Distributed, interactive television program guide; system and method

摘要

In an interactive network-based personal video recording system, a user interface is provided that allows viewers to search a database of program guide information according to program title, indexed program attributes such as actor and director, and key word. Viewer interaction is by way of a remote control unit.

主权项

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps comprising:
periodically receiving, at a device, program guide information from at least one server; wherein the device is in periodic communication with at least one server; for each periodically received program guide information, the device:
extracting text from fields in the program guide information;processing the extracted text to create keys, each created key is associated with a program identifier;sorting the created keys;eliminating redundant keys from the created keys to create a set of unique keys so that each unique key is paired with a list of program identifiers corresponding to each occurrence of the unique key in the created keys before the elimination of redundant keys; andsorting the unique keys; accepting viewer alphanumeric input via a viewer interface on the device; and searching, by the device, the program guide information by comparing the unique keys to a viewer's alphanumeric input.