Method and managing multiple channel maps from multiple input devices in a multimedia system

Claim 1

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of physical channels, each having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating each of said received physical channel designations from all of said at least two sources to a separate logical channel designation, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation over all of said media sources and physical channels; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 2

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of physical channels, each having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating each of said received physical channel designations from all of said at least two sources to a separate logical channel designation, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation over all of said media sources and physical channels; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 3

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources, wherein said receiving step comprises: receiving a guide, the guide listing multiple events, each event associated with one of said physical channel designations and one of said media sources; and extracting said physical channel designations and said media sources for each event listing in said guide; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 4

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources, wherein said receiving step comprises: receiving a guide, the guide listing multiple events, each event associated with one of said physical channel designations and one of said media sources; and extracting said physical channel designations and said media sources for each event listing in said guide; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 7

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation, wherein said translating step comprises: comparing a first of said physical channel designations to said channel-map database; determining whether said physical channel designation is present in said channel-map database; if said physical channel designation is present in said channel-map database, repeating said comparing and determining steps for the next physical channel designation, until all physical channel designations have been processed; and if said physical channel designation is not present in said channel-map database, carrying out said translating, constructing, and assembling steps for said physical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 8

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation, wherein said translating step comprises: comparing a first of said physical channel designations to said channel-map database; determining whether said physical channel designation is present in said channel-map database; if said physical channel designation is present in said channel-map database, repeating said comparing and determining steps for the next physical channel designation, until all physical channel designations have been processed; and if said physical channel designation is not present in said channel-map database, carrying out said translating, constructing, and assembling steps for said physical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; and assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records.

Claim 15

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records; constructing a device database comprising a set of characteristics for each of said media sources, one of said characteristics being said identification of said media source, wherein constructing said device database comprises: receiving source information for each of said media sources, said source information including said identification of said media source, connection data specifying the connection of said media source to said system, and at least one further characteristic for said media source; and including at least some of said source information in addition to said identification in each said record; and including at least one of said characteristics in addition to said identification in each said record.

Claim 16

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing a plurality of channel maps, each channel map associated with a different media source, and each channel map including a plurality of channels, each channel having a physical channel designation, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of physical channel designations from at least two media sources; translating said received physical channel designations to a plurality of logical channel designations, each logical channel designation being distinct from any other logical channel designation; constructing a record for each of said logical channel designations, said record including the matching physical channel designation which was translated to said logical channel designation and including an identification of the media source from which the translated physical channel designation was received; assembling a channel-map database comprising a plurality of said records; constructing a device database comprising a set of characteristics for each of said media sources, one of said characteristics being said identification of said media source, wherein constructing said device database comprises: receiving source information for each of said media sources, said source information including said identification of said media source, connection data specifying the connection of said media source to said system, and at least one further characteristic for said media source; and including at least some of said source information in addition to said identification in each said record; and including at least one of said characteristics in addition to said identification in each said record.

Claim 19

A method for managing multiple information channels from multiple input devices in a multimedia system, comprising: reading a plurality of physical channel designations associated with a plurality of physical channels received from each of said input devices, said physical channel designations being not necessarily unique across all of said input devices; mapping each of said physical channel designations to a logical channel designation, each logical channel designation differing from all other logical channel designations across all of said input devices; and retrieving one of said physical channels using said logical channel designation.

Claim 20

A method for managing multiple information channels from multiple input devices in a multimedia system, comprising: reading a plurality of physical channel designations associated with a plurality of physical channels received from each of said input devices, said physical channel designations being not necessarily unique across all of said input devices; mapping each of said physical channel designations to a logical channel designation, each logical channel designation differing from all other logical channel designations across all of said input devices; and retrieving one of said physical channels using said logical channel designation.

Claim 24

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing multiple channel maps from multiple media sources in a multimedia system, comprising: receiving a plurality of channel maps, each of said maps including a plurality of designations associated with a corresponding plurality of physical channels all associated with one of said media sources; assembling a database of records from all of said channel maps, each of said records including one of the physical-channel designations from one of said sources, an identification of said one media source, and a logical channel designation, said logical channel designation being unique across all of said physical channel designations in all of said maps.

Claim 25

A method, performed in an electronic data-processing system, for managing multiple channel maps from multiple media sources in a multimedia system, comprising: receiving a plurality of channel maps, each of said maps including a plurality of designations associated with a corresponding plurality of physical channels all associated with one of said media sources; assembling a database of records from all of said channel maps, each of said records including one of the physical-channel designations from one of said sources, an identification of said one media source, and a logical channel designation, said logical channel designation being unique across all of said physical channel designations in all of said maps.