Method and apparatus for managing multimedia content stored in digital multimedia device

• US 20070061378A1
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hye-Soo, Kim, Yong-sung
• Granted Patent: US 8,909,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for automatically selecting and deleting unimportant content in order to secure a storage space in a digital multimedia device. The multimedia content is classified into content in which a storage period is set and content in which a storage period is not set and then the content is stored. The size of the content occupying a storage space in each storage type is automatically calculated to analyze a user'"'"'s pattern of using the storage space when the storage space is insufficient, and content to be deleted is selected according to the analyzed pattern. Thus, it is possible to prevent the content which the user does not want to delete from being deleted and to eliminate the need for the user to individually manage the content.

Claims

1. A method of managing multimedia content, the method comprising:

storing multimedia content which is classified as a first type of content in which a storage period is not set and a second type of content in which a storage period is set;

selecting one of the first type of content and the second type of content as a type of content to be deleted, based on a total size of all of the stored multimedia content; and

deleting stored multimedia content which is classified as the selected type of content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting one of the first type of content and the second type of content as the type of content to be deleted comprises:

if the total size of the stored multimedia content exceeds a first critical threshold, calculating a sum of an average of maximum values of a size of the stored multimedia content classified as the second type of content during a predetermined period before the total size of all of the stored multimedia content exceeds the first critical threshold and a size of the stored multimedia content classified as the first type of content; and

selecting the second type of content as the type of content to be deleted if the calculated sum does not exceed the first critical threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising selecting the first type of content as the type of content to be deleted if the calculated sum exceeds the first critical threshold.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining whether the size of the stored multimedia content classified as the first type of content exceeds a second critical threshold if the calculated sum exceeds the first critical threshold, determining that the first type of content is to be deleted if the size of the stored multimedia content classified as the first type of content exceeds the second critical threshold, and determining that the second type of content is to be deleted if the size of the stored multimedia content classified as the first type of content does not exceed the second critical threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deleting the stored multimedia content which is classified as the selected type of content comprises:

selecting content to be deleted from among the stored content classified as the selected type of content according to a specific rule; and

deleting the selected content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the selecting content to be deleted comprises:

providing a user with a list of content selected according to the specific rule; and

selecting the content to be deleted from the content contained in the list according to a user'"'"'s instruction.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having a largest size is to be deleted among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having an oldest play date is to be deleted among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having a smallest play count is to be deleted among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.

10. A computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for performing a method of managing multimedia content, the method comprising:

storing multimedia content which is classified as a first type of content in which a storage period is not set and a second type of content in which a storage period is set;

selecting one of the first type of content and the second type of content as a type of content to be deleted, based on a total size of all of the stored multimedia content; and

deleting stored multimedia content which is classified as the selected type of content.

11. An apparatus for managing multimedia content, the apparatus comprising:

a content setting unit which classifies multimedia content as a first type of content in which a storage period is not set and a second type of content in which a storage period is set;

a content storing unit which stores the multimedia content classified as the first and second types of content by the content setting unit;

a content managing unit which selects one of the first type of content and the second type of content as a type of content to be deleted, based on a total size of all of the multimedia content stored in the content storing unit; and

a deleting unit which deletes multimedia content which is classified as the selected type of content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the content managing unit comprises:

a calculating unit which calculates a sum of an average of maximum values of a size of the multimedia content classified as the second type of content during a predetermined period before the total size of all of the multimedia content stored in the content storing unit exceeds a first critical threshold and a size of the multimedia content classified as the first type of content, if the total size of the stored multimedia content exceeds the first critical threshold; and

a determining unit which determines that the second type of content is to be deleted if the sum calculated by the calculating unit does not exceed the first critical threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the determining unit determines that the first type of content is to be deleted if the value calculated by the calculating unit exceeds the first critical threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a judging unit which determines whether a capacity of the first type of contents exceeds a second critical threshold if the sum calculated by the calculating unit exceeds the first critical threshold,

wherein the determining unit determines that the first type of content is to be deleted if the size of the multimedia content classified as the first type of content exceeds the second critical threshold, and determines that the second type of content is to be deleted if the size of the multimedia content classified as the first type of content does not exceed the second critical threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the content managing unit selects the content to be deleted from among the stored content classified as the selected type of content according to a specific rule, and the deleting unit deletes the selected content.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the content managing unit provides a user with a list of content selected according to a specific rule, and selects the content to be deleted from the content contained in a list of content according to a user'"'"'s instruction, and the deleting unit deletes the selected content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having a largest size is to be deleted in advance among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having an oldest play date is to be deleted in advance among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the specific rule specifies that content having a smallest play count is to be deleted in advance among the stored content classified as the selected type of content.