Using Bitrate Data To Output An Alert Indicating A Functional State Of A Back-Up Media-Broadcast System

Abstract

In one aspect, an example method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up media-broadcast system involves: a computing device determining first bitrate-data associated with a first compressed media-stream; the computing device determining second bitrate-data associated with a second compressed media-stream; the computing device making a determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and responsive to the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity, the computing device outputting an alert.

1 . A method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up media-broadcast system, the method comprising:
 a computing device determining first bitrate-data associated with a first compressed media-stream;   the computing device determining second bitrate-data associated with a second compressed media-stream;   the computing device making a determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and   responsive to the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity, the computing device outputting an alert.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates a first average bitrate-change over a first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream, and wherein the first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream corresponds to a time period. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein making the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data associated with the second compressed media-stream does not indicate (i) a second average bitrate-change over a second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream, (ii) where the second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream corresponds to the time period, and (iii) where the second average bitrate-change is within a tolerance range of the first average bitrate-change. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates an occurrence of a first bitrate-change within the first compressed media-stream, and wherein making the determination that the first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data does not indicate an occurrence of a second bitrate-change that is within the second compressed media-stream and that is within a tolerance range of the first bitrate-change. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates a first time associated with the first bitrate-change, and wherein making the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity further comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data does not indicate a second time associated with the second bitrate-change, where the second time is within a tolerance range of the first time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein outputting an alert comprises displaying a message. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein outputting an alert comprises transmitting an instruction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first compressed media-stream is generated by a primary media-broadcast system, and wherein the second compressed media-stream is generated by the back-up media-broadcast system. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed cause a computing device to perform a set of acts for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up media-broadcast system, the set of acts comprising:
 determining first bitrate-data associated with a first compressed media-stream;   determining second bitrate-data associated with a second compressed media-stream;   making a determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and   responsive to the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity, outputting an alert.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates a first average bitrate-change over a first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream, and wherein the first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream corresponds to a time period. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein making the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data associated with the second compressed media-stream does not indicate (i) a second average bitrate-change over a second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream, (ii) where the second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream corresponds to the time period, and (iii) where the second average bitrate-change is within a tolerance range of the first average bitrate-change. 
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates an occurrence of a first bitrate-change within the first compressed media-stream, and wherein making the determination that the first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data does not indicate an occurrence of a second bitrate-change that is within the second compressed media-stream and that is within a tolerance range of the first bitrate-change. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates a first time associated with the first bitrate-change, and wherein making the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity further comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data does not indicate a second time associated with the second bitrate-change, where the second time is within a tolerance range of the first time. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein outputting an alert comprises displaying a message. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein outputting an alert comprises transmitting an instruction. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the first compressed media-stream is generated by a primary media-broadcast system, and wherein the second compressed media-stream is generated by the back-up media-broadcast system. 
     
     
         17 . A computing device comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by the processor cause the computing device to perform a set of acts for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up media-broadcast system, the set of acts comprising:
 determining first bitrate-data associated with a first compressed media-stream; 
 determining second bitrate-data associated with a second compressed media-stream; 
 making a determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity; and 
 responsive to the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity, outputting an alert. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates a first average bitrate-change over a first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream, and wherein the first temporal-portion of the first compressed media-stream corresponds to a time period. 
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein making the determination that the determined first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack the threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data associated with the second compressed media-stream does not indicate (i) a second average bitrate-change over a second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream, (ii) where the second temporal-portion of the second compressed media-stream corresponds to the time period, and (iii) where the second average bitrate-change is within a tolerance range of the first average bitrate-change. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 19 , wherein the determined first bitrate-data associated with the first compressed media-stream indicates an occurrence of a first bitrate-change within the first compressed media-stream, and wherein making the determination that the first bitrate-data and the determined second bitrate-data lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the determined second bitrate-data does not indicate an occurrence of a second bitrate-change that is within the second compressed media-stream and that is within a tolerance range of the first bitrate-change. 
     
     
         21 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein outputting an alert comprises displaying a message. 
     
     
         22 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein outputting an alert comprises transmitting an instruction. 
     
     
         23 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the first compressed media-stream is generated by a primary media-broadcast system, and wherein the second compressed media-stream is generated by the back-up media-broadcast system.