Portable content player, content storage device, and method of synchronizing content state lists between portable content player and content storage device

• US 9,195,676 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Koo, Min-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US11/742,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,129 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/206, 707/609, 707/610, 707/621, 707/640, 707/674, 707/679, 707/690, 707/695, 707/611, 707/612, 707/613, 707/614, 707/617, 707/618, 707/620, 707/624, 707/625, 709/201, 709/242
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

A portable content player, a content storage device, and a method of synchronizing content between the portable content player and the content storage device, the method including: generating a first content state list for content stored in the content storage device and a second content state list for content stored in the portable content player; generating an execution list based on the first content state list and the second content state list; and matching the first content state list with the second content state list by executing a synchronization command included in the execution list on content selected to be synchronized. Accordingly, a user can automatically match the content state lists of the portable content player and the content storage device.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing content state lists between a portable content player and a content storage device having a content reproduction function, the method comprising:

generating a first content state list for contents stored in the content storage device and a second content state list for contents stored in the portable content player;

generating an execution list by comparing the first content state list and the second content state list if the portable content player and the content storage device are connected to each other, wherein the execution list including synchronization command for at least one content if the content state in the first content list for the at least one content does not match the content state in the second content list for the at least one content; and

synchronizing the at least one content between the portable content player and the content storage device to match the first content state list with the second content state list by executing the synchronization command included in the execution list on the at least one content, wherein the synchronization command included in the execution list is one of an update command of the at least one content on the first content state list or the second content state list, a transmission command of a whole or a portion of the at least one content, and a delete command of the at least one content.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the including of the synchronization command comprises:

including an update command in the execution list for the at least one content if a first synchronization state of the at least one content in the first content state list is different than a second synchronization state of the at least one content in the second content state list; and

including a transmission command in the execution list for the at least one content if the at least one content is stored in the content storage device and not wholly stored in the portable content player.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the including of the synchronization command further comprises:

including a delete command in the execution list for the at least one content if a synchronization state, a reproduction state, and a transmission state of the at least one content in the second content state list are a finished state.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the content storage device is a personal computer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second content state list comprises a transmission state, a synchronization state, and a reproduction state for each file of the content.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second content state list further comprises information on a reproduction-interruption point for each file of the content that has not been completely reproduced.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first content state list comprises a transmission state, a synchronization state, and a reproduction state for each file of the content.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first content state list further comprises information on a reproduction-interruption point for each file of the content that has not been completely reproduced.

9. A method of synchronizing content state lists between a first storage device and a second storage device, the method comprising:

generating a first content state list for contents stored in the second storage device and a second content state list for contents stored in the first storage device;

generating an execution list by comparing the first content state list and the second content state list if the first storage device and the second storage device are connected to each other, wherein the execution list including synchronization command for at least one content if the content state in the first content list for the at least one content does not match the content state in the second content list for the at least one content; and

synchronizing the at least one content between the first storage device and the second storage device to match the first content state list with the second content state list by executing the synchronization command included in the execution list on the at least one content, wherein the synchronization command included in the execution list is one of an update command of the at least one content on the first content state list or the second content state list, a transmission command of a whole or a portion of the at least one content, and a delete command of the at least one content.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first storage device is a portable content player.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the second storage device is a personal computer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the matching of the first content state list with the second content state list comprises:

entrusting control rights of the first storage device to the second storage device; and

executing the synchronization command in the second storage device.

13. A content storage device having a content reproduction function and performing content synchronization with a portable content player, the content storage device comprising:

a content storage unit to store contents;

a content state list generator to generate and to update a first content state list for the contents stored in the content storage unit;

an execution list generator to generate an execution list by comparing the first content state list and a second content state list for contents stored in the portable content player if the portable content player and the content storage device are connected to each other, wherein the execution list including synchronization command for at least one content if the content state in the first content list for the at least one content does not match the content state in the second content list for the at least one content; and

a synchronization controller to synchronize the at least one content between the portable content player and the content storage device to match the first content state list with the second content state list by executing the synchronization command included in the execution list on the at least one content, wherein the synchronization command included in the execution list is one of an update command of the at least one content on the first content state list or the second content state list, a transmission command of a whole or a portion of the at least one content, and a delete command of the at least one content.

14. The content storage device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second content state list and/or the first content state list comprises a transmission state, a synchronization state, and a reproduction state for each file of the content.

15. The content storage device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second content state list and/or the first content state list further comprises information on a reproduction-interruption point of content for each file of the content that has not been completely reproduced by the content storage device.

16. The content storage device as claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the execution list generator includes an update command in the execution list for the at least one content if a first synchronization state of the at least one content in the first content state list is different than a second synchronization state of the at least one content in the second content state list; and

the execution list generator includes a transmission command in the execution list for the at least one content if the at least one content is stored in the content storage device and not wholly stored in the portable content player.

17. The content storage device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the execution list generator includes a delete command in the execution list for the at least one content if a synchronization state, a reproduction state, and a transmission state of the at least one content in the second content state list are a finished state.

18. The content storage device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the content storage device is a personal computer.