System for handling program meta-data

• US 8,055,659 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bastable, Ian, Parsons, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US12/927,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/104.1, 707/736, 725/39
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• 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 method of accessing program meta-data is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers, at least one of the virtual containers comprising normalized program meta-data of programs having instances in a plurality of time windows, receiving an input indicating a selected time window, the input at least one of comprises and refers to a time-window identifier identifying the selected time window, and using the time-window identifier to filter the plurality of virtual containers, so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which corresponds to the selected time window. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of accessing program meta-data, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers and program identifiers associated with the virtual containers, each of the program identifiers identifying a program that has meta-data which is different from meta-data of a program identified by every other program identifier;

receiving an input indicating a selected program, the input at least one of comprising and referring to a program identifier identifying the selected program; and

using the program identifier to filter the virtual containers so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which is comprised in a virtual container, the subset of the program meta-data corresponding to the selected program.

2. The method according to claim 1 and wherein each of the program identifiers comprises a virtual container identifier (container_id).

3. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving an input indicating a selected service, the input at least one of comprising and referring to a service identifier identifying the selected service; and

using the service identifier to filter the virtual containers so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which is comprised in a virtual container, the subset of the program meta-data corresponding to the selected service.

4. The method according to claim 3 and wherein the service identifier comprises a container_id.

5. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising:

receiving an input indicating at least one editorial attribute in the program meta-data; and

filtering the virtual containers so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which is comprised in a virtual container, the subset of the program meta-data corresponding to the at least one editorial attribute.

6. Apparatus for accessing program meta-data, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver which is operative to receive a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers and program identifiers associated with the virtual containers, each of the program identifiers identifying a program that has meta-data which is different from meta-data of a program identified by another program identifier;

an input unit which is operative to receive an input indicating a selected program, the input at least one of comprising and referring to a program identifier identifying the selected program; and

a processor which is operative to use the program identifier to filter the virtual containers so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which is comprised in a virtual container, the subset of the program meta-data corresponding to the selected program.

7. Apparatus for accessing program meta-data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of program meta-data virtual containers and program identifiers associated with the virtual containers, each of the program identifiers identifying a program that has meta-data which is different from meta-data of a program identified by another program identifier;

means for receiving an input indicating a selected program, the input at least one of comprising and referring to a program identifier identifying the selected program; and

means for using the program identifier to filter the virtual containers so as to obtain a subset of the program meta-data which is comprised in a virtual container, the subset of the program meta-data corresponding to the selected program.