Transmission Path Testing Patents (Class 348/192)
  • Publication number: 20150035997
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing video qualification, which might include implementing video quality measurements at a subscriber premises and qualification of the subscriber premises for particular levels of video data transmission. In some cases, one or more customer premises equipment might comprise video quality chips that might perform measurements of the telecommunications links, and might send the results to a server associated with the service provider. The server might determine available video services, based on the results of the measurements, and might send the subscriber notifications indicating that the subscribers qualify for particular video services. In some cases, implementing video qualification might include the server determining that video service levels provided to a customer premises has been decreased or otherwise negatively affected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Ronnie S. Dhaliwal, Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
  • Patent number: 8947538
    Abstract: A method of generating a measure of quality for a decoded form of a video signal comprises: generating a quality measure dependent on a quantizer step size parameter according to a predetermined relationship; generating a plurality of masking measures, and applying a weighting to each masking measure, wherein each masking measurement is dependent on the spatial complexity of one or more types of regions present in pictures formed by decoding the video signal. One type of region comprises an active region of a picture in a video sequence for which a prediction residual measure meets a first condition. Another type of region comprises a region of the picture in the video sequence for which the prediction residual measure meets another condition. The quality measure and the plurality of weighted quality masking measures are combined to generate a combined quality measure for the decoded form of the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Andrew G Davis
  • Publication number: 20150022673
    Abstract: A system, such as a satellite reception assembly or customer premises gateway, may comprise an analog-to-digital converter operable to digitize a signal spanning an entire television spectrum (e.g., cable television spectrum or satellite television spectrum) comprising a plurality of television channels. The system may comprise a signal monitor operable to analyze a signal to determine a characteristic of the signal. The system may comprise a data processor operable to process a television channel to recover content carried on the television channel. The system may comprise a channelizer operable to select first and second portions of the signal, and concurrently output the first portion to the signal monitor and the second portion to the data processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Timothy Gallagher, Patrick Tierney, Jun Huang
  • Publication number: 20150015722
    Abstract: Video quality management (VQM) may be provided. First, transmitter metrics corresponding to a video stream may be determined by a transmitting endpoint. The determined transmitter metrics may then be transmitted from the transmitting end point and received by a receiver. The receiver may then determine receiver metrics for a video stream received at the receiver. A quality score may then be determined by the receiver. The quality score may be based on the received transmitter metrics and the determined receiver metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Herbert Michael Wildfeuer, Da Lin, Jing Hu
  • Publication number: 20150009343
    Abstract: A wireless microphone system broadcasts a pilot tone at the designated ATSC pilot position in the TV Band channel being used by the wireless microphone system. The pilot tone is a readily detectable waveform transmitted in the ATSC pilot position. The pilot tone can be generated by any one of: a standalone pilot tone generator; a pilot tone generator incorporated into a wireless microphone receiver; or, a pilot tone generator incorporated into a wireless microphone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Inventors: Shiquan Wu, Vajira Samarasooriya
  • Patent number: 8928759
    Abstract: A cognitive radio band device uses information gleaned from a database inquiry based on geo-location information in combination with spectrum sensing to determine if cognitive radio channels are available for unlicensed use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Aurora Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Lingjie Li, Jung Yee
  • Publication number: 20150002681
    Abstract: A method is provided to measure an overall image quality score for a remote desktop on a first computer and accessed from a second computer. The method includes playing a video timestamp on the remote desktop at the first computer where the video timestamp includes unique timestamps, screen capturing first computer frames of the remote desktop at the first computer and second computer frames of the remote desktop at the second computer at the same time, determining a frame image quality score for each second computer frame by comparing the client screen to a corresponding baseline first computer frame, and determining the overall image quality score for the remote desktop from frame image quality scores of the second computer frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Yue GONG, Yanni WU, Meng CHEN, Yang LIU, Ning GE
  • Publication number: 20140375825
    Abstract: A method and system for 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 including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventor: Hung John Pham
  • Patent number: 8908049
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring device for monitoring a video session in a data network between a video server providing a video file and a video client playing the video file, comprising: a data interface configured to connect to an end-to-end communication path between the video server and the video client and configured to capture video resolution information and to retrieve client screen resolution information; and a determination unit configured to determine a quality measure for the video session based on the video resolution information, based on the client screen resolution information and based on a buffer model, the buffer model modeling a fill level of a receive buffer in the video client, the receive buffer being configured to buffer the video file before playing the video file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Adams, Dan Jurca, Renaud Cuny, Sergio Beker
