METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROGRESSIVELY DELETING MEDIA OBJECTS FROM STORAGE
A system for managing storage space on an electronic storage medium is provided in which a file format for stored data allows for progressive deletion of low-significance data, for example in a video or audio file, while allowing the remaining portions of the file to be subsequently retrieved. The file format allows for the ready deletion of low-significance data without having to open, edit and subsequently rewrite the data. Furthermore, rules-based algorithms for the deletion of low-significance data allow a user to store and progressively delete such low-significance data in accordance with time parameters, available storage space and the like, without having to delete the full file.
1 . (canceled)
2 - 92 . (canceled)
93 - 94 . (canceled)
95 . A method implemented by a software system running on a computer, comprising:
accessing, via the software system, a listing of items of continuous media that have been selected by a consumer, the listing including metadata that identifies items from the listing of items and that is usable to enable the consumer to access the items to play;
enabling, via the software system, the consumer to request to play one or more of the items;
providing automatically, via the software system, at least some of the metadata that identifies the items to a server system that is remote from the consumer and that provides at least one computerized service to both the consumer and a plurality of other consumers;
enabling automatically, via the software system, at least data related to a first one or more of the items that are currently stored locally on a consumer device to be sent to the server system so that a copy of the first one or more of the items can be maintained at the server system for subsequent accessing by the consumer; and
requesting, via the software system, second ones of the items that are not currently stored locally on the consumer device to be accessed from the server system.
96 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the requesting second ones to be accessed from the server system is done automatically in response to a request from the consumer to play the second ones of the items.
97 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the second ones of the items accessed from the server system are streamed.
98 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the second ones of the items accessed from the server system are downloaded.
99 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the items are recorded music items.
100 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system is local to the consumer.
101 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system is remote from the consumer.
102 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system is remote from the consumer and is coupled to the server system.
103 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the items are accessed from storage local to the consumer.
104 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the items are accessed from storage remote from the consumer.
105 . The method of claim 95 , wherein a history of plays by the consumer is automatically tracked and automatically provided to the server system.
106 . The method of claim 105 , wherein the history of plays is used to make inferences about the consumer.
107 . The method of claim 106 , wherein the inferences are used to recommend additional items to the consumer.
108 . The method of claim 106 , wherein the inferences are used to recommend additional items to at least one of the plurality of other consumers.
109 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the listing is made available to the consumer at a plurality of devices used by the consumer.
110 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the listing is made available at a plurality of devices used by one or more consumers other than the consumer.
111 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the consumer has local access to one of the items at the consumer device, and is granted remote access to the one of the items from a different device at which the consumer does not have local access to the item.
112 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the consumer is provided access to one of the items at one device at a quality level different from that provided to the consumer at another device.
113 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising:
enabling, via the software system, the consumer to specify that the listing is permitted to be shared with one or more consumer devices other than the consumer device.
114 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising:
accessing, via the software system, a playlist that specifies a sequence of a plurality of the items to be played in the specified sequence.
115 . The method of claim 114 , wherein the playlist is persistent so that it can be repeatedly used at different times.
116 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising:
enabling automatically, via the software system, a playlist that is currently stored locally on the consumer device to be backed up by the server system.
117 . The method of claim 114 , further comprising:
requesting, via the software system, the playlist that is not currently stored locally on the consumer device to be accessed from the server system.
118 . The method of claim 114 , wherein the playlist is made available to the consumer at a plurality of devices used by the consumer.
119 . The method of claim 114 , wherein the playlist is made accessible to at least one other device that is used by a at least one additional consumer.
120 . The method of claim 114 , wherein the playlist is made accessible to at least one of the plurality of other consumers that is unrelated to the consumer.
121 . The method of claim 114 , wherein the playlist is used to make inferences about the consumer.
122 . The method of claim 121 wherein the inferences are used to recommend additional items to the consumer.
123 . The method of claim 121 , wherein the inferences are used to recommend additional items to at least one of the plurality of other consumers.
124 . The method of claim 95 , further comprising:
maintaining, via the software system, the listing of items.
125 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system is instantiated on the device currently being used by the consumer.
126 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system comprises a user interface service associated with the server system.
127 . The method of claim 95 , wherein the software system is in part instantiated on the device currently being used by the consumer and in part comprises a user interface service associated with the server system.