Patent ID: 8204522

Claim:
A multimedia information system comprising: an access device having a first storage medium, the access device storing multimedia data of a multimedia information item in the first storage medium; a computer having a second storage medium, wherein the multimedia data in the first storage medium is configured to be wirelessly communicated to the second storage medium; and a gateway arranged to wirelessly transfer a first portion of the multimedia data in the first storage medium of the access device to the second storage medium of the computer and to wirelessly transfer a second portion of the multimedia data in the first storage medium of the access device to a third storage medium via a broadband network, whenever the access device is within range of the gateway, the third storage medium being located remotely from the first storage medium and the second storage medium; wherein the first and second portions are determined by the gateway; wherein the multimedia data remains within the first storage medium when the access device is out of range of the gateway at least until the access device moves within range of the gateway; wherein the gateway maintains a record of available storage media identified as accessible to the gateway wirelessly or via the broadband network, wherein the storage media are identified by the gateway, and wherein the gateway classifies each of the identified storage media by one or more characteristics selected from the group comprising a speed of the storage medium, a cost of storage, an expected security or privacy of the storage medium, and available storage capacity of the storage medium.