REMOTE CONTENT UPDATES FOR PORTABLE MEDIA DEVICES

• US 20120151466A1
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: FADELL, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Improved techniques for interaction between a host device (e.g., host computer) and a portable media device (e.g., media player) are disclosed. According to one embodiment, interaction between the host device and the portable media device can be performed over a network. The network can include wired and/or wireless components. The network can also be local, regional or global in geographic coverage. The interaction over the network can be initiated by the portable media device, manually or automatically, so as to request a content update from the host device. In response to the requested content update, updated content is received at the portable media device from the host device, provided a network connection between the portable media device and the host device is available through the network.

Claims

1. A method for exchanging content on a portable media device received, said method comprising:

receiving by a processor at the portable media device a wireless update policy wherein the wireless update policy specifies at least one or more characteristics of a wireless network connection that need to be established before for allowing a wireless transfer of data to occur between the portable media device and a media host device via the wireless network connection;

determining by the processor whether the wireless network connection is available;

determining by the processor current characteristics of the wireless network connection;

determining by the processor whether the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy; and

when the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy,

a) establishing by the processor communications with the media host device via the wireless network connection;

b) sending by the processor first content to the media host device that is to be sent to a second portable media device in communication with the media host device;

c) receiving by the processor second content from the media host device sent from the second portable media device; and

d) storing by the processor the second content received from the media host device onto the portable media device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving content update instructions from the media host device; and

updating the content resident on the portable media device in accordance with the content update instructions, said updating including at least said storing of the second content received from the media host device onto the portable media device.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said updating further includes deleting at least a portion of the existing content in accordance with the content update instructions.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

sending authentication information to the media host device; and

receiving an indication of whether the portable media device is authorized to interact with the media host device.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the authentication information includes a device identifier associated with the portable media device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first content includes one or more of calendar appointment information or contact information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second content includes one or more of calendar appointment information or contact information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first content includes one or more of music data, playlist data or video data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second content includes one or more of music data, playlist data or video data.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a first characteristic of the wireless network connection is an amount of bandwidth.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprising generating a graphical user interface on the portable media device for allowing a user to specify one or more parameters associated with the wireless update policy.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

presenting a graphical user interface including a plurality of user controls pertaining to available content types;

receiving at least one of the user controls to specify a content type; and

subsequently receiving the specified content type in the second content received from the media host device.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the portable media device and the second portable media device are handheld computing devices.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network connection is established via a local area network.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network connection is established via a wide area network.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network connection is established via a docking station to which the portable media device is docked.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second content is newly available data at the media host device.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first content includes photos.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second content includes photos.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving a selection of one or more media types wherein only the selected media types are sent in the first content.

21. A computer readable storage medium including computer program code for exchanging content on a portable device received from a host device, said computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer code for receiving by a processor at the portable media device a wireless update policy wherein the wireless update policy specifies at least one or more characteristics of a wireless network connection that need to be established before for allowing a wireless transfer of data to occur between the portable media device and a media host device via the wireless network connection;

computer code for determining by the processor whether the wireless network connection is available;

computer code for determining by the processor current characteristics of the wireless network connection;

computer code for determining by the processor whether the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy; and

when the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy,

a) computer code for establishing by the processor communications with the media host device via the wireless network connection;

b) computer code for sending by the processor first content to the media host device that is to be sent to a second portable media device in communication with the media host device;

c) computer code for receiving by the processor second content from the media host device sent from the second portable media device; and

d) computer code for storing by the processor the second content received from the media host device onto the portable media device.

22. A portable media device capable of exchanging content with a second portable media device via communications with a media host device over a network, said portable media device comprising:

a wireless interface for establishing a wireless network connection over the network;

a data storage device that stores the content; and

a processor for storing, accessing and presenting the stored content from said data storage device, said processor being configured to;

     1) receive at the portable media device a wireless update policy wherein the wireless update policy specifies at least one or more characteristics of a wireless network connection that need to be established before for allowing a wireless transfer of data to occur between the portable media device and a media host device via the wireless network connection;

     2) determine whether the wireless network connection is available;

     3) determine by the processor current characteristics of the wireless network connection;

     4) determine whether the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy; and

     5) when the current characteristics of the wireless network connection satisfy the one or more characteristics of the wireless network connection specified in the wireless update policy, a) establish communications with the media host device via the wireless network connection;

b) send first content to the media host device that is to be sent to a second portable media device in communication with the media host device;

c) receive second content from the media host device sent from the second portable media device; and

d) store the second content received from the media host device onto the portable media device.