Patent ID: 8473980

Claim:
A method of processing an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) metadata in a network device, the method comprising: performing a services discovery procedure utilizing multiple service discovery metadata components supplied by a service provider; requesting specific results; and performing a batch delivery of a query response by issuing an initial query that returns the first batch of results, and then issuing follow-up queries to return additional batches if a query identifier to identify the initial query that generated the returned results is returned, and wherein the results correspond to SGDDs (service guide delivery descriptors) or service guide fragments, wherein the step of performing comprises: receiving a master SI table which locates in a master SI table location in provisioning information, receiving a virtual channel map table which locates in virtual channel map locations in the received master SI table, receiving a virtual channel description table which locates in virtual channel description table locations in the received virtual channel map table, and receiving a source table which locates in source table locations in the received virtual channel description table, and wherein the step of requesting comprises: requesting specific SGDDs by using first key information on the time interval and second key information on levels identifying list, lite or full profile versions in requests for specific SGDDs, and requesting specific service guide fragments by using third key information on the time interval, fourth key information on levels identifying list, lite or full profile versions, and fifth key information identifying whether the service guide fragments are top fragments of a group hierarchy of an EPG metadata service.