Video facility management system.

IS 2 174 869 T3

DESCRIPTION

Video facility management system. Background of the invention

The present invention deals with the management of television installations, particularly with the purpose of routing television programs both stored, in recorded form, and transmitted by the installation, as well as programs received and transmitted by the installation.

Television programs, prior to being broadcast or broadcast over the cable system, will be conducted over a wide variety of paths within a facility and between facilities. Currently, no system or method has been available to reliably monitor the flow of such programs in real time. As a consequence, those managing such facilities must generally rely on the assumption that all operating personnel have taken the necessary steps to route the programs in the desired manner. Currently, one of the most viable methods to determine what is being broadcast or distributed on a cable system is to make an off-antenna recording of all programs that have been broadcast or distributed to customers. In other words, this method only allows the required determination to be made independently and therefore not in real time.

The television industry has implemented several different computer systems and associated software designed to achieve specific objectives, such as preparing a registry of programs to be broadcast or distributed. Some accounting programs have been developed that make use of manually entered data derived from the registration of the programs to be broadcast as well as reports of discrepancy of operators in operation at the time of broadcasting and viewing off-air recordings. In addition, limited automations of live programs have been attempted. However, to date, the capacity of such systems is limited because, generally, they are not capable of automatically identifying the programs that are being routed through a facility or stored in a facility. Thus, the timely distribution of television programs to customers, both by broadcast and by transmission through a cable network, for the most part, if not entirely, depends on the operating personnel and in many cases only they can verify it. . Patents US-A-4,368,486 or US-A-4,230,990 disclose methods and systems for the automatic identification of broadcast programs.

Brief Statement of the Invention

The first objective of the present invention is to automatically monitor the routing of television programs or their elements, within a facility and between facilities to better allow the automated generation of a record of the path followed by each television program or element and the instant of time in which each program or element reached each distribution point along its path.

A more specific objective of the invention is to provide the video signals of each program with information that identifies the program and that can be decoded so that it can be supplied to a computer system, thereby allowing real-time management of the television installation. .

Another specific objective of the invention is to provide said program identification information in the part of a video signal that contains image information, but without interfering with the viewing of the associated program on a home receiver.

The objectives are achieved thanks to the provision of an apparatus and a method as defined in independent claims 1 and 10. The dependent claims deal with embodiments.

The objectives according to the invention are also achieved by a method to route the flow of television programs in a program distribution system where each program includes a video signal containing information to generate a television image, including said system of distribution of a plurality of units through which television programs flow, where the method comprises: adding, in a first signal processing means connected within the system, signaling elements to the video signal of a program for the purpose of adding patterns of symbols, hereinafter referred to as icons, to the television picture so that the symbols were placed at predetermined locations in the television picture and a plurality of successive patterns constitute a code associated with the program; and detecting, in a second signal processing means connected within the system, signaling elements previously added to a video signal and to produce, in response to said detection, information related to the program including the video signal.

Because the elements of a television program are routed through a number of parts of signal processing equipment prior to broadcast or delivery to a customer's cable system, these elements are subject to various alterations and distortions. present in the original program material. Of course, during the broadcast or distribution over a customer's cable system, additional alterations and distortions were introduced to the television signals. All parts of a video signal not contained within the active image window, also known as the excess image area, that contain image information, are subject to reconfiguration, re-synchronization and / or replacement, and in fact are. at some points, which often makes any information scheme that uses these areas unreliable at best. Therefore, the most reliable location to insert any form of identification scheme was in the active imaging area.

An important problem associated with the use of the active imaging area is that the information is inserted in a location that is inadmissible for the patient.

ES 2 174 869 T3 viewer.

The present invention obviates, or at least improves, the first of these problems by using relatively small icons compared to the full image, and inserting these icons into video signals so that, in an image produced by those signals, said icons they would appear located in an area of ​​the image that would not be visible on a properly adjusted home television receiver. From now on, this area will be referred to as the icon area. The outer limits of the icon area coincide with the limits of the aforementioned excess image area and the inner limits of the icon area preferably coincide with the limits of the area known in the state of the art as the safe title area, and most preferably with the limits of an area known in the state of the art as the safe area of ​​action, which is slightly larger than the safe area of ​​action. The shape and dimensions of these areas would be described further below. In a properly adjusted home television receiver, the width and height of the picture are adjusted so that the sweep of the electron beam corresponds to an area slightly larger than the useful area of ​​the picture tube. Ideally, adjustments are made so that the safe action area of ​​the image corresponds to the useful area of ​​the picture tube.

