Video Latency Determination Device for Component Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In video broadcast systems, the inherent latency of components like video switchers and file servers often results in lost video content due to untimely command issuance, as the control system does not account for the latency of individual components, leading to suboptimal video playback and switching.
Innovation Solution
A video latency determination device is introduced to measure and account for the latency of each component, synchronizing video file servers and switchers by transmitting test video patterns and calculating component-specific latencies to ensure seamless video output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control system executes commands based on a timed schedule without accounting for component latency, then the system operation is simple and straightforward, but video content is lost due to untimely command issuance
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary latency measurement by transmitting test video patterns through each component and measuring the time delay. These measurements are stored and used to calculate compensation values in advance, allowing the control system to issue commands at precisely timed moments that account for each component's inherent latency, thereby preventing video content loss without adding real-time complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously measuring the actual latency of each video component using test patterns and using this measured data to adjust command timing. The latency measurement device provides feedback information about component performance, which is then used to optimize the timed schedule for command issuance, ensuring reliable video playback while maintaining system simplicity
2Reliability
If the control system accounts for each component's latency by issuing commands in advance, then video content completeness is improved, but the system requires complex latency measurement and calculation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dedicated latency measurement device as an intermediary component that specializes in measuring latency through test video pattern transmission. This intermediary handles the complex measurement and calculation tasks, allowing the main control system to simply apply pre-calculated timing adjustments, thereby improving video playback accuracy while containing complexity in a separate, specialized module
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses test video patterns as simplified copies or representations of actual video content to measure latency. These test patterns replicate the essential characteristics of real video signals without requiring actual video content, enabling accurate latency measurement while keeping the measurement process simple and efficient
3Reliability
If multiple components are synchronized based on measured latencies, then seamless video output is achieved, but the system requires precise timing and coordination mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary synchronization by calculating the exact timing offsets for each component based on measured latency values. These timing offsets are pre-determined and stored, allowing components to be synchronized automatically without requiring complex real-time coordination during operation, thus achieving seamless video output while maintaining operational simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a system and method for determining the latency of components of a video system comprising a video latency determination device. The video latency determination device includes a memory and a processor configured to detect a test video pattern appearing at a known time in the video signal at the video output of each component, calculate the latency of each component based on the known time of the test video pattern and the time at which the video latency determination device detects the test video pattern, and store the latency of each component in the memory.