Set-Top Box Analyzer for Channel Outage Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face challenges in detecting and reporting channel outages in their subscribed television channels without interfering with existing equipment or user experience, as they are unaware of when outages occur, their duration, or frequency.
Innovation Solution
An image analysis system and method that uses a set-top box with a tuner, signal input, analyzer, and remote control output to determine channel activity by analyzing television signals, storing data, and transmitting it for credit requests, employing techniques like brightness analysis, optical character recognition, and audio signal detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a consumer manually monitors television channels to detect outages, then the consumer can identify service interruptions, but the consumer cannot accurately determine outage duration, frequency, or report outages without user awareness and action
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system performs self-service by automatically detecting channel outages, recording duration and frequency, and generating credit requests without requiring consumer intervention. The system autonomously tunes to channels, analyzes signals for outage conditions, and documents findings, eliminating the need for manual consumer monitoring while providing precise outage measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual consumer observation and reporting actions with an automated electronic monitoring system. The system uses a tuner to receive channels, an analyzer to detect outage conditions through signal analysis, and a data storage/transmission system to record and report findings, substituting mechanical human effort with automated technological processes.
2Measurement precision
If an automated monitoring system continuously analyzes all subscribed channels, then accurate outage data is obtained, but the system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is implemented within an existing set-top box, making the device universal by combining multiple functions: channel tuning, signal analysis for outage detection, data storage, and credit request generation. This multi-functionality allows the system to perform comprehensive outage monitoring without requiring a separate dedicated device, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary analyzer component that sits between the tuner and the output, analyzing channel signals for outage conditions without interfering with the primary television function. This intermediary approach allows the system to add monitoring capabilities while maintaining compatibility with existing set-top box architecture and not disrupting normal television operation.
3Reliability
If the monitoring system analyzes television signals using multiple techniques, then detection reliability is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic action by analyzing television signals at regular intervals rather than continuously processing every frame. The analyzer checks for outage conditions at scheduled times, which reduces computational overhead and processing time while maintaining reliable outage detection. This periodic approach balances detection reliability with efficient resource utilization.
4Measurement precision
If the system records and transmits detailed outage data, then credit request accuracy is improved, but data storage and transmission requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential outage data elements needed for credit requests, such as outage duration, frequency, and affected channels, rather than storing and transmitting all raw signal analysis data. This selective extraction approach provides sufficient information for accurate credit documentation while minimizing data storage and transmission requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An image analysis system and method determines whether a channel is active by intercepting signals from a set-top box and determining whether the signals correspond to an inactive channel by analyzing pixels, recognized text and/or audio in the signal stream. The system and method controls tuning of the set-top box to each channel to be tested. Data relating to the analysis may be stored and transmitted for processing credit requests.