System and method for monitoring video program material

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• further comprising the steps of generating an unencoded video program signal stream from an unencoded storage media and applying the unencoded video program signal stream to the encoder.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• and
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• wherein the source recorder/player defines a first source recorder/player, and said encoder includes a second recorder/player for recording the source video signal stream containing both the source video signal stream and the monitoring code applied by said encoder.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• and
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• wherein said receiver includes means for receiving a broadcast program signal and for generating a received video program signal stream corresponding to said broadcast program signal.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorded player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• and
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• wherein said receiver provides non-scanning, continuous monitoring of each of a predetermined plurality of broadcast frequencies.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• and
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• wherein each of said frames includes a plurality of interlaced odd and even scan lines, and said encoder includes applying means for applying the monitoring code to a predetermined even scan line and for applying the logical complement of the monitoring code to a predetermined odd scan line which is adjacent to the predetermined even scan line in the sequence of scan lines in each frame.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• and
• a plurality of substantially identical, redundant field receivers each including at least one of said decoders.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• and
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• wherein said decoder includes a log memory for storing video state data signals.

A system for monitoring video program material including a source recorder/player for recording a source video program signal stream as a sequence of frames, each of the frames including a plurality of scan lines, said system comprising:

• an encoder that generates a monitoring code and applies the monitoring code to each frame of the source video signal stream, said monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each frame;
• a decoder that detects said monitoring code included on each frame of the source video signal stream;
• a receiver that monitors a broadcast program signal corresponding to the source video signal stream, determines reception information, and associates said reception information with specified ones of the frames using said monitoring code;
• and
• report collection and compilation means for reporting of said reception information of the received broadcast program signal.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• eliminating DC-offset and noise from the encoded video program signal stream by clamping a video program signal of the unencoded video program signal stream to generate a first clamped signal.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• synchronously adding the monitoring code to the first clamped signal as a sequence of digital data bytes.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• eliminating DC-offset and noise from the first clamped signal by clamping the first clamped signal during addition of the monitoring code.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• digitally storing code information in an interface memory;
• accessing the interface memory using a processor;
• and
• converting the code information to the monitoring code.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• receiving a broadcast program signal and generating the encoded video program signal stream corresponding to the broadcast program signal.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring codes to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• non-scanning, continuous monitoring of each of a predetermined plurality of broadcast frequencies.

An encoding/decoding method for monitoring video program material, comprising the steps of:

• recording, on a program recorder/player, a video program signal stream segmented into frames, and each of the frames comprising a plurality of scan lines;
• generating, by means of an encoder, a monitoring code having a program-identifying code portion common to all frames and a frame-identifying code portion unique to each of the frames;
• applying the monitoring code to the sequence of frames to produce an encoded video program signal stream;
• receiving a broadcast program signal corresponding to the video program signal stream and determining reception information;
• detecting the monitoring code included on each of the frames and associating the reception information with specified ones of the frames using the monitoring code;
• and
• simultaneously registering and decoding the video program signal stream on a plurality of redundant field receivers, each of the receivers including at least one decoder.