Methods and apparatus for providing content information to content servers

A method for maintaining content records on a content server, the method comprising:

• storing, on the content server, a set of content records, each content record describing a piece of content and collectively describing the content available from a content provider;
• requesting a content index from a content provider;
• receiving the requested content index on the content server;
• using the requested content index to identify new content records;
• requesting the identified new content records, which were identified using the requested content index, from the content provider;
• receiving the identified new content records from the content provider;
• updating the set of content records on the content server using the received new content records;
• and
• requesting content for distribution to users based on the content records.

An apparatus for maintaining program-guide records on a content server, the apparatus comprising:

• means for storing, in a cache, a set of program-guide records on the content server, each program-guide record describing a section of a program guide and being collectively used to generate a program guide;
• means for requesting a program-guide index from a content provider;
• means for receiving the requested program-guide index from the content provider;
• means for using the requested program-guide index, which was received from the content provider, to identify new program-guide records;
• means for requesting the identified new program-guide records, which were identified using the requested program-guide index, from the content provider;
• means for receiving the identified new program-guide records from the content provider;
• and
• means for updating the stored program-guide records on the content server using the received new program-guide records.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

• storing a set of program-guide records on a content server, each program-guide record describing a section of a program guide and being collectively used to generate a program guide;
• requesting a program-guide index from a content provider;
• receiving the requested program-guide index from the content provider;
• using the requested program-guide index, which was received from the content provider, to identify new program-guide records;
• requesting the identified new program-guide records, which were identified using the requested program-guide index, from the content provider;
• receiving the identified new program-guide records from the content provider;
• and
• updating the stored program-guide records on the content server using the received new program-guide records.

An apparatus for maintaining program-guide records on a content server, comprising:

• logic for storing a set of program-guide records on the content server, each program-guide record describing a section of a program guide and being collectively used to generate a program guide;
• logic for requesting a program-guide index from a content provider;
• logic for receiving the requested program-guide index from the content provider;
• logic for using the requested program-guide index, which was received from the content provider, to identify new program-guide records;
• logic for requesting the identified new program-guide records, which were identified using the requested program-guide index, from the content provider;
• logic for receiving the identified new program-guide records from the content provider;
• and
• logic for updating the stored program-guide records on the content server using the received new program-guide records.

An apparatus for maintaining content records on a content server, the apparatus comprising:

• means for storing, on the content server, a set of content records, each content record describing a piece of content and collectively describing the content available from a content provider;
• means for requesting a content index from a content provider;
• means for receiving the requested content index on the content server;
• means for using the requested content index to identify new content records;
• means for requesting the identified new content records, which were identified using the requested content index, from the content provider;
• means for receiving the identified new content records from the content provider;
• means for updating the set of content records on the content server using the received new content records;
• and
• means for requesting content for distribution to users based on the content records.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

• storing, on a content server, a set of content records, each content record describing a piece of content and collectively describing the content available from a content provider;
• requesting a content index from a content provider;
• receiving the requested content index on the content server;
• using the requested content index to identify new content records;
• requesting the identified new content records, which were identified using the requested content index, from the content provider;
• receiving the identified new content records from the content provider;
• updating the set of content records on the content server using the received new content records;
• and
• requesting content for distribution to users based on the content records.

An apparatus for maintaining content records on a content server, comprising:

• logic for storing, on the content server, a set of content records, each content record describing a piece of content and collectively describing the content available from a content provider;
• logic for requesting a content index from a content provider;
• logic for receiving the requested content index on the content server;
• logic for using the requested content index to identify new content records;
• logic for requesting the identified new content records, which were identified using the requested content index, from the content provider;
• logic for receiving the identified new content records from the content provider;
• logic for updating the set of content records on the content server using the received new content records;
• and
• logic for requesting content for distribution to users based on the content records.

A device, comprising:

• a network interface;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface and configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
• storing a set of program-guide records on a content server, each program-guide record describing a section of a program-guide and being collectively used to generate a program-guide;
• requesting a program-guide index from a content provider;
• receiving the requested program-guide index from the content provider;
• using the requested program-guide index received from the content provider to identify new program-guide records;
• requesting from the content provider new program-guide records identified using the requested program-guide index;
• receiving the identified new program-guide records from the content provider;
• and
• updating the stored program-guide records on the content server using the received new program-guide records.

A device, comprising:

• a network interface;
• and
• a processor coupled to the network interface, the processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
• storing, on a content server, a set of content records each describing a piece of content and collectively describing the content available from a content provider;
• requesting a content index from a content provider;
• receiving the requested content index on the content server;
• using the requested content index to identify new content records;
• requesting from the content provider new content records identified using the requested content index;
• receiving the identified new content records from the content provider;
• updating the set of content records on the content server using the received new content records;
• and
• requesting content for distribution to users based on the content records.