Acquisition and synchronization of digital media to a personal information space

• US 7,587,446 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FusionOne Incorporated (Synchronoss Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Multer, David L., Onyon, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US09/710,162
• Time in Patent Office: 3,224 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-228, 709230-232, 709236-238, 709/243, 709/244, 709/246, 709/248, 707/10, 707/200, 707/201, 707/203, 707/204, 719/310, 719/311, 719/312, 719/313, 719/317, 719/318, 719/328, 718/100, 718/105, 455/415, 370/254, 370/359, 708/204, 345/62
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method for transferring media data to a network coupled apparatus is described. The method includes maintaining a personal information space identified with a user and having media data. The personal information space is coupled to the network. Upon a user request, the method transfers at least a portion of the media data from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in a differencing transaction.

Claims

1. A method of transferring media data to a network coupled apparatus, comprising:

(a) maintaining a personal information space identified with a user including media data comprising a directory of digital media files, the personal information space being coupled to a server and a network;

(b) generating a first version of the media data in the personal information space;

(c) generating a digital media file, in response to an input from the user, comprising a second version of the media data in a same format as the first version in the personal information space, the second version including an update not included in the first version;

(d) obtaining difference information comprising differences between the first version of the media data and the second version of the media data; and

(e) transferring a digital media file over the network containing the difference information from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in response to a sync request made from a web browser at the network-coupled apparatus by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step, prior to step (a), of receiving information into the personal information space.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving data from a first network coupled apparatus, and said step (e) includes transferring said media data to a second network coupled apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network coupled apparatus is an automotive computer.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step, following step (a), of identifying the personal information space associated with the user by prompting a user login from said automotive computer and retrieving login information input by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the media data comprises a directory of digital media files.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step (a) comprises providing a storage server having a network connection, and code on the storage server interacting with the personal information space.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes:

(f) providing code on a network-coupled apparatus which receives said difference information and stores the difference information on the network-coupled apparatus.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring comprises instantiating code on a network-coupled server storing said personal information space to output the difference information to the network-coupled apparatus.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transferring comprises instantiating code on the network-coupled apparatus to retrieve the difference information.

11. A system for transferring digital media between a plurality of network coupled devices, comprising:

a personal information store identified with a user containing digital media comprising a directory of digital media files readable by an application program; and

a processing device, a server and a network coupled with the personal information store, the processing device including;

an application data store holding a version of the digital media in the personal information store, and a device engine to;

a) generate a digital media file, in response to an input from the user, comprising a second version of the media data in a same format as the first version in the personal information store, the second version including an update not included in the first version;

(b) obtain difference information comprising differences between the first version of the media data and the second version of the media data; and

(c) transfer a digital media file over the network containing the difference information from the personal information space to the network coupled apparatus in response to a sync request made from a web browser at the network-coupled apparatus by the user.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the personal information store is provided on a server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server is coupled to the Internet.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the device engine is provided on a server which includes at least a portion of the personal information store.