Method and system for acquiring electronic programming guide signals
AssigneeComcast Cable Holdings, LLC
InventorsWalt Michel, Errol J. D'Souza, Robert Heiman
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Abstract
A system and method for use in a cable network to acquire electronic programming guide (EPG) content signals from one or more EPG vendors. The system includes a set-top box (STB) for receiving cable signals and EPG signals from a headend controller so that the STB can output the signals to a media output device for display. A conversion table is provided to each STB for use by the STB in determining source IDs associated with a given channel for each EPG vendor, the source IDs for use in acquiring the EPG content signals.
Claims22
1-45. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- processing a first channel map comprising a first set of source identifications (IDs) associated with first electronic program guide (EPG) signals, wherein a second set of source IDs are associated with second EPG signals, the second set of source IDs being different from the first set of source IDs;
- and
- processing, by a processor, the second set of source IDs for acquiring the second EPG signals.
(canceled)
A method comprising:
- processing a channel map that associates a first set of source identifications (IDs) with a plurality of content channels, the first set of source IDs being useable for acquiring first electronic programming guide (EPG) signals;
- processing, by a processor, a second set of source IDs associated with the content channels in the channel map, the second set of source IDs being useable for acquiring second EPG signals;
- and
- causing retrieval of the second EPG signals using second set of source IDs.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
- process a channel map associating a first set of source identifications (IDs) with a plurality of content channels, the first set of source IDs being useable for acquiring first electronic programming guide (EPG) signals;
- process a second set of source IDs associated with the content channels in the channel map, the second set of source IDs being useable for acquiring second EPG signals;
- cause retrieval of the second EPG signals using the second set of source IDs.
A method comprising:
- processing a channel map that associates a first set of source identifications (IDs) with a plurality of content channels, the first set of source IDs being useable for acquiring first electronic programming guide (EPG) signals;
- processing a second set of source IDs associated with the content channels in the channel map, the second set of source IDs being useable for acquiring second EPG signals;
- processing, by a processor, a signal instructing use of the second set of source IDs instead of the first set of source IDs;
- and
- causing retrieval of the second EPG signals using the second set of source IDs.
An apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory communicatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to:
- process a channel map associating a first set of source identifications (IDs) with a plurality of content channels, the first set of source IDs being useable for acquiring first electronic programming guide (EPG) signals;
- process a second set of source IDs associated with the content channels in the channel map, the second set of source IDs being useable for acquiring second EPG signals;
- process a signal instructing use of the second set of source IDs instead of the first set of source IDs;
- and
- cause retrieval of the second EPG signals using the second set of source IDs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.