Centralized Listing System for Broadcasting Data Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In communication systems, coordinating and updating programming listing data across various components is challenging due to the complexity of multiple systems and architectures, often resulting in data synchronization issues, especially during events with frequent broadcast changes, leading to customer confusion.
Innovation Solution
A centralized listing system and database that receives and communicates data from both internal and external sources, parsing and updating station, schedule, and program data to ensure synchronization across all systems, including user devices and websites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If data is received from multiple external and internal sources, then the system can provide comprehensive programming listing data, but the complexity of coordinating and updating data across multiple systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized listing system that acts as an intermediary between multiple data sources (external sources like Times Media Service and internal sources like event scheduler and guide channel manager) and various data using systems. This intermediary receives data from all sources, standardizes the data formats, and distributes synchronized listing data to consumers, thereby reducing the coordination complexity while maintaining comprehensive data coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The listing system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it collects data from diverse sources, parses and standardizes different data formats, maintains a unified listing database, and distributes data to multiple consumer systems. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise be complex distributed coordination into a single universal system.
2Productivity
If broadcast data changes frequently throughout the day, then the system can reflect current programming information, but data synchronization between systems becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the centralized listing system receives updates from data sources, processes these changes, and propagates the updated listing data to all consumer systems. This feedback loop ensures that frequent broadcast data changes are reflected across all systems reliably and simultaneously, maintaining synchronization despite high update frequencies.
Solution Approach 2:
The listing system performs preliminary parsing, validation, and standardization of data before it is distributed to consumer systems. This preliminary processing ensures that data is ready for immediate use and maintains consistency across all systems, even when changes occur frequently throughout the day.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different systems convey different data to end users, then each system can be optimized for its specific device, but customer confusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the data distribution process into two clear stages: (1) the centralized listing system creates a unified, standardized listing database that represents the single source of truth, and (2) individual consumer systems retrieve and format this standardized data according to their specific device requirements. This segmentation allows each system to be optimized for its device while maintaining data consistency, eliminating customer confusion.
Solution Approach 2:
While maintaining a single unified data source, the system allows each consumer system to apply local quality transformations - formatting, filtering, and presenting data according to the specific requirements of different devices. This ensures device-specific optimization without compromising the underlying data consistency.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for processing listing data includes a listing system having a listing database associated therewith, an external data source communicating station data, external schedule data and external program data to a listing system and an internal source communicating internal program data to the listing system. The listing system stores the station data, external schedule data and external program data and the internal program data in the database. The listing system communicates the listing data to other systems using the listing data such as a program guide system.