System and methods for accelerated data storage and retrieval

• US 20060184687A1
• Filed: 04/08/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realtime Data LLC (Realtime Data Compression Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Realtime Data Compression Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Fallon, James J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,321,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/152 by measuring the fullness of the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/843 on film
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing accelerated data storage and retrieval utilizing lossless data compression and decompression. A data storage accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data compression encoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly compress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the transmission rate of an input data stream. The compressed data is subsequently stored in a target memory or other storage device whose input data storage bandwidth is lower than the original input data stream bandwidth. Similarly, a data retrieval accelerator includes one or a plurality of high speed data decompression decoders that are configured to simultaneously or sequentially losslessly decompress data at a rate equivalent to or faster than the input data stream from the target memory or storage device. The decompressed data is then output at rate data that is greater than the output rate from the target memory or data storage device. The data storage and retrieval accelerator method and system may employed: in a disk storage adapter to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from computer to disk; in conjunction with random access memory to reduce the time required to store and retrieve data from random access memory; in a display controller to reduce the time required to send display data to the display controller or processor; and/or in an input/output controller to reduce the time required to store, retrieve, or transmit data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a data stream at an input data transmission rate which is greater than a data storage rate of a target storage device;

compressing the data stream, with a plurality of encoders provided in a parallel configuration, at a compression rate that increases the effective data storage rate of the data storage device; and

storing the compressed data stream in the target storage device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders provided in a parallel configuration are four encoders provided in a parallel configuration.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said four encoders are provided in dedicated hardware.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said four encoders are lossless Lempel-Ziv encoders.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders provided in a parallel configuration are provided in dedicated hardware.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders provided in a parallel configuration are two encoders provided in a parallel configuration.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said two encoders are provided in dedicated hardware.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders are lossless encoders.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders are Lempel-Ziv encoders.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of encoders are Huffman encoders.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a data stream at an input data transmission rate which is greater than a data storage rate of a target storage device;

compressing the data stream, with a plurality of identical encoders provided in a parallel configuration, at a compression rate that increases the effective data storage rate of the data storage device; and

storing the compressed data stream in the target storage device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of identical encoders provided in a parallel configuration are four identical encoders provided in a parallel configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said four identical encoders are provided in dedicated hardware.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of encoders provided in a parallel configuration are provided in dedicated hardware.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said plurality of identical encoders provided in a parallel configuration are two identical encoders provided in a parallel configuration.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said two identical encoders are provided in dedicated hardware.

17. A method comprising:

receiving a data stream over an input having a first bandwidth;

compressing, in at least real-time, said received data stream using a plurality of encoders to provide a compressed data stream;

transmitting said compressed data stream over an output having a second bandwidth, wherein said first bandwidth is substantially greater than said second bandwidth and said transmitting said compressed data stream effectively increases said second bandwidth; and

wherein said compressing and said transmitting of said compressed data stream over said output occurs faster than a transmission of said data stream in uncompressed form over said output.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of encoders is configured in a parallel configuration.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of encoders are of an identical type.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein plurality of encoders are Lempel-Ziv encoders.