One of Samsung's latest patent applications has come to light and presents us with an invention that generally relates to a method for managing content between devices such an MP3 player and a Smartphone. Although the inspiration for this new feature appears to have come from Apple's methodology for syncing apps – I'm sure that Samsung and Android fans will beg to differ. However you view this invention, it's an idea that many in the Android community will appreciate.
Samsung's Managing Content System in a Nutshell
Samsung's patent FIGS. 5C shown below is a diagram illustrating how content could be moved between a display apparatus such as a notebook or desktop and an external apparatus such as an MP3 Player and/or Smartphone.
If a user wishes to move one photo 521-1 from among photos stored in a Smartphone 510 to the MP3 player 520', the user may select a thumbnail image 521-1 of a photo to be moved from among a plurality of thumbnail images displayed on the UI 510 corresponding to the Smartphone 510' and drag the selected thumbnail image to the UI 520 corresponding to the MP3 player 520' as illustrated in FIG. 5C. Such manipulation by a user may be input using at least one of mouse, keyboard, and touchscreen provided on the user's notebook or desktop (display apparatus).
They types of content that could be exchanged or synced between devices include video, images, text, applications, sound data, slide shows, memos, messages, telephone book data and more.
The graphic above juxtaposes Apple's long standing method of allowing users to rearrange, delete and/or add content that's on a single device using the iTunes interface. Once set, the new arrangement could be synced to all other devices a user has (iPad, iPhone, iPod) via iCloud.
Not having an iTunes platform equivalent, Samsung shows how their users will be able to simply plug in two devices into a notebook and have them virtually duplicated on the notebook's display so that the user could easily exchange content via a mouse or touchscreen manipulation.
Is this copying Apple's idea or simply trying to find some form of equivalent? However you view it, it's a feature that Samsung customers will appreciate for exchanging photos, apps and more between devices.
Samsung's patent application was originally filed in Q1 2011 in Korea under application 10-2011-0005566 and published by the US Patent and Trademark Office in Q3 2012.
Notice
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