Set-top box with self-monitoring and system and method for use of same

A system for self-monitoring of a set-top box, the system comprising:

• a programming interface configured to communicate with a set-top box, the set-top box including a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein, the set-top box including a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;
• and
• the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
• detect when a television is not being utilized, the television being connected to the television output of the set-top box,
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, scan a plurality of channels as received at the television input from a remote external source over a network,
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, generate at the set-top box, TV screen image data for each of the plurality of channels as received from the remote external source, the TV screen image data corresponding to a TV screen image capture, the TV screen image data including a data and time stamp and channel identification, and
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, generate at the set-top box, composite TV screen image data, the composite TV screen image data being resolved to a single TV screen image made from an assemblage of the TV screen image captures corresponding to the plurality of channels.

A system for self-monitoring of a set-top box, the system comprising:

• a programming interface configured to communicate with a set-top box, the set-top box including a housing securing a television input, a television output, a processor, memory, and storage therein, the set-top box including a busing architecture communicatively interconnecting the television input, the television output, the processor, the memory, and the storage;
• and
• the memory accessible to the processor, the memory including processor-executable instructions that, when executed, by the processor cause the system to:
• detect when a television is not being utilized, the television being connected to the television output of the set-top box,
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, scan a plurality of channels as received at the television input from a remote external source over a network,
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, generate at the set-top box, TV screen image data for each of the plurality of channels as received from the remote external source, the TV screen image data corresponding to a TV screen image capture, the TV screen image data including a data and time stamp and channel identification,
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, analyze a parameter selected from the group consisting of analog signal levels, carrier level, carrier to noise ratio (CNR), signal to noise ratio (SNR), power line hum modulation, modulation error ratio (MER), bit error rate (BER), digital signal level, frequency of lost packets, jitter, transmit time, power level, and ranging status, and
• responsive to the television not being utilized, automatically, without user input and while the television is not being utilized, generate at the set-top box, composite TV screen image data, the composite TV screen image data being resolved to a single TV screen image made from an assemblage of the TV screen image captures corresponding to the plurality of channels.