  • Patent number: 8908106
    Abstract: A mobile device stores a TV application for serving as a remote control capable of controlling a TV receiver. The mobile device starts the process of starting the TV application and transmits, to the TV receiver, control signals to turn on the TV receiver before the TV application has been started. More particularly, the mobile device transmits the control signals to turn on the TV receiver while performing the process of starting the TV application. When the mobile device has started the TV application and then the TV receiver has been turned on in normal mode, a user can control the TV receiver by using the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Mori
  • Patent number: 8902782
    Abstract: A method and a device utilizing an algorithm using measurement data derived from parameters related to a video-streaming player and/or parameters related to data transport is disclosed. The data are used as input data in a model designed to generate a value corresponding to the quality of the multimedia sequence, such as for example a MOS score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Jörgen Gustafsson, Gunnar Heikkilä, Martin Pettersson, Xiangchun Tan
  • Patent number: 8896707
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing video qualification, which might include implementing video quality measurements at a subscriber premises and qualification of the subscriber premises for particular levels of video data transmission. In some cases, one or more customer premises equipment might comprise video quality chips that might perform measurements of the telecommunications links, and might send the results to a server associated with the service provider. The server might determine available video services, based on the results of the measurements, and might send the subscriber notifications indicating that the subscribers qualify for particular video services. In some cases, implementing video qualification might include the server determining that video service levels provided to a customer premises has been decreased or otherwise negatively affected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Ronnie S. Dhaliwal, Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
  • Patent number: 8885050
    Abstract: Systems and methods of perceptual quality monitoring of video information, communications, and entertainment that can estimate the perceptual quality of video with high accuracy, and can be used to produce quality scores that better correlate with subjective quality scores of an end user. The systems and methods of perceptual quality monitoring of video can generate, from an encoded input video bitstream, estimates of one or more quality parameters relating to the video, such as the coding bit rate parameter, the video frame rate parameter, and the packet loss rate parameter, and provide these video quality parameter estimates to a predetermined video quality estimation model. Because the estimates of the video quality parameters are generated from the encoded input video bitstream as it is being received, the systems and methods are suitable for use as QoE monitoring tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Dialogic (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Beibei Wang, Dekun Zou, Ran Ding, Tao Liu, Sitaram Bhagavathy, Niranjan Narvekar, Jeffrey A. Bloom, Glenn L. Cash
  • Patent number: 8887045
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing data verification are disclosed. In one exemplary method, the data is displayed in at least one display field and information related to the data is stored in at least one source file. The method includes creating a link between the display field and the source file, wherein the link is displayed in a verification panel associated with the display field. The method further includes saving link identification information, wherein the link identification information includes category information of the display field and location information of the source file, and obtaining the source file at the location specified by the link identification information, if the link is selected for display; and opening the source file and displaying the source file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron James Faivre, Nigel Alan Lewis, Federico Folchi-Vici
  • Patent number: 8878945
    Abstract: A phasor-based pulse detection system includes a first multiplier stage configured to apply a first delayed conjugate multiplication operation to an input signal. The system can also include a second multiplier stage coupled to the first multiplier stage and configured to apply a second delayed conjugate multiplication operation to an output of the first multiplier stage, and an absolute value unit coupled to the second multiplier stage and configured to perform an absolute value operation on an output of the second multiplier stage. The system can further include video filter stage coupled to the absolute value unit and configured to perform a video filtering operation on an output of the absolute value unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventor: James A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8872978
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems that provide automatic compensation for frequency attenuation of a video signal transmitted over a cable. In accordance with an embodiment, a system includes an equalizer and a compensation controller. The equalizer receives a video signal that was transmitted over a cable, provides compensation for frequency attenuation that occurred during the transmission over the cable, and outputs a compensated video signal. The compensation controller automatically adjusts the compensation provided by the equalizer based on comparisons of one or more portions of the compensated video signal to one or more reference voltage levels. One or more values indicative of one or more levels of compensation provided by the equalizer are stored in memory and/or registers for each time, of a plurality of times. A monitor monitors for changes in the cable and/or the video signal transmitted over the cable based on the stored values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Intersil Americas LLC
