Identifying instances of media programming available from different content sources

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for identifying instances of media programming available within a media distribution system. An exemplary method involves searching a listing of media programming available from a first content source using search criteria indicative of a desired media program to identify an instance of the desired media program available from the first content source, obtaining a target program identifier associated with the desired media program from that instance, identifying another instance of the desired media program in a second listing of media programming available from another content source using the target program identifier, and providing a combined search result that indicates availability of the desired media program from the content sources.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A server comprising:
 a memory having stored therein a first listing of media programs available from a first content source and a second listing of media programs available from a second content source; and   a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to receive search criteria indicative of a desired media program, identify a first media data object in the first listing corresponding to a first instance of the desired media program available from the first content source, obtain a program identifier from the first media data object, identify a second media data object in the second listing corresponding to a second instance of the desired media program available from the second content source, and provide a combined search result indicating availability of the desired media program from the first content source and the second content source.   
     
     
         2 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the first content source is a digital video recorder. 
     
     
         3 . The server of  claim 2 , wherein the processor obtains the first listing of media programs from the digital video recorder and stores the first listing in the memory. 
     
     
         4 . The server of  claim 2 , wherein the second content source is selected from a group consisting of an online programming source and an on-demand programming source. 
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 1 , the server being coupled to a network, wherein:
 the first content source is a media device coupled to the network; and   the second content source is selected from a group consisting of an online programming source coupled to the network and an on-demand programming source coupled to the network.   
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 5 , wherein the processor obtains the first listing of media programs from the media device, stores the first listing in the memory, obtains the second listing of media programs from an associating server coupled to the network, and stores the second listing in the memory. 
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the first content source is a broadcast source. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the processor obtains the first listing of media programs from a program guide and stores the first listing in the memory. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the second content source is selected from a group consisting of an online programming source and an on-demand programming source. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 1 , the server being coupled to a network, wherein the processor obtains the second listing of media programs from an associating server coupled to the network, the associating server being configured to format each media data object of the second listing to include a respective program identifier associated with the respective media program corresponding to the respective media data object. 
     
     
         11 . A method executable by a processing system to identify instances of a desired media program available within a media distribution system, the method comprising:
 searching, by the processing system, a first listing of media programming available from a first content source using search criteria indicative of the desired media program to identify a first instance of the desired media program available from the first content source;   obtaining, by the processing system, a target program identifier associated with the desired media program from the first instance;   identifying, by the processing system, a second instance of the desired media program in a second listing of media programming available from a second content source using the target program identifier, the second content source being different from the first content source; and   providing, by the processing system, a combined search result that indicates availability of the desired media program from the first content source and the second content source.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the processing system is a host server communicating with a client device over a network, the search criteria being provided by a user of the client device, wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the host server, the search criteria from the client device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing the combined search result comprises displaying a graphical representation of the combined search result in an application on the client device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by an associating server communicating with the processing system, a plurality of media data objects, each media data object corresponding to a media program available from the second content source;   determining, by the associating server, for each media data object, a respective program identifier associated with its corresponding media program; and   formatting, by the associating server, each media data object to include a field having a value equal to the respective program identifier, resulting in a plurality of formatted media data objects, wherein identifying the second instance comprises searching, by the processing system, the plurality of formatted media data objects for a formatted media data object having the value for the field equal to the target program identifier.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 obtaining, by a receiving server communicating with the associating server, a first plurality of media data objects from a first online programming source and a second plurality of media data objects from a second online programming source; and   uniformly formatting, by the receiving server, each media data object of the first plurality and the second plurality, resulting in the plurality of media data objects obtained by the associating server.   
     
     
         16 . A method of identifying instances of a desired media program available within a media distribution system, the method comprising:
 searching a first listing of media programming available from a first content source in the media distribution system using search criteria indicative of the desired media program to identify a first media data object corresponding to a first instance of the desired media program available from the first content source, the first media data object having a target program identifier associated therewith;   obtaining the target program identifier associated with the desired media program from the first media data object corresponding to the first instance of the desired media program;   obtaining a second media data object corresponding to the desired media program available from a second content source in the media distribution system, the second content source being different from the first content source;   formatting the second media data object to include the target program identifier to associate the second media data object with the desired media program;   in response to identifying the first media data object based on the search criteria:
 obtaining the target program identifier from the first media data object; and 
 identifying the second media data object corresponding to a second instance of the desired media program in a second listing of media programming available from the second content source using the target program identifier; and 
   providing a combined search result that indicates availability of the first instance of the desired media program from the first content source and availability of the second instance of the desired media program from the second content source.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 determining the second media data object corresponds to the desired media program based on one or more metadata fields of the second media data object; and   obtaining the target program identifier associated with the desired media program from a database maintaining associations between program identifiers and media programs prior to formatting the second media data object.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by a host server, the search criteria from a client device coupled to the host server over a network; and   obtaining, by the host server, stored media programming available from a media device coupled to the network, wherein searching the first listing comprises identifying, by the host server, the first media data object in the stored media programming available from the media device using the search criteria.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein obtaining the second media data object comprises obtaining, by an associating server coupled to the host server over the network, the second media data object from an online programming source or an on-demand programming source, the associating server formatting the second media data object to include the target program identifier and providing the second media data object to the host server. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, by a host server coupled to a network, the search criteria from a client device coupled to the network; and   obtaining, by the host server, upcoming media programming available from a broadcast source, wherein:
 searching comprises identifying, by the host server, the first media data object in the upcoming media programming available from the broadcast source using the search criteria; and 
 obtaining the second media data object comprises obtaining, by an associating server coupled to the host server over the network, the second media data object from an online programming source or an on-demand programming source, the associating server formatting the second media data object to include the target program identifier and providing the second media data object to the host server.