ANCILLARY DATA VIDEO VALIDATOR AND QC SYSTEM

Number: 20180091834
Published: 2018-03-29
Filed: 2016-09-29
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: YAMASHITA; Jason et al.
CPC: H04N21/235; H04N21/4884; H04N21/4147; H04N21/458; H04N21/485
Verdict: Set aside ancillary broadcast-data QC validator (PGPUB dup)
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

Abstract

Network signals in a broadcast network can include ancillary data as well as audio and visual of a media presentation. Typically, the ancillary data is not displayed by the television when outputting the audio and visual data although it may be in some cases. To ensure the network signal is compatible with the components in the broadcast network, the embodiments herein test the network signal use an emulated version of the broadcast network. For example, the content provider can set up a local version of broadcast network using the hardware components of the broadcast network (e.g., a cable head end, network modulators, set top boxes, receivers, etc.). By transmitting the network signal through the emulated broadcast network, the content provider can verify that the ancillary data will be correctly transmitted through the actual broadcast network.

Background

BACKGROUNDField of the Invention

The embodiments herein are generally directed to verifying ancillary data in a broadcast signal.Description of the Related Art

Network signals are signals provided by a service provider—e.g., a cable network provider, satellite provider, or over-the-air provider—which are encoded to include audio and visual data of a media presentation such as a movie, television show, sporting event, news programs, and the like. The end user may include a set top box or a receiver that receives and converts the network signals into audio and visual data which is then outputted on, for example, a television.

The network signals can include ancillary data as well as the audio and visual of the media presentation. Typically, the ancillary data is not displayed by the television when outputting the audio and visual data although it may be in some cases. For example, the ancillary data may include closed captioning data which can be selectively displayed depending on the preference of the customer. Other examples of ancillary data include triggers for a digital video recorder (DVR), identification data of the media presentation, and time codes. These types of ancillary data are typically used by the receiver, DVR, or set-top-box rather than being viewed by the customer.SUMMARY

One embodiment described herein is a method that includes converting a baseband signal to a network signal used in an emulated broadcast network, the baseband signal

Claims

1. A method, comprising: converting a baseband signal to a network signal used in an emulated broadcast network, the baseband signal comprising audio/visual (AV) data and ancillary data corresponding to a media presentation; generating a video stream from the network signal after the network signal has propagated through the emulated broadcast network, wherein the video stream includes a plurality of display frames of the media presentation, and wherein each of the plurality of display frames displays a program ID in the ancillary data when outputted on a display device; performing textual recognition to identify the program ID in a first one of the plurality of display frames; and verifying the ancillary data was transmitted correctly through the emulated broadcast network by comparing the identified program ID to an expected program ID corresponding to the media presentation. 9. A system, comprising: an emulated broadcast network comprising at least one hardware component, wherein the emulated broadcast network is configured to convert a baseband signal to a network signal used in the emulated broadcast network the baseband signal comprising audio/visual (AV) data and ancillary data corresponding to a media presentation; and video encoder configured to generate a video stream from the network signal after the network signal has propagated through the emulated broadcast network, wherein the video stream includes a plurality of display frames of the media presentation, and wherein each of the plurality of display frames displays a program ID in the ancillary data when outputted on a display device; an optical character recognition (OCR) extractor configured to perform textual recognition to identify the program ID in a first one of the plurality of display frames; and an ancillary data comparator configure to verify the ancillary data was transmitted correctly through the emulated broadcast network by comparing the identified program ID to an expected program ID corresponding to the media presentation. 17. A system, comprising: one or more computing processors; and a memory comprising a program that when executed by the one or more computer processors performs an operation for verifying ancillary data was transmitted correctly through an emulated broadcast network, the operation comprising: receiving a video stream derived from a network signal that has propagated through the emulated broadcast network, wherein the video stream includes a plurality of display frames of a media presentation encoded in the network signal, and wherein each of the plurality of display frames also displays ancillary data encoded the network signal when outputted on a display device; performing textual recognition to identify text in the ancillary data displayed in a first one of the plurality of display frames; and verifying the ancillary data was transmitted correctly through the emulated broadcast network by comparing the identified text of the ancillary data to expected text corresponding to the media presentation.