Data storage methods and apparatuses with basic and extended file system capacity

• US 20030105781A1
• Filed: 12/02/2002
• Published: 06/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Morris, Octavius J.
• Application Number:
  US10/307,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105781A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

Method and apparatus for implementing an extended system of file management on a data storage medium while retaining compatibility with both basic and extended implementations of the file system, the file system providing management information stored on said medium and including at least one management information table containing a number of file information records enabling access to a number of data files stored on said medium. The method comprises distinguishing between basic files, to be accessible in both basic and extended implementations, and extension files, not necessary for a basic implementation, and creating and maintaining said file management table such that records relating to the basic files are stored together in a first part of the table.

Claims

1. A method for implementing an extended system of file management on a data storage medium while retaining compatibility with both basic and extended implementations of the file system, the file system providing management information stored on said medium and including at least one management information table containing a plurality of file information records enabling access to a number of data files stored on said medium, said method comprising distinguishing between basic files, to be accessible in both basic and extended implementations, and extension files, not necessary for a basic implementation, and creating and maintaining said file management table such that records relating to the basic files are stored together in a first part of the table.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first part of the table comprises a first fixed number of records.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said method further includes storing extension file records only outside said first part of the table.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the file management table comprises a plurality of records linked to one another in a chain, the method being performed so as to link all basic file records in said chain before said extension file records.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the file management table is one of a plurality of tables, each partitioned to contain only basic file records within a first part of the respective table.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said tables include a file record table, a file name table and a disk region table.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the basic files comprise digital audio and video recordings and auxiliary data for use in relation thereto, while the extension files comprise other computer data.

26. Data storage apparatus comprising an interface to a removable data storage medium and control means arranged to implement an extended system of file management on the data storage medium by a method according to claim 1 above.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said apparatus comprises a domestic digital video recorder.

8. A method for implementing a basic system of file management on a data storage medium while retaining compatibility with both basic and extended implementations of the file system, the file system providing management information stored on said medium and including at least one management information table containing a plurality of file information records enabling access to a number of data files stored on said medium, said files including basic files, to be accessible in the basic implementations, and extension files, not necessary for the basic implementation, said file management table being created and maintained such that records relating to the basic files are stored together in a first part of the table.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said method includes performing file storage and retrieval operations while retaining in working memory only said first part of the or each management information table.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the basic implementation of the file management system includes processing specifically to support the extended implementation, while avoiding storage of the entire management information in working memory.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said method further comprises as a preliminary step reading and processing at least some management information relating to said extension files, to determine free space available on said storage medium for new basic files.

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein said method further comprises a step of merging the retained part of the or each management information table with at least a part of the table relating to extension files when re-writing the management information table to the storage medium.

13. The method according to claim 8 wherein said first part of the table comprises a first fixed number of records.

14. the method according to claim 8 wherein the method further includes storing extension file records only outside said first part of the table.

15. The method according to claim 8 wherein said file management table comprises a plurality of records linked to one another in a chain, the method being performed so as to link all basic file records in said chain before said extension file records.

16. The method according to claim 8 wherein the file management table are one of a plurality of tables, each structured to contain only basic file records within a first part of the respective table.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said tables include a file record table, a file name table and a disk region table.

18. The method according to claim 8 wherein the basic files comprise digital audio and video recordings and auxiliary data for use in relation thereto, while the extension files comprise other computer data.

28. Data storage apparatus comprising an interface to a removable data storage medium and control means arranged to implement a basic system of file management on the data storage medium by a method according to claim 8 above.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28 wherein said apparatus comprises a domestic digital video recorder.

19. Data storage medium wherein there are stored basic data files and extension files and file management information suitable for implementing a file system to access the files in a structured manner, the file management information including at least one management information table containing a plurality of file information records enabling access to said files, the basic files to be accessible in both basic and extended implementations of the file system while the extension files are not necessary accessible for the basic implementation, wherein said file management table is structured such that records relating to the basic files are stored together in a first part of the table.

20. The medium of claim 19 wherein said first part of the table comprises a first fixed number of records.

21. The medium according to claim 19 wherein the extension file records are stored only outside said first part of the table.

22. The medium according to claim 19 wherein the file management table comprises a plurality of records linked to one another in a chain, the links being such as to link all basic file records in said chain before said extension file records.

23. The medium according to claim 19 wherein the file management table is one of a plurality of tables, each structured to contain only basic file records within a first part of the respective table.

24. The medium according to claim 23 wherein said tables include a file record table, a file name table and a disk region table.

25. The medium according to claim 19 wherein the basic files comprise digital audio and recordings and auxiliary data for use in relation thereto, while the extension files comprise other computer data.