Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Robert M Hohman

Brian D Crites

Phivos Costas Aristides

Frank A Lawler

An interactive entertainment network system has a program provider, multiple user interface units in individual homes, and a distribution network interconnecting the program provider and the user interface units. The program provider has a storage medium containing a plurality of program data records which contain programming information about the programs provided by the program provider. An electronic program guide (EPG) executes on each user interface unit. The EPG requests the program data records from the storage medium at the program provider and displays the programming information contained in the program data records. To prevent burdensome demand during certain high activity peak time when a plurality of the electronic program guides are likely to concurrently request the program data records, the program provider transmits at least some of the program data records to a plurality of the user interface units prior to a peak time. The program provider initiates this transmission on its own, and not in response to a request from any EPG. The user interface units store the program data records in a record cache for use by the EPG during the ensuing peak time. In this manner, the EPG can display the programming information contained in the stored program data records during the peak time, rather than requesting the information from the program provider.

Interactive entertainment network system and method for providing

Disclosed herein is an interactive entertainment distribution network including a headend which is connected to provide programs to a plurality of user interface units in individual homes. The user interface units are configured to run electronic program guides for displaying available programs categorized by discrete time slots. Each of the programs has a scheduled time period which occupies at least a portion of one or more of the discrete time slots. The headend maintains a database with a plurality of program data records. Each program data record is indexed by one of a plurality of bucket numbers. The bucket numbers correspond respectively to the plurality of discrete time slots. Each particular program is represented by a program data record and associated bucket number for each of the one or more discrete time slots which the program occupies. The electronic program guide requests programming information from the headend by specifying one or more bucket numbers to the headend.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Robert M Hohman