Abstract: A method for objectively and non-intrusively measuring the audio-visual quality of a destination audio-video signal that generates measurement parameters that are indicative of human image quality perceptions. Subjective human test panel results are generated for a variety of audio-video test samples and objective test results are also generated by the apparatus of the invention for the variety of audio-video test samples. Accordingly, when the apparatus extracts test frames from the actual source and destination audio-video signals and compares them, audio-visual quality parameters are output by the apparatus that are indicative of the audio-visual quality of the destination audio-visual signal based upon the source audio-visual signal.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and system are provided for recognizing broadcast segments, such as commercials, in real time by continuous pattern recognition without resorting to cues or codes in the broadcast signal. Each broadcast frame is parametized to yield a digital word and a signature is constructed for segments to be recognized by selecting, in accordance with a set of predefined rules, a number of words from among random locations throughout the segment and storing them along with offset information indicating their relative locations. As a broadcast signal is monitored, it is parametized in the same way and the library of signatures is compared against each digital word and words offset therefrom by the stored offset amounts. A data reduction technique minimizes the number of comparisons required while still maintaining a large database.