Method and system for ingesting content schedule data from an external source

• US 8,612,598 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil, Schlacht, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/031,113
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/212, 709/217, 709/220, 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 709/230, 709/246, 709/249
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• 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 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite

Abstract

A content ingestion system and method of operating the same includes a client module receiving a schedule data signal from an external service provider to a content ingestion module. The system also includes a first queue receiving the schedule data signal from the client module. The system further includes a switch module forming a plurality of objects from the schedule data signal and a second queue receiving the plurality of objects from the first switch module. A persistence module is also included in the system that reads the objects from the second queue and storing the objects in a database.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

communicating schedule data from a second service provider to a content ingestion module of a first service provider;

communicating the schedule data to a first queue of the content ingestion module;

forming a plurality of objects from the schedule data;

communicating the plurality of objects to a second queue of the content ingestion module;

reading the plurality of objects from the second queue; and

storing the plurality of objects in a database.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating a digital signature with the schedule data from the second service provider, and verifying the digital signature prior to communicating the schedule data to the first queue.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating a second service provider site identifier for the second service provider with the schedule data, and validating the second service provider site identifier prior to communicating the schedule data to the first queue.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining the second service provider is invalid, and communicating an error signal to the second service provider.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising validating the schedule data prior to communicating the schedule data to the first queue.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating schedule data comprises communicating a network identifier and a content identifier to the content ingestion system.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating an ingestion status signal.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the ingestion status signal is generated in response to a status query signal from the second service provider.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating schedule data comprises communicating schedule data in an XML format.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of objects includes forming a plurality of Java objects.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising rolling back the plurality of objects to the second queue prior to storing the plurality of objects in a database.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising, after reading the plurality of objects from the second queue, generating delta files and saving the delta files in the database.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising restarting a server;

and

after restarting the server generating a full file containing active data.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising at a scheduled time, generating a full file containing active data.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the scheduled time is daily.

16. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising creating a checksum file and, storing the checksum file in the database.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing the objects comprises storing the objects in a schedule table database.

18. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising attempting to move objects from the first queue for a predetermined time, and after the predetermined time moving a first object to a dead letter queue.

19. A content ingestion system of a first service provider comprising:

a client module of the content ingestion system receiving schedule data from a second service provider;

a first queue of the content ingestion system receiving the schedule data from the client module;

a switch module forming a plurality of objects from the schedule data;

a second queue of the content ingestion system receiving the plurality of objects from the switch module;

a persistence module of the content ingestion system reading the plurality of objects from the second queue and storing the objects in a database.

20. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the client module receives a digital signature with the schedule data and verifies the digital signature.

21. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the client module receives a site partner identifier with the schedule data, and validates the site partner identifier prior to communicating the schedule data to the first queue.

22. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the client module validates schedule data prior to communicating the schedule data to the first queue.

23. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the schedule data comprises a network identifier and a content identifier.

24. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the first service provider generates an ingestion status signal.

25. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 24 wherein the ingestion status signal is generated in response to a status query signal from the second service provider.

26. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the schedule data comprises an XML format.

27. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the plurality of objects a plurality of Java objects.

28. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the client module determines the external service provider is invalid and, communicates an invalid signal to the second service provider.

29. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the persistence module stores the plurality of objects in the second queue.

30. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the persistence module reads the plurality of objects from the second queue generates delta files and saves the delta files in the database.

31. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the persistence module generates a full file containing active data after restarting.

32. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the persistence module generates a full file containing active data at a scheduled time.

33. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 32 wherein the scheduled time is daily.

34. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the persistence module creates a checksum file and stores the checksum file in the database.

35. A content ingestion system as recited in claim 19 wherein the database comprises a schedule table database.