A second problem is the existence of distortions and alterations when the client is viewing the program. Even if these distortions were admissible by the customer, they could cause unreliability in digital systems.

For example, there are certain obstacles to accurately placing information in defined locations in the image area due to the inherent characteristics of the equipment currently used to process video signals. Regarding precise positioning in the vertical direction, the picture line count is performed using the vertical sync as a reference, and the digital video processors and time base correctors of the VTRs substitute both the horizontal and vertical sync pulses. . Therefore, the precision with which a particular image line can be determined is a function of each individual piece of equipment used during processing. A common problem with some of the more popular VTRs is that they can latch onto a video signal one line later. The time base corrector will then add timing information to shift the image one line vertically. The customer does not notice these displacements because the missing line is out of the area normally seen on a home receiver.

Regarding the positions of picture elements in the horizontal direction, the position of any picture element along a current video line is referred to the leading edge of the horizontal sync pulse of that line. The types of video processing equipment cited above and even analog processing amplifiers have the ability to change this relationship. Again, the client is not affected by such changes because they are not referenced in relation to the current point on the edge of the image. In practice, this error is kept at approximately one half cycle of the subcarrier since a greater amount of phase error in the image would cause the horizontal blanking to increase above the allowable limits.

Existing equipment also has problems in terms of analog brightness levels and linearity of signal amplification. Even distribution amplifiers, which are the very simple elements used in television processing systems, can introduce analog errors in the signals they process. These errors include errors related to differential gain, signal compression, high or low brightness levels, non-linear transfer functions, etc. Complicated teams of mine can introduce even bigger mistakes. Therefore, when a signal that has passed through these devices is digitized, quantization errors can occur.

The elements, or icons, used to provide information in accordance with the present invention have the ability to retain their information content even when the video signals in which they are contained are subject to the various shifts and distortions mentioned above. The icons are made up of simple patterns that have sufficient redundancy to ensure reliable detection even after being subjected to vertical and horizontal displacements of the type described above. Each image frame includes, in a defined area, a specific reference icon that has regions representing black, white, and gray image levels, to ensure reliable decoding even if the icons have been subject to level quantization errors. analog. The difference between the known values ​​of these levels and the pixel levels found when the reference icon is read provides an indication of the magnitude of the gain and linearity errors that occurred due to coding. This information can be used as compensation in reading icons retrieved from the other three areas of the image frame.

More specifically, the invention allows to overcome the problems related to the displacement of the position of picture elements and analog distortion of the signal through the use of icon patterns that can be reliably detected and identified with the help of technology. currently available, employing diffuse loagics, even in the presence of high levels of noise and distortion. Fuzzy logic can associate each signal element with a value contained in a substantially continuous range between 0 and 1 as opposed to detection techniques that employ the classic Boolean logic, where each signal element can only have two values, or 0 or 1. Therefore, the recovery will follow patterns of fuzzy loagics do not rely on a perfect correspondence. Returns a value of the match degree of a match. When the icons are made up of patterns within the parameters defined by the pre3

According to the invention, reasonable amounts of noise or distortion do not hinder the recovery of the symbols, giving the system a robustness not found in Boolean-based information systems.

Brief description of the figures

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional television installation equipped with components for the implementation of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing one of the components according to the invention provided in the system of Fig.

1.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a unit of the component of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3.1 is a block diagram showing those portions of the Fig. 3 unit for inserting icons into a video signal;

Fig. 3.2. is a block diagram showing those portions of the unit of Fig. 3 for reading icons from a video signal;

Fig. 3.3. is a block diagram showing those portions of the unit of Fig. 3 for identifying icons of a video signal;

Fig. 4 is a drawn image of a television screen, showing the location of identification elements in accordance with the present invention.

Figs 5.1-5.2 are drawn images of portions of a variety of identification patterns that can be used in the practice of the present invention.

Figs. 6.1-6.3 are time diagrams illustrating the operation of the device of Fig. 3.

Description of preferred embodiment examples

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a typical television distribution system that can be constructed in accordance with the present invention. The configuration of the exemplary system has been chosen arbitrarily, simply for the purpose of illustration. It should be understood that any television program distribution system can serve as the basis for the implementation of the invention regardless of its complexity and / or geographic extent. Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiment is described in relation to the NTSC standard, it should be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to all video formats, both the two that are currently used and those formats that will be developed in the future.

