File management device, file management method, file management method program, and recording medium the file management method program

• US 20060288044A1
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Haruo, Murakami, Masaharu, Jinno, Hiroshi, Ohno, Masayoshi, Kashiwagi, Shigeru
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,906 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/036 Insert-editing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing

Abstract

A file managing apparatus is disclosed which is capable of restoring deleted files with ease. When a user gives an instruction to delete a file 6, a parent entry number for the file 6 is changed from “1” to “2” in a property list having the entry number 6 associated with the file 6. Because the parent entry number that is set for the value “2” points to the entry of a recycle bin, the file 6 is placed in a virtually deleted state. Any virtually deleted file is later restored easily through simple processing.

Claims

1. A file managing apparatus for managing files recorded on a recording medium by resorting to an index file recorded on said recording medium;

wherein said index file is formed by a series of entries constituted by blocks of extract information about said files, said extract information being arranged to correspond with said files;

wherein management information which is set for each of said entries and which primarily points to another entry is provided to express a hierarchical structure of said files recorded on said recording medium; and

wherein an entry for temporary management is provided under which a file to be deleted is stored temporarily;

said file managing apparatus changing the management information which is set for the entry of said file to be deleted and which primarily points to another entry, in such a manner that said management information points to said entry for temporary management.

2. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in said index file, said extract information is grouped by attribute into a group of thumbnail images, a group of titles in text, and a group of properties for managing said thumbnail image group and said text group;

wherein the entries concerning at least the files in said property group are furnished with entry-related management information pointing to the corresponding entries in said thumbnail image group and said text group and with file-related management information pointing to the corresponding files; and

wherein said file managing apparatus, when changing said management information primarily pointing to another entry in such a manner as to point to said entry for temporary management, keeps said entry-related management information and said file-related management information unchanged regardless of the instruction of the deletion.

3. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a display unit is provided to display said extract information about the entry furnished with said management information which primarily points to another entry and which has been changed so as to point to said entry for temporary management, so that said file managing apparatus may accept processing of the file associated with said entry about which said extract information is displayed.

4. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, given an instruction to delete the file associated with the entry furnished with said management information which primarily points to another entry and which has been changed to point to said entry for temporary management, said file managing apparatus deletes the corresponding entry from said index file and the corresponding file from said recording medium.

5. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, given an instruction to restore the file associated with the entry furnished with said management information which primarily points to another entry and which has been changed to point to said entry for temporary management, said file managing apparatus establishes said management information primarily pointing to another entry in such a manner as to point to a predetermined entry.

6. The file managing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if said processing of the file associated with said entry about which said extract information is displayed is execution of an instruction to delete said file, then said file managing apparatus deletes the corresponding entry from said index file and the corresponding file from said recording medium.

7. The file managing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if said processing of the file associated with said entry about which said extract information is displayed is execution of an instruction to restore said file, then said file managing apparatus establishes said management information primarily pointing to another entry in such a manner as to point to a predetermined entry.

8. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said file managing apparatus, when changing said management information primarily pointing to another entry in such a manner as to point to said entry for temporary management, records a date of the change to said index file.

9. The file managing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said file managing apparatus checks said date of said change against the current time of day and, depending on an outcome of the check, deletes the corresponding entry from said index file and the corresponding file from said recording medium.

10. The file managing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said file managing apparatus checks said recording medium for a free space and, depending on an outcome of the check, deletes from said index file the entry furnished with said management information which primarily points to another entry and which has been changed to point to said entry for temporary management and also deletes the corresponding file from said recording medium.

11. A file managing method for managing files recorded on a recording medium by resorting to an index file recorded on said recording medium;

wherein said index file is formed by a series of entries constituted by blocks of extract information about said files, said extract information being arranged to correspond with said files;

wherein management information which is set for each of said entries and which primarily points to another entry is provided to express a hierarchical structure of said files recorded on said recording medium; and

wherein an entry for temporary management is provided under which a file to be deleted is stored temporarily;

said file managing method comprising the step of changing the management information which is set for the entry of said file to be deleted and which primarily points to another entry, in such a manner that said management information points to said entry for temporary management.

12. A file managing method program for causing a computer to carry out a procedure for managing files recorded on a recording medium by resorting to an index file recorded on said recording medium;

wherein said index file is formed by a series of entries constituted by blocks of extract information about said files, said extract information being arranged to correspond with said files;

wherein management information which is set for each of said entries and which primarily points to another entry is provided to express a hierarchical structure of said files recorded on said recording medium; and

wherein an entry for temporary management is provided under which a file to be deleted is stored temporarily;

said procedure comprising the step of changing the management information which is set for the entry of said file to be deleted and which primarily points to another entry, in such a manner that said management information points to said entry for temporary management.

13. A recording medium which records a file managing method program for causing a computer to carry out a procedure for managing files recorded on a recording medium by resorting to an index file recorded on said recording medium;

wherein said index file is formed by a series of entries constituted by blocks of extract information about said files, said extract information being arranged to correspond with said files;

wherein management information which is set for each of said entries and which primarily points to another entry is provided to express a hierarchical structure of said files recorded on said recording medium; and

wherein an entry for temporary management is provided under which a file to be deleted is stored temporarily;

said procedure comprising the step of changing the management information which is set for the entry of said file to be deleted and which primarily points to another entry, in such a manner that said management information points to said entry for temporary management.