Using single-channel/multi-channel transitions to output an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up audio-broadcast system

1. A method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up audio-broadcast system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first audio-stream that represents first audio-content;

generating, by the computing device, a first signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of single-channel/multi-channel transitions included within the first audio-content;

receiving, by the computing device, a second audio-stream that represents second audio-content;

generating, by the computing device, a second signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of single-channel/multi-channel transitions included within the second audio-content;

making a determination, by the computing device, that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack a threshold extent of similarity; and

responsive to the determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack the threshold extent of similarity, outputting, by the computing device, an alert.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the first signature comprises identifying a single-channel/multi-channel transition within the first audio-content.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a type of the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a playout time of the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated first-signature represents a first transition that has a first type and that is associated with a first time, wherein making the determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the generated second-signature does not represent a second transition that has the first type and that is associated with a time that is within a tolerance period 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 audio-stream was generated by a primary audio-broadcast system, and wherein the second audio-stream was generated by the back-up audio-broadcast system.

9. A method for outputting an alert indicating a functional state of a back-up audio-broadcast system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a first audio-stream that represents first audio-content;

generating, by the computing device, a first signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of single-channel/multi-channel transitions included within the first audio-content;

receiving, by the computing device, a second signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of audio transitions included within second audio-content represented by a second audio-stream;

making a determination, by the computing device, that the generated first-signature and the received second signature lack a threshold extent of similarity; and

responsive to the determination that the generated first-signature and the received second signature lack the threshold extent of similarity, outputting, by the computing device, an alert.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the first signature comprises identifying a single-channel/multi-channel transition within the first audio-content.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a type of the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a time associated with the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the generated first-signature represents a first transition that has a first type and that is associated with a first time, wherein making the determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the generated second-signature does not represent a second transition that has the first type and that is associated with a time that is within a tolerance period of the first time.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein outputting an alert comprises displaying a message.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein outputting an alert comprises transmitting an instruction.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first audio-stream was generated by one of a primary audio-broadcast system and the back-up audio-broadcast system, and wherein the second audio-stream was generated by another one of the primary audio-broadcast system and the back-up audio-broadcast system.

17. 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 audio-broadcast system, the set of acts comprising:

receiving a first audio-stream that represents first audio-content;

generating a first signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of single-channel/multi-channel transitions included within the first audio-content;

receiving a second signature based, at least in part, upon an extent of single-channel/multi-channel transitions included within second audio-content represented by a second audio-stream;

making a determination that the generated first-signature and the received second signature lack a threshold extent of similarity; and

responsive to the determination that the generated first-signature and the received second signature lack the threshold extent of similarity, outputting an alert.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the first signature comprises identifying a single-channel/multi-channel transition within the first audio-content.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a type of the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the first signature comprises determining a playout time of the identified single-channel/multi-channel transition.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the generated first-signature represents a first transition that has a first type and that is associated with a first time, wherein making the determination that the generated first-signature and the generated second-signature lack a threshold extent of similarity comprises determining that the generated second-signature does not represent a second transition that has the first type and that is associated with a time that is within a tolerance period of the first time.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein outputting an alert comprises displaying a message.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first audio-stream was generated by one of a primary audio-broadcast system and the back-up audio-broadcast system, and wherein the second audio-stream was generated by another one of the primary audio-broadcast system and the back-up audio-broadcast system.