Data structures and methods adapted for heterogeneous clients in an information distribution system

• US 7,865,508 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications Management LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TVWorks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Decenzo, Christopher John, Hindle, James Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi; Yuk Ting
• Application Number:
  US11/112,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20050240966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different recipient devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts

Abstract

A method includes processing data associated with event and service information to create a base data block and an index table. The base data block has an array of objects, and each object in the array may have at least one attribute. The index table also has an array of objects, and each object in the index table relates to an object in the base data block. The method of processing data may be performed by a server located at a cable headend. In one embodiment, the present invention also comprises a storage medium having a representation of a data structure produced by the data processing. In one embodiment, a STB may receive and utilize the processed data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

receiving data associated with event and service information;

converting received data into processed data, wherein the processed data is in a binary format structured to be accessed directly by one or more clients, the processed data comprising data blocks, said data blocks comprising;

a base data block having an array of objects relating to respective events and services, each object in the base data block array having at least one attribute comprising an individual record of information, the objects in the base data block array being arranged in a first sorting order of the at least one attribute,

an extension data block having an extension set of attributes which provide extra detail relating to the objects in the base data block array, and

an index table having an array of objects;

sending the processed data without the received data to the one or more clients, wherein the extension data block is configured to allow a client accessing the extension data block to store the base data block without storing the extension data block; and

creating a jump table, the jump table having n^x entries comprising offsets into the index table wherein n is a size of a character set used in said index table and x is a number of characters of an attribute value prefix.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein data each object in the index table array is related to at least one of the objects in the base data block, the objects in the index table array being arranged in a second sorting order different from said first sorting order.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the objects in the array of the base data block are ordered according to at least one of a preferred sorting order and a typical sorting order.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each object in the base data block comprises at least one offset having a value which indicates the address of a next object in the array belonging to a same category.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein the offset has a value which indicates the relative position from a present object in the array to the next object in the array belonging to the same category.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the converting comprises:

creating a second index table having an array of objects, each object in the array having at least one offset, the at least one offset having a value which indicates the address of the first occurrence in the array of objects of the base data block comprising an attribute having a value which meets a certain condition.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein sending the base data block and the index table to a client comprises sending via a cable television distribution system.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the data associated with event and service information at a server at a cable head end.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the objects in the array of the index table are sorted into a sorting order according to an attribute of the objects of the array of objects of the base data block, a first character of the value of the attribute comprising a character from a character set having a size of n, the jump table providing offsets to locations of prefixes of the value of the attribute, and the number of characters of the prefix for which the jump table provides offsets having a value of x.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the converting comprises:

deciding which objects are included in the data block based on a time span convention, the time span convention comprising a starting time and a time period.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, comprising:

choosing the time span for a given block based upon the nature of the data block.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the binary format is compact.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the processed data without the received data to the one or more clients, further includes transmitting to one client the base data block and the extension data block for storing the base data block and the extension data block, and transmitting to another client the base data block and the extension data block for storing the base data block without the extension data block.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the extension data block includes extension type data and original type data, wherein the extension type data and original type data together provide an accessing client information on whether the accessing client is to store the extension data block.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein the extension data type and original data type together provides the accessing client further information including that the extension data block represent an image.

12. A computer implemented method, comprising:

transmitting to a client device, processed data, wherein the processed data is in a binary format structured to be accessed directly by the client device, the processed data corresponding to data associated with event and service information, and wherein the processed data comprises;

a base data block, the base data block having an array of objects relating to respective events and services, each object in the base data block array having at least one attribute, the objects in the base data block array being arranged in a first sorting order of the at least one attribute,

an extension data block having an extension set of attributes which provide extra detail relating to the objects in the base data block array, and

an index table, the index table having an array of objects, each object in the index table array being related to an object in the base data block, the objects in the index table array being arranged in a second sorting order different from said first sorting order;

receiving a request for event and service information from a client application;

searching said array of objects in said index table based upon said request to find a requested object in said index table;

locating a related object in said base data block related to said requested object;

returning the related object to said client application; and

receiving a jump table, the jump table having n^x entries comprising offsets into the index table wherein n is a size of a character set used in said index table and x is a number of characters of an attribute value prefix, and

wherein the processed data is configured to cause the client device to store the base data block of the processed data without storing the extension data block of the processed data based on information included in the extension data.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, comprising:

receiving a second index table having an array of objects, each object in the array having at least one offset, the at least one offset having a value which indicates the address of the first occurrence in the array of objects of the base data block having an attribute meeting a certain condition.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12,

wherein the objects in the array of the index table are sorted into a sorting order according to an attribute of the objects of the array of objects of the base data block.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the binary format is compact.

15. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that when executed by a processor perform steps comprising:

providing processed data to one or more client devices, wherein the processed data is in a binary format structured to be accessed directly by the one or more client devices, the processed data corresponding to data associated with event and service information, and wherein the processed data comprises;

a base data block, the base data block having an array of objects relating to respective events and services, each object in the base data block array having at least one attribute comprising an individual record of information, the objects in the base data block array being arranged in a first sorting order of the at least one attribute,

an extension data block having an extension set of attributes which provide extra detail relating to the objects in the base data block array, and

an index table, the index table having an array of objects, each object in the index table array being related to an object in the base data block, the objects in the index table array being arranged in a second sorting order different from said first sorting order,

wherein the extension data block includes an extension type and an original type, the extension type and the original type being configured to provide information on whether a client device is to store the base data block without storing the extension block, or to store both the base data block and the extension data block of the processed data; and

providing a jump table, the jump table having n^x entries comprising offsets into the index table wherein n is a size of a character set used in said index table and x is a number of characters of an attribute value prefix.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor perform:

providing a second index table to the one or more client devices, the second index table having an array of objects, each object in the array having at least one offset, the at least one offset having a value which indicates the address of the first occurrence in the array of objects of the base data block having an attribute meeting a certain condition.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the objects in the array of the index table are sorted into a sorting order according to an attribute of the objects of the array of objects of the base data block.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the binary format is compact.