Patent ID: 8578421

Claim:
A data update method for program guide data, the method comprising: throughout a time-window of a fixed duration, the time-window denoted T, concurrently broadcasting a plurality of data containers, the plurality of data containers comprising M data containers, each data container comprising an update to program guide data and a version number associated with the update, the update comprising one of a partial update and a complete update to previously broadcasted program guide data; and during one or more subsequent time-windows of the fixed duration, utilizing each data container to broadcast another M th update after an initial use of the data container, thereby creating a cycle of update containers, where each data container broadcast during said one or more subsequent time-windows includes a version number which is incremented relative to a version number of a preceding broadcast of that data container; and wherein broadcasting the cycle of update containers continues until there are no further updates occurring within a given time-window of the one or more subsequent time-windows, at which time broadcasting the cycle of update containers is paused, but the data containers continue to be broadcast, each of the data containers which continues to be broadcast comprising a previous update to program guide data and the version number associated with said previous update.