Time-based selection of EPG data destined for low resource clients

A method for selecting program data for an electronic program guide, the electronic program guide executing on a client having a memory, the method comprising:

• initially allocating different-size portions of memory representative of the client memory for different time units represented in the electronic program guide;
• testing whether program data for the different time units fits in the respective different-size portions of memory;
• and
• adjusting quantities of the program data for the different time units to identify an entire set of program data for storage at the client, wherein different quantities of the program data are stored for the different time units.

A method for constructing a data file containing program data for an electronic program guide, the method comprising:

• initially allocating memory designated to hold the program data so that proportionally more memory is initially allocated to a current time unit and progressively less memory is initially allocated to one or more future time units;
• during a first pass beginning with a portion of memory corresponding to a time unit that is furthest in the future from the current time unit and working back toward a portion of memory corresponding to the current time unit, performing the following for each time unit:
• evaluating whether program data for the time unit is able to fit in the portion of memory allocated for the time period;
• in an event that the program data does not fit, reducing the program data for the time unit until a reduced set of program data is able to fit in the portion of memory allocated for the time period;
• and
• shifting any available space in the portion of memory that is unused to a next portion of memory corresponding to a next time unit closer to the current time unit;
• upon reaching the portion of memory corresponding to the current time unit, storing program data for the current time unit in the portion of memory corresponding to the current time unit and shifting any remaining available space out to a portion of memory corresponding to a next closest time unit in the future from the current time unit;
• and
• during a second pass beginning with a portion of memory corresponding to the next closest time unit and working forward toward the portion of memory corresponding to the time unit that is furthest in the future from the current time unit, performing the following for each time unit:
• evaluating whether any additional program data for the time unit is able to fit in the portion of memory allocated for the time period;
• in an event that additional program data does not fit, adding the additional program data for the time unit;
• and
• shifting any remaining available space to a next portion of memory corresponding to a next time unit further out in the future from the current time unit;
• and
• upon reaching the portion of memory corresponding to the time unit furthest in the future, adding any additional program data to the portion of memory corresponding to the time unit furthest in the future.

A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computing system to:

• analyze whether program data for a time unit in an electronic program guide is able to fit in a portion of memory allocated for the time unit;
• in an event that the program data does not fit, reduce the program data for the time unit until a subset of program data is able to fit in the portion of memory allocated for the time unit;
• and
• shift any remaining space that is not needed to store the subset of program data from the portion of memory to another portion of memory corresponding to another time unit.

A computer system, comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the memory;
• and
• a time-based selector program stored in memory and executed on the processor to select different-size sets of electronic program guide (EPG) data for storage in a memory at a remote client such that disproportionate amounts of program data for corresponding time units represented by an EPG will be stored in the memory.