Channel table processing system and method

Abstract

An exemplary method of operating an electronic device comprises updating a channel map. The method further comprises prohibiting further updating of the channel map for a predetermined time, and permitting further updating of the channel map after expiration of the predetermined time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device that may employ an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

One or more specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device that may employ an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic device is generally referred to by the reference number 100. The electronic device 100 (for example, a television, a digital video recorder (DVR), a digital cable ready set top box or the like) comprises a data input 102, a tuner 104, a processor 106 and a memory 108. The memory 108 may be adapted to hold machine-readable computer code that causes the processor 106 to perform an exemplary method in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is adapted to address the problems that occur when channel tables are sent out of order, or are frequently missed or dropped. One exemplary embodiment of the invention delays application of a table wrap operation for a predetermined amount of time.

In a typical digital cable ready system, channel tables are specified to arrive at given intervals. Therefore, it is possible to determine a reasonable time period during which all channel tables specifying a complete cable channel map should have arrived and been correctly received. The time period may be measured by a timer and may start upon receipt of a channel table. Alternatively, the time period may be started arbitrarily at a particular time of day or at a given time interval, each of which may be chosen to correspond with a known or assumed channel table transmission time. During the predetermined time period, it may be assumed that no channel table wrap has occurred, so rebuilding of the channel table may be prohibited. After the time period expires, wrap detection is allowed to begin. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, channel tables are gathered for a given period of time. After that time, if a table of a certain type arrives that has already been seen, then the wrap detect would be triggered. After that point, any new table of a given type, determined by its CRC, would cause the reacquisition of the data for that table type.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention allows a channel map to remain stable so that the user is able to navigate to all possible channels without interruption. Disruptions to the channel map during periods of time other than the infrequent times when the cable operator actually performs changes to the channel map could be reduced.

While the invention may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device, comprising: updating a channel map;prohibiting further updating of the channel map for a predetermined time; andpermitting further updating of the channel map after expiration of the predetermined time.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein updating the channel map comprises rebuilding the channel map.

3. The method recited in claim 1, comprising receiving a channel table that includes information about at least a portion of the channel map via an out-of-band radio frequency source.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the channel map is updated using at least one channel table that conforms to an ANSI/SCTE 65 standard.

5. The method recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one channel table does not contain revision descriptors.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is started in response to the updating of the channel map.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined time is started at the same time each day.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a television.

9. An electronic device, comprising: a signal input that is adapted to receive a channel table;a display that is adapted to display images based on an input received via the signal input; anda processor that is adapted to prohibit updating of a channel map based on the channel table for a predetermined time and to permit updating of the channel map after expiration of the predetermined time.

10. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein updating the channel map comprises rebuilding the channel map.

11. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the channel table is received via an out-of-band radio frequency source.

12. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the channel table conforms to an ANSI/SCTE 65 standard.

13. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the channel table does not contain revision descriptors.

14. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is started in response to the updating of the channel map.

15. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the predetermined time is started at the same time each day.

16. The electronic device recited in claim 9, wherein the electronic device comprises a television.

17. An electronic device, comprising: means for updating a channel map;means for prohibiting further updating of the channel map for a predetermined time; andmeans for permitting further updating of the channel map after expiration of the predetermined time.

18. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the channel map is updated using at least one channel table that does not contain revision descriptors.

19. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the predetermined time is started in response to updating the channel map.

20. The electronic device recited in claim 17, wherein the predetermined time is started at the same time each day.