Media data exchange, transfer or delivery for portable electronic devices

• US 20070161402A1
• Filed: 09/01/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Fadell, Anthony M., Robbin, Jeffrey L., Hodge, Andrew Bert, Borchers, Robert Edward, Cue, Eddy, Bell, Chris, Ng., Stanley C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,831,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/554.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Methods and systems that facilitate data delivery to electronic devices are disclosed. One aspect pertains to data delivery to electronic devices that are portable, such as, mobile devices. In one embodiment, one mobile device discovers another mobile device within its vicinity. The mobile devices can then wirelessly transmit data from one mobile device to the other. The mobile devices, or their users, can control, request or influence the particular data content being delivered.

Claims

1. A method for delivery of data to a portable electronic device from another electronic device, the method comprising:

discovering the another electronic device via a wireless network;

requesting data from the another electronic device over the wireless network; and

receiving from the another electronic device a wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested via the wireless network.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, when said discovering operates to discover the another electronic device, the another electronic device is in the vicinity of the portable electronic device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises:

establishing a wireless connection between the portable electronic device and the another electronic device through the wireless network; and

receiving a transmission of data from the another electronic device to the portable electronic device via the wireless connection established through the wireless network.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the wireless network is a peer-to-peer network.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein in the data is media data.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the media data pertains to a song.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a local area wireless network.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the data requested that is received at the portable electronic device is dependent on at least one data exchange restriction at the another electronic device.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one data exchange restriction is user configurable.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said requesting further provides preference information or profile information associated with the portable electronic device.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the at least a portion of the data requested that is received at the portable electronic device from the another electronic device is dependent on data exchange restrictions at the another electronic device.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested is automatically performed on the another electronic device.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data request causes a user interface to be presented on the another electronic device, and wherein the wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested is dependent on user interaction with the user interface.

14. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested is automatically performed on the another electronic device.

15. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

presenting a user interface at the portable electronic device, and

wherein said requesting of the data is performed in response to user interaction with the user interface at the portable electronic device.

16. A method for delivery of data to a portable electronic device from another electronic device, the method comprising:

discovering the another electronic device via a wireless network;

receiving information associated with the another electronic device over the wireless network;

determining data to be shared with the another electronic device based on the received information; and

transmitting the data to be shared to the another electronic device.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the received information is profile information pertaining to a user of the another electronic device.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the received information is preference information.

19. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the received information associated with the another electronic device is automatically transmitted over the wireless network after the another electronic device is discovered.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the data to be shared is stored on the portable electronic device, and

wherein said determining of the data to be shared is dependent on sharing restrictions associated with the portable electronic device.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the sharing restrictions are associated with the received information.

22. A method for sharing data from a portable electronic device from at least one other electronic device, the method comprising:

connecting to a wireless network; and

transmitting profile information from the portable electronic device to the at least one other electronic device over the wireless network.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

subsequently transmitting data from the portable electronic device to the another electronic device over the wireless network.

24. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the profile information includes a user profile.

25. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the profile information includes at least one media preference.

26. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the data is a media item selected in accordance with the at least one media preference.

27. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for delivery of data to a portable electronic device from another electronic device, said computer readable medium including at least:

computer program code for identifying that the another electronic device is within the vicinity of the portable electronic device;

computer program code for requesting data from the another electronic device over a wireless link; and

computer program code for receiving from the another electronic device a wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested via the wireless link.

28. A portable electronic device capable of interacting with another portable electronic device in a wireless manner, comprising:

wireless communication circuitry for wireless communication over a wireless link;

a user input device; and

a processor operatively connected to the wireless communication circuitry and the user input device, the processor being configured to discover the another electronic device via a wireless link;

request data from the another electronic device over the wireless link; and

receive from the another electronic device a wireless transmission of at least a portion of the data requested via the wireless link.

29. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 28, when said processor operates to discover the another portable electronic device, the another portable electronic device is in the vicinity of the portable electronic device.

30. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 28, wherein said processor is further configured to receive a data request from the another portable electronic device via the wireless link, and transmit at least a portion of data requested to the another portable electronic device via the wireless link.

31. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 30, wherein the at least a portion of the data requested that is transmitted to the another portable electronic device is dependent on at least one data exchange restriction at said portable electronic device.

32. A portable electronic device as recited in claim 31, wherein the at least one data exchange restriction is user configurable.

33. A method for acquiring media items for storage on a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

accessing a remote media depository via a data network;

requesting a set of media items from the remote media depository; and

receiving and storing the set of media items at the portable electronic device over the data network.

34. A method as recited in claim 33,

wherein the set of media items are selected by taking into consideration one or more of the following factors:

user ratings, play counts, genre, play history, time and location, and

wherein the set of media items being received are those media items that have been determined to be authorized for use by the portable electronic device or its user.

35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein authorization for use is determined dependent upon an account associated with the portable media device or its user.

36. A method as recited in claim 33, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving at least one instruction at the portable electronic device over the data network.

37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein the at least one instruction directs deletion of at least one of the media items previously stored on the portable media device prior to storage of the set of media items.