Multiple media type synchronization between host computer and media device

• US 20060100978A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Boettcher, Jesse, Wasko, Timothy, Miller, Jeff, Heller, David, Marriott, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,849 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

Improved techniques for transferring media assets between a host computer and a media device are disclosed. The transfer of media assets between a host computer and a media device can be referred to as synchronization. According to one aspect of the invention, media assets being transferred can be formatted (e.g., rendered) in advance at the host computer and then delivered to the media device. According to another aspect of the invention, media assets can be grouped into collections and transferred on a collection basis. According to still another aspect of the invention, media assets to be transferred can be limited based on an amount of storage capacity available at the media device. According to yet another aspect of the invention, media assets of different media types can be transferred in accordance with different priorities.

Claims

1. A method for providing media assets to a media device from a host computer, said method comprising:

obtaining media device capabilities for the media device;

identifying original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

determining media formats appropriate for the media device based on the media device capabilities;

generating, for each of the original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats; and

copying the set of formatted media assets to the media device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are images.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats are image formats.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats pertain to different pixel sizes.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats include one or more of NTSC, PAL or HDTV formats.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the formatted media assets are rendered media assets.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the media assets are images, and the rendered media assets are rendered images.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

determining whether a particular use of media assets is supported by the media device based on the media device capabilities; and

bypassing said identifying, said determining, said generating and said copying when it is determined that the particular use of media assets is not supported by the media device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are images, the media formats are image formats, and the formatted media assets are rendered media assets.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are have a data size, and wherein the data size of each of the formatted media assets is substantially smaller that the data size of the corresponding original media asset.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

12. A method for synchronizing media assets between a host computer and a media device, said method comprising:

(a) identifying media assets at the host computer to be synchronized to the media device, the media assets being associated with one or more media collections;

(b) determining which of the identified media assets are not already stored on the media device;

(c) determining a priority for each of the one or more media collections that include the determined media assets; and

(d) copying the determined media assets of the one or more media collections from the host computer to the media device, said copying being performed on a media collection basis in accordance with the priority for the associated media collection, and being performed only to the extent of available storage space on the media device.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the media assets are images.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the one or more media collections are albums, each of which contains one or more of the images corresponding to the determined media assets.

15. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said identifying (a) is based on at least one user setting.

16. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the priority for each of the one or more media collections is influenced by the user.

17. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the media assets are rendered media assets.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the rendered media assets are rendered images.

19. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the determined media assets include at least one set of formatted media assets that were formatted at the host computer from a common original media asset.

20. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein the media assets are have a data size, and wherein the data size of each of the formatted media assets is substantially smaller that the data size of the corresponding original media asset.

21. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein said method is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

22. A method for synchronizing media assets between a host computer and a media device, said method comprising:

(a) identifying media assets residing on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

(b) determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets;

(c) determining priorities associated with the identified media assets;

(d) reducing the identified media assets that are to be copied to the media device in accordance with the priorities when said determining (b) determines that the media device has inadequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets; and

(e) copying the identified media assets to the media device.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the priorities are based at least in part on different types of the media assets.

24. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the priorities are based at least in part on user settings or indications.

25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said method is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

26. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said identifying (a) comprises:

(a1) determining a host media source for the media assets;

(a2) identifying media collections in the host media source to be copied; and

(a3) determining media assets within the identified media collections that are not already stored on the media device, thereby identifying the identified media assets residing on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device.

27. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said determining (b) comprises:

(b1) determining an amount of storage space need for the identified media assets;

(b2) obtaining an amount of storage space available on the media device; and

(b3) comparing the amount of storage space needed for the identified media assets to the amount of storage space available on the media device.

28. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein each of the identified media assets has a priority associated therewith.

29. A method as recited in claim 22,

wherein the media assets are arranged in collections, and wherein the priorities are associated with the collections, and

wherein those of the media assets within a collection have the priority of the collection.

30. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the identified media assets are associated with collections, and the collections have the priorities, and

wherein said reducing (d) of the identified media assets that are to be copied to the media device and said copying (e) of the identified media assets to the media device comprises:

selecting the collection with the highest priority;

determining an amount of storage space needed for the identified media assets within the collection that are to be copied to the media device;

determining an amount of available storage space on the media device;

comparing the amount of storage space needed with the amount of available storage space; and

copying the identified media assets within the collection when said comparing indicates that the amount of available storage space exceeds the amount of storage space needed for the identified media assets within the collection.

31. A method as recited in claim 30, wherein said reducing (d) of the identified media assets that are to be copied to the media device and said copying (e) of the identified media assets to the media device further comprises:

ceasing said method when said comparing indicates that the amount of storage space needed for the identified media assets within the collection exceeds the amount of available storage space.

