System for handling program meta-data

• US 8,055,660 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• 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:
  US12/928,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/104.1, 707/736, 348/465
• 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 grouping program meta-data which relates to all programs offered for viewing in an electronic program guide, the method comprising:

scanning the program meta-data to determine program instances which share at least one item of editorial meta-data in the program meta-data;

grouping the program meta-data into groups so that each group refers to a set of program instances that share at least one item of editorial meta-data;

assigning each group of grouped program meta-data a unique program identifier, thereby producing a set of program identifiers;

grouping sets of program instances by time windows to produce a set of time window identifiers in which each time window identifier is associated with at least one of the time windows;

placing the program meta-data in virtual containers; and

associating each virtual container with at least one program identifier from the set of program identifiers and at least one time window identifier from the set of time window identifiers.

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

3. The method according to claim 1 and wherein each time-window identifier in the set of time-window identifiers comprises a time-window identifying bit.

4. The method according to claim 3 and wherein each time-window identifier in the set of time-window identifiers comprises exactly one time-window identifying bit.

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

transmitting the virtual containers, the set of program identifiers, and the set of time-window identifiers.

6. The method according to claim 5 and wherein the transmitting comprises conveying the virtual containers, the set of program identifiers, and the set of time-window identifiers as MPEG-2 private sections.

7. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising selecting the time windows according to a linear time base.

8. The method according to claim 7 and wherein the linear time base comprises a time unit equivalent to at least one of the following:

a part of a day; and

a day.

9. The method according to claim 1 and also comprising selecting the time windows according to a non-linear time base.

10. The method according to claim 1 and wherein at least one of the time windows comprises at least one of the following:

a part of a day;

a day;

more than one day;

a week; and

a specific weekday within a period of at least one month.

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

enabling access to the virtual containers, the set of program identifiers, and the set of time-window identifiers to allow a user to filter the program meta-data for obtaining a subset of the program meta-data.

12. The method according to claim 11 and wherein the subset of the program meta-data comprises a program meta-data subset which corresponds to at least one of the following:

a time window;

a service;

a program; and

at least one editorial attribute in the program meta-data.

13. Apparatus for grouping program meta-data which relates to all programs offered in an electronic program guide, the apparatus comprising:

a meta-data processor which is operative to perform the following;

scan the program meta-data to determine program instances which share at least one item of editorial meta-data in the program meta-data;

group the program meta-data into groups so that each group refers to a set of program instances that share at least one item of editorial meta-data in the program meta-data to produce grouped program meta-data;

assign each group of grouped program meta-data a unique program identifier, thereby producing a set of program identifiers;

group sets of program instances by time windows to produce a set of time window identifiers in which each time window identifier is associated with at least one of the time windows; and

an encapsulation unit which is operative to place the program meta-data in virtual containers, and to associate each virtual container with at least one program identifier from the set of program identifiers and at least one time window identifier from the set of time window identifiers.

14. Apparatus for grouping program meta-data which relates to all programs offered for viewing in an electronic program guide, the apparatus comprising:

means for scanning the program meta-data to determine program instances which share at least one item of editorial meta-data in the program meta-data, for grouping the program meta-data into groups so that each group refers to a set of program instances that share at least item of editorial meta-data in the program meta-data to produce grouped program meta-data, and for assigning each group of grouped program meta-data a unique program identifier, thereby producing a set of program identifiers;

means for grouping sets of program instances by time windows to produce a set of time window identifiers in which each time window identifier is associated with at least one of the time windows; and

means for placing the program meta-data in virtual containers, and for associating each virtual container with at least one program identifier from the set of program identifiers and at least one time window identifier from the set of time window identifiers.

15. A method of grouping program meta-data which relates to a plurality of programs, the method comprising:

selecting time windows according to a non-linear time base in which the time windows are computed on a basis other than a polynomial of a first degree of a time unit quantity, whereby at least some of the time windows have lengths which are different from lengths of other time windows;

assigning each of the time windows a unique time-window identifier, thereby producing a set of time-window identifiers;

grouping the program meta-data by the time windows;

placing the program meta-data in virtual containers; and

associating each virtual container with at least one time-window identifier from the set of time-window identifiers.

16. The method according to claim 15 and wherein at least one of the time windows comprises at least one of the following:

a part of a day;

a day;

more than one day;

a week; and

a specific weekday within a period of at least one month.

17. The method according to claim 15 and wherein each time-window identifier in the set of time-window identifiers comprises a time-window identifying bit.

18. The method according to claim 17 and wherein each time-window identifier in the set of time-window identifiers comprises exactly one time-window identifying bit.

19. Apparatus for grouping program meta-data which relates to a plurality of programs, the apparatus comprising:

a meta-data processor which is operative to perform the following;

select time windows according to a non-linear time base in which the time windows are computed on a basis other than a polynomial of a first degree of a time unit quantity, whereby at least some of the time windows have lengths which are different from lengths of other time windows;

assign each of the time windows a unique time-window identifier, thereby producing a set of time-window identifiers; and

group the program meta-data by the time windows; and

an encapsulation unit which is operative to place the program meta-data in virtual containers, and to associate each virtual container with at least one time-window identifier from the set of time-window identifiers.

20. Apparatus for grouping program meta-data which relates to a plurality of programs, the apparatus comprising:

means for selecting time windows according to a non-linear time base in which the time windows are computed on a basis other than a polynomial of a first degree of a time unit quantity, whereby at least some of the time windows have lengths which are different from lengths of other time windows, for assigning each of the time windows a unique time-window identifier, thereby producing a set of time-window identifiers, and for grouping the program meta-data by the time windows; and

means for placing the program meta-data in virtual containers, and for associating each virtual container with at least one time-window identifier from the set of time-window identifiers.