Managing content storage, selection, and transfer for user access

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to methods, systems, and storage mediums for managing content storage and selection activities. The method includes aggregating content from content providers and presenting the content to a content device. The method also includes monitoring consumption of storage space with respect to storage capacity in the content device, relocating content contained in the storage space of the content device when a predetermined condition is met, and providing access to relocated content. The relocation is operable for freeing up the storage space of the content device.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for managing content storage and selection, comprising:
 aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host system, from a plurality of content providers; 
 providing the content to at least one consumer user content device; 
 monitoring, remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage space of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon the type of the at least one consumer user content device; 
 selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content, a content device user's selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content; 
 relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the content contained in the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device when a predetermined condition is met, wherein relocating the content frees up the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device; and 
 providing a user interface, by the off-site host system, to the consumer user content device, the user interface operable for building a content library listing content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library; 
 wherein the relocating content contained in the storage space includes: 
 removing the content from the storage space; and 
 providing a link in the content library to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 associating the content library with a user account; 
 providing access to the content library; 
 providing access to the relocated content; 
 monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user; 
 comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the other content devices; 
 determining relationships between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices; 
 generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and 
 presenting the listing to the content device user, wherein access to the content library includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of:
 viewing listings in the content library, 
 accessing content identified in the content library, and 
 charging a fee for accessed content. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content includes at least one of:
 audio; 
 video; 
 images; 
 text; 
 premium channel programming; 
 cable programming; 
 broadcast network programming; 
 radio programming; 
 digital music; and 
 pay-per-view programming. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the consumer user content devices include:
 a personal computer; 
 a cellular telephone; 
 a personal digital assistant; and 
 a television. 
 
     
     
       6. A system for managing content storage and selection activities, comprising:
 an off-site database for storing content; 
 an interface to an at least one consumer user content device capable of receiving content from a content provider over a communications network; and 
 an off-site host system performing:
 aggregating content from a plurality of content providers; 
 providing the content to at least one consumer user content device; 
 remotely monitoring, via a content storage and selection application, consumption of a storage space of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device; 
 selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device, size of the content, a selection by a user of the at least one consumer user content device user's selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content; 
 relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the selected content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device to the off-site database a storage device associated with the off-site host system via the communications network when a predetermined condition is met; 
 building a content library listing the content contained in the storage space and the relocated content, via the interface, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library; 
 
 wherein the relocating the selected content contained in the storage space includes:
 removing the selected content from the storage space; and 
 providing a link in the content library to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the content storage and selection application further performs:
 associating the content library with a user account; 
 providing access to the content library; 
 providing access to the relocated content; 
 monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user; 
 comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the other content devices; 
 determining relationships between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices; 
 generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and 
 presenting the listing to the content device user, wherein access to the content library includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account. 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of:
 viewing listings in the content library, 
 accessing content identified in the content library, 
 adding content to another content library associated with the non-owner, 
 charging a fee for accessed content, and 
 compensating a content owner for accessed content. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the content includes at least one of:
 audio; 
 video; 
 images; 
 text; 
 premium channel programming; 
 cable programming; 
 broadcast network programming; 
 radio programming; 
 digital music; and 
 pay-per-view programming. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the consumer user content devices include:
 a personal computer; 
 a cellular telephone; 
 a personal digital assistant; and 
 a television. 
 
     
     
       11. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable program code providing content storage and selection services, the program code including instructions causing a host system to implement a method, comprising:
 aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host system, from a plurality of content providers; 
 providing the content to at least one consumer user content device; 
 monitoring, remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage space of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon the type of the at least one consumer user content device; 
 selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage device, size of the content, a content device user's selection, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content; 
 relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the content contained in the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device when a predetermined condition is met, wherein relocating the content frees up the fixed amount of storage space of the at least one consumer user content device; and 
 providing a user interface, by the off-site host system, to the consumer user content device, the user interface operable for building a content library listing content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each user content device that includes the content item in its content library; 
 wherein the relocating content contained in the storage space includes: 
 removing the content from the storage space; and 
 providing a link in the content library to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content. 
 
