Method and system for enabling data-rich interactive television using broadcast database

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11388451-B2
Application number	US-30675202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2002
Priority date	Nov 27, 2001
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A database is packed up for broadcast over an iTV system by packaging, compressing, and streaming the database via one or more carousels. The packing up process creates one or more data modules, each including record sets, and one or more modules containing computer-readable instructions for resolving queries using the record sets. These modules, along with a table of contents module that includes descriptions of how the data modules are composed and interfaces to the modules containing the computer-readable instructions, are downloaded at a set top box in order to resolve queries from television users and/or other applications. Thereafter, the computer-readable instructions are executed to resolve the queries. When available, the results produced by executing the query may be displayed on a television. Information regarding the queries may be used to modify the packing up and/or broadcast processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device and via a second computing device, an indication of a query to be executed at the second computing device;
determining, by the first computing device and based on the query, a portion of content listings of a plurality of stored content listings, wherein the portion of content listings is to be processed by the second computing device based on execution of the query at the second computing device;
generating, by the first computing device and based on the portion of the content listings and the indication of the query, a plurality of modules configured to facilitate execution of the query at the second computing device, wherein the plurality of modules comprises:
one or more data modules that comprises an indication of the portion of the content listings, and
a code module that facilitates execution of the query for determination of result data; and

causing transmission, by the first computing device and to the second computing device, of the plurality of modules.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the plurality of modules comprises:
partitioning, based on an indication of an available resource associated with the second computing device, the portion of the content listings, wherein the indication of the portion of the content listings is based on the partitioning.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a frequency of access associated with the one or more data modules;
determining, based on the frequency of access, an order of transmission for the one or more data modules and one or more other data modules; and
wherein causing transmission of the plurality of modules comprises causing transmission, based on the order of transmission, of the one or more data modules and the one or more other data modules.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data modules organize the indication of the portion of the content listings based on a search key associated with the query.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of modules comprises a contents module that comprises an indication that the one or more data modules and the code module facilitate execution of the query at the second computing device, and wherein causing transmission of the plurality of modules comprises causing transmission of the contents module;
wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the second computing device and after causing transmission of the contents module, a request that indicates the code module and the one or more data modules; and
wherein causing transmission of the plurality of modules comprises causing transmission, based on the request, of the code module and the one or more data modules.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data modules comprises a first data module and a second data module, wherein causing transmission of the one or more data modules comprises causing transmission of the first data module and causing transmission of the second data module, and wherein the method further comprises:
between causing transmission of the first data module and causing transmission of the second data module, causing transmission of a third data module that is not required for execution of the query at the second computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stored content listings are stored based on a database table format, and wherein the one or more data modules are formatted to comprise the portion of the content listings in the database table format.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the query is for an indication of content show times, wherein the portion of content listings comprises data that maps content to show times, and wherein the code module comprises executable code that, when executed, causes one or more of the show times to be retrieved from the portion of content listings.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the code module comprises executable code that, when executed, causes the portion of content listings to be sorted based on execution of the query at the second computing device;
wherein the plurality of modules comprises a contents module; and
wherein the contents module comprises an indication that a sort of the portion of content listings is performed based on execution of the query at the second computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stored content listings is stored as part of a relational database, an object oriented database, or an index sequence access method database, and wherein the one or more data modules are formatted to comprise the portion of the content listings in an original format of the relational database, the object oriented database, or the index sequence access method database.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more data modules partition the portion of the content listings into one or more data tables, wherein the one or more data tables organize, based on a search key associated with the query, the portion of the content listings.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second computing device comprises a user device.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing transmission comprises:
causing transmission of at least a portion of the one or more data modules;
causing transmission of at least a portion of one or more second data modules associated with a second query to be executed at a third computing device; and
causing transmission, after transmission of the at least the portion of one or more second data modules, of the code module.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting, based on a size of one or more of the code module or the one or more data modules, a carousel; and
wherein causing transmission comprises causing transmission from the selected carousel.

15. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:
receive, via a computing device, an indication of a query to be executed at the computing device;
determine, based on the query, a portion of content listings of a plurality of stored content listings, wherein the portion of content listings is to be processed by the computing device based on execution of the query at the computing device;
generate, based on the portion of the content listings and the indication of the query, a plurality of modules configured to facilitate execution of the query at the computing device, wherein the plurality of modules comprises:
one or more data modules that comprises an indication of the portion of the content listings, and
a code module that facilitates execution of the query for determination of result data; and

cause transmission, to the computing device, of the plurality of modules.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the query is for an indication of content show times, wherein the portion of content listings comprises data that maps content to show times, and wherein the code module comprises executable code that, when executed, causes one or more of the show times to be retrieved from the portion of content listings.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the code module comprises executable code that, when executed, causes the portion of content listings to be sorted based on execution of the query at the computing device;
wherein the plurality of modules comprises a contents module; and
wherein the contents module comprises an indication that a sort of the portion of content listings is performed based on

Assignees

• Chane Lena D
• Brandyberry David
• Chung Alex
• Crakes Ali
• Niranjan Sithampara Babu
• Chu Viva
• Comcast Cable Communications Man Llc

Inventors

• Chane Lena D
• Brandyberry David
• Chung Alex
• Crakes Ali
• Niranjan Sithampara Babu
• Chu Viva

Classifications

• H04N21/4349

  by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel · CPC title

• H04N21/23109 Primary

  by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository (details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739) · CPC title

• H04N21/4828

  for searching programme descriptors (retrieval of video data G06F16/739) · CPC title

• H04N21/23617

  by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel (arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16) · CPC title

• H04H20/16

  Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly · CPC title