Prioritizing synchronization of audio files to an in-vehicle computing device

A computer-implemented method for synchronizing a plurality of audio files with an in-vehicle computing device of an automobile, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the in-vehicle computing device, a request from a user of a personal computing device to play an audio file of the audio files from the personal computing device on the in-vehicle computing device, the audio files stored at the personal computing device, the personal computing device connected to the in-vehicle computing device;
• determining, by the in-vehicle computing device, whether the audio file is stored at an in-vehicle storage device associated with the in-vehicle computing device;
• responsive to a determination that the audio file is stored at the in-vehicle storage device,
• playing, by the in-vehicle computing device, the audio file from the in-vehicle storage device on the in-vehicle computing device, and
• copying, by the in-vehicle computing device and from the personal computing device, a second audio file of the audio files that is not stored at the in-vehicle storage device to the in-vehicle storage device, the copying including selecting a second audio file of the audio files based on an access pattern of the audio files on the personal computing device;
• receiving, by the in-vehicle computing device, a request from the user to play a third audio file of the audio files, the third audio file not stored at the in-vehicle storage device;
• pausing, in response to receiving the request to play the third audio file, the copying of the second audio file by the in-vehicle computing device if the copying of the second audio file is in progress;
• playing, by the in-vehicle computing device, the third audio file from the personal computing device on the in-vehicle computing device, wherein playing the third audio file from the personal computing device further includes:
• while the in-vehicle computing device is playing the third audio file from the personal computing device, determining if the copying of the third audio file to the in-vehicle storage device is completed and the in-vehicle storage device has the copy of the third audio file, and
• responsive to a determination that the in-vehicle storage device has the copy of the third audio file,
• pausing the playing of the third file from the personal computing device, and resuming the playing of the third file by playing the copy of the third audio file from the in-vehicle storage device from where the playing of the third file is paused;
• storing, by the in-vehicle computing device, a copy of the third audio file at the in-vehicle storage device;
• and
• resuming, by the in-vehicle computing device and upon completion of storing the third audio file, the copying of the second audio file.

An in-vehicle computing device installed in an automobile for synchronizing a plurality of audio files from a personal computing device associated with a user, the in-vehicle computing device comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory comprising instructions, which when executed by the processor, performs the method of:
• presenting a list of audio files to the user on a display associated with the in-vehicle computing device, the list including the audio files synchronized from the personal computing device, wherein at least some of the audio files are stored in an in-vehicle storage device associated with the in-vehicle computing device;
• receiving a user selection of an audio file from the list for playing the audio file on the in-vehicle computing device;
• determining whether the audio file is stored in the in-vehicle storage device;
• responsive to a determination that the audio file is available in the in-vehicle storage device, playing the audio file using an in-vehicle computing system;
• responsive to a determination that the audio file is not available in the in-vehicle storage device,
• determining whether the personal computing device is connected to the in-vehicle computing device, and
• responsive to a determination that the personal computing device is connected to the in-vehicle computing device, playing the audio file from the personal computing device on the in-vehicle computing device;
• determining a popularity score of each of the audio files stored at the personal computing device, the popularity score determined as a function of an access pattern of the audio files;
• and
• copying a first subset of the audio files whose popularity score exceeds a first threshold,
• wherein the audio file that is currently being played from the personal computing device on the in-vehicle computing device has a high popularity score, the copying including:
• pausing the copying of the first subset of files from the personal computing device,
• copying the audio file currently being played from the personal computing device, and
• resuming copying of the first subset of the files after the audio file currently being played is copied successfully.