Extending data records based on device classes

• US 10,506,263 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Hindle, James, Scheyen, Peter G. N., Vickers, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US14/325,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20150074731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,981 Days
• Field of Search: 707706, 707713, 707722, 707736, 707758, 707781, 707791-793, 707798-802, 707822, 707828, 725132, 725139, 725115, 725135, 725 90, 709250, 715717, 715760, 715762, 348569, 348563, 348564
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different recipient devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

A system, method and data structure for processing basic client application data types to add thereto extension types and priority levels adapted for use by each of a plurality of set top box classes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a client device and from a server, a data record comprising;

a first portion that comprises service data for providing a service,

a plurality of second portions, wherein each of the plurality of second portions comprises extended service data, and wherein, for each of the plurality of second portions, the extended service data is associated with an enhancement to the service and is associated with a subset of device classes of a plurality of device classes, and

a plurality of third portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions is associated with a respective second portion of the plurality of second portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions comprises a plurality of indicators, and wherein, for each of the plurality of third portions, the plurality of indicators indicate, based on an indicator for each of the plurality of device classes, which subset of the plurality of device classes is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion;

determining, based on the plurality of indicators of at least one of the plurality of third portions, that the client device is to process the extended service data of at least one of the plurality of second portions;

processing the extended service data of the at least one of the plurality of second portions; and

providing, by the client device, based on the extended service data of the at least one of the plurality of second portions and based on the service data, the service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each of the plurality of second portions, the extended service data comprises a pointer or address to a location storing content data associated with the subset of device classes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a first indicator, corresponding to a first class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the first class of device is not to process the extended service data of the respective second portion;

and

wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a second indicator, corresponding to a second class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the second class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client device is associated with the second class of device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first class of device comprises one of:

a low-end class, a mid-range class or a high-end class.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first indicator indicates that the first class of device is to never store the extended service data of the respective second portion, and wherein the second indicator indicates that the second class of device is to always store the extended service data of the respective second portion.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a third indicator, corresponding to a third class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates whether the third class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service data comprises video on-demand content, wherein the service comprises a video-on-demand service, and wherein the data record is configured to be stored in a video-on-demand database.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended service data of the at least one of the plurality of second portions comprises image content data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the service data comprises video-on-demand data or content listing data, and wherein the extended service data, of at least one of the second portions, comprises image data or data indicating information for a content item.

11. A method comprising:

configuring, by a first computing device, a data record to comprise;

a first portion that comprises service data for providing a service,

a plurality of second portions that each comprises extended service data, wherein for each of the plurality of second portions, the extended service data is associated with an enhancement to the service and is associated with a subset of device classes of a plurality of device classes, and

a plurality of third portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions is associated with a respective second portion of the plurality of second portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions comprises a plurality of indicators, and wherein, for each of the plurality of third portions, the plurality of indicators indicate, based on an indicator for each of the plurality of device classes, which subset of the plurality of device classes is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion; and

causing transmission, to a second computing device, of the data record.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, for each of the plurality of second portions, the extended service data comprises a pointer or address to a location storing content data associated with the subset of device classes.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a first indicator, corresponding to a first class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the first class of device is not to process the extended service data of the respective second portion;

and

wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a second indicator, corresponding to a second class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the second class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first class of device comprises one of:

a low-end class, a mid-range class or a high-end class.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first indicator indicates that the first class of device is to never store the extended service data of the respective second portion, and wherein the second indicator indicates that the second class of device is to always store the extended service data of the respective second portion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a third indicator, corresponding to a third class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates whether the third class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the service data comprises video on-demand content, wherein the service comprises a video-on-demand service, wherein the extended service data of at least one of the plurality of second portions comprises image content data, and wherein the data record is configured to be stored in a video-on-demand database.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

retrieving, before the configuring and from a first content listing database associated with the first computing device, the data record; and

wherein, after the configuring, the data record is configured to be stored in a second content listing database associated with the second computing device.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the service data comprises video-on-demand data or content listing data, and wherein the extended service data, of at least one of the second portions, comprises image data or data indicating information for a content item.

20. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a first computing device and to a second computing device, a data record comprising;

a first portion that comprises service data for providing a service,

a plurality of second portions that each comprises extended service data, wherein, for each of the plurality of second portions, the extended service data is associated with an enhancement to the service and is associated with a subset of device classes of a plurality of device classes, and

a plurality of third portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions is associated with a respective second portion of the plurality of second portions, wherein each of the plurality of third portions comprises a plurality of indicators, and wherein, for each of the plurality of third portions, the plurality of indicators indicate, based on an indicator for each of the plurality of device classes, which subset of the plurality of device classes is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a first indicator, corresponding to a first class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the first class of device is not to process the extended service data of the respective second portion;

and

wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a second indicator, corresponding to a second class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates the second class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion; and

wherein the second computing device is associated with the first class of device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, for each of the third portions, the plurality of indicators comprises a third indicator, corresponding to a third class of device of the plurality of device classes, that indicates whether the third class of device is to process the extended service data of the respective second portion.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the service data comprises video-on-demand data or content listing data, and wherein the extended service data, of at least one of the second portions, comprises image data or data indicating information for a content item.