    Inventors: David W. Ritter, Kathryn M. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8872972
    Abstract: A router module is arranged in a housing of a smart television. The router module is externally connected to a modem for surfing the Internet. The router module is electrically connected to a micro processing unit of the smart television. Therefore, the smart television is connected to the Internet through the router module. A wireless transmission chip of the router module is configured to process Internet signals. An antenna module is configured to wirelessly transmit the Internet signals, so that wireless network is shared to outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Inventor: Nai-Chien Chang
  • Patent number: 8867013
    Abstract: System and method to detect video quality degradation in a video stream received by a telecommunications endpoint, the method including: locating reference features characteristic of content in the received video stream; calculating reduced reference features from the located reference features; receiving reduced reference features of a transmitted video stream, the transmitted video stream corresponding to the received video stream; calculating a distance between the reduced reference features in the received video stream and the reduced reference features of the transmitted video stream; and detecting video quality degradation when the calculated distance exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventors: Anjur S. Krishnakumar, Bengi Karacali-Akyamac
  • Publication number: 20140300757
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing video qualification, which might include implementing video quality measurements at a subscriber premises and qualification of the subscriber premises for particular levels of video data transmission. In some cases, one or more customer premises equipment might comprise video quality chips that might perform measurements of the telecommunications links, and might send the results to a server associated with the service provider. The server might determine available video services, based on the results of the measurements, and might send the subscriber notifications indicating that the subscribers qualify for particular video services. In some cases, implementing video qualification might include the server determining that video service levels provided to a customer premises has been decreased or otherwise negatively affected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Ronnie S. Dhaliwal, Steven M. Casey, Kevin M. McBride, Felipe Castro
  • Patent number: 8854477
    Abstract: A smart antenna configuration estimator for use in a digital TV receiver comprises data input means operable to obtain an estimate of an impulse response of a channel through which the television signal has passed to the receiver, maximum finding means operable to find the maximum value of the channel impulse response, the maximum value corresponding to a main signal path, averaging means operable to calculate a mean of values of the channel impulse response comprising channel impulse response values corresponding to one or more additional signal paths, and ratio calculating means operable to calculate a quality value as the ratio of the maximum value to the mean of values of the channel impulse response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Gholam Hosein Asjadi
  • Patent number: 8856850
    Abstract: A method of tagging signals for leakage detection and measurement in cable television networks which uses additional signals carrying the tagging information and transmitted in these networks. A narrowband tagging signal or signals are placed in the unused frequency spectrum parts of any used cable television channel, in particular in the guard bands (GB) of analog or digital channels, carrying, for example, television, radio or data services.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Kabelkom SP. Z O.O.
    Inventors: Wojciech Sala, Jaroslaw Szostka
  • Patent number: 8842223
    Abstract: The present technology relates to a transmitter apparatus, an information processing method, a program, and a transmitter system capable of easily transmitting a wideband signal. The transmitter apparatus includes: a first acquisition unit that obtains first transmission control information; a second acquisition unit that obtains second transmission control information similar to information input to another transmitter apparatus; and a generating unit that processes transmission target data based on a parameter contained in the first transmission control information and generates data including the processed transmission target data and the second transmission control information. The present technology can be applied to a transmitter apparatus that transmits a DVB-C2 signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroo Takahashi, Lachlan Bruce Michael, Takashi Yokokawa, Naoki Yoshimochi, Takahiro Okada
  • Publication number: 20140267786
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method receives packets including video data that was encoded or decoded. The packets are dynamically routed through processing elements in different routes and some of the packets include signatures from processing elements that processed each respective packet. The method then determines a plurality of captures each including a set of packets and determines for each capture, a set of processing elements that processed the set of packets. The set of processing units inserted respective signatures into a user data section of the packets that is defined by a standard used to encode or decode the video data. The determined set of processing elements are analyzed for each capture to determine a processing element in the set of processing elements that is considered to be causing a performance degradation. Then, the method performs a remedial action associated with the processing element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL INSTRUMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: John Sanders
  • Publication number: 20140267788
