Electronic Program Guide Data Delivery Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic program guides (EPGs) often require users to sift through numerous channels, including unselected programming, which can lead to network overload and inefficient data delivery, as they typically provide all available channel information regardless of user selection.
Innovation Solution
A system and method where a server processes user selections of channels and delivers only the requested EPG data for selected channels, reducing network load by obtaining data from different service providers and presenting a customized EPG, while also allowing for matching channel selections to be multicasted to corresponding media processors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all available channel information is provided to users, then complete programming information is available, but network load increases and data delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary EPG data that users actually need based on their channel selections, rather than transmitting all available channel information. The server identifies and delivers only the relevant programming data for selected channels, removing unnecessary data from the transmission stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the EPG data delivery according to each user's specific channel selections and preferences. Different users receive different subsets of EPG data tailored to their individual needs, rather than a uniform complete dataset to all users.
2Loss of information
If EPG data for all channels is delivered to each user, then comprehensive programming information is provided, but data delivery efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the specific EPG data relevant to each user's selected channels, removing redundant information about unselected channels from the data delivery process, thereby improving transmission efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by delivering only a subset of the total available EPG data - specifically, only the data corresponding to user-selected channels - rather than transmitting the complete dataset, thus optimizing data delivery efficiency.
3Loss of energy
If customized EPG data is delivered based on user selections, then network load is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from user channel selections to dynamically determine what EPG data to transmit. The server monitors user selections and uses this feedback information to customize the EPG data delivery, reducing network load through intelligent data filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by having users make channel selections before EPG data is delivered. This preliminary user input allows the system to pre-filter and prepare only the necessary EPG data for transmission, reducing subsequent network load.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to provide a media processor with a description of available channels, receive from the media processor a request for EPG data and a selection of channels from the available channels where the selection of channels is based on a user's input at the media processor in response to a presentation of the description of the available channels at a display device operably connected to the media processor, and provide to the media processor the requested EPG data representing programming for the selection of channels without programming for remaining channels from the available channels that were not selected, where the media processor presents an EPG based on the provided EPG data, and where a portion of the EPG data is obtained by the controller from a first service provider network that is different from a second service provider network in which the server operates. Other embodiments are disclosed.