Remote access of media items

• US 9,462,073 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Heller, David, Mavrakakis, Thomas C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US14/796,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20160006831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 725/82
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

Methods and systems that facilitate the downloading of media items to a first network device from a second network device are disclosed. A plurality of media items are identified Media item metadata associated with the plurality of media items is obtained from the second network device and stored on the first network device. Media item content data associate with a first subset of the plurality of media items is obtained from the second network device and stored on the first network device. In this manner, only media item metadata associate with a second subset of the plurality of media items is stored on the first network device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a client device from a network device, metadata associated with a plurality of episodic media items in a media item library, the metadata at least describing an order that the episodic media items are intended to be consumed;

after playing an episode from the plurality of the episodic media items;

determining, based on the order that the media items are intended to be consumed, that a next respective episode following the played episode is not available locally on the client device and is available from the network device;

automatically requesting that the next respective episode in the order be pre-fetched from the media item library without receiving all other episodes in the plurality of episodic media items; and

receiving the next respective episode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the next respective episode includes initiating streaming of the next respective episode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the next respective episode includes storing at least a portion of the next respective episode in a cache.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining metadata associated with a plurality of episodic media items in a media item library comprises obtaining release dates of the plurality of the episodic media items.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the next respective episode following the played episode is an episode with the oldest release date following a release date of the played episode.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming that a user is authorized to access the plurality of the episodic media items on the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enforcing a policy for automatically deleting the played episode after the played episode has been consumed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after receiving at least a portion the next respective episode into a cache following the played episode, determining that the client device has remaining unused cache available; and

automatically requesting at least a portion of a further episode in the order.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, before automatically requesting the next respective episode into a cache following the played episode, determining that the client device is connected with the network device via a connection having over a predetermined connection speed.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

obtain, from a network device, metadata associated with a plurality of episodic media items in a media item library, the metadata at least describing an order that the episodic media items are intended to be consumed;

after playing an episode from the plurality of the episodic media items;

determine, based on the order that the media items are intended to be consumed, that a next respective episode following the played episode is not available locally on the computing device and is available from the network device;

automatically request that the next respective episode in the order be pre-fetched from the media item library without receiving all other episodes in the plurality of episodic media items; and

receive the next respective episode.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

initiate streaming of the next respective episode.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

store at least a portion of the next respective episode in a cache.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

obtain release dates of the plurality of the episodic media items.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the next respective episode following the played episode is an episode with the oldest release date following a release date of the played episode.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

confirm that a user is authorized to access the plurality of the episodic media items on the computing device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

enforce a policy for automatically deleting the played episode after the played episode has been consumed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

determine that the computing device has remaining unused cache available; and

automatically request at least a portion of a further episode in the order.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computer processors of a computing device, further cause the computing device to:

determine that the computing device is connected with the network device via a connection having over a predetermined connection speed before automatically requesting the next respective episode into a cache following the played episode.

19. A portable electronic device configured for obtaining media items from a network device comprising:

a processor being adapted to;

obtain metadata associated with a plurality of episodic media items in a media item library, the metadata at least describing an order that the episodic media items are intended to be consumed;

after playing an episode from the plurality of the episodic media items;

determine, based on the order that the media items are intended to be consumed, that a next respective episode following the played episode is not available locally on the portable electronic device and is available from the network device;

automatically request that the next respective episode in the order be pre-fetched from the media item library without receiving all other episodes in the plurality of episodic media items; and

receive the next respective episode.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further adapted to store at least a portion of the next respective episode in a cache.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further adapted to enforce a policy for automatically deleting the played episode after the played episode has been consumed.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

determine that the portable electronic device has remaining unused cache available; and

automatically request at least a portion of a further episode in the order.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine that the portable electronic device is connected with the network device via a connection having over a predetermined connection speed before automatically requesting the next respective episode into a cache following the played episode.