Multiple media type synchronization between host computer and media device

• US 7,680,849 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marriott, Greg, Boettcher, Jesse, Wasko, Timothy, Miller, Jeff, Heller, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kerzhner; Aleksandr
• Application Number:
  US10/973,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20060100978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,968 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 707/621
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia

Abstract

Improved techniques for transferring media assets between a host computer and a media device are disclosed. The transfer of media assets between a host computer and a media device can be referred to as synchronization. According to one aspect of the invention, media assets being transferred can be formatted (e.g., rendered) in advance at the host computer and then delivered to the media device. According to another aspect of the invention, media assets can be grouped into collections and transferred on a collection basis. According to still another aspect of the invention, media assets to be transferred can be limited based on an amount of storage capacity available at the media device. According to yet another aspect of the invention, media assets of different media types can be transferred in accordance with different priorities.

Claims

1. A method for providing media assets to a media device from a host computer, said method comprising:

obtaining media device capabilities for the media device;

identifying original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

determining media formats appropriate for the media device based on the media device capabilities;

generating at the host computer, for each of the plurality of original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the determined media formats for the media device, wherein the set of formatted media assets includes two or more different media format renderings for each of the original media assets that have been identified, and each of the two or more different media format renderings being provided as a separate file and being in accordance with the determined media formats appropriate for the media device; and

copying the set of formatted media assets to the media device,

wherein said generating of the set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats includes at least;

determining whether the media device already stores one or more of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets to be generated; and

avoiding generation of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets that are determined to be already stored on the media device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are images.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats are image formats.

4. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats pertain to different pixel sizes.

5. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the media formats include one or more of NTSC, PAL or HDTV formats.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the formatted media assets are rendered media assets.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the two or more different media format renderings for at least one of the original media assets that have been identified is not directly presentable by the media device but is indirectly presentable by the media device on a media output device.

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

determining whether a particular use of media assets is supported by the media device based on the media device capabilities; and

bypassing said identifying, said determining, said generating and said copying when it is determined that the particular use of media assets is not supported by the media device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets are images, the media formats are image formats, and the formatted media assets are rendered media assets.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the media assets have a data size, and wherein the data size of each of the formatted media assets is substantially smaller than that the data size of the corresponding original media asset.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said identifying is based on at least one user setting.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises:

determining a host media source for the media assets;

identifying media collections in the host media source to be copied; and

determining media assets within the identified media collections that are not already stored on the media device, thereby identifying the identified media assets residing on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the media assets have a data size, and wherein the data size of each of the formatted media assets is substantially smaller that the data size of the corresponding original media asset.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sets of the formatted media assets includes a first media asset formatted for playback on the media device and a second media asset formatted for playback on another media output device.

16. A computer readable storage medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored thereon for providing media assets to a media device from a host computer, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for obtaining media device capabilities of the media device;

computer program code for identifying original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

computer program code for determining media formats appropriate for the media device based on the media device capabilities;

computer program code for generating at the host computer, for each of the plurality of original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the determined media formats for the media device, wherein the set of formatted media assets includes two or more different media format renderings for each of the original media assets that have been identified, and each of the two or more different media format renderings being provided as a separate file and being in accordance with the determined media formats appropriate for the media device; and

computer program code for copying the set of formatted media assets to the media device,

wherein said computer program code for generating the set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats operates to (i) determine whether the media device already stores one or more of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets to be generated, and (ii) avoid generation of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets that are determined to be already stored on the media device.

17. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the formatted media assets are rendered media assets.

18. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein at least said computer program code for copying is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

19. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the media formats include one or more of NTSC, PAL or HDTV formats.

20. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said identifying is based on at least one user setting.

21. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein said computer program code for identifying comprises:

computer program code for determining a host media source for the media assets;

computer program code for identifying media collections in the host media source to be copied; and

computer program code for determining media assets within the identified media collections that are not already stored on the media device, thereby identifying the identified media assets residing on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device.

22. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 21, wherein the media assets have a data size, and wherein the data size of each of the formatted media assets is substantially smaller that the data size of the corresponding original media asset.

23. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein at least said computer program code for copying is automatically performed once the host computer detects a connection with the media device.

24. A computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 16, wherein the media formats include one or more of NTSC, PAL or HDTV formats.

25. A computer readable storage as recited in claim 16, wherein at least one of the two or more different media format renderings for at least one of the original media assets that have been identified is not directly supported by the media device but is indirectly supported by the media device on a media output device.

26. A computing apparatus for providing media assets to a media device, said computing apparatus comprising:

an input/output interface that detects connection with the media device;

a data store that stores the media assets; and

a processor configured to obtain media device capabilities of the media device, identify original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device, determine media formats based on the media device capabilities, generate at the host computer, for each of the original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats, and copy the set of formatted media assets to the media device,

wherein the set of formatted media assets include two or more different media format renderings for a plurality of the original media assets that have been identified, and each of the two or more different media format renderings being provided as a separate file and being in accordance with the determined media formats appropriate for the media device, and

wherein generation of the set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats includes at least (i) determining whether the media device already stores one or more of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets to be generated, and (ii) avoiding generation of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets that are determined to be already stored on the media device.

27. A computing apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein the media formats being determined are those requested by the media device.

28. A computing apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein the media formats being determined are those requested by at least one user setting.

29. A computing apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein at least one of the sets of the formatted media assets includes a first media asset formatted for playback on the media device and a second media asset formatted for playback on another media output device.

30. A system for providing media assets to a media device, said system comprising:

a host computer;

means for obtaining media device capabilities of the media device;

means for identifying original media assets on the host computer that are to be copied to the media device;

means for determining media formats appropriate for the media device based on the media device capabilities;

means for generating at the host computer, for each of the plurality of original media assets, a set of formatted media assets in accordance with the determined media formats for the media device, wherein the set of formatted media assets includes two or more different media format renderings for a plurality of the original media assets that have been identified, and each of the two or more different media format renderings being provided as a separate file and being in accordance with the determined media formats appropriate for the media device; and

means for copying the set of formatted media assets to the media device,

wherein said means for generating the set of formatted media assets in accordance with the media formats operates to (i) determine whether the media device already stores one or more of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets to be generated, and (ii) avoid generation of the formatted media assets in the set of formatted media assets that are determined to be already stored on the media device.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein for at least one of the original media assets that have been identified, the set of formatted media assets includes more than two different media format renderings for the at least one of the original media assets.