Program guide optimization system

Abstract

A method and system of optimizing strings comprised in program guide data for transmission is described. The method includes sharing, in the program guide data, a plurality of strings, each string among the plurality of strings including a shared sorting key, implementing an order access of a sorted sharing index, wherein the program guide data and the shared sorting key are comprised in the same data storage structure. Related methods and apparatus are also described.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of optimizing program guide data associated with a plurality of broadcast events for display on an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising:
 associating a data field with a broadcast event selected from among the plurality of broadcast events, the data field comprising at least the following fields:
 a language data field; 
 a title data field; 
 a channelgroup data field; 
 a broadcast time data field; 
 a channel data field; and 
 a service data field; 
   ordering the program guide data associated with the broadcast event according to the data field associated with the broadcast event in the following order:
 Language; Title; ChannelGroup; Channel; and Service, 
   thereby producing ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event;   assigning the broadcast event a LastInChannelFlag (LICF) flag and a LastInChannelGroupFlag (LICGF) flag; and   determining at least one main event from among the plurality of broadcast events,   wherein the at least one main event comprises an event within the ordered list of program guide data associated with the broadcast event comprising an identical Title field within a ChannelGroup within a first Channel comprised in the ChannelGroup.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein a collapsed event comprises all events within the ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event which comprises the channelgroup, and wherein each channelgroup is terminated by the LICF set to 1, until the LICGF is set to 1. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the Language data field comprises an ISO 639 language identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the Title data field comprises a broadcast event title. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the ChannelGroup data field comprises a channel group identifier, the channel group identifier identifying the channelgroup to which a service broadcasting the event is assigned. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the Time data field comprises a broadcast time for the broadcast event, the broadcast time comprising the time at which the broadcast event is scheduled to be broadcast, on the service broadcasting the broadcast event. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the Channel data field comprises a channel identifier within the channelgroup comprising the service broadcasting the event. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the Service data field comprises a DVB service identifier. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the LastInChannelFlag flag:
 is set to 1 if the ChannelGroup data field, Time data field, or Channel data field differs from a corresponding ChannelGroup data field, Time data field, or Channel data field in a preceding event within the ordered program guide data list, thereby denoting an end of a channel selection group; and 
 is set to 0 if one of the ChannelGroup data field, Time data field, and Channel data field do not differ from a corresponding ChannelGroup data field, Time data field, or Channel data field in the next event within the ordered program guide data list. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 10  and wherein the LICGF is:
 set to 1 for any event comprising a last event for a given Title data field within the channelgroup; and 
 set to 0 for any event not comprising a last event for a given Title data field within the channelgroup. 
 
     
     
         20 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A system for optimizing program guide data associated with events for display on an electronic program guide (EPG), the system comprising:
 a data field associator which associates data fields with a broadcast event from among a plurality of broadcast events, the data field comprising at least the following fields:
 a language data field; 
 a title data field; 
 a channelgroup data field; 
 a broadcast time data field; 
 a channel data field; and 
 a service data field; 
   a program guide data orderer which orders program guide data associated with the broadcast event according to the data associated with the broadcast event in the following order:
 Language; Title; ChannelGroup; Channel; and Service; 
   thereby producing ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event;   a broadcast event assignor which assigns the broadcast event a LastInChannelFlag (LICF) flag and a LastInChannelGroupFlag (LICGF) flag; and   a determiner which determines at least a main event from among the plurality of broadcast events,   wherein the main event comprises an event within the ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event, the program guide data associated with the broadcast event comprising an identical Title field within a ChannelGroup within a first Channel comprised in the ChannelGroup.   
     
     
         24 . A system for optimizing program guide data associated with events for display on an electronic program guide (EPG), the system comprising:
 means for associating data fields with a broadcast event from among a plurality of broadcast events, each one of the data fields comprising at least the following fields:
 a language data field; 
 a title data field; 
 a channelgroup data field; 
 a broadcast time data field; 
 a channel data field; and 
 a service data field; 
   means for ordering program guide data associated with the broadcast event according to the data associated with the broadcast event in the following order:
 Language; Title; ChannelGroup; Channel; and Service; 
   thereby producing ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event;   means for assigning the broadcast event a LastInChannelFlag (LICF) flag and a LastInChannelGroupFlag (LICGF) flag; and   means for determining at least a main event from among the plurality of broadcast events,   wherein the main event comprises an event within the ordered program guide data associated with the broadcast event, the program guide data associated with the broadcast event comprising an identical Title field within a ChannelGroup within a first Channel comprised in the ChannelGroup.