Prioritized data synchronization with host device

• US 9,405,766 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L., Wysocki, Christopher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US14/154,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems

Abstract

Improved techniques and apparatus for managing data between a host device (e.g., host computer) and a media device are disclosed. The data being managed can, for example, pertain to media data for media assets. The managing of the media data thus can involve transfer of media assets between the host device and the media device. In one embodiment, the transfer of media assets between a host device and a media device can be referred to as synchronization.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying media assets to be copied from a first device to a second device;

determining a respective copy enable-disable setting of each of the media assets based on a selection or deselection of a graphical user interface control for enabling and disabling the at least one of the media assets;

in response to the determining the respective copy enable-disable setting, determining, for each of the media assets, a respective priority for copying each media asset from the first device to the second device;

based on an amount of available storage space at the second device and a combination of the respective copy enable-disable setting and the respective priority for copying each media asset, identifying a portion of the media assets to be copied from the first device to the second device, wherein the respective copy enable-disable setting of each media asset is set to enable copying from the first device to the second device; and

copying the portion of the media assets from the first device to the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying, and wherein the deselection of the associated graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein media assets from the portion of the media assets having a higher priority are copied before media assets having a lower priority.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the portion of the media assets comprises identifying a number of media assets having a total size that is less than or equal to the available storage space.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying, and wherein the deselection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface control is associated with a respective data type, wherein selecting or deselecting the graphical user interface control further enables or disables media assets of the respective data type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the certain respective data type comprises a movie, music, a television (TV) show, a podcast, or a photo.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface control further enables a user to selectively enable and disable copying of specific sub-categories of media assets within a selected category of media assets.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying media assets to be copied a target device;

determining, for each of the media assets, whether a respective graphical user interface control for respectively enabling and disabling the media assets has been selected or deselected, to yield a first determination;

in response to the determining the respective copy enable-disable setting, determining, for each of the media assets, a respective priority for copying each of the media assets to the target device, to yield a second determination;

based on an amount of available storage space of the target device and a combination of the first determination and the second determination, identifying a portion of the media assets to be copied to the target device, wherein each media asset is respectively enabled via a selection or deselection of the respective graphical user interface control; and

copying the portion of the media assets to the target device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the selection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying, and wherein the deselection of the associated graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein identifying the portion of media assets comprises identifying a number of media assets having a total size that is less than or equal to the available storage space, and wherein the number of media assets comprises media assets having a highest ranking.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the selection of the associated graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying, and wherein the deselection of the associated graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface control is associated with a respective data type, wherein selecting or deselecting the graphical user interface control further enables or disables media assets of the respective data type.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical user interface control further enables a user to selectively enable and disable copying of specific sub-categories of media assets within a selected category of media assets.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying media assets to be copied from a first device to a second device;

determining a respective copy enable-disable setting of each of the media assets based on a selection or deselection of a graphical user interface control for enabling and disabling each of the media assets;

in response to the determining the respective copy enable-disable setting, determining, for each of the media assets, a respective priority for copying each media asset from the first device to the second device;

based on an amount of available storage space of the second device and a combination of the respective copy enable-disable setting and the respective priority for copying each media asset, identifying a portion of the media assets to be copied from the first device to the second device, wherein the respective copy enable-disable setting of each media asset is set to enable copying from the first device to the second device; and

copying the portion of the media assets from the first device to the second device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the selection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying, and wherein the deselection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the selection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to disable copying, and wherein the deselection of the graphical user interface control sets the respective copy enable-disable setting to enable copying.