    Abstract: A method of prioritizing estimated fault locations within a network includes monitoring multiple different performance parameters for unacceptable threshold levels via communications with a set of terminal network elements and separately analyzing the different performance parameters to identify potential network fault locations on the network. Accordingly, a plurality of priority rankings of potential network fault locations can be generated, one for each performance parameter monitored, and then combined to generate an overall priority ranking of potential fault locations including at least a highest priority inspection point estimated as being a most likely source of a fault on the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL INSTRUMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: David B. Bowler, Brian M. Basile
  • Publication number: 20140267787
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving one or more transmitted frame identifiers that are mathematical representations of one or more transmitted video frames included within a multi-frame video. One or more video frames included within the multi-frame video are received, thus defining one or more received video frames. A mathematical representation of each of the one or more received video frames is generated, thus defining one or more received frame identifiers. The one or more received frame identifiers are compared to the one or more transmitted frame identifiers to determine a level of similarity between the one or more received video frames and the one or more transmitted video frames.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicants: University College Dublin, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: JOHN FITZPATRICK, Paul B. French, James P. Galvin, JR., Patrick W. McDonagh, Patrick J. O'Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20140267789
    Abstract: A cross-layer adaptation scheme, which can be applied in a femto base station, is proposed for quality of service provisions for the scalable video streaming of high definition content in a wireless environment. Within the procedure of minimum video distortion optimization framework, the method can dynamically adopt the cross-layer parameters, which contain the video rate, payload length of a packet, the mode of modulation and coding scheme. Based on channel quality and related parameters, the proposed scheme formulates the problem of parameter selection into an optimization problem, which can be automatically solved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: HSUAN-LI LIN, TUNG-YU WU, KUNG-HSIEN YU, CHIN-YAO HUANG
  • Patent number: 8830332
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic device receives a broadcast signal includes a high-speed transmission channel and a low-speed transmission channel. The electronic device estimates a CN when the electronic device is in an environment corresponding to a stationary state, based on a measured reception power, reception sensitivity required for receiving a broadcast service of the high-speed transmission channel and a necessary CN required for receiving the broadcast service of the high-speed transmission channel, and controls a processing of switching a demodulation target between the high-speed transmission channel and the low-speed transmission channel, based on a difference between the estimated CN and the measured CN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kengo Kurose, Yuki Hayashi
  • Publication number: 20140240522
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for evaluating video quality based on a hybrid type which, when bit stream data is received, extracts first evaluation parameters based on the received bit stream data to calculate a preliminary video quality score based on the first extracted evaluation parameters and then extracts second evaluation parameters, and calculates a final video quality score by adjusting the preliminary video quality score based on the second extracted evaluation parameters and methods thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Chul Hee LEE
  • Patent number: 8817108
    Abstract: A method is for monitoring the electrical integrity of lines of photosites of an imaging device with matrix array of photosites. The control lines of photosites may include for each line of photosites an emission of elementary electrical control signals for the photosites of the line. The method may include diagnosis of the elementary electrical control signals emitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventor: Pascal Mellot
  • Patent number: 8813146
    Abstract: A method and system for 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 including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Hung John Pham
  • Patent number: 8810659
    Abstract: A delay tracker utilizes a special code on the tracked signal in order to recognize such signal and ascertain any delays associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Cascades AV LLC
    Inventor: J. Carl Cooper
  • Patent number: 8804815
    Abstract: Systems and methods of objective video quality measurement based on support vector machines. The video quality measurement systems can obtain information pertaining to features of a target training video, obtain corresponding information pertaining to features of a reference version of the target training video, and employ the target training features and/or the reference training features to build video quality models using such support vector machines. Based on the target training features and/or the reference training features used to build such video quality models, the video quality models can be made to conform more closely to the human visual system. Moreover, using such video quality models in conjunction with target features of a target video whose perceptual quality is to be measured, and/or reference features of a reference video, the video quality measurement systems can be employed to predict measurements of the perceptual quality of such a target video with increased accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Dialogic (US) Inc.
    Inventors: Dekun Zou, Beibei Wang
  • Patent number: 8793751
    Abstract: A video signal is provided to a set top box. An instruction to record a specified portion of the video signal, thereby creating a video sample, is provided to the set top box. The video sample is received from the set top box. Reference video corresponding to the video sample is obtained. A comparison of the video sample and the reference video is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Inc.
