Training an encrypted video stream network scoring system with non-reference video scores

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12192591-B2
Application number	US-202217878813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2022
Priority date	Apr 8, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

At least three uses of the technology disclosed are immediately recognized. First, a video stream classifier can be trained that has multiple uses. Second, a trained video stream classifier can be applied to monitor a live network. It can be extended by the network provider to customer relations management or to controlling video bandwidth. Third, a trained video stream classifier can be used to infer bit rate switching of codecs used by video sources and content providers. Bit rate switching and resulting video quality scores can be used to balance network loads and to balance quality of experience for users, across video sources. Balancing based on bit rate switching and resulting video quality scores also can be used when resolving network contention.

First claim

We claim as follows:

1. A non-transitory computer readable media impressed with program instructions that, when executed on hardware, cause the hardware to perform a method of monitoring video quality of delivered video streams on a live network, the method including:
measuring network conditions including actual bit rate during delivery of numerous video streams at a plurality of locations on the live network, correlated with data identifying a video source per video stream;
applying a trained classifier to the measured network conditions and the correlated data to assign video quality scores without dependence on rendering images from the video streams;
aggregating the assigned video quality scores based on one or more parameters of the measured network conditions and the identifying data; and
storing at least the aggregated video quality scores.

2. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, wherein the plurality of locations include 100 to 1,000,000 physical locations on the live network.

3. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
the numerous video streams at the plurality of locations on the live network further correlated with data identifying a recipient device type per the video stream.

4. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
the numerous video streams at the plurality of locations on the live network further correlated with data identifying a recipient user per the video stream.

5. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
raising an alert to a network operating center when the aggregated video quality scores for a portion of the live network reach an alert level.

6. A method of monitoring video quality of delivered video streams on a live network, the method including executing program instructions from the non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 on the hardware.

7. A device configurable to monitor video quality of delivered video streams on a live network, the device including the program instructions from the non-transitory computer readable media of claim 1 and the hardware adapted to execute the program instructions.

8. A non-transitory computer readable media impressed with program instructions that, when executed on hardware, cause the hardware to perform a method of mapping video quality against available bandwidth for a video source over a live network, the method including:
repeatedly requesting that the video source deliver selected videos while systematically impairing network conditions at a node of the live network, including setting the available bandwidth;
measuring actual delivered bit rate from the video source under the impaired network conditions;
inferring a bit rate table of the video source from variation in the actual delivered bit rate during the systematically impairing the network conditions;
applying a trained video stream classifier to determine the video quality delivered by the video source over the live network based on characteristics of the impaired network conditions and/or on actual delivered bit rate; and
saving the inferred bit rate table and the determined video quality for the video source correlated with the impaired network conditions.

9. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, wherein the trained video stream classifier determines the video quality scores without dependence on rendering images from the video streams.

10. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
selecting the video examples to include variety of scene types that vary in image complexity, lighting and color.

11. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
applying the requesting, measuring, inferring, applying and saving to a plurality of receiving devices of different brands and models and using the receiving device brand and model as elements of the ground truth for the training.

12. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 , further including instructions, that when executed, cause the hardware to perform the method, further including:
using at least the inferred bit rate table and the determined video quality for the video source to set available bit rate for particular recipients of live video streams on a live network.

13. A method of mapping video quality against available bandwidth for a video source over a live network, the method including executing program instructions from the non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 on the hardware.

14. A device configurable to map video quality against available bandwidth for a video source over a live network, the device including the program instructions from the non-transitory computer readable media of claim 8 and the hardware adapted to execute the program instructions.

Assignees

• Spirent Communications Inc

Inventors

• Colligan Michael
• Bennington Jeremy

Classifications

• H04N21/64784

  Data processing by the network (data processing in packet switching systems H04L12/56; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90; provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56) · CPC title

• H04N21/23418 Primary

  involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics (television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59) · CPC title

• H04N21/8547

  involving timestamps for synchronizing content · CPC title

• H04N21/64738 Primary

  Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level (data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10) · CPC title