SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY SYNCHRONIZING AND ACQUIRING CONTENT FOR BATTERY-POWERED DEVICES

• US 20090228570A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ThinkLogix, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: EZ4Media Incorporated
• Inventors: Janik, Craig M., Nichols, Jonathan L., Kalayjian, Nicholas, Fuchs, Axel
• Granted Patent: US 7,786,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/273 Asynchronous replication or reconciliation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A time budget during which a portable device will be enabled to acquire content is established and the time budget as well as a filter is used to determine which content the portable device will acquire during a synchronization process.

Claims

1. A method of acquiring content comprising:

establishing a time budget for enabling a portable device to acquire content; and

using the time budget and a filter to determine which content the portable device acquires during a synchronization process.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter comprises one or more content genres.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter comprises one or more ratings categories.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter comprises one or more play dates.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter comprises one or more publication dates.

6. A method of acquiring content comprising:

periodically determining if content is available for acquiring; and

using a time budget to determine an amount of the content a portable device acquires.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the time budget as a function of state of a battery associated with the portable device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the state of the battery comprises the battery being charged.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the state of the battery comprises the battery being discharged.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the time budget as a function of one or more file sizes associated with the content.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the time budget as a function of a data transfer rate.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising adjusting the time budget as a function of a temperature associated with the portable device.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a battery providing power;

a content acquisition budget manager that determines a time budget for acquiring content; and

a filter, wherein the filter and the time budget are configured to determine what content is acquired during a synchronization process.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the filter uses content genres to limit acquired content.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the content acquisition budget manager adjusts the time budget as a function of a state of the battery.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the content acquisition budget manager adjusts the time budget as a function of file size associated with the content.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the content acquisition budget manager adjusts the time budget as a function of a data transfer rate.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising a temperature measuring device, wherein the content acquisition budget manager adjusts the time budget as a function of temperature from the temperature measuring device.

19. A system comprising:

means for establishing a time budget for enabling a portable device to acquire content; and

means for using the time budget and a filter to determine which content the portable device acquires during a synchronization process.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising means for determining if content is available for acquiring.