Correlation of media metadata gathered from diverse sources
View Patent ↗A DVR, server, or other agent correlates media metadata from diverse sources, like an EPG data provider and multiple video-on-demand (VOD) service providers. Metadata sets from different sources are compared in order to attempt to identify identical programs to which the metadata sets pertain. From at least one metadata set, information about the program that the other metadata set lacks is selected. A “canonical” data structure instance for the program is created. The information that is lacking from at least one of the metadata sources is inserted into that instance. For each source from which a program is available, the DVR stores the identity of that source on the DVR's persistent storage device in association with the canonical data structure instance for that program. The DVR receives search criteria from a user and then searches the stored canonical data structure instance for programs that satisfy the criteria.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a first metadata entry, describing first media content from a first source, the first source being a broadcast source, a streaming source, a download source, or a locally stored source;
receiving a second metadata entry, describing second media content from a second source, the second source being different than the first source;
based on correlating types of information found in the first metadata entry and the second metadata entry, determining that the first metadata content and the second metadata content are a same particular media content;
storing a particular metadata entry that includes at least a portion of the first metadata entry and a portion of the second metadata entry, the particular metadata entry describing the particular media content, the portion of the first metadata entry including a particular type of information not found in the second metadata entry;
based at least on the particular metadata entry, causing display of a list of available multimedia content, the list including at least content available from the first source and content available from the second source, the list indicating that the particular media content is available from at least the second source.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed by a digital video recorder (DVR).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular metadata entry includes at least a title field, an actor field, a genre field, a year field, and a rating field.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a search request for search criteria;
determining that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria based at least on the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry;
causing display of the list responsive to the search request and the determining that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving input that selects the particular metadata entry from the list;
responsive to the input, causing display of metadata fields from the particular metadata entry, the metadata fields including at least the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising omitting one or more additional metadata entries that describe the particular media content from the list on account of the particular media entry.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list indicates that the particular media content is available from the first source and the second source.
8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:
receiving a first metadata entry, describing first media content from a first source, the first source being a broadcast source, a streaming source, a download source, or a locally stored source;
receiving a second metadata entry, describing second media content from a second source, the second source being different than the first source;
based on correlating types of information found in the first metadata entry and the second metadata entry, determining that the first metadata content and the second metadata content are a same particular media content;
storing a particular metadata entry that includes at least a portion of the first metadata entry and a portion of the second metadata entry, the particular metadata entry describing the particular media content, the portion of the first metadata entry including a particular type of information not found in the second metadata entry;
based at least on the particular metadata entry, causing display of a list of available multimedia content, the list including at least content available from the first source and content available from the second source, the list indicating that the particular media content is available from at least the second source.
9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the particular metadata entry includes at least a title field, an actor field, a genre field, a year field, and a rating field.
10. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:
receiving a search request for search criteria;
determining that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria based at least on the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry;
causing display of the list responsive to the search request and the determining that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria.
11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause:
receiving input that selects the particular metadata entry from the list;
responsive to the input, causing display of metadata fields from the particular metadata entry, the metadata fields including at least the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry.
12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more computing devices, further cause omitting one or more additional metadata entries that describe the particular media content from the list on account of the particular media entry.
13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 8 , wherein the list indicates that the particular media content is available from the first source and the second source.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to receive a first metadata entry, describing first media content from a first source, the first source being a broadcast source, a streaming source, a download source, or a locally stored source, and further configured to receive a second metadata entry, describing second media content from a second source, the second source being different than the first source;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, based on correlating types of information found in the first metadata entry and the second metadata entry, determine that the first metadata content and the second metadata content are a same particular media content;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to store a particular metadata entry that includes at least a portion of the first metadata entry and a portion of the second metadata entry, the particular metadata entry describing the particular media content, the portion of the first metadata entry including a particular type of information not found in the second metadata entry;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, based at least on the particular metadata entry, cause display of a list of available multimedia content, the list including at least content available from the first source and content available from the second source, the list indicating that the particular media content is available from at least the second source.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is a digital video recorder (DVR).
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the particular metadata entry includes at least a title field, an actor field, a genre field, a year field, and a rating field.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to receive a search request for search criteria;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to determine that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria based at least on the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to cause display of the list responsive to the search request and the determining that the particular metadata entry satisfies the search criteria.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to receive input that selects the particular metadata entry from the list;
a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to, responsive to the input, cause display of metadata fields from the particular metadata entry, the metadata fields including at least the particular type of information that was not found in the second metadata entry.
19. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a subsystem, implemented at least partially by hardware, configured to omit one or more additional metadata entries that describe the particular media content from the list on account of the particular media entry.
20. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the list indicates that the particular media content is available from the first source and the second source.