Digital asset hosting and distribution

Abstract

A first collection of content that includes digital assets is maintained on a host computer. Based on a determination that a portable media device becomes connected to a client computer that is separate from the host computer and that interacts with the host computer, initiation of a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a second collection of content on the portable media device is automatically triggered. The synchronization of the first collection with the second collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device and is triggered and conditioned upon the determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer.

1 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a first collection of content on a host computer, the first collection of content including digital assets;   determining if a portable media device becomes connected to a client computer that is separate from the host computer and that interacts with the host computer; and   automatically triggering initiation of a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a second collection of content on the portable media device based on a determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer, wherein the synchronization of the first collection with the second collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device and is triggered and conditioned upon the determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first collection comprises a hosted user account, the second collection comprises a portable media device user account, and the digital assets comprise songs. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the second collection is not identical to the first collection. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the synchronization of the first collection of content with the second collection of content comprises:
 a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a third collection of content resident on the client computer, wherein the synchronization of the first collection with the third collection includes a transfer of the at least one digital asset from the host computer to the client computer; and 
 a synchronization of the third collection of content resident on the client computer with the second collection of content resident on the portable media device, wherein the synchronization of the third collection with the second collection includes a transfer of the at least one digital asset from the client computer to the portable media device. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the first collection comprises a hosted user account, the second collection comprises a portable media device user account, the third collection comprises a client user account, and the digital assets comprise songs. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 maintaining a first collection of content on a host computer, the first collection of content including digital assets;   automatically modifying the first collection of content on the host computer;   in response to automatically modifying the first collection of content on the host computer, automatically triggering initiation of a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a second collection of content resident on a portable media device connected to a client computer that is separated from the host computer and that interacts with the host computer, wherein the synchronization of the first collection with the second collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first collection comprises a hosted user account, the second collection comprises a portable media device user account, and the digital assets comprise songs. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with the second collection of content on the portable media device comprises:
 a synchronization of the first collection of content resident on the host computer with a third collection of content resident on the client computer, wherein the synchronization of the first collection with the third collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the host computer to the client computer; and 
 a synchronization of the third collection of content resident on the client computer with the second collection of content resident on the portable media device, wherein the synchronization of the third collection with the second collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the client computer to the portable media device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 maintaining a second collection of content on the host computer, the first collection of content being linked to the second collection of content; and 
 determining that the second collection of content has been modified, wherein automatically modifying the first collection of content comprises automatically modifying the first collection of content to reflect the content of the second collection in response to a determination that the second collection of content has been modified. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first collection of content comprises a dynamically generated playlist, and automatically modifying the first collection of content comprises updating the dynamically generated playlist. 
     
     
         11 . A system comprising:
 a client computer that is separate from a host computer; and   a client application resident on the client computer, wherein   the client computer is configured to interact with the host computer and a portable media device,   the host computer includes a hosted collection of content, the hosted collection of content including at least one digital asset,   the portable media device includes a device collection of content,   the portable media device is configured to enable the portable media device to be connected to the client computer,   the client application is configured to determine that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer and to automatically trigger initiation of a synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection based on a determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer, and   the synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device and is triggered and conditioned upon the determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection comprises: 
 a synchronization of the hosted collection with the client collection, wherein the synchronization of the hosted collection with the client collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the host computer to the client computer; and 
 a synchronization of the client collection with the device collection, wherein the synchronization of the client collection with the device collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the client computer to the portable media device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the client application is further configured to automatically initiate an update of the content of the client collection to reflect the content of the hosted collection on a periodic basis. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the client application is further configured to automatically initiate an update of the content of the client collection to reflect the content of the hosted collection in response to the client computer being powered on. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the client application is further configured to automatically initiate an update of the content of the client collection to reflect the content of the hosted collection in response to a user instruction. 
 
     
     
         16 . A system comprising:
 a host computer including a hosted collection of content, the hosted collection of content including at least one digital asset, wherein   the host computer is configured to interact with a client computer that is separate from the host computer,   the client computer is configured to interact with a portable media device,   the portable media device includes a device collection of content and is configured to enable the portable media device to be connected to the client computer,   the client computer is further configured to determine that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer and to automatically trigger initiation of a synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection based on a determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer, and   the synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection includes a transfer of at least one of the digital assets from the host computer to the client computer to the portable media device and is triggered and conditioned upon the determination that the portable media device has become connected to the client computer.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein
 the hosted collection comprises a hosted user account, the hosted user account including a dynamically generated playlist, and 
 the host computer is configured to modify the dynamically generated playlist automatically. 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and the synchronization of the hosted collection with the device collection comprises: 
 a synchronization of the hosted collection with the client collection, wherein the synchronization of the hosted collection with the client collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the host computer to the client computer; and 
 a synchronization of the client collection with the device collection, wherein the synchronization of the client collection with the device collection includes the transfer of the at least one digital asset from the client computer to the portable media device. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the host computer is further configured to automatically initiate an update of the content of the client collection to reflect the content of the hosted collection on a periodic basis. 
 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 16  wherein
 the client computer includes a client collection of content, and 
 the client computer is further configured to automatically initiate an update of the content of the client collection to reflect the content of the hosted collection in response to the client computer being powered on. 
 
     
     
         21 .- 29 . (canceled)