Digital media transfer based on user behavior

• US 7,707,603 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abanami, Thamer
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli; Dominic D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubasky; Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US11/045,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20060174008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 14, 725/16, 725 34- 35, 725/46, 707/204
• US Class Current: 725/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles

Abstract

A collection of digital media is stored at a source device and transferred to a target device. A subset of the collection may be transferred based on a priority related to a points assigned by a user'"'"'s rating of particular digital media and on rules based on particular user actions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting with a target device at a source device;

determining, at the source device, a storage capacity of the target device to store digital media;

receiving, at the source device, a first list of digital media resident in the target device, wherein each digital media item of the first list is associated with a first number of points and the first number of points assigned to each digital media item of the first list is based on a user rating and at least one first additional criteria;

determining whether the storage capacity of the target device is greater than a storage capacity consumed by digital media stored by the source device;

providing, by the source device, an option to apply a points system to determine digital media items to transfer from the source device to the target device when the storage capacity of the target device is less than the storage capacity consumed by the digital media stored by the source device;

assigning a second number of points, at the source device, to each digital media item of a list of the digital media stored in the source device in response to selection of the option to apply the points system by a user of the source device, wherein the second number of points is based on a user rating associated with each digital media item and based on at least one second additional criteria;

generating, at the source device, a new transfer list based on the second number of points assigned to the digital media items of the list of digital media stored in the source device;

sending digital media items from the source device to the target device that are included on the new transfer list and are not included on the first list;

directing, by the source device, the target device to remove digital media items from the first list that are not included on the new transfer list; and

receiving, at the source device, a second list of digital media items resident on the target device, wherein the second list includes digital media items common to the first list and the new transfer list, and wherein digital media items included on the first list and not on the new transfer list are not included in the second list, and wherein the digital media items of the first list and the second list are stored on the source device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first additional criteria and the second additional criteria are different.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first additional criteria, the second additional criteria, or a combination thereof, includes user behavior performed on at least one of the digital media stored in the target device and the digital media stored in the source device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the user behavior is based on one or more of the following:

play count, association of digital media in different files, creation date, and availability of substitute digital media.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second number of points assigned to the digital media items of the list of digital media stored in the source device are based on a weighted factor applied to respective user ratings, the first additional criteria, the second additional criteria, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first additional criteria and the second additional criteria are the same.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein an amount of media items sent from the source device to the target device is based on the storage capacity of the target device.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the play count is related to digital media items played at the source device, digital media items played at the target device, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the digital media comprises one or more of the following:

music, image, video, text, documents, applications, spreadsheets, graphics, play-lists, and data.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

11. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a memory that includes;

a listing of digital media;

criteria applicable to the digital media;

a transfer list that includes a prioritized list of digital media items based on the criteria; and

a target device storage sync manager to;

determine when digital media to be transferred to a target device exceeds the storage capacity of the target device;

provide a first option and a second option to a user of the computing device when the digital media to be transferred exceed the storage capacity of the target device, wherein the first option applies a points system to the digital media to identify digital media items to transfer to the target device based on a user rating associated with each digital item of the digital media and based on the criteria, and wherein the second option transfers to the target device most recently added digital media items to the target source device until the storage capacity of the target device is reached;

receive an indication of selection of the first option by the user or selection of the second option by the user;

transfer the digital media items of the transfer list to the target device when the digital media items do not exceed the storage capacity of the target device; and

direct the target device to remove digital media items that are not on the transfer list, wherein at least one of the items removed from the target device is included in the listing of digital media.

12. The computing device of claim 11 wherein the criteria include one or more of the following:

play count, association with digital media in different files, creation date, purchase, recording date, time consumed by the user, and availability of substitute digital media.

13. The computing device of claim 11 further comprising a user input interface to receive input from the user as to the user rating.

14. The computing device of claim 13 wherein the user input interface provides input to a user interface displayed by the computing device to the user.

15. In a computing device having a user interface, including a display and a user input device, a method of assigning points to digital media comprising:

presenting a list of songs to a user on the display of the computing device;

in response to a selection by the user, presenting, by the computing device, one of the songs from the list;

selectively receiving, at the computing device, a rating for a particular song from the user, wherein the particular song is given a point value based on the rating which is combined with points from other criteria;

determining whether a storage capacity of a target device is greater than a storage capacity consumed by a collection of songs stored by the computing device;

providing, by the computing device, an option to apply a points system to determine songs to transfer from the computing device to the target device when the storage capacity of the target device is less than the storage capacity consumed by the collection of songs stored by the computing device; and

generating, by the computing device, a transfer list of songs to be transferred from the computing device to the target device, wherein the songs are included in the transfer list based on a number of points associated with each song when the option to apply a points system is selected, and wherein the songs are included in the transfer list based on most recently recorded at the computing device when the option to apply a points system is not selected; and

directing, by the computing device, the target device to remove songs that are not included in the transfer list, wherein a copy of the songs removed from the target device are stored at the computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the presenting illustrates a hierarchical structure of the songs.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the selecting is performed using a pointing icon controlled by a user input device.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the songs are further rated based on actions performed by the user.

19. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 15.