Granted Patent B2

US 9,331,802 · App. 11/555,378 · Granted May 3, 2016

Abstract

Claims (89)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine to assemble service guide information in an electronic service guide fragment, wherein the assembled electronic service guide fragment includes a reference to another electronic service guide fragment in a hierarchical arrangement;

determine to manage the assembled electronic service guide fragment and provide information on the availability and scope of the electronic service guide fragment by way of a bootstrap electronic service guide; and

determine to transmit the assembled electronic service guide fragment to a terminal wherein the electronic service guide fragment is transmitted in a transport object,

wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises information from the electronic service guide fragment and a plurality of other electronic service guide fragments.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises information selected from at least one of provisioning data, administrative data, core data, and access data, and wherein the transport object is transported in a container, the container including a header and a payload.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises provisioning data selected from at least one of purchase item data, purchase data, and purchase channel data.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises core data selected from at least one of service data, schedule data, and content data.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises access data selected from at least one of access data and session description data.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises information from a first electronic service guide fragment and information from a second electronic service guide fragment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment includes service guide information corresponding to a third electronic service guide fragment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the third electronic service guide fragment further includes service guide information corresponding to a fourth electronic service guide fragment.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second electronic service guide fragment further includes service guide information corresponding to the third electronic service guide fragment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises information from a first electronic service guide fragment, information from a second electronic service guide fragment, and information from a third electronic service guide fragment, the first electronic service guide fragment further comprising service guide information referring to the third electronic service guide fragment.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bootstrap electronic service guide comprises information from a first electronic service guide fragment and information from a second electronic service guide fragment, the first electronic service guide fragment comprising provisioning data of a corresponding program or service and the second electronic service guide fragment comprising non-provisioning data corresponding to the program or service.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the provisioning data is selected from at least one of purchase item, purchase data, and purchase channel information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the non-provisioning data is selected from at least one of service, schedule, content, access, and session description information.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment and the second electronic service guide fragment are received from different operators.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment and the second electronic service guide fragment are received from different service providers.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment and the second electronic service guide fragment pertain to a program or service.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment contains basic information about the program or service and the second electronic service guide fragment contains more detailed information about the program or service.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the basic information includes at least one of a name or identifier of the program or service.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the more detailed information includes at least one of a biography of one or more actors, one or more interviews, interactive services, and provisioning information pertaining to the program or service.

20. A method comprising processing at least one of (1) data, (2) information, and (3) at least one signal, the at least one of (1) data, (2) information, and (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

at least one determination to identify, at an apparatus, an electronic service guide fragment as an electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide comprises data corresponding to a plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments;

at least one determination to parse the electronic service guide for identifying a secondary electronic service guide fragment in the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments, wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide comprises:

determining to identify a criterion in the electronic service guide, wherein the criterion includes a service provider identifier, an operator identifier, or a combination thereof; and

determining to identify a secondary electronic service guide fragment corresponding to the identified criterion;

at least one determination to select the secondary electronic service guide fragment based on the parsing step, wherein the electronic service guide comprises information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments in a hierarchical arrangement; and

at least one determination to manage the electronic service guide fragments and provide information on the availability and scope of the electronic service guide fragments by way of a bootstrap electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment is transmitted to a terminal in a transport object.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one determination to identify an electronic service guide fragment comprises:

determining an internet protocol address corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment;

determining a port number corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment; and

determining to identify the electronic service guide fragment based on the internet protocol address and the port number.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments includes information selected from at least one of provisioning data, administrative data, core data, and access data, and wherein the transport object is transported in a container, the container including a header and a payload.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one determination to parse the electronic service guide further comprises determining to identify another criterion, the other criterion including an operator description, internet protocol address-port number, purchasing status, purchasing channel, uniform resource identifier of a secondary electronic service guide fragment, last update date or time, next expected update date or time, or validity of secondary electronic service guide fragment, and wherein the identifying of the secondary electronic service guide fragment is further based on the other criterion.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one determination to select the secondary electronic service guide fragment comprises determining to select the identified secondary electronic service guide fragment.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments comprises a first electronic service guide fragment and a second electronic service guide fragment.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment includes service guide information corresponding to the second electronic service guide fragment.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment further comprises service guide information corresponding to a third electronic service guide fragment.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the second electronic service guide fragment further comprises service guide information corresponding to the third electronic service guide fragment.

29. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments comprises a first electronic service guide fragment and a second electronic service guide fragment, the first electronic service guide fragment including provisioning data of a corresponding program or service and the second electronic service guide fragment including non-provisioning data corresponding to the program or service.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining to identify an electronic service guide fragment as an electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment comprises data corresponding to a plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments;

determining to parse the electronic service guide for identifying a secondary electronic service guide fragment in the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments, wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide comprises:

determining to identify a criterion in the electronic service guide, wherein the criterion includes a service provider identifier, an operator identifier, or combination thereof; and

determining to identify a secondary electronic service guide fragment corresponding to the identified criterion;

determining to select the secondary electronic service guide fragment based on the parsing step, wherein the electronic service guide comprises information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments in a hierarchical arrangement; and

determining to manage the electronic service guide fragments and provide information on the availability and scope of the electronic service guide fragments by way of a bootstrap electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment is transmitted to a terminal in a transport object.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the determination to identify an electronic service guide fragment comprises:

determining an internet protocol address corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment;

determining a port number corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment; and

determining to identify the electronic service guide fragment based on the internet protocol address and the port number.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments includes information selected from at least one of provisioning data, administrative data, core data, and access data, and wherein the transport object is transported in a container, the container including a header and a payload.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide further comprises determining to identify another criterion, the other criterion including an operator description, internet protocol address-port number, purchasing status, purchasing channel, uniform resource identifier of a secondary electronic service guide fragment, last update date or time, next expected update date or time, or validity of secondary electronic service guide fragment, and wherein the identifying of the secondary electronic service guide fragment is further based on the other criterion.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the determination to select the secondary electronic service guide fragment comprises determining to select the identified secondary electronic service guide fragment.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments comprises a first electronic service guide fragment and a second electronic service guide fragment.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment includes service guide information corresponding to the second electronic service guide fragment.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35 , wherein the first electronic service guide fragment further comprises service guide information corresponding to a third electronic service guide fragment.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the second electronic service guide fragment further comprises service guide information corresponding to the third electronic service guide fragment.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 , wherein the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments comprises a first electronic service guide fragment and a second electronic service guide fragment, the first electronic service guide fragment including provisioning data of a corresponding program or service and the second ESG fragment including non-provisioning data corresponding to the program or service.

40. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining to identify an electronic service guide fragment as an electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment comprises data corresponding to a plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments;

means for determining to parse the electronic service guide for identifying a secondary electronic service guide fragment in the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide comprises:

determining to identify a criterion in the electronic service guide, wherein the criterion includes a service provider identifier, an operator identifier, or a combination thereof; and

determining to identify a secondary electronic service guide fragment corresponding to the identified criterion;

means for determining to select the secondary electronic service guide fragment based on information from the means for parsing, wherein the electronic service guide comprises information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments in a hierarchical arrangement; and

means for determining to manage the electronic service guide fragments and provide information on the availability and scope of the electronic service guide fragments by way of a bootstrap electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment is transmitted to a terminal in a transport object.

41. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the means for determining to identify an electronic service guide fragment comprises:

means for determining an internet protocol address corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment;

means for determining a port number corresponding to the electronic service guide fragment; and

means for determining to identify the electronic service guide fragment based on the internet protocol address and the port number.

42. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the information of the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments includes information selected from at least one of provisioning data, administrative data, core data, and access data, and wherein the transport object is transported in a container, the container including a header and a payload.

43. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide further comprises determining to identify another criterion, the other criterion including an operator description, internet protocol address-port number, purchasing status, purchasing channel, uniform resource identifier of a secondary electronic service guide fragment, last update date or time, next expected update date or time, or validity of secondary electronic service guide fragment, and wherein the identifying of the secondary electronic service guide fragment is further based on the other criterion.

44. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

determine to identify an electronic service guide fragment as an electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment comprises data corresponding to a plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments,

determine to parse the electronic service guide to identify a first secondary electronic service guide fragment and a second secondary electronic service guide fragment in the plurality of secondary electronic service guide fragments, wherein the determination to parse the electronic service guide comprises:

determining to identify a criterion in the electronic service guide, wherein the criterion includes a service provider identifier, an operator identifier, or a combination thereof; and

determining to identify a secondary electronic service guide fragment corresponding to the identified criterion, and

determine to select the first and second secondary electronic service guide fragments, wherein the first and second secondary electronic service guide fragments pertain to a program or service and have been provided by different service providers, and a user interface configured to display information from the first and second secondary electronic service guide fragments; and

determine to manage the electronic service guide fragments and provide information on the availability and scope of the electronic service guide fragments by way of a bootstrap electronic service guide, wherein the electronic service guide fragment is transmitted to a terminal in a transport object.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 , wherein the first secondary electronic service guide fragment contains basic information about the program or service and the second secondary electronic service guide fragment contains more detailed information about the program or service.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 , wherein the basic information includes at least one of a name or identifier of the program or service, and wherein the transport object is transported in a container, the container including a header and a payload.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 , wherein the more detailed information includes at least one of a biography of one or more actors, one or more interviews, interactive services, and provisioning information pertaining to the program or service.

Assignments (10)