command; and

monitoring the multimedia handling device for an indication of normal operation subsequent to sending of the power up command.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a predetermined network address of an occurrence of a freeze event.

6. A test monitor platform, comprising:

a processor;

a network adapter accessible to the processor; and

a computer readable storage medium, accessible to the processor, including stored instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

requesting a master controller coupled to a video matrix switch for access to a multimedia handling device as an active unit under test, wherein the video matrix switch is coupled to the multimedia handling device and to a plurality of additional multimedia handling devices;

obtaining, from the multimedia handling device via the video matrix switch, a video signal including a series of frame images and corresponding audio data output by the multimedia handling device operating as a terminal device of a multimedia content distribution network;

recognizing a video freeze event when a difference between two images in the series of frame images is less than a video threshold;

recognizing an audio freeze event when a signal power of a portion of the audio data is below an audio threshold; and

sending a command to the multimedia handling device responsive to recognizing an instance of the video freeze event coexisting with an instance of the audio freeze event.

7. The test monitor platform of claim 6, wherein the operations include sending a notification of an occurrence of the video freeze event to a specified network address.

8. The test monitor platform of claim 6, wherein the operations include logging an indication of an occurrence of the video freeze event to a test monitor database.

9. The test monitor platform of claim 6, wherein the operations include:

controlling a sampling rate of video signal based on a sample rate input;

controlling a number of audio tracks on which the audio data is based;

setting the video threshold based on a video threshold input; and

setting the audio threshold based on an audio threshold input.

10. The test monitor platform of claim 6, further comprising:

a power controller to control power supplied to the selected unit under test in response to receiving a network power control command associated with the expert test monitor platform test program; and

a channel selector to select a multimedia content distribution network channel for the baseband video signal in response to receiving a channel selection command associated with the expert test monitor platform test program;

wherein the video matrix switch is configured to route a plurality of baseband video signals from the plurality of multimedia handling devices to any of a plurality of video grabber inputs.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including stored, processor-executable program instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

requesting a master controller coupled to a video matrix switch for access to a multimedia handling device as an active unit under test, wherein the video matrix switch is coupled to the multimedia handling device and to a plurality of additional multimedia handling devices;

obtaining, from the multimedia handling device via the video matrix switch, a video signal including a series of frame images and corresponding audio data output by a multimedia handling device operating as a terminal device of a multimedia content distribution network;

recognizing a video freeze event when a difference between two images in the series of frame images is less than a video threshold;

recognizing an audio freeze event when a signal power of a portion of the audio data is below an audio threshold; and

sending a command to the multimedia handling device responsive to recognizing an instance of the video freeze event coexisting with an instance of the audio freeze event.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

recognizing the absence of a video freeze event when the difference between the two images is greater than the video threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

controlling, via the master controller, an aspect of the active unit under test wherein the aspect is selected from;

power supplied to the active unit under test;

a channel for which content associated with the video signal is selected; and

a video matrix switch routing of the video signal from the active unit under test.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the command sent includes a power down command and wherein the operations include:

sending a power up command subsequent to sending the power down command; and

monitoring the multimedia handling device for an indication of normal operation following the sending of the power up command.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations include:

notifying a predetermined network address of an occurrence of a freeze event.