     
     
       12. The storage medium of  claim 11 , further comprising instructions for:
 associating the content library with a user account; 
 providing access to the content library; 
 providing access to the relocated content; 
 monitoring a plurality of activities conducted by a content device user via transactions occurring in the content library associated with the content device user; 
 comparing the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user with a plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices via transactions occurring in corresponding content libraries of the other content devices; 
 determining relationships between the plurality of activities conducted by the content device user and the plurality of other activities conducted by users of other content devices; 
 generating a listing of recommended content items based on determined relationships; and 
 presenting the listing to the content device user, wherein access to the content library includes providing an owner of the user account and a non-owner of the user account with access to the content library associated with the user account. 
 
     
     
       13. The storage medium of  claim 12 , wherein access by the non-owner includes at least one of:
 viewing listings in the content library, 
 accessing content identified in the content library, 
 adding content to another content library associated with the non-owner, 
 charging a fee for accessed content, and 
 compensating a content owner for accessed content. 
 
     
     
       14. The storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the content includes at least one of:
 audio; 
 video; 
 images; 
 text; 
 premium channel programming; 
 cable programming; 
 broadcast network programming; 
 radio programming; 
 digital music; and 
 pay-per-view programming. 
 
     
     
       15. The storage medium  claim 11 , wherein the consumer user content devices include:
 a personal computer; 
 a cellular telephone; 
 a personal digital assistant; and 
 a television. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 2 , wherein access by the non-owner includes adding content to another content library associated with the non-owner. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 2 , wherein access by the non-owner includes compensating a content owner for accessed content. 
     
     
       18. A method for managing content storage and selection, comprising:
 aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host system, from a plurality of content providers;   providing the content to at least one consumer user content device;   monitoring, remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage space of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon the type of the at least one consumer user content device;   selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device, size of the content, a selection by a user of the at least one consumer user content device, and an inference based upon most frequently accessed content;   relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the selected content when a predetermined condition is met; and   providing a user interface, by the off-site host system, to the at least one consumer user content device, the user interface operable for displaying content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a storage location of the content is transparent to a user based on the displaying;   wherein relocating the selected content includes:
 removing the content from the storage space; and 
 providing a link to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content. 
   
     
     
       19. A method for managing content storage and selection, comprising:
 aggregating content, remotely by an off-site host system, from a plurality of content providers;   providing the content to at least one consumer user content device;   monitoring, remotely by the off-site host system, consumption of a storage space of the at least one consumer user content device residing locally in a consumer user system, with respect to storage capacity in the at least one consumer user content device receiving the content, wherein the at least one consumer user content device contains a fixed amount of storage space, the monitoring based upon the type of the at least one consumer user content device;   selecting content contained in the storage space for relocation, wherein the content for relocation is selected based on at least one of how long the content has been stored in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device, size of the content, a selection by a user of the at least one consumer user content device, an inference based upon most frequently accessed content, and an available remaining storage capacity of the storage space;   relocating, remotely by the off-site host system, the selected content when a predetermined condition is met; and   providing a user interface, by the off-site host system, to the at least one consumer user content device, the user interface operable for building a content library listing content contained in the storage space of the at least one consumer user content device and the relocated content, wherein a content storage and selection application maintains a single copy of a content item in a database and replicates the single copy for each consumer user content device that includes the content item in its content library;   wherein relocating the selected content includes:
 removing the content from the storage space; and 
 providing a link in the content library to the relocated content removed from the storage space, the link providing access to the relocated content. 
   
     
     
       20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one consumer user content device is associated with an account, the method further comprising:
 in response to receiving a request from the at least one consumer user content device to access a particular content item, the off-site host system authenticating the request; and   in response to the authentication, the off-site host system granting access to the particular content item.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, wherein the authenticating the request includes authenticating a user associated with the request by validating a user identifier and a user password. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 20, wherein the authenticating the request includes authenticating the at least one consumer user content device by validating an identifier associated with the at least one consumer user content device received with the request. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one consumer user content device is associated with an account owner, the method further comprising:
 in response to receiving a request from the at least one consumer user content device to access a particular content item of the content, the off-site host system authenticating the request; and   in response to the authentication indicating the request was not made by the account owner, the off-site host system determining whether permissions exist to view the particular content item.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23, wherein the determining whether permissions exist to view the particular content item includes determining whether viewing the particular content item carries a subscriber fee. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
 in response to determining that permission exists to view the particular content item, the off-site host system granting access to the particular content item.