Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Alan E Shield

Robert M Fries

Mark D Schwesinger

Thaddeus C Pritchett

Shawn E Pickett

Glenn Alexander Curtis

Eric J Silverberg

Christopher F Pezzee

For data encoded with an encoding scheme, a data compression technique utilizes encoding scheme values as compression indexing values where the encoding scheme values are part of the encoding scheme, but are not used to encode the data. In an implementation, a data compression dictionary is generated and indexed with the unused encoding scheme values. In an eight-bit encoding scheme, for example, the data is compressed from each letter and/or number being represented with eight bits down to complete words, numbers, and/or combinations of words and numbers being represented with only two bytes.

Program guide data compression

Various embodiments provide accurate EPG lineup construction and PVR scheduling for users, regardless of their geographic location. In accordance with the described embodiments, the guide retrieves and aggregates data from multiple available sources, particularly in-band scanning and EPG metadata download. Services are then identified and sorted into logically equivalent groups. Once the services are grouped, in accordance with one embodiment, an analysis is conducted the outcome of which is directed to selecting which services to use for tuning and which services to use for scheduling on a given channel/preset. In addition, various embodiments can, in an automated fashion, assign services to presets/channels, as well as provide a user interface and methods for editing a lineup, modifying tuning information and personalizing presets/channels.

Methods and systems for constructing and editing electronic program guide lineups

Growing community of inventors

Issaquah, WA, United States of America

Alan E Shield