    Inventor: Paul A. Skelly
  • Patent number: 8792008
    Abstract: A system, such as a satellite reception assembly or customer premises gateway, may comprise an analog-to-digital converter operable to digitize a signal spanning an entire television spectrum (e.g., cable television spectrum or satellite television spectrum) comprising a plurality of television channels. The system may comprise a signal monitor operable to analyze a signal to determine a characteristic of the signal. The system may comprise a data processor operable to process a television channel to recover content carried on the television channel. The system may comprise a channelizer operable to select first and second portions of the signal, and concurrently output the first portion to the signal monitor and the second portion to the data processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: MaxLinear, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Gallagher, Patrick Tierney, Jun Huang
  • Patent number: 8786711
    Abstract: Provided is an image quality evaluation system for evaluating quality of an image. The image quality evaluation system includes bit extraction means and image quality evaluation means. For predetermined data expressing an image frame of a first image, the bit extraction means extracts a predetermined number of bits which is smaller than the number of bits required for expressing one data piece. By using a value expressed by the bit string extracted by the bit extraction means and a value of data equivalent to the data to be extracted from the bit string in a second image, the image quality evaluation means estimates a difference between the first image and the second image and evaluates the image quality of the first to image or the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Yamada
  • Patent number: 8786667
    Abstract: A videoconference may be initiated between a plurality of endpoints. At least one of the endpoints may be coupled to a recording server, which may be configured to record the videoconference. A configuration may be selected (e.g., automatically or manually) for performing the recording. The endpoint (e.g., acting as an MCU) may transmit information to endpoints and may transmit recording information to the recording server. The recording information may be different from the videoconference information. For example, it may be in a “streaming friendly” format, at a different bit rate, encoded differently, have different inputs, etc. The manner in which the videoconference is stored and/or recorded may be based on the selected configuration. Clients may be configured to receive and display the videoconference from the recording server and may be configured to change the provided layout to different layouts, e.g., based on user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: LifeSize Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Binu Kaiparambil Shanmukhadas, Hrishikesh G. Kulkarni, Raghuram Belur, Sandeep Lakshmipathy
  • Patent number: 8767076
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for assessing the video image decoding quality of a set top box (STB), television receiver or other video device. Moving video testing of video delivery hardware in a manufacturing environment uses a video sequence that has reference characteristics embedded in the visible portion of the video signal from frame to frame. Each frame of the video is analyzed for distortions of the embedded reference objects, and the reference objects are allowed to move from frame to frame. The reference objects are located through the use of a background that is easily discriminated from the objects and by the use of frame templates that locate the reference information in the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
    Inventors: Wally E. Hall, Micah Moore, Michael Carlton Harden
  • Publication number: 20140160302
    Abstract: A method and system for 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 including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Hung John Pham
  • Patent number: 8749638
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus, a method and a computer program for mapping and allocating available television white space channels for a terminal requesting resources. The mapping is based on the data of available overlapping TV white space channels within a geographical tracking area and coexistence with other cellular secondary systems within the area. Furthermore, a location for a moving mode II device may be tracked periodically. The geo-location accuracy of the mode II device affects the TV white space resources which can be allocated to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Gilles Charbit, Samuli Turtinen, Sami-Jukka Hakola, Timo Koskela
  • Patent number: 8749641
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting media source quality are provided. The system includes a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for the detection of media source quality; a processor that executes the program of instructions; a video data receiver to receive video raw data, the video raw data corresponding to an uploaded and transcoded video; a video improver to apply a video improvement technique to the received video raw data to produce a modified version of the video raw data; and a video quality assessor to compare the received video raw data and the modified version of the video raw data, and based on the modified version of the video raw data improving on a factor associated with the video improvement technique, the video quality assessor indicates a phenomena affecting the quality of the uploaded and transcoded video.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Meng Wang, Sang-Uok Kum, Chen Wu
  • Publication number: 20140139688
    Abstract: A method, an apparatus, a system locate an IPTV fault, where the method includes: performing synchronized evaluation on a monitored IPTV video stream according to a synchronization message, obtaining multiple corresponding local upstream evaluation results; receiving an evaluation result report message sent by a downstream monitoring point, where the evaluation result report message includes a downstream evaluation result, an evaluation result identifier, and synchronization packet information; finding, according to the synchronization packet information and the evaluation result identifier in the evaluation result report message sent by the downstream monitoring point, an upstream evaluation result corresponding to the downstream evaluation result; comparing the downstream evaluation result with the upstream evaluation result, and performing fault locating according to a result of the comparison.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Huawei Technologies, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenxiao YU, Yinliang HU, Peilin YANG
  • Publication number: 20140139687
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring device for monitoring a video session in a data network between a video server providing a video file and a video client playing the video file, comprising: a data interface configured to connect to an end-to-end communication path between the video server and the video client and configured to capture video resolution information and to retrieve client screen resolution information; and a determination unit configured to determine a quality measure for the video session based on the video resolution information, based on the client screen resolution information and based on a buffer model, the buffer model modeling a fill level of a receive buffer in the video client, the receive buffer being configured to buffer the video file before playing the video file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Martin Adams, Dan Jurca, Renaud Cuny, Sergio Beker
  • Patent number: 8692891
    Abstract: A TV band device for indoor applications uses information gleaned from a database inquiry based on geo-location information in combination with spectrum sensing to determine if TV channels are available for unlicensed use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Aurora Wireless, Inc.
