System and method for automatically synchronizing and acquiring content for battery-powered devices
View Patent ↗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.
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 a 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.