Dynamic electronic program guide

A method for dynamically manipulating electronic program guide (EPG) data, the method comprising actions of:

• causing at least a portion of previous EPG data to be displayed, the previous EPG data being in a displayable format;
• detecting an EPG display scroll request at a node;
• sending an EPG data request from the node to a gateway;
• receiving the EPG data request from the node at the gateway;
• accessing a storage at the gateway to retrieve EPG data for the EPG data request, the retrieved EPG data being in a non-displayable format;
• converting the retrieved EPG data in the non-displayable format to the displayable format;
• transmitting the retrieved EPG data in the displayable format from the gateway to the node;
• receiving the retrieved EPG data from the gateway at the node, the retrieved EPG data comprising received EPG data;
• adding the received EPG data to the previous EPG data to form current EPG data, the current EPG data being in the displayable format;
• and
• causing at least a portion of the current EPG data to be displayed;
• wherein the action of adding is performed while the received EPG data and the previous EPG data are in the displayable format.

A method for dynamically handling an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising actions of:

• causing a first plurality of lines of EPG data to be displayed, the first plurality of lines of EPG data in document form;
• receiving a scroll instruction input;
• requesting at least one line of EPG data from a gateway;
• receiving the at least one line of EPG data from the gateway, the at least one line of EPG data in the document form;
• concatenating the at least one line of EPG data with the first plurality of lines of EPG data to form a second plurality of lines of EPG data in the document form;
• and
• causing at least a portion of the second plurality of lines of EPG data to be displayed using the second plurality of lines of EPG data in the document form;
• wherein the at least one line of EPG data and the first plurality of lines of EPG data are maintained in the document form during the action of concatenating.

A method for displaying an electronic program guide (EPG), the method comprising actions of:

• causing at least a portion of current EPG data in a first format to be displayed;
• requesting new EPG data from a storage having an EPG database;
• receiving the new EPG data in a second format;
• converting the new EPG data in the second format into new EPG data in the first format;
• combining the current EPG data in the first format and the new EPG data in the first format into combined EPG data in the first format without changing formats;
• and
• causing at least a portion of the combined EPG data in the first format to be displayed.

An arrangement that is capable of dynamically manipulating electronic program guide (EPG) data, the arrangement comprising:

• inserting means for inserting new EPG data into previous EPG data to form current EPG data;
• the new EPG data, the previous EPG data, and the current EPG data being in a displayable format during the insertion;
• and
• causing means for causing at least a portion of the current EPG data to be displayed.

An arrangement that is capable of dynamically manipulating electronic program guide (EPG) data, the arrangement comprising:

• first causing means for causing a portion of current EPG data to be displayed;
• caching means for caching cached EPG data that is in the vicinity of the portion of current EPG data;
• detecting means for detecting an EPG display scroll request;
• sending means for sending an EPG data request to an external source;
• second causing means for causing part of the portion of the current EPG data and at least a portion of the cached EPG data to be displayed;
• receiving means for receiving new EPG data from the external source, the new EPG data being in a displayable format when received by the receiving means;
• and
• inserting means for inserting the new EPG data into the cached EPG data to form new cached EPG data;
• the new EPG data, the cached EPG data, and the new cached EPG data being in the displayable format during the insertion.

A node having electronic program guide (EPG) features, the node configured to perform actions comprising:

• causing at least a portion of current EPG data in a displayable format to be displayed;
• requesting new EPG data from a storage having an EPG database, the storage located at a gateway;
• receiving the new EPG data in the displayable format;
• combining the current EPG data in the displayable format and the new EPG data in the displayable format into combined EPG data in the displayable format without changing formats;
• and
• causing at least a portion of the combined EPG data in the displayable format to be displayed.

An apparatus for manipulating electronic program guide (EPG) data, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more network interfaces, the one or more network interfaces capable of receiving content and EPG data;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more memories, the one or more memories storing EPG data and at least one feature application;
• the at least one feature application including electronically-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, direct the apparatus to perform actions comprising:
• causing a first plurality of lines of EPG data to be displayed, the first plurality of lines of EPG data in document form;
• receiving a scroll instruction input;
• requesting at least one line of EPG data from an external source;
• receiving the at least one line of EPG data from the external source, the at least one line of EPG data in the document form;
• appending the at least one line of EPG data to the first plurality of lines of EPG data to form a second plurality of lines of EPG data in the document form, the at least one line of EPG data and the first plurality of lines of EPG data being maintained in the document form during the action of appending;
• and
• causing at least a portion of the second plurality of lines of EPG data to be displayed using the second plurality of lines of EPG data in the document form.

One or more electronically-accessible storage media comprising electronically-executable instructions that, when executed, direct an electronic apparatus to:

• receive EPG data from an external source, the received EPG data being in a displayable format;
• insert the received EPG data in the displayable format into previous EPG data that is in the displayable format to create current EPG data that is in the displayable format, the received EPG data and the previous EPG data remaining in the displayable format during the action of inserting;
• and
• cause at least a portion of the current EPG data to be displayed.

A method for prefetching electronic program guide (EPG) data, the method comprising actions of:

• causing a first portion of current EPG data to be displayed, the current EPG data stored in a displayable format;
• detecting an EPG display scroll input;
• determining one or more lines of EPG data that need to be prefetched responsive to the EPG display scroll input;
• requesting the one or more lines of EPG data that need to be prefetched;
• causing a second portion of the current EPG data to be displayed, the second portion of the current EPG data including EPG data to which the EPG display scroll input is directed;
• receiving the one or more lines of EPG data that need to be prefetched, the received one or more lines of EPG data that need to be prefetched in the displayable format when received;
• and
• combining the received one or more lines of EPG data that need to be prefetched with the current EPG data to form new current EPG data that is stored in the displayable format.