Granted Patent B2

US 7,689,510 · App. 11/305,594 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. A method for use in managing content over a local network, comprising:

performing by one or more processors, the steps of:

determining, at a first device of the local network, whether additional multimedia content is added to the local network through one or more client devices of the local network;

identifying the additional content;

identifying a collection to which the additional content applies;

adding the additional content to the collection;

identifying a first client device on the local network to receive the additional content;

distributing the additional content over the local network to the first client device prior to a request for distributing the additional content;

wherein the identifying the first client device on the local network to receive the additional content comprises:

extracting metadata exclusively associated with the additional content;

accessing a distribution table;

evaluating the distribution table and identifying parameters defined within the distribution table that correspond with the extracted metadata of the additional content;

detecting, as specified in the distribution table, that the identified parameters are further associated with the first client device such that the additional content is distributed over the local network to the first client device in accordance with the distribution table and without further user interaction;

detecting a reconnection of a second client device to the local network;

determining whether content stored on the second client device has changed relative to the second client device being disconnected from the local network;

updating the local network in accordance with a detected change to the content stored on the second client device when it is determined that the content stored on the second client device has changed;

wherein the determining whether the content stored on the second client device has changed comprises determining whether a first multimedia content has been added to the second client device after the second client device was last connected with the local network;

wherein the updating the local network, when it is determined that the first multimedia content has been added to the second client device, comprises distributing the first multimedia content, without further user interaction, to one or more of the devices of the local network;

wherein the determining whether the content stored on the second client device has changed comprises determining whether a second multimedia content has been removed from the second client device after the second client device was last connected with the local network; and

wherein the updating the local network, when it is determined that the second multimedia content has been deleted from the second client device, comprises:

identifying the second multimedia content;

determining whether the second multimedia content is stored on one or more other devices of the local network;

evaluating metadata of the second multimedia content;

determining whether the second multimedia content is to be removed from one or more other devices of the local network;

identifying, when the second multimedia content is to be removed from one or more other devices, the one or more devices of the local network from which the second multimedia content is to be removed; and

removing the second multimedia content from the one or more devices of the local network when the second multimedia content is to be removed from one or more other devices.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

pushing the collection to a recording device; and

recording the collection of content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the additional content comprises extracting metadata associated with the additional content and identifying the metadata.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining an identifier of the additional content; and

adding the identifier of the additional content to an aggregate content listing of content accessible over the local network.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the adding the identifier of the additional content to the aggregate content listing further comprises maintaining the additional content stored in a first playback device through which the additional content was added to the local network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adding the additional content to the collection comprises:

determining an identifier of the additional content;

adding the identifier of the additional content to an aggregate content listing of content accessible over the local network; and

moving the additional content stored in a first client device, through which the additional content was added to the local network, to a separate memory storage of the local network.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

updating content stored relative to the local network comprising moving the additional content from the separate memory storage to a remote memory storage accessed over a distributed network coupled with and accessed from the local network; and

updating the aggregate content listing to incorporate a storage location at the separate memory storage and associating the storage location at the separate memory storage with the identifier of the additional content stored in the aggregate content listing.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the moving the additional content to the separate memory storage of the local network comprises:

receiving instructions, through a user interface, to move the additional content; and

receiving a designation, through the user interface, the separate memory storage to which the additional content is to be moved.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the identifying the collection to which the additional content applies comprises receiving, through the user interface, a designation of a collection.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving instructions to further distribute the additional content over the local network to a third client device;

updating the distribution table, in response to receiving the instructions to further distribute the additional content to the third client device prior and without further user interaction, to associate the third client device with one or more parameters corresponding to the metadata associated with the additional content.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining, at the first client device of the local network, whether subsequent additional multimedia content is added to the local network through the one or more client devices of the local network;

identifying the subsequent additional content when it is determined that the subsequent additional content is added to the local network;

identifying that the subsequent additional content is to be associated with the collection to which the subsequent additional content applies;

adding the subsequent additional content to the collection;

extracting metadata exclusively associated with the subsequent additional content;

accessing the distribution table;

evaluating the distribution table and identifying parameters defined within the distribution table that correspond with the extracted metadata of the subsequent additional content;

detecting, as specified in the distribution table, that the identified parameters are associated with the first client device and the third client device; and

distributing, without further user interaction and prior to a request for distributing the subsequent additional content, the subsequent additional content over the local network to the first client device and the third client device.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

archiving, without requiring user interaction, a third multimedia content stored in a third device of the local network, the archiving comprising:

evaluating content stored on the third device;

determining whether the third multimedia content has not been accessed within a first threshold time period;

moving the third multimedia content from the third device to a memory storage of the local network when the third multimedia content has not been accessed within the first threshold time period;

determining whether the third multimedia content has not been accessed with a second threshold time period; and

moving the third multimedia content from the third device to a remote memory storage accessed over a distributed network external to the local network when the third multimedia content has not been accessed within the second threshold time period.

Assignments (15)