Automatic delivery of media content to a device

Abstract

A method includes sending, from a portable computing device to a media device, first data indicating media content provided to a display device when a particular local area network was not accessible to the portable computing device. The media device generates or updates a user profile based on the first data and causes a first media content item to be recorded based on the user profile. The method includes receiving, from the media device via the particular local area network, a notification identifying the first media content item and a storage size associated with the first media content item. The method also includes, in response to determining that a pre-cache memory does not have available capacity to store the first media content item based on the storage size, deleting a second media content item from the pre-cache memory and storing the first media content item at the pre-cache memory.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating, by a processing system including a processor, a plurality of user profiles, wherein each user profile of the plurality of user profiles is based on viewing data received via a local area network from a corresponding portable device of a plurality of portable devices;   recording, by the processing system, a plurality of media content items from at least one content source, wherein each media content item of the plurality of media content items is selected based at least in part on a corresponding user profile of the plurality of user profiles, wherein the recording of each media content item is performed when the corresponding portable device is not available via the local area network; and   transmitting, by the processing system, each media content item of the plurality of media content items to the corresponding portable device when the corresponding portable device becomes available via the local area network, wherein each media content item is stored by the corresponding portable device at a pre-cache memory to enable the corresponding portable device to perform playback from the pre-cache memory at a later time when the corresponding portable device is not connected to the local area network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting to each portable device via the local area network a notification identifying a corresponding media content item and a storage size associated with the corresponding media content item. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recording the plurality of media content items comprises storing the plurality of media content items in a memory associated with the processing system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recording the plurality of media content items comprises causing the plurality of media content items to be stored at network-based equipment of a service provider. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the plurality of media content items based on a determination that users are likely to consume the plurality of media content items. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are to be broadcast within a particular timeframe. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are available via an on-demand service. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting to at least one vehicle-based computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting comprises transmitting to at least one smart phone. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a set-top box. 
     
     
         11 . A media device comprising:
 a local area network interface to communicate over a local area network;   a processing system including a processor coupled to the local area network interface;   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 generating a plurality of user profiles, wherein each user profile of the plurality of user profiles is based on viewing data received via the local area network from a corresponding smart phone of a plurality of smart phones; 
 recording a plurality of media content items from at least one content source, wherein each media content item of the plurality of media content items is selected based at least in part on a corresponding user profile of the plurality of user profiles, wherein the recording of each media content item is performed when the corresponding smart phone is not available via the local area network; and 
 transmitting each media content item of the plurality of media content items to the corresponding smart phone when the corresponding smart phone becomes available via the local area network, wherein each media content item is stored by the corresponding smart phone at a pre-cache memory to enable the corresponding smart phone to perform playback from the pre-cache memory at a later time when the corresponding smart phone is not connected to the local area network. 
   
     
     
         12 . The media device of  claim 11 , wherein the recording the plurality of media content items comprises storing the plurality of media content items in a memory associated with the media device. 
     
     
         13 . The media device of  claim 11 , wherein the recording the plurality of media content items comprises causing the plurality of media content items to be stored at network-based equipment of a service provider. 
     
     
         14 . The media device of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising selecting the plurality of media content items based on a determination that users are likely to consume the plurality of media content items. 
     
     
         15 . The media device of  claim 11 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are to be broadcast within a particular timeframe. 
     
     
         16 . The media device of  claim 11 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are available via an on-demand service. 
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a media device including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 generating a plurality of user profiles, wherein each user profile of the plurality of user profiles is based on viewing data received via a local area network from a corresponding portable device of a plurality of portable devices;   recording a plurality of media content items from at least one content source, wherein each media content item of the plurality of media content items is selected based at least in part on a corresponding user profile of the plurality of user profiles, wherein the recording of each media content item is performed when the corresponding portable device is not available via the local area network; and   transmitting each media content item of the plurality of media content items to the corresponding portable device when the corresponding portable device becomes available via the local area network, wherein each media content item is stored by the corresponding portable device at a pre-cache memory to enable the corresponding portable device to perform playback from the pre-cache memory at a later time when the corresponding portable device is not connected to the local area network.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the recording the plurality of media content items comprises causing at least one of the plurality of media content items to be stored at network-based equipment of a service provider. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are to be broadcast within a particular timeframe. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein recording comprises recording programs that are available via an on-demand service.