Methods and systems for use in network management of content

• US 7,779,097 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonic Solutions (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Lamkin, Allan B., Collart, Todd R., Gewickey, Gregory I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Nghi V
• Application Number:
  US11/303,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20060159109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

The present embodiments provide methods, systems and apparatuses for use in managing content on at least a local network. Some embodiments provide a method for use in managing content that detects there is a change to content on a local network, determines whether the change is additional content on a first client device, determines whether the additional content can be identified, determines whether there is a predictive distribution scheme when the additional content is identified, distributes the additional content over the local network according the predictive distribution scheme when a predictive distribution scheme applies to the additional content, determines whether a new predictive distribution scheme can be defined when a predictive distribution scheme does not apply to the additional content, and saving the new predictive distribution scheme when a new predictive scheme can be defined.

Claims

1. A method for use in managing content over a local network, comprising:

detecting there is a change to content on a local network;

determining whether the change is additional content on a first client device;

determining whether the additional content can be identified;

determining whether there is a predictive distribution scheme when the additional content is identified;

distributing the additional content over the local network according the predictive distribution scheme when a predictive distribution scheme applies to the additional content;

determining whether a new predictive distribution scheme can be defined when a predictive distribution scheme does not apply to the additional content, wherein the determining whether the new predictive distribution scheme can be defined comprises;

receiving distribution instructions for the additional content, determining whether the distribution instructions are substantially similar to a predefined number of prior distribution instructions received for other content on the local network, and defining the new predictive distribution scheme when the instructions are substantially similar to the predefined number of the prior distribution instructions; and

saving the new predictive distribution scheme when a new predictive scheme can be defined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the content can be identified comprises:

determining whether there is metadata associated with the content;

accessing the metadata when metadata is associated with the content; and

generating an identification of the content based on the metadata.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether there is the predictive distribution scheme when the additional content is identified comprises:

identifying related content on the local network;

determining whether there is a predefined predictive distribution scheme for the related content; and

defining the predefined predictive distribution scheme of the related content as the predictive distribution of the additional content when there is the predefined predictive distribution scheme for the related content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the detected change to the content on the local network further comprises:

determining whether existing content on the local network has been altered;

determining whether there is a copy of the existing content on the local network;

determining whether to synchronize the copy of the existing content relative to the altered existing content when there is the copy of the existing content on the local network; and

synchronizing the copy of the existing content when it is determined that the copy of the existing content is to be synchronized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the detected change to the content on the local network further comprises:

determining whether previously existing content on the first client device has been deleted;

determining whether there is a copy of the deleted existing content on the local network;

determining whether to delete the copy of the deleted content when there is the copy of the deleted content on the local network; and

deleting the copy of the deleted content when it is determined that the copy of the deleted content is to be deleted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the additional content over the local network further comprising:

identifying a second client device to received the additional content;

converting the additional content based on the second client device resulting in converted additional content; and

the distributing the additional content comprises distributing the converted additional content over the local network to the second client device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the additional content over the local network according the predictive distribution scheme further comprises distributing the additional content to a remote user device that is not part of the local network when instructed by the predictive distribution scheme.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether existing content is to be archived;

determining a level of archiving for the existing content; and

archiving the content relative to the determined level of archiving.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the distributing the additional content comprises:

determining whether a second client device is connected with the local network;

queuing the additional content when the second client device is not connected with the local network;

distributing the additional content to the second client device when the second client device connects with the network after the additional content is queued.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying content to be deleted;

determining whether the second content device contains the content to be deleted;

queuing a delete command to delete the content to be deleted when the second client device is not connected with the local network;

distributing the queued delete command and the additional content to the second client device when the second client device connects with the network after the additional content and the delete command are queued.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the additional content can be identified comprises identifying at least a content type for the additional content;

the determining whether there is a predictive distribution scheme comprises identifying a predictive distribution scheme based on the content type; and

the distributing the additional content comprises distributing the additional content according to the predictive distribution scheme based on the content type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the additional content can be identified comprises identifying one of a genre and broadcast data, and the determining whether there is a predictive distribution scheme comprises identifying a predictive distribution scheme based on at least one of the genre and the broadcast.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether there is a predictive distribution scheme comprises determining whether related content has been previously added to the local network;

determining the distribution for the related content; and

the distributing the additional content comprises distributing the additional content according to the distribution for the related content.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a format template associated with the distributed additional content; and

formatting the distributed additional content according to the format template.