The systems illustrated in FIG. 1 include television signal processing components, such as a satellite receiver 102, a VCR 104, and a signal processing and control area known in the industry as Modular Studio 106. Satellite receiver 102 is connected to receiving antenna 112 to receive programs downloaded from a satellite and programs arriving at receiver 102 are routed through router 114 to other components of the system, such as components 104 and 106. From that way, a program arriving via a downlink to receiver 102 can be recorded by recorder 104 or immediately broadcast through control unit 106. Alternatively, a tape having a program that has been previously recorded can be routed from VTR 104 to control unit 106 via router 114.

The system, as described so far, represents a functional, albeit simple, television station. In accordance with the present invention, specially designed nodes 120 are connected to each junction where television program signals enter, exit, or route within the system. As will be explained in greater detail below, each of these nodes 120 can be controlled to identify signs within each such transmission.

The system of Fig. 1 is completed with units provided to use the information provided in a video signal in accordance with the present invention, and which are coupled to nodes 120 via cable 122. These additional units include a supervisory computer system composed of, for example, a unit 130 that maintains a daily work schedule to be carried out by the station, a unit 132 that provides a record of the programming that will be issued by the station, a unit 134 that will perform accounting functions, and one or more units 136 that will perform various tasks that require the information provided in accordance with the present invention.

The composite supervisory computer system will also store information that identifies the desired time of broadcast of a program and will use that information in conjunction with information indicating the location where the program is stored, for example the VCR, to emit control signals that will start the reproduction and route the recorded output to the transmitting station.

The station also includes an engineering network composed of a unit 140 that stores the identification of each program managed by the station, a unit 142 that stores data in relation to the technical quality of the image and sound content of the received and sent programming, a unit 144 that will perform various and different tasks, a unit 146 that constitutes the server files that maintain an updated record of relevant data related to the programming received and edited by the station and a unit 148 that allows the exchange of information between the units 130-136, on the one hand, and the units 140-146 on the other.

The term "program" that appears in several

ES 2 174 869 T3 legends in Fig. 1, and elsewhere in this text, are used to mean an identifiable television program element, for example a complete TV production or show, including advertising or public service announcements that have been assembled for air diffusion or by means of a cable system. Of course, such a program can also be a live broadcast, such as a newscast or sporting event. The structure and setup of conventional broadcast facilities is described in the current edition of the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) technical manual.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a node 120 according to the present invention. The node includes an interface 202 that connects the node to a cable 122. The interface 202 may be a local area network controller such as an interface marketed by Standard Microsystems Corp. under the model designation COM200020. The interface 202 was connected, via a control bus 204 and an address / data bus 206, to a CPU 210, a system memory 212 and a real-time timer 214. The CPU is connected via a bus control master / slave 220 to one or more modules 222, 224, 226 and 228.

The module 222 was constructed and controlled to insert identification indications such as "icons" to a video signal or to read icons that have previously been inserted to the video signal. Module 222 includes an analog portion and a digital portion that can generate digital signals representative of icons in a video signal processed in the analog portion. The moment in which a set of icons passes a particular node can be read from the timer 214 and stored with identification data of the program and the node through which they have passed.

Module 224 is a machine control module that can be configured to control the operation of a component of the television distribution system in response to information generated from the video signal by module 222. Examples of components that are adapted to effect machine control include character generators, routers and videotape recorders such as the Ampex VPR-2B and Ampex VPR-250 and other components capable of being driven.

Module 226 is a digital audio icon interface that can modify the audio portion of a television program in response to information, which has been added to its video signal and decoded in module 222. The module 228 is a station time reader that receives an input representing the current time and associates a timestamp, or stamp, to each data set obtained from module 222.

Machine control 224 and interface 226 are optional components that can be incorporated at any time. Certain capabilities that will be created by incorporating such components will be described below, after the device and the procedure for inserting information to the video signal and reading such information have been described.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the icon encoding / decoding module 222. FIGS. 3.1 to 3.3 represent various portions of module 222 according to the function performed. Figs. 6.1 to 6.3 are timing programs showing signal waveforms at certain points in the circuits of Figs. 3.1 to 3.3, respectively. The circuit locations of Figs. 3.1 a

3.3 where the signals of Figs. 6.1 a

6.3 stain indicated by letters that correspond to those that identify the corresponding waveforms of Figs. 6.1 to 6.3.

