Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Earl Wayne Vanderhoff

Alexander Laparidis

Frank Albert McKiel, Jr

Mark S Perakslis

David E Dubois

William S Downey

Ronald J Parrino

Rick L Halstead

Leonardo C Chen

A system may receive a first video stream from a first source over a network; receive a second video stream from a second source over the network; store a first portion of the first video stream in a first first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer; store a second portion of the second video stream in a second FIFO buffer; compare the first portion of the first video stream to the second portion of the second video stream; detect an advertisement and features in the first video stream based on the comparing; and analyze the advertisement to identify one or more types of anomalies in the advertisement based on the detected features.

Aligning advertisements in video streams

An exemplary method includes a universal remote control device programming the universal remote control device for remotely controlling a target device configured to process media content associated with the target device for presentation to a user of the target device, adding a new button associated with a configuration for remotely controlling the target device to a device selector palette, the new button being selectable by the user to activate the configuration for remotely controlling the target device, and displaying at least one of text and graphics related to the media content associated with the target device. Corresponding systems, methods, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Universal remote control systems, methods, and apparatuses

Techniques described herein may determine an objective metric that relates to the color difference that may be perceived by humans viewing two images of the same visual scene. In one implementation, a method may include receiving first and second images; determining a first histogram based on hue values associated with pixels in the first image; and determining a second histogram based on hue values associated with pixels in the second image. A color difference metric may be determined based on a comparison between the first and second histograms. The color difference metric may relate to an objective measure of color differences between the first and second images.

Objective metric relating to perceptual color differences between images

A device may calculate a normalized value for each of a number of pixels in a frame of a video stream, by obtaining a first color from one of the pixels and a second color, by obtaining color components of the first color and the second color, by, for each of the color components, determining a distance between the first color and the second color, and by adding the distances of the color components to obtain the normalized value. In addition, the device may compute an accumulation of the normalized values, compare the accumulation to a threshold to determine whether a first image that includes the pixels matches a second image that includes the second color, and display a result of determining whether the first image matches the second image via a graphical user interface (GUI).

Soft decision making processes for analyzing images

An exemplary system includes a High-Definition Multimedia Interface ('HDMI') analyzer and an HDMI router-switch having one or more input ports connected to one or more HDMI source devices and output ports connected to the HDMI analyzer and one or more HDMI sink devices. The HDMI router-switch is configured to establish and disestablish HDMI connections between the HDMI source devices and the HDMI analyzer and HDMI sink devices. The system further includes a control subsystem configured to control the HDMI analyzer, the HDMI router-switch, the HDMI source devices, and the HDMI sink devices, wherein the control subsystem is configured to direct one or more of the HDMI analyzer, the HDMI router-switch, the HDMI source devices, and the HDMI sink devices to perform one or more operations to execute one or more automated HDMI test routines. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

HDMI device and interoperability testing systems and methods

A device may receive a first video, receive a second video, and locate first frames, in the first video, in which a first change in scene occurs. In addition, the device may locate second frames, in the second video, in which a second change in scene occurs. Further, the device may determine whether the first change in scene matches the second change in scene and achieve synchronization when the first change in scene matches the second change in scene.

Synchronizing videos

An exemplary method includes a video content analysis system capturing a first set of video frames representative of a first video content instance and a second set of video frames representative of a second video content instance, applying a morphing heuristic to at least one of the first and second sets of video frames to result in the first and second sets of video frames having a common aspect ratio, a common resolution, and a common container, frame synchronizing, subsequent to the applying of the morphing heuristic, the first and second sets of video frames, and performing a comparative analysis of the frame synchronized first and second sets of video frames. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Video content analysis methods and systems

A system includes a content evaluation device is configured to receive reproduced media content and compare the reproduced media content to reference media content to determine a quality of the reproduced media content relative to the reference media content. The content evaluation device is configured to apply an entropy factor to the determined quality to model human perception of the reproduced media content. A method of determining the entropy factor includes converting the reference media content or the reproduced media content to a grayscale image, counting a number of unique luminance values in the grayscale image, determining the total number of possible luminance values, and defining the entropy factor to be the number of total pixels compared relative to the maximum number of pixels represented by any single luminance value multiplied by the number of possible luminance values.

Modeling human perception of media content

An exemplary method includes a universal remote control device detecting user input requesting that the universal remote control device be operated in a learning mode, initiating, in response to the user input, operation of the universal remote control device in the learning mode, receiving, during the operation of the universal remote control device in the learning mode, a device code via an inter-device communication, and automatically configuring, in response to the receiving of the device code via the inter-device communication, the universal remote control device for remotely controlling a target device associated with the device code. Corresponding systems, methods, and apparatuses are also disclosed.

Systems for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks are provided. In general, systems and methods are described for simulating a set-top box subscriber base, remotely controlling the operations of the set-top boxes of the simulated subscriber base, and analyzing the quality of transmissions received by the set-top boxes. Houses, streets, and towns are simulated using multiple set-top boxes connected to a network. A controller is configured to remotely instruct the set-top boxes to access content from the network and to monitor the operations of the set-top boxes, and an analyzer is configured to monitor the quality of the transmissions received. Methods are also provided for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks and for testing the quality of transmissions from one source as compared to another source.

System for testing set-top boxes and content distribution networks and associated methods

An apparatus is provided for remotely controlling set-top boxes. In general, a virtual remote controller is described including a memory device and a processor. The memory device is configured to store an image file and more than one signal file. The image file defines an image of a set-top box remote controller, and each signal file defines a command to control an operation of the set-top box. The processor is configured to generate the image of the remote controller according to the image file. The image of the remote controller includes buttons, and a signal file is associated with each button. Selecting a button causes a signal defined by the signal file associated with the selected button to be transmitted from the apparatus to the respective set-top box to command the set-top box to perform an operation. A method and a computer program product are also provided for remotely controlling set-top boxes.

Growing community of inventors

Cranston, RI, United States of America

Earl Wayne Vanderhoff