Information-processing apparatus and information-processing method

• US 20020046216A1
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Tomotaka, Baba, Hiromitsu, Inada, Shinsaku, Kishimoto, Toyoaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,050,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

Disclosed is an information-processing apparatus comprising: storage means for storing application programs and data files; calculating means for activating an application program stored in the storage means to carry out predetermined processing; media drive means for recording and playing back information into and from an external recording medium; and control means which controls the media-drive means and the storage means when the external recording medium for recording an application program is mounted on the media drive means so that: when the storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size large enough for accommodating the application program recorded in the external recording medium, the application program recorded in the external recording medium is installed in the storage means; but when the storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size not large enough for accommodating the application program recorded in the external recording medium, on the other hand, an application program or a data file stored in the storage means is saved to the external recording medium in order to allocate a free storage area in the storage means and then the application program recorded in the external recording medium is installed in the storage means.

Claims

1. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing application programs and data files;

calculating means for activating an application program stored in said storage means to carry out predetermined processing;

media drive means for recording and playing back information into and from an external recording medium; and

control means which controls said media-drive means and said storage means when said external recording medium for recording an application program is mounted on said media drive means so that;

when said storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size large enough for accommodating said application program recorded in said external recording medium, said application program recorded in said external recording medium is installed in said storage means;

but when said storage means includes a remaining free storage area with a size not large enough for accommodating said application program recorded in said external recording medium, on the other hand, an application program or a data file stored in said storage means is saved to said external recording medium in order to allocate a free storage area in said storage means and then said application program recorded in said external recording medium is installed in said storage means.

2. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information-processing apparatus further has an activation-history management means for storing activation history information for each application program on said storage means and for updating said activation history information for a specific application program upon activation of said specific application program by said calculating means, and said control means selects an application program to be saved to said external recording medium on the basis of said activation history information.

3. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said storage means is a non-volatile storage area.

4. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, when an application program or a data file has been saved in said external recording medium being dismounted from said media drive means, said control means controls said media-drive means and said storage means to uninstall an application program installed from said external recording medium into said storage means in order to restore said installed application program to said external recording medium and to restore said application program or said data file saved in said external recording medium to said storage means.

5. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said calculating means activates an application program upon installation of said application program from said external recording medium into said storage means.

6. An information-processing method comprising:

a judgment step of verifying the size of a free storage area available in storage means and the size of a storage area required for accommodating an application program loaded from an external recording medium into said storage means and forming a judgment as to whether or not said application program can be installed in said storage means;

a save step of saving an application program or a data file stored in said storage means to said external recording medium in order to allocate a new free storage area in said storage means in the case of outcome of said judgment step indicating that said application program cannot be installed in said storage means; and

an installation step of installing said application program recorded in said external recording medium into said storage means having said new free storage area allocated by said save step.

7. An information-processing method according to claim 6, wherein said information-processing method further having an activation step of activating an application program upon installation of said application program from said external recording medium into said storage means by said installation step.

8. An information-processing method according to claim 6, wherein said information-processing method further has a history-updating step of updating activation history information for an application program upon activation of said application program, and an application program to be saved to said external recording medium is selected, in said save step, on the basis of said activation history information.

9. An information-processing method according to claim 6, wherein, when said application program or said data file has been saved in said external recording medium being dismounted, said information-processing method further having a restoration step of uninstalling an application program installed from said external recording medium into said storage means to restore said installed application program to said external recording medium and restoring an application program or a data file saved in said external recording medium to said storage means.

10. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

storage means;

connection means for exchanging information between said information-processing apparatus and an external recording medium;

calculating means for activating application software and carrying out processing based on said application software; and

search means for first searching said storage means for a relevant data file to be used by said activated application software, and for searching said external recording medium for said relevant data file through said connection means when said data file is not found in said storage means.

11. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said external recording medium is a portable recording medium, and said connection means is implemented as a recording and playback unit for recording and playing back data onto and from said portable recording medium.

12. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said external recording medium is an external server connected to said information-processing apparatus by a wire or radio communication line, and said connection means is implemented as a communication unit for communicating with said external server through said communication line.

14. An information-processing method according to claim 13, wherein said external recording medium searched for said desired file, when said desired file is not found in said storage means, is a portable recording medium, and said connection means allowing information to be input from and output to said external recording medium is a recording/playback unit for recording and playing back data into and from said portable recording medium.

15. An information-processing method according to claim 13, wherein said external recording medium searched for said desired file, when said desired file is not found in said storage means, is an external server connected by a wire or radio communication line, and said connection means allowing information to be input from and output to said external recording medium is a communication unit for carrying out communications with said external recording medium through said communication line.

17. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said information-processing apparatus further having reference processing control means for loading a data file from said external recording medium into said storage means and carrying out a process to reference said loaded data file in response to an operation carried out on said user interface means, or for loading a data file required in the course of processing based on application software in execution from said external recording medium into said storage means and carrying out a process to reference said loaded data file, when a request is made for reference of said data file.

18. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said external recording medium is a portable recording medium, and said connection means is implemented as a recording and playback unit for recording and playing back data onto and from said portable recording medium.

19. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said external recording medium is an external server connected by a wire or radio communication line, and said connection means is implemented as a communication unit for communicating with said external server through said communication line.

13. An information-processing method adopted by a calculating means operating in accordance with a predetermined step to search for a desired file related to processing of said predetermined step, said information-processing method comprising:

a search step of searching storage means for said desired file;

a connection step of setting a connection to an external recording medium through connection means when said desired file is not found in said storage means;

a search step of searching said external recording medium for said desired file after said connection step is set.

16. An information-processing apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing application software and data files;

connection means for exchanging information between said information-processing apparatus and an external recording medium for storing application software and data files;

recognition means for recognizing application software or data files, which are stored in said external recording medium connected to said information-processing apparatus by said connection means;

user interface means for displaying application software or data files, which are stored in said storage means, displaying application software or data files, which are stored in said external recording medium and recognized by said recognition means, and for allowing a piece of said displayed application software to be selected for activation and for allowing one of said displayed data files to be selected for use; and

activation processing control means for loading application software from said external recording medium into said storage means and carrying out processing to activate said loaded application software in response to an operation carried out on said user interface means to make a request for activation of said application software.

20. An information-processing method comprising:

an activation-detecting step of detecting an operation to activate application software;

a judgment step of forming a judgment as to whether application software to be activated which is detected by said activation-detecting step is stored in an storage means or an external recording medium;

a loading step of loading application software from said external recording medium in the case of result of said judgment step indicating that said application software is stored in said external recording medium; and

an activation step of activating application software loaded on said storage means by said loading step.

21. An information-processing method according to claim 20, wherein said information-processing method further having a data-file-referencing step of loading a data file from said external recording medium into said storage means and carrying out a process to reference said loaded data file in response to an operation carried out on said user interface means, or for loading a data file required in the course of processing based on application software in execution from said external recording medium into said storage means and carrying out a process to reference said loaded data file, when a request is made for reference of said data file.

22. An information-processing method according to claim 20 wherein said external recording medium is a portable recording medium, and application software is played back from said portable recording medium in said loading step.

23. An information-processing method according to claim 20 wherein said external recording medium is an external server connected by a wire or radio communication line, and application software is downloaded from said external server through said communication line in said loading step.