Turning first to Fig. 3.1, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the portion of module 222 that interacted with a video signal in order to insert information into the signal. The circuit shown in Fig. 3.1 includes a video buffer 302 and a main amplifier 304 which are connected in series with each other in the associated television signal path. The video signal applied to the input of amplifier 302, the waveforms a and a? present in Fig. 6.1, is conducted without modification to the first signal input of the amplifier 304. The main amplifier 304 is a conventional element used in television signal processing systems. It is basically a high speed video switcher that passes, in this case, either the raw input video or the video in which identification information has been inserted after a D / A conversion process. In the illustrated embodiment, this identifying information is preferably in the form of graphic symbols or "icons", as explained below. Selection of the input signal to amplifier 304 is controlled by the "Insert" signal, waveform s of Fig. 6.1, which is generated by a clock generator / desynchronizer circuit 306.

The video signal from buffer amplifier 302 is routed to desynchronizer / clock generator 306 which has a basic timing element. Circuit 306 includes a video timing splitter of the type LM1881 sold cheaply by National Semiconductor, the output of which (designated INSERT) is connected to a subsidiary timing generator 310 as well as main amplifier 304. Amplifier 304 has a second video input that receives one or more icons which can be added to the video signal. Icon data is supplied to the second video input of amplifier 304 via circuitry that includes a FIFO memory 320 and a digital / analog converter 322. Signals representing the desired icon patterns are read from memory 320, converted to analog form in converter 322, and added to the video signal at appropriate times.

Devices 306 and 320 are controlled by

ES 2 174 869 T3 is a microprocessor 330 which has an associated memory 332. The microprocessor 330 is connected to the timing generator 306 through a control bus 340. The microprocessor 330 is connected to the memory 332 and to the memory 320 through of a data bus 342 and an address bus 344.

A signal μp_allow.insert (waveform r in Fig. 6.1) is generated in device 306 and supplied to microprocessor 330 via control bus 340. This signal alerts the microprocessor to load FIFO memory 320 with patterns of appropriate icons stored in memory 332 associated with the microprocessor. Microprocessor 330 does not have to load memory 320 with all the icons to be stored in a frame at the same time since FIFO memory 320 can be read and written to at the same time. In the illustrated embodiment, only the data for the first line of icons to be inserted in the frame is loaded into the FIFO memory at the same time.

At the proper location of the video signal frame field (s), timing generator 306 under the control of microprocessor 330 activates timing signal INSERT which causes timing generator 310 to emit a series of rapid timing pulses. to FIFO memory 320 and D / A converter 322. The FIFO memory 320, in response to these timing pulses, outputs the previously stored icon information, one pixel at a time, which is converted to analog form by the converter 322 and then inserted into the video signal by the amplifier. main 304.

In this way, information identifying a program can be added to the video signal of the program. The information is in the form of signal components that will appear at selected locations in the resulting television picture as icons, or graphic symbols. These icons can appear in a variety of patterns; each patron represents a specific unit or piece of information; and a succession of these patterns provides the desired information.

In the illustrated embodiment, for each icon a set of pixels is inserted in successive lines of Field 1 of the frame, as shown in Fig. 5.1. To complete the icon, a second set of pixels is inserted in successive lines associated with Field 2 of the same frame.

To read the icons, the video signals found in pre-selected areas reserved for icons are converted into digital pixel signals and then stored in a memory 314 of Fig. 3.2, in locations such that all the pixels in Field 1 and 2 for a given icon can be read together in a selected order. Fig. 4 shows an example of four such icon areas 404a-404d of a video frame. It is recognized that the icons may be located in other areas of the frame.

The vertical positions and extents of the icon areas 404 are determined by counting the horizontal sync pulses from the start of each field and producing vertical rectangular pulses in response to selected horizontal sync pulses. In the illustrated embodiment, two icons are inserted in lines 22-27 and two are inserted in lines 257-262 of each frame for a total of four icons per frame, as shown in Fig. 4. Given Since each frame has two fields arranged alternately crossed with each other, each icon has a vertical height of 12 lines, as shown in Fig. 5.1. It should of course be appreciated that a variable number of icons may be inserted into a particular frame. For example, three icons can be stacked in the same horizontal position at each corner of the frame with a total of 12 icons per frame.