    Inventors: Lingjie Li, Jung Yee
  • Patent number: 8656439
    Abstract: A method and system for 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 including at least one check point condition. The check point condition may be associated with a masked region of the video signal and may also involve a test of an audio channel. A plurality of test operations and/or check point conditions may be defined and executed on the baseband video signal, while the results of the test operation may be logged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Hung John Pham
  • Patent number: 8650605
    Abstract: A handheld leakage detector for finding digital QAM signal leaks in a HFC network, comprises a radio receiver, a leakage receiver, leakage sampler, a correlator, and a display. The radio receiver receives samples of the QAM signal taken from the HFC network, called “reference samples.” The leakage receiver receives a QAM leakage signal, which is related to the QAM signal from the HFC network. The leakage sampler samples the leakage signal to form leakage samples. The correlator performs a coherent cross-correlation of the reference samples and the leakage samples, to produce a correlation peak. A value is determined from the correlation peak and displayed on the display. The value generally becomes more optimized as the detector approaches the leak. The leak is sought by iteratively changing the position of the detector until the displayed value becomes substantially optimized or the leak is found.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: ARCOM Digital, LLC
    Inventor: Victor M. Zinevich
  • Publication number: 20140009625
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus including: a signal reception unit including a connector that is configured to connect to a plug of an external device and includes a first terminal and a second terminal, the signal reception unit being configured to receive a signal from the external device through the plug connected to the connector; a signal processor that processes the signal received by the signal reception unit according to a preset process; a storage that stores a test signal; and a controller that transmits the test signal stored in the storage to the first terminal when the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected to each other, and determines a signal transmission state of the connector to the signal processor based on a change in signal characteristics of the test signal fed back through the second terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-eun LEE, Ju-hyun CHOE, Eun-young KIM, Hyun-ho KIM
  • Patent number: 8624982
    Abstract: A receiver is described for a testing device for a data stream in which the data stream comprises a plurality of encoded data components. The receiver comprises an input for inputting a plurality of encoded data components, a processor for processing the plurality of encoded data components; and a plurality of outputs each for outputting a processed one of the plurality of encoded data components. The receiver is arranged, such that, in use, a plurality of encoded data components received at the input are processed by the processor and a processed one of the plurality of encoded data components is output from one of the plurality of outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Strategy & Technology Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Birch
  • Patent number: 8619850
    Abstract: An integrated real-time display is provided that includes video images and a graphical representation of the transmission path, where each video image is associated with a point along the graphical representation of the transmission path. A number of monitoring points, which correspond to critical points along the transmission path are identified. The points may be selected for technical reasons or economic reasons. The graphical representation of the transmission path can be a logical representation showing the logic blocks along the transmission path or a physical representation showing the devices along the transmission path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: The Weather Channel, LLC
    Inventors: Michael W. Smereski, Robert D. Butler
  • Publication number: 20130314553
    Abstract: A video data quality assessment method and apparatus are disclosed. The video data quality assessment method includes: acquiring a compression distortion parameter of video data; acquiring a frame impairment distortion parameter/video data rebuffering parameter; and calculating a video quality parameter according to the compression distortion parameter and the frame impairment distortion parameter/video data rebuffering parameter, where the video quality parameter is a difference between the compression distortion parameter and the frame impairment distortion parameter/video data rebuffering parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lina Sun, Shan Gao, Qingpeng Xie
  • Publication number: 20130307996
    Abstract: A test controller can be operable to diagnose a video condition experienced at a customer premises. The test controller can include a port coupled to the customer premises. The test controller can also include a processor operable to activate a diagnosis sequence, send a set of questions to equipment at the customer premises, and isolate a cause of the video condition to a portion of the network, in response to receiving test a video access device can include a first port coupled to particular test equipment and a second port coupled to video access devices. The test controller can be part of a system that includes methods used to diagnose the video condition experienced at the customer premises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: AT&T Intellectual Property I, LP
    Inventors: Sam Russell, Paritosh Bajpay, David H. Lu, Shiu Y. Chong