Methods and Systems for Prefetching Music for Devices

• US 20140101170A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parekh, Neel B., Dolinsky, Dmitry
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Methods and systems are presented for prefetching music for devices. The disclosed method includes detecting an access to a music library through a device. The music library is associated with a user music account and is managed in cloud music storage. The disclose method further includes monitoring use activities for the user music account and the use activities of selected songs in the music library are adjustable for relevance based on assigned weightings. One or more songs from the music library that satisfy a prefetching constraint based on the monitored use activities are identified. The songs that satisfy the prefetching constraint are tagged for transferring to the device. The tagged songs are transferred to the device without receiving a user initiated request for the tagged songs.

Claims

1. A method for prefetching music for devices, comprising:

detecting access to a music library that is associated with a user music account from a device, the music library being managed in cloud music storage;

monitoring use activities for the user music account, wherein the use activities of selected songs in the library are adjustable for relevance based on assigned weightings;

identifying one or more songs from the music library that satisfy a prefetching constraint based on the monitored use activities, wherein songs that satisfy the prefetching constraint are tagged for transfer to the device; and

transferring the tagged songs to the device, the transferring being initiated without receiving a user initiated request for the tagged songs, the method being executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, dynamically changing the assigned weightings if changes to the use activities have reached a pre-determined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prefetching constraint of a song in the music library is measured by calculating a prefetching score for the song.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying if the device is a mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is identified through a connection speed between the mobile device and a music manager server that manages the cloud music storage.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the tagged songs are transferred to the device when number of tagged songs has reached a song transferring threshold.

7. A method for prefetching music for mobile devices, comprising:

identifying if access to a music library is through a mobile device, the music library being associated with a user music account and being managed in cloud music storage;

transmitting use activities for the user music account;

monitoring the use activities for the user music account, wherein the use activities of selected songs in the music library are adjustable for relevance based on assigned weightings;

identifying one or more songs from the music library that satisfy a prefetching constraint based on the monitored use activities, wherein songs that satisfy the prefetching constraint are tagged for transferring to the mobile device; and

receiving the tagged songs by the mobile device, the receiving being initiated without sending a user initiated request for the tagged songs, the method being executed by a processor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

dynamically changing the assigned weightings if changes to the use activities have reached a pre-determined threshold.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the prefetching constraint of a song in the music library is measured by calculating a prefetching score for the song.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving of the tagged songs further includes,

determining available size in a music buffer of the mobile device;

if the available size in the music buffer is smaller than size of the tagged songs to be received,

identifying one or more songs in the music buffer that satisfy a deleting constraint;

deleting the songs that satisfy the deleting constraint in the music buffer; and

storing the tagged songs in the music buffer of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the receiving of the tagged songs further includes,

setting up a song transferring threshold;

and

receiving the tagged songs by the mobile device when number of the tagged songs has reached the song transferring threshold.

12. A system for prefetching music for mobile devices, comprising:

a user access module configured to detect access to a music library that is associated with a user music account, the music library being managed in cloud music storage;

a device identifier configured to identify if the detected access is through a mobile device;

prefetching logic configured to

monitor use activities for the user music account, wherein the use activities of selected songs in the music library are adjustable for relevance based on assigned weightings,

identify one or more songs from the music library that satisfy a prefetching constraint based on the monitored use activities, and songs that satisfy the prefetching constraint being tagged for transferring to the mobile device, and

transfer the tagged songs to the mobile device, the transferring being initiated without receiving a user initiated request for the tagged songs; and

at least one processor configured to execute the user access module, the device identifier, and the prefetching logic.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user access module, the device identifier, and the prefetching logic reside at a music manager server that manages the cloud music storage.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a user database that includes a plurality of user records, each user record having a use metrics portion.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the use activities for the user music account are recorded in the use metrics portion of a user record associated with the user music account.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a music buffer in the mobile device configured to store the transmitted songs.

17. A system for prefetching music for mobile devices, comprising:

a device identifier configured to identify if access to a music library is through a mobile device, the music library being associated with a user music account and being managed in cloud music storage;

music logic configured to transmit use activities for the user music account;

prefetching logic configured to

monitor the use activities for the user music account, wherein the use activities of selected songs in the music library are adjustable for relevance based on assigned weightings, and

identify one or more songs from the music library that satisfy a prefetching constraint based on the monitored use activities, and songs that satisfy the prefetching constraint are tagged for transferring to the mobile device;

the music logic configured to receive the tagged songs by the mobile device, the receiving being initiated without sending a user initiated request for the tagged songs; and

at least one processor configured to execute the device identifier, the prefetching logic, and the music logic.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the device identifier, the music logic, and the prefetching logic reside in the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the music logic is further configured to

determine available size in a music buffer;

if the available size in the music buffer is smaller than size of the tagged songs to be received,

identifying one or more songs in the music buffer that satisfy a deleting constraint;

deleting the songs that satisfy the deleting constraint in the music buffer; and

storing the tagged songs in the music buffer.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the music logic is further configured to

setting up a song transferring threshold;

and

receiving the tagged songs by the mobile device when number of the tagged songs has reached the song transferring threshold.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a user database that includes a plurality of user records, wherein the transmitted use activities along with the assigned weightings are stored in a user record associated with the user music account.