The horizontal positions and extents of the icon areas 404 are determined by producing a train of pixel timing pulses which divide each scan line into a plurality of pixel locations, counting these pixel timing pulses and producing horizontal rectangular pulses. in response to selected pixel timing pulses. The coincidence of vertical and horizontal rectangular pulses correspond to an icon area.

Fig. 6.2 contains timing diagrams showing signal waveforms at certain points in the circuit of Fig. 3.2. In Fig. 6.2, waveforms a and a show two successive parts of a field of a color television signal beginning with a vertical void interval, to the left of waveform a in Fig. 6.2, during which equalization pulses and sync pulses are supplied, followed by eleven picture lines (picture lines 10-20) which will not appear on the television screen. The vertical void interval was followed by a period of active video composed of 2422 image lines. As is known, each image line includes a horizontal sync pulse 610, a color burst 612, and an image information region 614. Region 614 containing image information is represented as a pulse on image line 21 but is not represented for the other image lines.

Fig. 6.2 shows, in waveform g, the field identification pulse, odd.pair (odd.even), extracted from each field signal by device 306 of Fig. 3.2. The odd signal.par is driven to the reset input REIN (RST) of a counter 309, the output of which is a ten-bit parallel digital signal representing the skin address within the frame. Thus, counter 309 resets and generates ten-bit pixel addresses when the field changes from odd to even and vice versa. It would be appreciated that each icon pixel would not be contiguous from one line to another. Consequently, the ten-bit pixel address generated by counter 309 is routed to a PROM device 312 which replaces the frame pixel addresses in contiguous memory addresses of memory 314. As a result, the pixels of each icon

ES 2 174 869 T3 readings that enter memory 314 are stored in contiguous memory locations.

In Fig. 6.2 are shown, in waveform b, horizontal sync pulses, sync_h separated, extracted from the video signal of waveforms a and a¿. This signal is generated within device 306 of Fig. 3.2. Continuing the horizontal sync pulses separated from waveform b of Fig. 6.2 generates a signal jonea.reetangular.pulses, as shown in waveform c of Fig. 6.2, which provides a first rectangular pulse synchronized with image line 22-27 at the top of the image frame and a second rectangular pulse synchronized with image line 257-262 at the bottom of the image frame. This signal is also produced in device 306 of Fig. 3.2.

During each rectangular.rectangular.pulse, generator 306 produces a series of pulses, identified as.rectangular.pixel.pulses, which are shown in waveform d of Fig. 6.2. Each pulse.rectangular.pixel. pulses coincides with a horizontal row of a respective icon area. As previously mentioned, the frames in the illustrated embodiment have four icon areas, one icon area at each corner of the frame. Because in the illustrated embodiment each image line that passes through one icon area to through two icon areas, alternating pulses of these pulses called jrectangular.pixel pulses coincide with a defined part of the start and end. , respectively, of each image line. Each of these rectangular pulses is used to input two series of rectangular pulsed pixel timers generated by generator 306, which are shown in waveforms e and f of Fig. 6.2. The rectangular pulsed pixel_ timers e (phase 1) time the A / D converter 308 so that only that position of the video signal corresponding to a preselected icon area is converted into digital pixel data. Timers ^ pulsed ^ rectangular pixels f (phase 2) times counter 309 that generates the frame pixel addresses described above, which are placed by PROM 312 in contiguous memory addresses. Each pixel written to memory 314 is made up of an eight-bit word written in parallel to memory 314.

Now referring to Figs. 3.3 and 6.3, icons are identified by comparing icon pixel data stored in addressable digital memory 314 during a previous read operation with icon pixel data stored in pattern RAM 318. For this purpose, at the end of each image frame, the pixel data read from the image frame and stored in memory 314 is output to a switching register 315, which delivers the pixel data, one pixel at a time. , to a pattern recognition unit. In the illustrated embodiment, the pattern recognition unit is implemented with a fuzzy pattern comparer 316 and a

Pattern RAM 318. A suitable embodiment of comparator 316 is a device sold by American NeuraLogix, Inc., of Sanford, Longitudinal Force, under the model designation NLX110. This device has eight pattern data inputs, so RAM 318 can be provided with eight data outputs simultaneously supplying up to eight selected patterns to comparator 316.

