ARRANGEMENT FOR SYNCHRONIZING MEDIA FILES WITH PORTABLE DEVICES

• US 20090125571A1
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Silverman, Andrew L., Kiilerich, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• 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 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/60 of audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

Arrangements are provided which improve the efficiency of the synchronization process. The same ensure that synchronizations of large quantities of content can be completed with a minimum of delay. One method prioritizes the various tasks that are to be performed prior to synchronization. Another method initiates dependent tasks while parsing a synchronization tasks list. Yet another method allows modification of an in-process synchronization operation to allow new synchronization tasks to be accomplished within the context of the same process, negating the need to restart synchronization.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing a content playback device with a content management device, comprising:

generating a plurality of containers on a content management device;

receiving an operation of a container on a content playback device, the operation acting to associate the container with the content playback device; and

comparing the container and any content items within on the content management device with the container and any content items within associated with the content playback device, and if the container and any content items within on the content management device differ from the container and any content items within associated with the content playback device, then generating a list of tasks necessary to make the container and any content items within on the content management device the same as the container and any content items within associated with the content playback device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the list of tasks to accomplish at least a partial synchronization.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the tasks are selected from the group consisting of copying a content item to the content playback device, deleting a content item on the content playback device, moving a content item to the content playback device, modifying a content item on the content management device or on the content playback device, altering a format of a content item, or altering a bit rate of a content item.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the content playback device is a portable media player.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the generating a plurality of containers includes applying a plurality of filters, respectively, to a media library.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the generating a plurality of containers includes receiving input from a user about a custom container, and creating the custom container according to the user input.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the generating a plurality of containers includes generating containers using an expert system and analyzing user history.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the operation is a drag-and-drop operation.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the content playback device includes a screen, and further comprising:

displaying a user interface on the screen;

displaying an image as a part of the user interface on the screen; and

displaying the image on a user interface on the content management device corresponding to the media library stored on the content playback device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising an external drive, and further comprising:

detecting at least one content item on the external drive;

copying the content item to the content playback device; and

copying metadata pertaining to the content item to the content management device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising copying all content items from the external drive to the content playback device.

12. A method of synchronizing the content playback device with the content management device, comprising:

synchronizing a first plurality of content items stored on a content playback device and a second plurality of content items stored on a content management device; and

during the processing time of a synchronization operation, upon the addition, deletion, or modification of a content item in one of the first or second plurality, modifying the task list of the synchronization operation to add, delete, or modify the content item, respectively, in the other of the first or second plurality.

13. The method of claim 12, in which the method of synchronizing includes the further steps of:

organizing at least a portion of the first plurality into at least one container;

organizing at least a portion of the second plurality into at least one container; and

defining the at least one container by the action of a filter on a media library.

14. The method of claim 12, in which the adding, deleting, or modifying a content item in one of the first or second plurality includes adding, deleting, or modifying a content item associated with a container that has been associated with the content playback device.

15. In an arrangement in which a content playback device includes a first plurality of content items stored thereon and in which a content management device includes a second plurality of content items stored thereon, and in which the first and second pluralities have been synchronized, a method of synchronizing the content playback device with the content management device, comprising:

generating a list of tasks to be performed to accomplish the synchronization;

determining if a first task in the list can be performed immediately, or if a prerequisite task must be performed before the first task, and if the first task can be performed immediately, performing the first task, otherwise performing the prerequisite task and then the first task; and

during the time of performing the prerequisite task, commencing performance of a second task.

16. The method of claim 15, in which tasks are selected from the group consisting of transferring a content item between the first and second pluralities, copying a content item from one of the first or second pluralities to the other, moving a content item from one of the first or second pluralities to the other, converting the bit rate of a content item, converting a format of the content item, or deleting a content item.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

organizing at least a portion of the first plurality into at least one container;

organizing at least a portion of the second plurality into at least one container; and

defining the at least one container by the action of a filter on a media library.

18. The method of claim 15, in which the first task and second tasks are content item transfers or copies to a content playback device, and in which the prerequisite task is a content item format conversion.

19. The method of claim 15, in which the first task and second tasks are content item transfers or copies to a content playback device, and in which the prerequisite task is a content item bit rate transformation.

20. The method of claim 18, in which the content item to be transferred is stored in a media library on the content management device, on an external drive, or on a web store.