System and method for automatically synchronizing and acquiring content for battery powered devices
View Patent ↗Various synchronization and content acquisition tasks able to be performed by a portable device are governed by reference to a budget. In operation, the budget may be adjusted as a function of a state of a battery associated with the portable device, as a function of one more file sizes associated with content to be acquired, as a function of a data transfer rate, and/or as a function of a temperature associated with the portable device. A filter may also be provided for use in determining which content the portable device will acquire.
1. For use in connection with a battery-powered device, a method of downloading media content from a media content server comprising:
establishing a period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server; and
adjusting the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server as a function of a state of a battery associated with the battery-powered device.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the state of the battery comprises the battery being charged.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the state of the battery comprises the battery being discharged.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising adjusting the period of time in response to the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , comprising using a threshold value for the period of time to halt the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media server.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a threshold value for the period of time to prevent the battery-powered device from downloading media content from the media server.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of a state of the battery associated with the battery-powered device to enable the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
8. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of content size to enable the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of media content file size to determine which content the battery-powered device will download from the media content server in the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server.
10. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of data transfer rate to enable the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
11. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of data transfer rate to determine which media content the battery-powered device will download from the media content server in the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server.
12. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising adjusting the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download content from the media content server as a function of a temperature associated with the battery-powered device.
13. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a measure of temperature to enable the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
14. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising adjusting the period of time as a function of a measure of a state of a battery within the battery-powered device.
15. The method as recited in claim 1 , comprising using a filter to determine which media content the battery-powered device will download from the media content server in the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the filter comprises one or more media content genres.
17. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the filter comprises one or more media ratings categories.
18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the filter comprises one or more media content play dates.
19. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the filter comprises one or more media content publication dates.
20. For use in connection with a battery-powered device, a method of downloading media content from a media content server comprising:
measuring a state of a battery associated with the battery-powered device; and
using the measure of the state of the battery associated with the battery-powered device to determine if the battery-powered device is to be enabled to download media content from the media content server.
21. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the state of the battery comprises a voltage level.
22. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the state of the battery comprises a current level.
23. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the state of the battery comprises a battery charge time.
24. The method as recited in claim 20 , wherein the state of the battery comprises a battery discharge time.
25. An apparatus comprising:
a battery providing power, and
a content acquisition budget manager that determines a length of time to download media content from a media content server and that adjusts the length of time to download the media content from the media content server as a function of a state of the battery.
26. The apparatus as recited in claim 25 further comprising a filter to determine which media content is acquired.
27. The apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the content acquisition budget manager uses content size of the media content as a factor in adjusting the length of time to download the media content.
28. The apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the state of the battery comprises a voltage level.
29. The apparatus as recited in claim 25 wherein the state of the battery comprises a battery charge time.
30. A system comprising:
means for establishing a period of time during which a battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server; and
means for adjusting the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server as a function of a state of a battery associated with the battery-powered device.
31. The system as recited in claim 30 , further comprising means for adjusting the period of time in response to the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
32. The system as recited in claim 31 , further comprising means for using a threshold value for the period of time to halt the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media server.
33. The system as recited in claim 30 , further comprising means for using a threshold value for the period of time to prevent the battery-powered device from downloading media content from the media server.
34. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
establish a period of time during which a battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from a media content server; and
adjust the period of time during which the battery-powered device is allowed to download media content from the media content server as a function of a state of a battery associated with the battery-powered device.
35. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34 , wherein the computing device is further caused to adjust the period of time in response to the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media content server.
36. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35 , wherein the computing device is further caused to use a threshold value for the period of time to halt the battery-powered device downloading media content from the media server.
37. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 34 , wherein the computing device is further caused to use a threshold value for the period of time to prevent the battery-powered device from downloading media content from the media server.