DOWNLOAD MANAGEMENT OF DISCARDABLE FILES

• US 20100228795A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Hahn, Judah Gamliel, Koren, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1737 for reducing power consumption or coping with limited storage space, e.g. in mobile devices saving storage space on storage devices G06F3/0608; power saving in storage systems G06F3/0625

Abstract

A request is received to store a file in a storage area of a storage device, the file being discardable and having associated therewith data in a data structure associated with the storage device. The file is marked as a discardable file. In some implementations a file system structure of the data structure is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file, where in other implementations, the file itself is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file. A download manager determines a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device and determines whether to delay a download to the storage device of the discardable file based on the determined download condition. The download manager manages the download of the discardable file to the storage device based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device.

Claims

1. A method for managing a storage device, the method comprising:

in a host to which a storage device is operatively coupled;

receiving a request to store a file in a storage area of the storage device, the file being a discardable file and having associated therewith data in a data structure associated with the storage device;

marking the file as a “

discardable file;

”

determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device;

determining whether to delay a download to the storage device of the discardable file based on the determined download condition;

managing the download of the discardable file to the storage device based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device; and

managing the storage of the downloaded discardable file in the storage area of the storage device based on the marking that the file is a discardable file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the download of the discardable file comprises:

delaying the download of the discardable file to the storage device until a parameter associated with the download condition is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device comprises:

determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining whether a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device;

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining whether a cellular network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device;

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device comprises:

determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining the storage device is coupled with a power supply.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining that a battery associated with the storage device is charging.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining a power level of a battery associated with the storage device is above a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device comprises:

determining a time of day associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device comprises:

determining an amount of available storage in the storage device prior to storing the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device is above a predetermined level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure comprises a file system structure associated with the storage device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the file system structure is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the file itself is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file.

15. A storage system comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor for managing storage of one or more files in a storage area of a storage device, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a request to store a file in the storage area of the storage device, the file being a discardable file and having associated therewith data in a data structure associated with the storage device;

mark the file as a “

discardable file;

”

determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device;

determine whether to delay a download to the storage device of the discardable file based on the determined download condition;

manage the download of the discardable file to the storage device based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device; and

manage the storage of the downloaded discardable file in the storage area of the storage device based on the mark that the file is a discardable file.

16. The storage system of claim 15, wherein to manage the download of the discardable file, the processor is further configured to:

delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device until a parameter associated with the download condition is satisfied.

17. The storage system of claim 15, wherein to determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device.

18. The storage system of claim 17, wherein to determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device;

19. The storage system of claim 17, wherein to determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a cellular network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device;

20. The storage system of claim 15, wherein to determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device.

21. The storage system of claim 20, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine the storage device is coupled with a power supply.

22. The storage system of claim 20, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine that a battery associated with the storage device is charging.

23. The storage system of claim 20, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determining a power level of a battery associated with the storage device is above a predetermined level.

24. The storage system of claim 15, wherein to determine a download condition associated the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determine a time of day associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device.

25. The storage system of claim 15, wherein to determine a download condition associated the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device, the processor is further configured to:

determining an amount of available storage in the storage device prior to storing the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device is above a predetermined level.

26. The storage system of claim 15, wherein the data structure comprises a file system structure associated with the storage device.

27. The storage system of claim 26, wherein the file system structure is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file.

28. The storage system of claim 15, wherein the file itself is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file.