System and methods for modifying improperly formatted metadata

#User equipment devices capable of displaying, playing or otherwise providing content to a user frequently receive not just the content, but also metadata associated with the content. This metadata may contain information regarding the substance of the content, how the content was received, how it is to be displayed, or any other potentially useful information related to the content. Metadata can thus aid a user in deciding what content to watch, provide the user equipment device with instructions on actions to take with the content, or contain data that is monitored by the user equipment device.

#The metadata is generally received in a specific metadata format, and the user equipment device may need to be aware of this format to properly utilize the metadata. The metadata format may be a proprietary standard or an industry standard, a format used by a single manufacturer or by every manufacturer of similar equipment. These formats can generally be thought of as instructions for interpreting metadata. A metadata format may include definitions for individual fields or tags, the size of the metadata itself or components thereof, and how the metadata is to be decrypted and processed.

#Processes or features that utilize the metadata may also require the metadata to be in a particular format. Similarly to the metadata format above, these process specific formats may set requirements on what information should be located in individual fields and how this information is to be formatted. Metadata may need to comply with a process specific format for the process or feature to execute correctly.

#The above and other features of the present application, its nature and various advantages will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

#FIGS. 1 and 2 show illustrative display screens that may be used to provide media guidance application listings in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

#FIG. 3 shows an illustrative user equipment device in accordance with some embodiments of the invention;

#The application, in various implementations, provides systems, methods and devices for modifying metadata associated with content that is improperly formatted. In one configuration a metadata pre-processor receives metadata from a remote source, determines whether the received metadata is properly formatted, and, if it is not, modifies the metadata based on information received from a second remote source. In one configuration the modified metadata is then used to identify information associated with the content.

#The amount of content available to users in any given content delivery system can be substantial. Consequently, many users desire a form of media guidance through an interface that allows users to efficiently navigate content selections and easily identify content that they may desire. An application that provides such guidance is referred to herein as an interactive media guidance application or, sometimes, a media guidance application or a guidance application.

#Interactive media guidance applications may take various forms depending on the content for which they provide guidance. One typical type of media guidance application is an interactive television program guide. Interactive television program guides (sometimes referred to as electronic program guides) are well-known guidance applications that, among other things, allow users to navigate among and locate many types of content. As referred to herein, the term “content” should be understood to mean an electronically consumable user asset, such as television programming, as well as pay-per-view programs, on-demand programs (as in video-on-demand (VOD) systems), Internet content (e.g., streaming content, downloadable content, Webcasts, etc.), video clips, audio, content information, pictures, rotating images, documents, playlists, websites, articles, books, electronic books, blogs, advertisements, chat sessions, social media, applications, games, and/or any other media or multimedia and/or combination of the same. Guidance applications also allow users to navigate among and locate content. As referred to herein, the term “multimedia” should be understood to mean content that utilizes at least two different content forms described above, for example, text, audio, images, video, or interactivity content forms. Content may be recorded, played, displayed or accessed by user equipment devices, but can also be part of a live performance.