LOCAL MEDIA CACHE WITH LEADER FILES

• US 20080139189A1
• Filed: 12/08/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hyatt, Edward Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,281,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing media content to electronic equipment includes transferring media content to the electronic equipment, and using rules to determine how pre-existing media content and the cached media content are stored in memory when free memory in the electronic equipment is insufficient to store the cached media content. At least part of the transferred media content is cached in memory of the electronic equipment for use at a later time.

Claims

1. A method for providing media content to electronic equipment, comprising:

transferring media content to the electronic equipment, wherein at least part of the transferred media content is cached in memory of the electronic equipment for use at a later time; and

using rules to determine how pre-existing media content and the cached media content are stored in memory when free memory in the electronic equipment is insufficient to store the cached media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring includes streaming the media content to the electronic equipment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein using rules includes using weighting criteria to determine which pre-existing media content will be at least partially replaced by the cached media content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein using weighting criteria includes using rules based on at least one of age, use characteristics, a rating, a genre, a size, a play time, a quality, an artist or a title of the media content stored in memory.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using rules based on use characteristics of the media content includes using rules based on a number of times the media content has been skipped during execution or on a time period on non-use of the media content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using rules includes replacing at least part of the pre-existing media content with the cached media content when there is insufficient free memory for the cached media content, or caching at least part of the transferred media content when there is insufficient free memory to cache the entire media content.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein replacing at least part of the pre-existing media content includes creating at least one leader file for a remaining portion of the pre-existing media content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein creating the leader filed includes creating a file executable to reproduce a portion of the pre-existing media content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising transferring a remaining portion of the pre-existing media content as the leader file is executed.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein caching at least part of the transferred media content includes creating a leader file for a transferred portion of the media content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein creating the leader file includes creating a file that is executable to reproduce a portion of the transferred media content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising downloading a remaining portion of the cached media content as the leader file is executed.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring includes automatically transferring media content to the electronic equipment at predetermined intervals.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of selecting a source from which the media content is transferred, selecting a style of media content to be transferred to the electronic equipment, or enabling random selection of the transferred media content.

15. An electronic equipment, comprising:

a processor and memory;

a radio circuit operative to establish wireless communications with other electronic equipment;

a local media cache circuit operative to cache at least part of incoming media content in memory and to apply rules to determine how pre-existing media content and the cached media content are stored in memory when free memory in the electronic equipment is insufficient to store the cached media content.

16. The electronic equipment of claim 15, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to use weighting criteria to determine which pre-existing media content will be at least partially replaced by the cached media content.

17. The electronic equipment of claim 15, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to replace at least part of the pre-existing media content with the cached media content when there is insufficient free memory for the cached media content, or to cache at least part of the transferred media content when there is insufficient free memory to cache the entire media content.

18. The electronic equipment of claim 17, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to create at least one leader file for a remaining portion of the pre-existing media content.

19. The electronic equipment of claim 18, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to transfer a remaining portion of the pre-existing media content when the leader file is executed.

20. The electronic equipment of claim 17, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to create a leader file for a transferred portion of the media content.

21. The electronic equipment of claim 20, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to transfer a remaining portion of the cached media content as the leader file is executed.

22. The electronic equipment of claim 15, wherein the local media cache circuit is operative to automatically transfer media content to the electronic equipment at predetermined intervals.

23. The electronic equipment of claim 15, wherein the electronic equipment is a mobile telephone.

24. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium for providing media content to electronic equipment, comprising:

code that transfers media content to the electronic equipment, wherein at least part of the transferred media content is cached in memory of the electronic equipment for use at a later time; and

code that uses rules to determine how pre-existing media content and the cached media content are stored in memory when free memory in the electronic equipment is insufficient to store the cached media content.