The NLX110 integrated circuit makes it possible to simultaneously compare up to eight known patterns with one unknown pattern. To make maximum use of this architecture, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention uses eight different icon patterns. An icon pattern is designated as a reference icon pattern and is located in the upper left hand corner of the active image window, as indicated at 404a in Fig. 4. This reference icon pattern is used by the control microprocessor 330 to set the error threshold of the pattern comparator NLX110 316 for the following three icons, present in areas 404b, 404c and 404d, thereby obtaining a record of noise or distortion on incoming icons.

The other seven selected icon patterns make up a primitive icon set. Using the formula for the number of permutations of N (= 7) patterns taken from R (= 3) into R (= 3) produces 210 possible permutations of different patterns per image frame. The first 128 permutations can be assigned to to correspond to the seven-bit ASCII code for plain text transmission. The remaining values ​​can be assigned to special purposes. With this scheme, when program identification information is provided, three different icon patterns will be present in the frame, mine the reference icon pattern. Thus, each image frame can provide an alphanumeric identification character. Given the conventional television frame rate of 30 / second, icons providing complete identifying information only need to be present in a television program signal for a few seconds.

By extension, increasing the number of different icon patterns could increase the amount of information contained in each frame. However, it was anticipated that the complexity of the control circuitry and programming would likely increase as the number of different icon patterns increased. Also, an increase in the number of different icon patterns could make visual interpretation difficult for station personnel.

The types of icon patterns employed in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention have characteristics that make it possible for them to be identified, or decoded, by a fuzzy logic comparator with a high degree of reliability even when the video signal contains noise or noise. distortion, or when an error in the timing of the video signal prevents

ES 2 174 869 T3 one or two lines or columns of icon pixels reaches the comparator 316. In the illustrated embodiment, these icon pattern characteristics include the following: there are only eight different icon patterns to be recognized, while each pattern was comprised of 144 pixels; each pattern consists of pixels that have only two or three different values ​​separated by relatively large distances on the gray scale; Each pattern has four changes in the gray level value in both the horizontal and vertical directions; and, with the exception of corners of each triangular pattern, a given gray level value is present in at least two successive pixel locations in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Accordingly, the eight different patterns can be made to represent relatively simple geometrical shapes that differ sufficiently from one another to allow reliable identification of each pattern with comparator 316 set at a relatively low recognition threshold.

In the illustrated embodiment, the icon information stored for a particular frame is identified, or decoded, within a period equal to 12 image lines with 18.2 Mhz shift timers. As shown in Fig. 6.3, waveform g is an odd-even signal produced at device 306 to identify the current field of each frame. The state of this signal is inverted by the leading edge of each v sync pulse (Fig. 6.1). At each positive transition of the odd signal, even, corresponding to the vertical empty interval at the start of each odd field, the device 306 generates a pulse compare, allowing it to have a period of 12 image lines, as represented by the shape of wave h.

During each compare.allow pulse, the device 306 generates a train of four read.winner pulses, separated, represented by waveform i, and four compare.pulse.rectangular pulses, represented by waveform j. Each compare.rectangular.pulse immediately precedes an associated read.winner pulse. During the period of each rectangular pulse, the device 306 generates a ten of 144 rectangular pulsed timer pulses, generally displayed as waveform k.

As shown by the waveforms l and m, each rectangular pulsed timer pulse is composed of two trains of eight timing pulses, each at a pulse rate of 18.2 MHz. In addition, device 306 generates a leerjmem pulse, displayed by waveform m, for each pulse of rectangularly pulsed timers. A counter 319, Fig. 3.3, is reset by the odd.par pulse, waveform g, at the start of each frame. The readjmem is supplied to the input of the counter 319 which provides a reading address of ten pixels for the memory 314 through a multiplexer (abbreviated mux) 311, Fig. 3.3.

One of the trains of eight timing pulses, identified as waveform l (phase

1), is supplied to switch register 315 to serially switch pixel bits to comparator 316 and the other stream, identified as waveform m (phase 2), is supplied to comparator 316 to trigger a comparison operation. Each phase 1 pulse switches a single pixel bit and each phase 2 pulse triggers a comparison with the previously switched bit. The bits of phase 2 are phase switched 180 ° from the bits of phase 1.

