PARTIAL SORT ON A HOST

• US 20120311194A1
• Filed: 03/19/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alsina, Thomas Matthieu, Mason, Henry Graham
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1824 implemented using Network-attached Storage [NAS] architecture distributed or networked storage systems G06F3/067; protocols for distributed storage of data in a network H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/284 Relational databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3329 Natural language query formulation or dialogue 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: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

A host devices transfers client data from a client device to the host device. The host device generates sort keys for host data that includes the client data. The host device sorts the host data using the sort keys and transfers the sorted host data to the client device. The client data and host data may include music, video, or other content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transferring, by a host device, client data to the host device;

generating, by the host device, sort keys for host data that includes the client data;

sorting, by the host device, the host data using the sort keys; and

transferring, by the host device, the sorted host data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client data includes changes made to client data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the host device, pre-processing commands.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein sorting the host data is configured by the pre-processing commands.

5. A method comprising:

receiving, by a client device, a sorted data collection and a set of sort keys;

presenting content, by the client device, using the sorted data collection;

determining, by the client device, that the sorted data collection requires an update;

updating, by the client device, the sorted data collection in a background process while presenting the content using the received sorted data collection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein updating the sorted data collection further comprises:

determining that the client device is in a preferred update state; and

updating the sorted data collection.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the preferred update state occurs at least when the client device is connected to A/C power.

8. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

transferring, by a host device, client data to the host device;

generating, by the host device, sort keys for host data that includes the client data;

sorting, by the host device, the host data using the sort keys; and

transferring, by the host device, the sorted host data.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8, wherein the client data includes changes made to client data.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the host device, pre-processing commands.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 10, wherein sorting the host data is configured by the pre-processing commands.

12. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a client device, a sorted data collection and a set of sort keys;

presenting content, by the client device, using the sorted data collection;

determining, by the client device, that the sorted data collection requires an update;

updating, by the client device, the sorted data collection in a background process while presenting the content using the received sorted data collection.

13. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 12, wherein updating the sorted data collection further comprises:

determining that the client device is in a preferred update state; and

updating the sorted data collection.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the preferred update state occurs at least when the client device is connected to A/C power.

15. A data processing system comprising:

means for transferring, by a host device, client data to the host device;

means for generating, by the host device, sort keys for host data that includes the client data;

means for sorting, by the host device, the host data using the sort keys; and

means for transferring, by the host device, the sorted host data.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the client data includes changes made to client data.

17. The data processing system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving, by the host device, pre-processing commands.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein sorting the host data is configured by the pre-processing commands.

19. A data processing system comprising:

means for receiving, by a client device, a sorted data collection and a set of sort keys;

means for presenting content, by the client device, using the sorted data collection;

means for determining, by the client device, that the sorted data collection requires an update;

means for updating, by the client device, the sorted data collection in a background process while presenting the content using the received sorted data collection.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein updating the sorted data collection further comprises:

means for determining that the client device is in a preferred update state; and

means for updating the sorted data collection.

21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the preferred update state occurs at least when the client device is connected to A/C power.