Merged Program Guide

Abstract

A merged program guide which includes program metadata from a plurality of different media controllers is provided. A first media controller receives program metadata that identifies a first plurality of programs. The first plurality of programs corresponds to a first content package provided by a content provider. A first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs is generated. The first program record includes first program metadata associated with the first program. The first media controller receives second program metadata associated with a second program of a second plurality of programs which correspond to a second content package associated with the second media controller. The first program metadata and the second program metadata are stored in a program guide on the first media controller and the first media controller enables display of the program guide.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating a program guide, comprising:
 receiving, by a first media controller coupled to a local area network (LAN), from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider;   generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;   receiving, by the first media controller from a second media controller, second program metadata identifying a second program of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with the second media controller; and   storing the first program metadata and the second program metadata in a program guide on the first media controller, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller;   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first media controller receives the first content package via a subscription associated with the first media controller, and wherein the first content package is different from the second content package. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the second media controller receives the second content package via a subscription associated with the second media controller. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;   determining that the second program metadata identifies a same program as the first program; and   storing the second program metadata in a second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program is identified as the same program as the first program.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to present guide information;   obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and   causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the first media controller, third program metadata associated with a third program stored on the second media controller, and storing the third program metadata in a third program record in the program guide. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 comparing the third program metadata to the first program metadata;   determining that the first program comprises a same program as the third program; and   storing the third program record in association with the first program record wherein the third program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to present the program guide;   obtaining the first program record and the third program record; and   causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the third program as being stored on a third media controller.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing a display of the first program on a display device;   determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;   storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and   transmitting the updated first program record onto the network to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising determining that a second viewer is in proximity to the first media controller; and
 storing in the first program record the first identifier identifying the first viewer and a second identifier identifying the second viewer to generate the updated first program record.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving a request to display program guide information at a point in time after the first program has been displayed on the display device; in response to the request, obtaining the updated first program record; and displaying on the display device the first identifier and the second identifier. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising based on the program guide, causing a display on a display device that identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a notification that the second media controller has the second program metadata available for distribution;   accessing a last update timestamp associated with the second media controller that identifies a last time at which the first media controller received program metadata from the second media controller;   sending to the second media controller a request that includes the last update timestamp; and   wherein the second program metadata is received from the second media controller in response to sending the request to the second media controller.   
     
     
         15 . A media controller, comprising:
 a network interface adapted to interface with a network; and   a control system coupled to the network interface, the control system including a processor and adapted to:
 receive from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider; 
 generate a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program; 
 receive a second program record comprising second program metadata of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with a second media controller; and 
 store the first program record and the second program record in a program guide, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide. 
   
     
     
         16 . The media controller of  claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 transmit the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller.   
     
     
         17 . The media controller of  claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 compare the second program metadata to the first program metadata;   determine that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and   store the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.   
     
     
         18 . The media controller of  claim 17 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 receive a request to display guide information;   obtain the first program record and the second program record; and   cause a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.   
     
     
         19 . The media controller of  claim 15 , wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 cause a display of the first program on a display device;   determine that a first viewer is in proximity to the media controller;   store in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and   transmit the updated first program record onto the network via the network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for generating a program guide, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a first media controller coupled to a local area network (LAN), from a content provider, program metadata identifying a first plurality of programs from a first content package provided by the content provider;   generating, by the first media controller, a first program record identifying a first program of the first plurality of programs, the first program record comprising first program metadata associated with the first program;   receiving, by the first media controller from a second media controller, second program metadata identifying a second program of a second plurality of programs from a second content package associated with the second media controller; and   storing the first program metadata and the second program metadata in a program guide on the first media controller, wherein the first media controller enables display of the program guide.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 transmit the first program metadata onto a network to make the first program metadata available to a second media controller.   
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises:
 comparing the second program metadata to the first program metadata;   determining that the second program comprises a same program as the first program; and   storing the second program record in association with the first program record wherein the second program record is identified as comprising the same program as the first program.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to display guide information;   obtaining the first program record and the second program record; and   causing a display on a display device that concurrently identifies the first program as being associated with the first media controller and the second program as being associated with the second media controller.   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 causing a display of the first program on a display device;   determining that a first viewer is in proximity to the first media controller;   storing in the first program record a first identifier identifying the first viewer to generate an updated first program record; and   transmitting the updated first program record onto the network via a network interface to make the updated first program record available to the second media controller.   
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises receiving a request to display information about the first program after the first program has been displayed on the display device; in response to the request, obtaining the first program record; and displaying on the display device the first identifier.