32. A method as recited in claim 31, wherein said reducing (d) of the identified media assets that are to be copied to the media device and said copying (e) of the identified media assets to the media device further comprises:

informing a user of the host computer that said method ceased without copying all of the identified media assets due to inadequate available storage space at the media device.

33. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said method further comprises:

(f) deleting unneeded media assets previously stored on the media device prior to said copying (e).

34. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said copying (c) comprises:

(c1) freeing the storage capacity at the media device of at least one of the previously stored media assets; and

(c2) copying the identified media assets to the media device.

35. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein said copying (c) comprises:

(c1) determining whether the storage capacity at the media device consumed by previously stored media assets is needed to store the identified media assets; and

(c2) freeing the storage capacity at the media device of at least one of the previously stored media assets when said determining (c1) determines that the storage capacity at the media device consumed by previously stored media assets is needed; and

(c3) copying the identified media assets to the media device.

36. A method for copying media assets from a host computer to a media device, said method comprising:

(a) identifying a number of media assets of a first type to be copied from the host computer to the media device;

(b) determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets of the first type;

(c) reducing the number of media assets of the first type to be copied when said determining (b) determines that the media device has inadequate available storage capacity;

(d) copying, following said reducing (c) if any, the identified media assets of the first type to the media device;

(e) identifying a number of media assets of a second type to be copied from the host computer to the media device;

(f) determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets of the second type, with or assuming that said copying (d) has already been performed;

(g) reducing the number of media assets of the second type to be copied when said determining (f) determines that the media device has inadequate available storage capacity; and

(h) copying, following said reducing (g) if any, the identified media assets of the second type to the media device.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein said reducing (g) comprises:

(g1) determining priorities associated with the identified media assets of the second type; and

(g2) reducing the number of media assets of the second type to be copied based on the priorities, whereby those of the media assets of the second type having a lower priority are more likely to be excluded.

38. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein the priorities are associated with collections of the identified media assets of the second type.

39. A method as recited in claim 38, wherein said reducing (g2) is performed on a collection basis.

40. A method as recited in claim 37, wherein a user of the host computer can influence the priorities.

41. A method as recited in claim 36,

wherein said copying (d) further copies database information associated with the identified media assets of the first type to the media device, and

wherein said copying (h) further copies database information associated with the identified media assets of the second type to the media device.

42. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the identified media assets of the first type are audio files, and wherein the identified media assets of the second type are image files.

43. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for providing media assets to a media device from a host computer, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for obtaining media device capabilities of the media device;

computer program code for identifying original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

computer program code for determining media formats appropriate for the media device based on the media device capabilities;

computer program code for generating, for each of the original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats; and

computer program code for copying the set of formatted media assets to the media device.

44. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for synchronizing media assets between a host computer and a media device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying media assets at the host computer to be synchronized to the media device, the media assets being associated with one or more media collections;

computer program code for determining which of the identified media assets are not already stored on the media device;

computer program code for determining a priority for each of the one or more media collections that include the determined media assets; and

computer program code for copying the determined media assets of the one or more media collections from the host computer to the media device, such copying being performed on a media collection basis in accordance with the priority for the associated media collection, and being performed only to the extent of available storage space on the media device.

45. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for synchronizing media assets between a host computer and a media device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying media assets residing on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

computer program code for determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets;

computer program code for determining priorities associated with the identified media assets;

computer program code for reducing the identified media assets that are to be copied to the media device in accordance with the priorities when it is determined that the media device has inadequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets; and

computer program code for copying the identified media assets to the media device.

46. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for copying media assets from a host computer to a media device, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying a number of media assets of a first type to be copied from the host computer to the media device;

computer program code for determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store;

computer program code for identifying a number of media assets of a second type to be copied from the host computer to the media device;

computer program code for determining whether the media device has adequate available storage capacity to store the identified media assets of the first type and the identified media assets of the second type;

computer program code for reducing the number of media assets of the second type to be copied when it is determined that the media device has inadequate available storage capacity for both the identified media assets of the first type and the identified media assets of the second type; and

computer program code for copying the identified media assets of the first type and the second type following said reducing to the media device.

47. A computing apparatus for providing media assets to a media device, said computing apparatus comprising:

an input/output interface that detects connection with the media device;

a data store that stores the media assets; and

a processor configured to obtain media device capabilities of the media device, identify original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device, determine media formats based on the media device capabilities, generate, for each of the original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats, and copy the set of formatted media assets to the media device.

48. A computing apparatus as recited in claim 47, wherein the media formats being determined are those requested by the media device.