Each bit arriving from toggle register 315 is compared to an associated bit from each of the eight patterns supplied by RAM 318. After all the bits of an icon have been matched, a corresponding read.winner pulse is delivered. to microprocessor 330, and in response to this pulse, microprocessor 330 reads the result of the comparison from comparator 316. This result of the comparison is in the form of a signal that identifies the reference pattern, which must closely match the pattern represented by the bits delivered from register 315. This signal is supplied to memory 332 along with an identification of the associated icon location in the active image window.

The compare-allow trailing edge generates, in microprocessor 330, a completion signal indicating that all four icons in a frame have been individually identified in pattern and location. The information, that is, the character, that they represent can be identified, for example, by means of a look-up table in memory 332.

A node according to one aspect of the invention was arranged on the input side of the transmitter to read identification information stored in the television signal in order to provide the central data processing system of the equipment with a contemporary indication and reliable that the broadcast of the identified program has started. This information will be stored together with an indication of when the transmission started.

In addition, after reading, the stored information can be erased from the television signal prior to transmission. Alternatively, however, the identification information, that is, the icons, may remain on the television signal at the time it is broadcast or transmitted to be used to determine the viewing of patterns on television receivers. individuals, for example, in order to generate a community of program viewers. For this purpose, the television receiver which is to be monitored could be equipped with a decoder containing appropriate portions of the node of Fig. 2 connected to the tuner output of the receiver or forming part of an external tuner. The identification data contained in each program to which the receiver was tuned could then be stored together with a time stamp or could be transmitted, possibly immediately, through a telephone line to a radio control point.

ES 2 174 869 T3 data capture. As a consequence, program viewing rates can be determined on a virtually instantaneous basis.

When the identification data according to the invention is used to determine viewing patterns, it may be desirable to transmit such data at fixed intervals of, for example, five minutes during each program, as well as at the beginning of each commercial or commercial ad unit. , and after each commercial or commercial ad unit, in order to monitor channel change patterns in the middle of the programs. Such a technique to monitor viewing patterns will be able to eliminate errors in the indexes that result from incorrect reports made by users of the programs they have watched.

Fig. 4 shows an active image window having an outer boundary, or boundary, 402 that delimits the area of ​​a video image formed by all the image information contained in a video signal, that is, all portions of the video signal. the video signal except the horizontal and vertical empty portions. Within the active image window there is a safe action area enclosed by an outer boundary or boundary 406, and within the action safe area there is a small safe area enclosed by an outer boundary or boundary 408.

According to the specifications published by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers as RP27.3-1989, the safe action area will contain that part of the image that you want to present to the viewer, that is, That is, all of the significant action on a television show, and the small safe area will contain all of the most important information, such as headlines, to ensure that this information will be visible on most home television receivers.

In accordance further with these specifications, the following dimensions are associated with the image area, in terms of percentage of the vertical height of the active image window enclosed by border 402:

horizontal width of the active image window - 133%;

vertical height of safe area of ​​action 90%;

vertical separation between the lower edge of the safe area of ​​action and the lower edge of the active image window - 5%;

horizontal separation between the right hand edge of the safe action area and the right hand edge of the active image window - 6.67%;

radius of each corner of the safe area of ​​action - 24%;

vertical height of small safe area 80%;

small safe area horizontal width

- 106%;

vertical separation between the lower edge of the small safe area and the lower edge of the active image window - 10%;

horizontal separation between the right hand edge of the small safe area and the right hand edge of the active image window - 13.33%;

radius of each corner of the small safe area - 21%.

Fig. 4 further shows four small rectangular icon areas 404 located at the four corners of the active image window, outside of the action safe area enclosed by border 406. Preferably, icon areas 404 are confined to regions of corner, each bounded by horizontal and vertical radial lines 410 originating from the center of the radii of curvature of the respective corners. These regions provide adequate space for icons while ensuring that they will not be seen by home viewers. However, if desired, icon areas 404 may be located fully or partially within border 406, but preferably outside border 408. In this case, the icons present in the areas 404 will create no more than minimal distractions to the viewer, particularly since, as will be described below, the icons will normally only be present on a program item for a period of several seconds. On the other hand, because the 404 icon areas are located in the active picture window, they can be visually observed by staff at a television station and, if played from a sufficiently slow motion tape, they can be interpreted visually.

An icon area 404a, for example in the upper left corner of area 402, may be reserved for an icon which may have a special shape and which is present in each television picture frame containing identifying information. The information contained in the frame may be represented by the presence or absence of icons at the other three locations and / or by the shape of the icon or icons at one or more of the other three locations.

