Use of simultaneously received videos by a system to generate a quality of experience value

• US 9,641,904 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, University College Dublin
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, University College Dublin
• Inventors: Dunne, Jonathan, French, Paul B., Galvin, Jr., James P., McDonagh, Patrick, O'Sullivan, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EKPO, NNENNA NGOZI
• Application Number:
  US15/080,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20160212497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 725 16, 725 19, 725 22, 725109, 725146, 725147, 37524027
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/02 for colour television signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/895 in combination with error concealment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2404 Monitoring of server processing errors or hardware failure error or fault detection G06F11/07; monitoring in general G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

A first instance of a reference video is stored. A primary video and a second instance of the reference video are simultaneously received. At least one quality of experience value that infers a perceptual quality of the primary video as received by a system is generated by comparing the first instance of the reference video to the second instance of the reference video on a pixel-by-pixel, frame-by-frame, basis and determining whether each pixel and each frame contained in the first instance of the reference video are contained in the second instance of the reference video.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing a first instance of a reference video;

simultaneously receiving a primary video and a second instance of the reference video; and

generating, using a processor, at least one quality of experience value that infers a perceptual quality of the primary video, with regard to how the content of the primary video is, or would be, subjectively perceived by a user viewing the primary video, as received by a system by comparing the first instance of the reference video to the second instance of the reference video on a pixel-by-pixel, frame-by-frame, basis and determining whether each pixel and each frame contained in the first instance of the reference video are contained in the second instance of the reference video.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, using the processor, the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system further comprises:

identifying frames contained in the first instance of the reference video that are not contained in the second instance of the reference video.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, using the processor, the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system further comprises:

identifying frames contained in the second instance of the reference video that are corrupted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, using the processor, the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system further comprises:

identifying pixels contained in the first instance of the reference video that are not contained in the second instance of the reference video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, using the processor, the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system further comprises:

identifying pixels contained in the second instance of the reference video that are corrupted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, using the processor, the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system further comprises:

for each pixel contained in the first instance of the reference video and in the second instance of the reference video, determining whether a value assigned to the pixel in the first instance of the reference video matches a value assigned to the pixel in the second instance of the reference video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously receiving the primary video and the second instance of the reference video comprises:

receiving a multiplexed data stream comprising the primary video and the second instance of the reference video;

the method further comprising;

de-multiplexing the multiplexed data stream to extract at least the second instance of the reference video from the data stream.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first instance of the reference video comprises:

storing a first instance of each of a plurality of reference videos, each of the plurality of reference videos corresponding to a respective type of primary video anticipated to be received by the system;

wherein the first instance of the reference video is selected from the plurality of reference videos and the first instance of the reference video corresponds to a type of the primary video.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of other instances of the reference video; and

for each of the other instances of the reference video, generating at least one respective quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system when a respective instance of the reference video is received.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a determination of when each of the other instances of the reference video is communicated to the system is made based, at least in part, on at least one previously generated quality of experience value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the quality of experience value from the system to a video server or a quality of experience management entity.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the quality of experience value; and

responsive to a polling request received from a video server, communicating at least the quality of experience value from the system to the video server.

13. A method, comprising:

simultaneously transmitting a primary video and a second instance of a reference video to a system, the second instance of the reference video configured to be compared to a first instance of the reference video stored by the system on a pixel-by-pixel, frame-by-frame, basis to determine whether each pixel and each frame contained in the first instance of the reference video are contained in the second instance of the reference video, wherein at least one quality of experience value that infers a perceptual quality of the primary video, with regard to how the content of the primary video is, or would be, subjectively perceived by a user viewing the primary video, as received by the system is generated based on the comparison;

receiving from the system the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system; and

based on the at least one quality of experience value that infers the perceptual quality of the primary video as received by the system, implementing in real time, using a processor, at least one corrective action to improve the perceptual quality of the primary video.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein simultaneously transmitting the primary video and the second instance of the reference video to the system comprises:

multiplexing the primary video and the second instance of the reference video into a single data stream.