CONTENT ENUMERATION TECHNIQUES FOR PORTABLE DEVICES
First Claim
1. A method for exposing information about content items stored on a portable device, the method comprising:
- upon connection between a portable electronic device and a content management device, accessing a first data structure provided by the portable device, the first data structure storing a number of objects, each object having an object identifier, each object having properties for storinga reference to a particular content item stored on the portable electronic device or the particular content item itself or both,metadata associated with the particular content item, anda global identifier field, for storing a global identifier associated with the particular content item, when the global identifier is known by the portable electronic device;
accessing a second data structure provided by the content management device, the second data structure storingat least some of the object identifiers corresponding to objects stored in the first data structure,a number of global identifiers corresponding to content items stored by the content management device, andreferences to metadata associated with content items, the metadata or the content items or both stored by the content management device, the association of metadata and content items established via the object identifiers, the global identifiers, or both;
identifying a particular object within the first data structure, the particular object associated with a particular content item stored by the portable electronic device;
within the first data structure, identifying the object identifier of the particular object;
attempting to locate the object identifier within the second data structure;
when the object identifier is located within the second data structure, using the object identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device;
when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, determining whether the global identifier field of the object stores a global identifier associated with the particular content item;
when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure;
when the global identifier field stores a global identifier, attempting to locate the global identifier within the second data structure;
when the global identifier is located within the second data structure, using the global identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device;
when the global identifier is not located within the second data structure, either retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure, or retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from a remote location using the global identifier;
when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, and when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure; and
presenting the retrieved metadata to a user via the content management device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Arrangements and techniques for enumerating portable device contents via a content management device are discussed herein. The portable device is caused to create and store a first data structure, referred to herein as a portable database, corresponding to the contents of a media library stored thereon. Upon connection to a content management device, the portable database is copied to the content management device, and is used in conjunction with information stored by the content management device in a second data structure, referred to herein as a device content table, to efficiently enumerate and provide other manipulation of the contents of the media library stored on the portable device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for exposing information about content items stored on a portable device, the method comprising:
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upon connection between a portable electronic device and a content management device, accessing a first data structure provided by the portable device, the first data structure storing a number of objects, each object having an object identifier, each object having properties for storing a reference to a particular content item stored on the portable electronic device or the particular content item itself or both, metadata associated with the particular content item, and a global identifier field, for storing a global identifier associated with the particular content item, when the global identifier is known by the portable electronic device; accessing a second data structure provided by the content management device, the second data structure storing at least some of the object identifiers corresponding to objects stored in the first data structure, a number of global identifiers corresponding to content items stored by the content management device, and references to metadata associated with content items, the metadata or the content items or both stored by the content management device, the association of metadata and content items established via the object identifiers, the global identifiers, or both; identifying a particular object within the first data structure, the particular object associated with a particular content item stored by the portable electronic device; within the first data structure, identifying the object identifier of the particular object; attempting to locate the object identifier within the second data structure; when the object identifier is located within the second data structure, using the object identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device; when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, determining whether the global identifier field of the object stores a global identifier associated with the particular content item; when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure; when the global identifier field stores a global identifier, attempting to locate the global identifier within the second data structure; when the global identifier is located within the second data structure, using the global identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device; when the global identifier is not located within the second data structure, either retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure, or retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from a remote location using the global identifier; when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, and when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure; and presenting the retrieved metadata to a user via the content management device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor associated with a content management device, perform a method comprising:
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causing a portable device to parse a library of media content items stored thereon, and to retrieve at least a subset of a plurality of metadata associated with each content item; causing the portable device to create a portable database and to store the retrieved metadata into the portable database; and causing the portable device to make the portable database available to a content management device upon connection of the portable device to the content management device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An electronic device, comprising:
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a computer-readable storage medium; and a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium and to a computer program, the computer program, when loaded into the processor, operable to perform a method comprising identifying a first data structure provided by a portable device, the first data structure storing a number of objects, each object having an object identifier, each object having properties for storing a reference to a particular content item stored on the portable electronic device, or the particular content item itself, or both, metadata associated with the particular content item, and a global identifier field, for storing a global identifier associated with the particular content item, when the global identifier is known by the portable electronic device, identifying a second data structure not maintained by the portable electronic device, the second data structure storing at least some of the object identifiers corresponding to objects stored in the first data structure, a number of global identifiers corresponding to content items stored by the content management device, and references to metadata associated with content items, the metadata or the content items or both stored by the content management device, the association of metadata and content items established via the object identifiers, the global identifiers, or both, identifying a particular object within the first data structure, the particular object associated with a particular content item stored by the portable electronic device, within the first data structure, identifying the object identifier of the particular object, attempting to locate the object identifier within the second data structure, when the object identifier is located within the second data structure, using the object identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device, when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, determining whether the global identifier field of the object stores a global identifier associated with the particular content item, when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure, when the global identifier field stores a global identifier, attempting to locate the global identifier within the second data structure, when the global identifier is located within the second data structure, using the global identifier to identify within the second data structure a reference to metadata associated with the particular content item, and using the reference to metadata to retrieve the metadata from the content management device, when the global identifier is not located within the second data structure, either retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure, or retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from a remote location using the global identifier, when the object identifier is not located within the second data structure, and when the global identifier field does not store a global identifier, retrieving the metadata associated with the particular content item from the first data structure, and presenting the retrieved metadata to a user. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification