Patent ID: 6604243
Filing Date: 2003-08-05
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method for filtering table data received at a set top box in an interactive television system comprising:accessing table data associated with a section at a set top box; accessing a data value in a field in a data structure, the data structure comprising a plurality of criteria; accessing the data structure in accordance with the data value for a match to the received table data, to determine if the table data matches criteria in the data structure; (a) setting a current sub table node to a root for the sub table node; (b) accessing a level value for a current sub table node; (c) comparing the table data to a criterion of the current sub table node at a current level; if the table data is equal to the criterion of the current sub table node at the current level, then go to step (d) if not go to step (e) (d) if the current level is less than the level value, then go to step (e) else go to step (f) (e) setting the current level to current level+1 and going to step (c) else go to step (f) (f) accessing an index associated with the current level, the index pointing to the next sub table node; if the next sub table node is valid, then go to step (g) (g) setting the current level to 1, setting the current sub table node equal to next sub table node; and going to step (g) else, go to step (h) (h) rejecting the section associated with the table data.