Data processing

1. A method of processing correlated metadata, the correlated metadata comprising a set of one or more clusters of metadata, each cluster comprising one or more metadata chunks, each metadata chunk being a chunk of metadata that originated from a single data source, each metadata chunk within a cluster being from a data source different from the data sources from which the other metadata chunks within that cluster originate, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, mappings between the metadata clusters and one or more of the metadata chunks, wherein the metadata is programmatic metadata relating to episodes of television shows, wherein the metadata clusters include the metadata relating to a specific one of the television shows, and wherein the metadata chunks make up portions of the metadata cluster that can originate from different media sources;

displaying to a human operator, using a graphical user interface operatively connected to the one or more processors, the determined mappings;

editing, by the human operator using the graphical user interface, a mapping between one or more metadata chunks and one or more of the metadata clusters such that a detected inconsistency in the correlated metadata is removed;

wherein an inconsistency comprises:

an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster;

a mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster; and

one or more of the metadata chunks not being mapped to a metadata cluster, and

wherein when the user detects that one or more of the metadata chunks have not been mapped to a metadata cluster, the editing comprises moving, by the human operator, a digital representation of the metadata chunk that has not been mapped to a metadata cluster from a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to not being mapped to a metadata cluster to a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to being mapped to a metadata cluster;

receiving, by the one or more processors, further metadata from a further data source, the further metadata relating to the same multimedia content as the correlated metadata;

dividing, by the one or more processors, the metadata from the further source into one or more chunks of that metadata; and

performing, by the one or more processors, an alignment process to align the metadata chunks that originated from the further data source with the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed, thereby correlating the further metadata and the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein when the inconsistency is an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster, the editing comprises correcting the incorrect mapping.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein when the inconsistency is that more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source has been mapped to the same metadata cluster, the editing comprises changing the mappings of the metadata chunks to the metadata clusters such that each of the metadata chunks that originated from the same data source is mapped to a different single metadata cluster.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein when the inconsistency is that a metadata chunk has not been mapped to a metadata cluster, the editing comprises mapping that metadata chunk to a metadata cluster.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein when the user detects the mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster, then editing comprises moving, by the human operator, a digital representation of a metadata chunk from a first position on the graphical user interface to a second position on the graphical user interface;

wherein the first position is such that an element positioned at the first position is mapped to the metadata cluster to which more than one of the metadata chunks were mapped; and

wherein the second position is such that an element positioned at the second position is mapped a different metadata cluster to the metadata cluster to which more than one of the metadata chunks were mapped.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of the clusters has been consolidated to delete duplicate information.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the metadata from a data source specify one or more attributes selected from the group of attributes consisting of: episode information, series information, cast information, crew information, and broadcast information.

8. A method according to claim 1 further comprising providing, for use by an entity remote from the one or more processors, the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the alignment process comprises performing a Smith-Waterman algorithm modified to allow matching of items with complex values.

10. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, by the one or more processors on the graphical user interface, a mapping between the metadata chunks that originated from the further data source and the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed; and

editing, by the human operator, the mapping between the metadata chunks that originated from the further data source and the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed, so as to remove a detected further inconsistency.

11. Apparatus for processing correlated metadata, the correlated metadata comprising a set of one or more clusters of metadata, each cluster comprising one or more metadata chunks, each metadata chunk being a chunk of metadata that originated from a single data source, each metadata chunk within a cluster being from a data source different from the data sources from which the other metadata chunks within that cluster originate, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a graphical user interface operatively connected to the one or more processors;

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

determine mappings between the metadata clusters and one or more of the metadata chunks, wherein the metadata is programmatic metadata relating to episodes of television shows, wherein the metadata clusters include the metadata relating to a specific one of the television shows, and wherein the metadata chunks make up portions of the metadata cluster that can originate from different media sources;

display, using the graphical user interface, the determined mappings;

receive an input from a human operator; and

depending on the input, edit a mapping between one or more metadata chunks and one or more of the metadata clusters such that an inconsistency in the correlated metadata is removed;

wherein an inconsistency comprises is:

an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster;

a mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster;

one or more of the metadata chunks not being mapped to a metadata cluster, and

wherein when the user detects that one or more of the metadata chunks have not been mapped to a metadata cluster, the editing comprises moving, by the human operator, a digital representation of the metadata chunk that has not been mapped to a metadata cluster from a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to not being mapped to a metadata cluster to a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to being mapped to a metadata cluster;

receive further metadata from a further data source, the further metadata relating to the same multimedia content as the correlated metadata;

divide the metadata from the further source into one or more chunks of that metadata; and

perform an alignment process to align the metadata chunks that originated from the further data source with the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed, thereby correlating the further metadata and the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 :

wherein the determined mappings are displayed such that a human operator may either:

detect an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster; or

detect the mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster, thereby detecting an inconsistency in the correlated metadata; or

detect that one or more of the metadata chunks has not been mapped to a metadata cluster, thereby detecting an inconsistency in the correlated metadata; and

wherein the input comprises data relating to the human operator performing an action, the action being to remove the detected inconsistency.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein, if the user detects an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster, then the action to remove the detected inconsistency comprises correcting, by the human operator, the incorrect mapping.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 :

wherein when the user detects the mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster, the action to remove the detected inconsistency comprises moving, by the human operator, a digital representation of a metadata chunk from a first position on the graphical user interface to a second position on the graphical user interface;

wherein the first position is such that an element positioned at the first position is mapped to the metadata cluster to which more than one of the metadata chunks were mapped; and

wherein the second position is such that an element positioned at the second position is mapped a different metadata cluster to the metadata cluster to which more than one of the metadata chunks were mapped.

15. A method of processing correlated metadata, the correlated metadata comprising a set of one or more clusters of metadata, each cluster comprising one or more metadata chunks, each metadata chunk being a chunk of metadata that originated from a single data source, each metadata chunk within a cluster being from a data source different from the data sources from which the other metadata chunks within that cluster originate, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, mappings between the metadata clusters and one or more of the metadata chunks, wherein the metadata is programmatic metadata relating to episodes of television shows, wherein metadata clusters include the metadata relating to a specific one of the television shows, and wherein the metadata chunks make up portions of the metadata cluster that can originate from different media sources;

the determining comprises:

detecting, by the one or more processors, an incorrect mapping of a metadata chunk to a metadata cluster;

detecting, by the one or more processors, the mapping of more than one metadata chunk originating from the same data source to the same metadata cluster, thereby detecting an inconsistency in the correlated metadata; and

detecting, by the one or more processors, that one or more of the metadata chunks has not been mapped to a metadata cluster, thereby detecting an inconsistency in the correlated metadata; and

editing, by the one or more processors, a mapping between one or more metadata chunks and one or more of the metadata clusters so as to remove the detected inconsistency,

wherein when the user detects that one or more of the metadata chunks have not been mapped to a metadata cluster, the editing comprises moving, by the human operator, a digital representation of the metadata chunk that has not been mapped to a metadata cluster from a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to not being mapped to a metadata cluster to a position on the graphical user interface that corresponds to being mapped to a metadata cluster;

receiving, by the one or more processors, further metadata from a further data source, the further metadata relating to the same multimedia content as the correlated metadata;

dividing, by the one or more processors, the metadata from the further source into one or more chunks of that metadata; and

performing, by the one or more processors, an alignment process to align the metadata chunks that originated from the further data source with the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed, thereby correlating the further metadata and the correlated metadata having the detected inconsistency removed.