Strategies for updating schedules

• US 20060253867A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pasumarthy, Naga A.K., Taylor, Thomas H., Potrebic, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/50
• 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 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Scheduling functionality is employed at a head-end site to update schedules used by a plurality of respective client devices to define the recording of media presentation events. The scheduling functionality operates by: compiling a master list of unique entries culled from the plurality of schedules; determining whether any entries in the master list require updating; and updating, based on the determining, at least one of the plurality of schedules. The scheduling functionality helps reduce the amount of redundant processing operations involved in updating the plurality of schedules, and therefore provides an efficient technique for updating the schedules.

Claims

1. A method for updating schedules, comprising:

maintaining schedule information for a plurality of schedules;

compiling a master list of unique entries culled from the plurality of schedules;

determining whether any entries in the master list require updating; and

selectively updating, based on the determining, at least one of the plurality of schedules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of schedules determine the recording of media presentation events for consumption by a plurality of respective client devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of client devices are communicatively coupled to common scheduling functionality, and wherein at least the maintaining, compiling and determining are performed by the scheduling functionality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the compiling of the master list comprises compiling a master list of unique singular-type presentation entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each singular-type entry describes a single presentation event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the compiling of the master list comprises compiling a master list of unique series-type presentation entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each series-type entry describes a series of episode presentation events.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the compiling of the master list comprises compiling a master list of unique search entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each search entry describes at least one search term used to search for presentation entries that match said at least one search term.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether any entries in the master list require updating comprises:

determining current program guide information pertaining to the entries in the master list;

determining previous program guide information pertaining to the entries in the master list; and

determining any differences between the current program guide information and the previous program guide information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the differences are caused by one or more of:

a preemption event in which at least one entry has been pre-empted;

a reschedule event in which at least one entry has been rescheduled; and

a new entry event in which at least one episode entry pertaining to an identified series newly appears in the current program guide information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises:

identifying, for an entry in the master list that is determined to require updating, a list of entries in the schedules that require updating; and

updating the identified entries in the schedules on a schedule-by-schedule basis.

10. One or more machine-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implementing the method of claim 1.

11. Scheduling functionality for updating schedules, comprising:

a store configured to store schedule information for a plurality of schedules;

a master list forming module configured to compile a master list of unique entries culled from the plurality of schedules;

a program guide comparison module configured to determine whether any entries in the master list require updating; and

a schedule change module configured to update, based on an output result generated by the program guide comparison module, at least one of the plurality of schedules.

12. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the plurality of schedules determine the recording of media presentation events for consumption by a plurality of respective client devices.

13. The scheduling functionality of claim 12, wherein the plurality of client devices are communicatively coupled to the scheduling functionality.

14. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the master list forming module is configured to compile a master list of unique singular-type presentation entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each singular-type entry describes a singular presentation event.

15. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the master list forming module is configured to compile a master list of unique series-type presentation entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each series-type entry describes a series of episode presentation events.

16. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the master list forming module is configured to compile a master list of unique search entries culled from the plurality of schedules, wherein each search entry describes at least one search term used to search for presentation entries that match said at least one search term.

17. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the program guide comparison module is configured to determine whether any entries in the master list require updating by:

determining current program guide information pertaining to the entries in the master list;

determining previous program guide information pertaining to the entries in the master list; and

determining any differences between the current program guide information and the previous program guide information.

18. The scheduling functionality of claim 17, wherein the differences are caused by one or more of:

a preemption event in which at least one entry has been pre-empted;

a reschedule event in which at least one entry has been rescheduled; and

a new entry event in which at least one episode entry pertaining to an identified series newly appears in the current program guide information.

19. The scheduling functionality of claim 11, wherein the schedule change module is configured to update said at least one of the plurality of schedules by:

identifying, for an entry in the master list that is determined to require updating, a list of entries in the schedules that require updating; and

updating the identified entries in the schedules on a schedule-by-schedule basis.

20. A scheduling system, comprising:

a plurality of client devices that use a plurality of respective schedules to determine the recording of media presentation events;

scheduling functionality, comprising;

a store configured to store schedule information for the plurality of schedules;

a master list forming module configured to compile a master list of unique entries culled from the plurality of schedules;

a program guide comparison module configured to determine whether any entries in the master list require updating; and

a schedule change module configured to update, based on an output result generated by the program guide comparison module, at least one of the plurality of schedules.