System and method for synching portable media player content with storage space optimization

• US 9,197,923 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2014
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Panje, Krishna Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US14/570,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20150100992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170, 711/156, 711/167, 711/E12.001, 725/89, 725/80
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/121 using replacement algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/21 Intermediate information storage H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence ; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing a video clip retrieved from local storage with an incoming video stream or rendering scenes according to encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4884 for displaying subtitles

Abstract

A device is provided for use with a content provider that is operable to provide content, which includes a plurality of content components. The device includes a communication portion, a memory portion, a parsing portion, a counting portion and a processing portion. The communication portion can receive the content from the content provider. The parsing portion can parse the content into the plurality of content components and can store the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion. The counting portion can provide a counter for each of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion, respectively. The processing portion can retrieve and process one of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion. The counting portion can further increment the counter associated with the retrieved one of the parsed plurality of content components within the memory portion.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing media content, the method comprising:

receiving a first media content item;

parsing, using a hardware processor, the first media content item into a first plurality of content components;

associating a counter with each of the first plurality of content components;

receiving a second media content item;

parsing the second media content item into a second plurality of content components;

receiving a request to transfer the second media content item to a media device;

determining values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components;

determining a subset of the second plurality of content components to be transferred to the media device based on the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components; and

transmitting the subset of the second plurality of content components to the media device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising inhibiting one or more of the second plurality of content components other than content components included in the subset of the second plurality of content components from being transmitted to the media device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of content components and the second plurality of content components include a video component, an audio component, and a subtitle component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the audio component comprises a first audio component in a first language and a second audio component in a second language.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the subtitle component comprises a first subtitle component in a first language and a second subtitle component in a second language.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one content component of the first plurality of content components is being played back;

incrementing a value of the counter associated with the at least one content component; and

decrementing values of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components that are not being played back, wherein the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components are determined based on the incremented values and the decremented values.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one content component of the first plurality of content components is being played back; and

incrementing a value of the counter associated with the at least one content component, wherein the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components are determined based on the incremented values.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the determined values of the plurality of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components to a synchronization parameter, wherein the subset of the second plurality of content components is determined based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing at least one of the content components from inclusion in the subset of the second plurality of content components based on the comparison.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising ranking the counters associated with the first plurality of content components based on the associated values, wherein the subset of the second plurality of content components is determined based on the ranking.

11. A method for synchronizing media content, the method comprising:

receiving a media content item;

parsing, using a hardware processor, the media content item into a plurality of content components;

associating counters with each of the plurality of content components, wherein a value of a counter associated with a content component is incremented in response to the content component being played back;

determining whether a media device meets a synchronization parameter in response to receiving a request to transfer the media content item to the media device, wherein the media device is associated with a device containing the hardware processor over a communications network;

removing, based on the associated counters, at least one content component from the plurality of content components for transmission to the media device in response to determining that the synchronization parameter is not met, wherein the value of the counter associated with the at least one content component does not meet a threshold value;

repeating the removing until the synchronization parameter is met; and

transmitting a subset of the plurality of content components to the media device in response to determining that the synchronization parameter is met.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising ranking the counters associated with the plurality of content components based on the associated values, wherein the at least one content component is removed in response to having the lowest ranking of the ranked counters.

13. A system for synchronizing media content, the system comprising:

a hardware processor that is configured to;

receive a first media content item;

parse the first media content item into a first plurality of content components;

associate a counter with each of the first plurality of content components;

receive a second media content item;

parse the second media content item into a second plurality of content components;

receive a request to transfer the second media content item to a media device;

determine values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components;

determine a subset of the second plurality of content components to be transferred to the media device based on the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components; and

transmit the subset of the second plurality of content components to the media device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to inhibit one or more of the second plurality of content components other than content components included in the subset of the second plurality of content components from being transmitted to the media device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first plurality of content components and the second plurality of content components include a video component, an audio component, and a subtitle component.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the audio component comprises a first audio component in a first language and a second audio component in a second language.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the subtitle component comprises a first subtitle component in a first language and a second subtitle component in a second language.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine that at least one content component of the first plurality of content components is being played back;

increment a value of the counter associated with the at least one content component; and

decrement values of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components that are not being played back, wherein the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components are determined based on the incremented values and the decremented values.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

determine that at least one content component of the first plurality of content components is being played back; and

increment a value of the counter associated with the at least one content component, wherein the values of each of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components are determined based on the incremented values.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to compare the determined values of the plurality of the counters associated with the first plurality of content components to a synchronization parameter, wherein the subset of the second plurality of content components is determined based on the comparison.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to remove at least one of the content components from inclusion in the subset of the second plurality of content components based on the comparison.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to rank the counters associated with the first plurality of content components based on the associated values, wherein the subset of the second plurality of content components is determined based on the ranking.

23. A system for synchronizing media content, the system comprising:

a hardware processor that is configured to;

receive a media content item;

parse the media content item into a plurality of content components;

associate counters with each of the plurality of content components, wherein a value of a counter associated with a content component is incremented in response to the content component being played back;

determine whether a media device meets a synchronization parameter in response to receiving a request to transfer the media content item to the media device, wherein the media device is associated with a device containing the hardware processor over a communications network;

remove, based on the associated counters, at least one content component from the plurality of content components for transmission to the media device in response to determining that the synchronization parameter is not met, wherein the value of the counter associated with the at least one content component does not meet a threshold value;

repeat the removing until the synchronization parameter is met; and

transmit a subset of the plurality of content components to the media device in response to determining that the synchronization parameter is met.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to rank the counters associated with the plurality of content components based on the associated values, wherein the at least one content component is removed in response to having the lowest ranking of the ranked counters.