In Fig. 4 a simple example of an icon scheme according to the invention is shown, where all the icons have a square or rectangular outline. Such contours can be produced in a relatively simple manner by rectangular pulse generating circuitry, as described above. Reference icon 404a is located in the upper left corner and has the shape, in an illustrated embodiment, of an empty black rectangle that encloses an empty gray rectangle, with a white square in the center. The other three 404b-d icons are divided diagonally into a black triangle and a white triangle; to facilitate the differentiation, the black triangles of the icons present in the areas 404b and 404c point down and to the right; the one for the 404d area icon points up and to the left.

Figs. 5.1 and 5.2 show a number of possible icon patterns that can be used in the practice of the present invention. The icon field patterns 5a-5h of Figs.

IS 2 174 869 T3

5.1 and 5.2 show the icon pixels present in Field 1 of a television picture frame for eight unique icons, while the 5i-5p icon field patterns show the corresponding icon pixels present in Field 2 of the same frame. image for the same eight icons. When viewed on a television screen, the lines of the associated icon field patterns are interlaced to represent a complete icon pattern. Thus, field patterns 5a and 5i combine to form the reference icon pattern in area 404a of Fig. 4, while icon field patterns 5b and 5j form the icon pattern in area 404d of the Fig. 4 and the icon field patterns 5c and 5k form the icon pattern of the aereos 404b and 404c of Fig. 4.The icon field patterns 5d and 5l, 5e and 5m, 5f and 5n, 5g and 5o, and 5h and 5p can be combined respectively to form five other icon patterns which can be used. In the illustrated embodiment, the white pixels are represented without hatching, the gray pixels with a wide hatching and the black pixels with a narrow hatching.

It is of course appreciated that other icon patterns may be employed. In the preferred embodiment, however, each icon comprises a plurality of pixels having different levels of gray or other colors. Also, each icon pattern is relatively simple and has a relatively large number of pixels in order to provide a high degree of redundancy and insensitivity to signal degradation.

The program information provided in accordance with the present invention can be put to a variety of beneficial uses. By way of example, the information provided by icons according to the invention can be used to aid in the analysis of edited programming material. Due to the layered nature of video tape program editing, the source of the original material, that is, the tape on which the original video information is stored, is sometimes difficult to determine. Reissue of such a program could be facilitated by using icons to label each frame on a given tape reel with a single symbol or set of symbols. When the finished program is then played back through an icon decoder, an accurate shot list can be compiled.

It is also easy to provide information on the position of commercial advertisements that can be read by a machine. During live broadcasts, such as sporting events, commercials are not broadcast at specific times but rather float within the body of the program. Icons can be inserted at the point of origin of the program to set up, or trigger, an automated equipment for inserting commercial advertisements at each station that the program carries. In this way, all local affiliates of a cable or network originating center stay in sync with live programming.

The icons can be used to embed an identification inside programs and / or commercial advertisements. By embedding icons in finished programs or commercials, they can be monitored by internal receivers to track the broadcast of actual programming material against the one they were intended to broadcast. In addition, invoices for advertisers can be generated automatically.

Selected icon patterns could be reserved to serve as quick check signals, or check signal identification patterns that could allow television facility measurement equipment to automatically make appropriate measurements on check signals as they pass. through the measuring device. The information generated in this way can be transmitted to a node and then to the control station computer to be used to control various processes in the station and to generate task lists and databases.

During field production, icons such as reel and tap identifiers can be used. The icon encoding circuitry described above can be adapted to work in conjunction with portable video tape recorders either as separate equipment or as part of a video camera. Using a portable data entry device, such as a portable computer, a director can input the reel, scene, and shot numbers to the videotape recording crew just before shooting a scene. This information could go to an encoder of icons embedded inside the recorder or video camera so that all the recorded frames will be labeled with the appropriate information. This information could be of great value in the post-production of the finished program and could constitute an equivalent capable of being read by a machine of the clapperboard and slate that are currently used.

The icons can be used to provide routing information across the country. Special instructions can be encoded in the icon format according to the present invention, in the front information of a commercial program or advertisement. This information could then be used in real time by an automated switching equipment located in different parts of the country to direct the signal to its destination without the need for personnel at the various switching points to have prior knowledge of the information. the specific path.

The disclosed embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the preceding description, and all changes that are within the meaning and scope. The equivalence of the claims is therefore considered to be encompassed by the claims.