Method and an apparatus for managing data of a portable device using a virtual device, and a user interface method using the same

• US 20070174520A1
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Moon, Hong-seok
• Granted Patent: US 7,870,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing data to be stored in a memory of a portable device, and a user interface method using the same. The method includes generating a virtual device for the portable device in a storage unit of a data management apparatus; storing information on at least one content file, which is used to transmit the at least one content file to the virtual device, in the virtual device; and if the portable device is connected to the data management apparatus, synchronizing the portable device with the virtual device by transmitting the at least one content file to the portable device with reference to the information stored in the virtual device.

Claims

1. A method of managing data of a portable device, the method comprising:

generating a virtual device for the portable device in a storage unit of a data management apparatus;

transmitting at least one content file to the virtual device by storing information on the at least one content file in the virtual device; and

if the portable device is connected to the data management apparatus, synchronizing the portable device with the virtual device by transmitting the at least one content file to the portable device with reference to the information stored in the virtual device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the virtual device comprises assigning a storage area for the virtual device to the storage unit of the data management apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the generating of the virtual device further comprises storing a model name of the portable device, the maximum capacity of the virtual device, and a name of the virtual device in the storage area for the virtual device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the synchronizing of the portable device with the virtual device comprises:

if the portable device is connected to the data management apparatus, displaying a list of virtual devices having the same model name as the model name of the portable device;

receiving a selection of a user of a virtual device to be synchronized from the virtual device list; and

storing at least one content file belonging to the selected virtual device in a storage unit of the portable device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the virtual device comprises generating a database for the virtual device, and the transmitting of the at least one content file to the virtual device comprises storing information on the at least one content file to be transmitted in the database.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the virtual device comprises generating a folder for the virtual device, and the transmitting of the at least one content file to the virtual device comprises storing information on the at least one content file to be transmitted in the folder.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the storing of the information on the at least one content file to be transmitted in the folder comprises:

generating at least one link file, including a storage location of each of the at least one content file to be transmitted; and

storing the at least one link file in the folder.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the at least one content file to the virtual device comprises:

if a data format of the at least one content file to be transmitted is not supported by the portable device, converting the at least one content file to be transmitted to a type of a data format that is supported by the portable device; and

storing information on the converted file in the virtual device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronizing of the portable device with the virtual device comprises:

checking a pre-set type of synchronization;

if the type of the synchronization is set to a ‘

replace’

type of synchronization, deleting data stored in the storage unit of the portable device and storing the at least one content file belonging to the virtual device in the storage unit of the portable device; and

if the type of the synchronization is set to an ‘

add’

type of synchronization, additionally storing the at least one content file belonging to the virtual device in the storage unit of the portable device.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of the virtual device comprises generating a plurality of virtual devices for the portable device, and the synchronizing of the portable device with the virtual device comprises storing at least one content file belonging to a default virtual device among the plurality of virtual devices in the storage unit of the portable device.

11. An apparatus to manage data of a portable device, the apparatus comprising:

a communication unit to transmit and/or receive data to and/or from the portable device;

a storage unit to store a plurality of content files and at least one virtual device for the portable device; and

a control unit comprising;

a virtual device management unit to generate a virtual device in the storage unit and to manage the generated virtual device,

a file management unit to transmit at least one content file from the storage unit to the virtual device and to manage the at least one transmitted content file; and

a synchronization unit to synchronize the portable device with the virtual device via the communication unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the virtual device comprises a database to store the information on the at least one content file transmitted by the file management unit.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the virtual device comprises a folder to store the information on the at least one content file transmitted by the file management unit.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the file information stored in the folder comprises at least one link file, including a storage location and properties of each of the at least one content file.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, if a data format of the at least one content file to be transmitted is not supported by the portable device, the file management unit converts the at least one content file to be transmitted to a type of a data format that is supported by the portable device and stores information on the converted file in the virtual device.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, if the portable device is connected to the apparatus, the synchronization unit transmits content files belonging to the virtual device to the portable device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the storage unit further stores information on a default virtual device, and the synchronization unit transmits content files belonging to a virtual device corresponding to the default virtual device to the portable device when the portable device is connected to the apparatus.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, if a synchronization command is input, the synchronization unit transmits content files belonging to a selected virtual device to the portable device.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the storage unit further stores synchronization type information, and the synchronization unit deletes data stored in the storage unit of the portable device and stores content files belonging to the virtual device in the storage unit of the portable device if the type of the synchronization is set to a ‘

replace’

type of synchronization, and additionally stores the content files belonging to the virtual device in the storage unit of the portable device if the type of the synchronization is to an ‘

add’

type of synchronization.

20. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the virtual device management unit generates a virtual device, to which a storage area to store a model name of the portable device, the maximum capacity of the virtual device, and a name of the virtual device, are assigned when a virtual device generation command is input.

21. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the virtual device management unit deletes information on a selected virtual device from the storage unit when a virtual device deletion command is input and replaces information on the selected virtual device stored in the storage unit with information input when a virtual device replacement command is input.

22. A user interface method to generate a virtual device, which stores information on a portable device and information on at least one content file, in a storage unit of a data management apparatus and to manage data of the portable device using the virtual device, the user interface method comprising automatically displaying a quick button connected to a predetermined function corresponding to properties of the content file list, if a user selects at least one content file from a content file list displayed on a screen, wherein if the displayed content file list is a list of content files stored in the storage unit of the data management apparatus, the quick button is used to transmit information on the at least one selected content file to a virtual device selected from the screen.

23. The user interface method according to claim 22, wherein if the displayed content file list is a list of content files included in a reproduction list set by the user, the quick button is used to reproduce the at least one selected content file.

24. The user interface method according to claim 22, wherein if the displayed content file list is a list of content files stored in a content server connected to the data management apparatus via a network, the quick button is used to purchase the at least one selected content file.

25. The user interface method according to claim 22, further comprising displaying the portable device and the virtual device to be identified on the screen.

26. A method of managing data of a portable device for use with a data management apparatus not initially connected to the portable device, the method comprising:

generating a stored virtual device for reference by the portable device in the data management apparatus;

transmitting a content file to the virtual device and storing information relating to the content file in the virtual device; and

synchronizing the portable device with the virtual device by transmitting the content file to the portable device with reference to the stored information when the portable device is connected to the data management apparatus.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, if the content file comprises a plurality of individual files, each of which is selected simultaneously by a user, the synchronization operation comprises generating a quick button to allow for an execution of the transmittance of the content file.

28. An apparatus, including a storage unit, to manage a transmittance of data to and/or from a portable device, the apparatus comprising:

a virtual device management unit to generate a virtual device in the storage unit;

a file management unit to transmit a content file from the storage unit to the virtual device and to store information relating to the content file in the virtual device; and

a synchronization unit to synchronize the portable device with the virtual device with reference to the stored information when the portable device and the apparatus are connected such that the content file is transmitted to the portable device.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein, if the content file comprises a plurality of individual files, each of which is selected simultaneously by a user, the synchronization unit generates a quick button to allow for an execution of the transmittance of the content file.

30. A computer readable medium having a stored instruction set to generating a user interface with the computer to facilitate a management of data of the portable device, the interface allowing for a generation and modification of a virtual device in the computer, the virtual device containing at least one content file and information relating to the content file, and a transmittance of the content file from the virtual device to the portable device with reference to the information when the portable device is connected to the computer or upon an predetermined input from a user of the computer.