Audio/Video Content Synchronization Through Playlists

• US 20080256378A1
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Guillorit, Fabien M.J.
• Application Number:
  US10/597,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256378A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

A method is disclosed for performing bi-directional synchronization between a host device having a large capacity, e.g., a personal computer (20), in which a dedicated application program is installed and a mobile media player device (10) using play lists. The mobile media player device (10) is capable of independently downloading media content including audio and video files and creating play lists therefrom. Upon connecting the personal computer (20) and the media player (10) play lists marked for synchronization are downloaded from the media player (10) to the personal computer (20) wherein the dedicated application program uses time and date information of the play lists to determine which play lists of the personal computer (20) and media player (10) are to be updated. The updated play lists are stored on the respective devices (10, 20).

Claims

1. A method for performing bi-directional synchronization between media content of a media player (10) with media content of a host device (20) through play lists, said method comprising the acts of:

detecting connection of the media player (10) to the host device (20);

requesting, from the host device (20), at least one play list from the media player (10) marked for synchronization;

responsive to the query, transferring from the media player (10) to the host device (20) said at least one play list marked for synchronization;

comparing time and date information of said at least one play list marked for synchronization with time and date information of corresponding play lists of said host device (20), said comparing producing comparison information;

determining which play lists are to be copied from the media player (10) to the host device (20) and which play lists are to be copied from the host device (20) to the media player (10) based on the comparison information; and

copying the determined play lists to perform the bi-directional synchronization.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating and storing play lists comprising multi-media content in each of said host device (20) and media player (10).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the host device (20) is a personal computer (20), and wherein the acts of claim 1 are carried out using a dedicated application program stored on the personal computer (20).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of storing the play lists copied from the media player (10) to the host device (20) in a memory store (22) of the host device and storing the play lists copied from the host device (20) to the media player (10) in a memory store (12) of the media player (10).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of detecting connection of the media player (10) to the host device (20) further comprises determining if the media player (10) is connected to the host device (20) for purpose of synchronization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the acts of:

determining if the media player (10) has created at least one new play list;

copying the at least one new play list from the media player (10) to the host device (20) when said determination act is satisfied; and

storing the at least one new play list in a data directory of the host device (20).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the acts of:

determining if the media player (10) has deleted at least one pre-existing play list;

copying the at least one deleted play list from the media player (10) to the host device (20); and

storing the at least one deleted play list in an archive data directory of the host device (20).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player (10) comprises an audio player, and wherein the audio player play lists comprise media content comprising at least audio files of songs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player (10) comprises a video player, and wherein the video player play lists include media content comprising at least video files of videos.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media player (10) comprises an image viewer, and wherein the image viewer play lists include media content comprising at least image files of images.

11. An apparatus for performing bi-directional synchronization between media content of a media player (10) with media content of a host device (20) through play lists, said apparatus comprising:

said host device (20) comprising;

i) a synchronization manager (25) configured to compare time and date information for play lists copied from the media player 10 with time and date information for corresponding play lists stored on the personal computer (20), said synchronization manager (25) further comprised to automatically detect the connection of the media player (10) to the personal computer (20).

ii) a memory store (22) providing for the storage of media content configured as a plurality of play lists, and

iii) a host device interface supporting the transfer of media content to the host device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the host device (20) is a personal computer (20).

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the host device interface is an IEEE 1394 port.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the host device interface is a USB port.

15. A machine-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to perform a method for performing bi-directional synchronization between media content of a media player (10) with media content of a host device (20) through play lists, said method comprising the acts of:

detecting connection of the media player (10) to the host device (20);

requesting, from the host device (20), at least one play list from the media player (10) marked for synchronization;

responsive to the query, transferring from the media player (10) to the host device (20) said at least one play list marked for synchronization;

comparing time and date information of said at least one play list marked for synchronization with time and date information of corresponding play lists of said host device (20), said comparing producing comparison information;

determining which play lists are to be copied from the media player (10) to the host device (20) and which play lists are to be copied from the host device (20) to the media player (10) based on the comparison information; and

copying the determined play lists to perform the bi-directional synchronization.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein said act of detecting connection of the media player (10) to the host device (20) further comprises determining if the media player (10) is connected to the host device (20) for purpose of synchronization.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the acts of:

determining if the media player (10) has created at least one new play list;

copying the at least one new play list from the media player (10) to the host device (20) when said determination act is satisfied; and

storing the at least one new play list in a data directory of the host device (20).

18. The machine readable medium of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises the acts of:

determining if the media player (10) has deleted at least one pre-existing play list;

copying the at least one deleted play list from the media player (10) to the host device (20); and

storing the at least one deleted play list in an archive data directory of the host device (20).

19. The machine readable medium of claim 15, further comprising creating and storing play lists comprising multi-media content in each of said host device (20) and media player (10).