Free text and attribute searching of electronic program guide (EPG) data
First Claim
1. A method of searching electronic program guide (EPG) data, comprising:
- receiving a text search string;
normalizing the text search string, wherein the normalizing includes removing or converting symbols in the text search string to make searchable terms;
separating the searchable terms into text terms and attribute terms;
performing a search in the EPG data for each text term and each attribute term; and
performing one of combining, ranking, and filtering results from the searches for display of programs conforming to the search string.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Subject matter includes a search engine for electronic program guide (EPG) data and related methods. In an exemplary method, a text search string can be normalized into searchable terms and the terms interpreted as either text search terms or attribute search terms. One or more queries having search conditions of varying degrees of complexity are created according to the interpretation of the terms of the search string. One or more searches in EPG databases and/or web-resources are performed based on interpretation of the text and attribute terms and results are given a relevancy ranking according to the interpretation. The combined search results may be grouped, ranked, and filtered for display to the user. Results may also be displayed progressively as each character of a search string is entered by the user.
511 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of searching electronic program guide (EPG) data, comprising:
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receiving a text search string;
normalizing the text search string, wherein the normalizing includes removing or converting symbols in the text search string to make searchable terms;
separating the searchable terms into text terms and attribute terms;
performing a search in the EPG data for each text term and each attribute term; and
performing one of combining, ranking, and filtering results from the searches for display of programs conforming to the search string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A search engine for electronic program guide (EPG) data, comprising:
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a string interpreter communicatively coupled with a list of attributes, wherein the string interpreter postulates the meaning of terms in a search string;
a query generator coupled with the string interpreter; and
a results compiler coupled with the query generator for achieving a listing of program results that conform to the search string. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for electronic program guide (EPG) database searching, comprising:
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a search string receiver for accepting a text search string having potential text terms and potential attribute terms;
a normalizer coupled with the search string receiver;
a string interpreter coupled with the normalizer, wherein the string interpreter has access to a list of attributes and to a table of search constraints;
a string transformer included in the string interpreter to group the potential text and attribute terms in various combinations and to transpose the order of at least two of the searchable terms;
an attribute identifier included in the string interpreter to separate attribute terms from text terms, wherein the attribute identifier is coupled with a list of attributes and a table of search constraints;
a query generator coupled with the string interpreter to formulate text and attribute queries, wherein the attribute identifier is coupled with EPG databases and web-based EPG resources;
a results compiler coupled with the query generator;
a search comparator/filter included in the results compiler, wherein the search comparator/filter is coupled with the string interpreter;
a results ranker included in the results compiler to assign relevancy to search results;
an inclusion filter included in the results compiler to filter search results according to assigned relevancy; and
a display to list programs conforming to the search results. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A format for a list of attributes to assist an electronic program guide (EPG) data search, comprising:
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attributes of programs listed in the EPG data;
metadata for at least some of the attributes, wherein the metadata of an attribute relates the attribute to,search resources and to values to use in the search. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. One or more computer readable media containing instructions that are executable by a computer to perform actions comprising:
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receiving a text search string;
formatting the text search string into search terms compatible with electronic program guide (EPG) data to be searched;
deriving text terms and attribute terms from the search terms;
performing searches in the EPG data for each text term and each attribute term; and
assigning a relevancy rank to each search result hit; and
displaying hits filtered by relevancy. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of searching electronic program guide (EPG) information, comprising:
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receiving a text search string one character at a time;
each time a new character is received performing a new set of searches, comprising;
concatenating the new character to the previously received characters of the text search string to make a new text search string;
normalizing the text search string into one or more searchable terms;
separating the searchable terms into text terms and attribute terms;
performing a search in the EPG information for each text term and each attribute term; and
performing one of combining, ranking, and filtering results from the searches for display, wherein the results from the searches are represented by programs conforming to the new search string. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification