Widget synchronization in accordance with synchronization preferences

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12360958-B2
Application number	US-202217647542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2022
Priority date	Jan 7, 2007
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

Improved techniques and apparatus for managing data between a host device (e.g., host computer) and a client device. The data being managed can, for example, pertain to portable computer programs, such as widgets. The managing of the data thus can involve transfer of portable computer programs (e.g., widgets) between the host device and the client device. In one embodiment, the transfer of portable computer programs between a host device and a client device can be referred to as synchronization.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for media asset playback, the method comprising:
receiving, by a client computing device, a request to play a first media asset during a first transmission of one or more second media assets for storage on the client computing device from a serving computing device, wherein the storage of the one or more second media assets is prioritized over storage of the first media asset; and
in response to a determination that the first media asset is not stored on the client computing device due at least in part to a lack of storage capacity of the client computing device:
temporarily suspending, without user interaction and by the client computing device, the first transmission of the one or more second media assets;
initiating a second transmission of the first media asset from the serving computing device for playback on the client computing device; and
in response to an end of playback of the first media asset on the client computing device, resuming the first transmission of the one or more second media assets.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the second transmission includes establishing a streaming connection, wherein establishing the streaming connection comprises:
retrieving a network address for the first media asset; and
opening the streaming connection to the serving computing device using the retrieved network address.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the network address is retrieved from a media database stored on the client computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second transmission is terminated when the first media asset has been transmitted to the client computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second transmission is terminated based on an indication to stop playback of the first media asset.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second transmission comprises a streaming connection.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising in response to the determination that the first media asset is not stored on the client computing device, establishing the streaming connection with the serving computing device based on a network address; and in response to an indication to stop streaming, closing the streaming connection.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the serving computing device, network addresses for the one or more second media assets; and
storing the network addresses for the one or more second media assets on the client computing device.

9. A client computing device comprising:
at least one processor;
at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive a request to play a first media asset during a first transmission of one or more media second assets for storage on the client computing device from a serving computing device, wherein the storage of the one or more second media assets is prioritized over storage of the first media asset; and
in response to a determination that the first media asset is not stored on the client computing device due at least in part to a lack of storage capacity of the client computing device:
temporarily suspend, without user interaction and by the client computing device, the first transmission of the one or more second media assets;
initiate a second transmission of the first media asset from the serving computing device for playback on the client computing device; and
in response to an end of playback of the first media asset on the client computing device, resume the first transmission of the one or more second media assets.

10. The client computing device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to initiate the second transmission includes instructions to establish a streaming connection, wherein the instructions to establish the streaming connection comprises instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
retrieve a network address for the first media asset; and
open the streaming connection to the serving computing device using the retrieved network address.

11. The client computing device of claim 10 , wherein the network address is retrieved from a media database stored on the client computing device.

12. The client computing device of claim 9 , wherein the second transmission is terminated when the first media asset has been transmitted to the client computing device.

13. The client computing device of claim 9 , wherein the second transmission is terminated based on an indication to stop playback of the first media asset.

14. The client computing device of claim 9 , wherein the second transmission comprises a streaming connection.

15. The client computing device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
in response to the determination that the first media asset is not stored on the client computing device, establish the streaming connection with the serving computing device based on a network address; and
in response to an indication to stop streaming, close the streaming connection.

16. The client computing device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive, from the serving computing device, network addresses for the one or more second media assets; and
store the network addresses for the one or more second media assets on the client computing device.

17. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
receive a request to play a first media asset during a first transmission of one or more second media assets for storage on a client computing device from a serving computing device, wherein the storage of the one or more second media assets is prioritized over storage of the first media asset; and
in response to a determination that the first media asset is not stored on the client computing device due at least in part to a lack of storage capacity of the client computing device:
temporarily suspend, without user interaction and by the client computing device, the first transmission of the one or more second media assets;
initiate a second transmission of the first media asset from the serving computing device for playback on the client computing device; and
in response to an end of playback of the first media asset on the client computing device, resume the first transmission of the one or more second media assets.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions to initiate the second transmission includes instructions to establish a streaming connection, wherein the instructions to establish the streaming connection comprises instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
retrieve a network address for the first media asset; and
open the streaming connection to the serving computing device using the retrieved network address.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the second transmission comprises a streaming connection.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions further comprise instruc

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Robbin Jeffrey L
• Heller David
• Wysocki Christopher R
• Wasko Timothy
• Freedman Gordon

Classifications

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F16/182 Primary

  Distributed file systems · CPC title