Method of creating CD-ROM image of files of different format with proper directories to be read by respective operating systems

• US 5,359,725 A
• Filed: 10/15/1991
• Issued: 10/25/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Warner Communications Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Interactive Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Garcia, Ben L., Harmon, Edward, Klappert, Walter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lall, Parshotam S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, KENNETH S
• Application Number:
  US07/776,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 395/425, 395/500, 395/600, 395/700
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/213 Read-only discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2583 wherein two standards are used on a single disc, e.g. one DVD section and one CD section
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A method and apparatus for making a single CD-ROM disc useable on computers having unrelated operating systems or for multi-media platforms, specifically, wherein the two different operating systems are Hierarchical File System (HFS) used by Macintosh computers and MS-DOS which is the operating system used by IBM and compatible personal computers. The resulting compact disc is in ISO 9660 format which is a standard of the International Standards Organization which describes a logical format for organizing data on a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM). In this manner, it is possible to, for example, store two versions of a program on the same CD-ROM, one for execution on Macintosh computers and the other for execution on IBM PC and compatible computers. Thus, data which is to be stored on an ISO 9660 formatted disc can be sent from the producer or supplier of the data to a compact disc presser on a single magnetic medium such as a Bernoulli removable cartridge disk under a single operating system partition.

Claims

1. A system for creating an image for placement onto a CD-ROM disc, said image being in a predetermined format capable of storing first files in a first format for use in a first operating system environment and second files in a second format for use in a second operating system environment, said predetermined format being different than said first format and said second format, said image including directory records, said first files in said first format for use in said first operating system environment and second files in said second format for use in said second operating system environment, said directory records containing predetermined information needed for accessing said first files and said second files, wherein said first files in said first format are incompatible with said second operating system environment and said second files in said second format are incompatible with said first operating system environment and said directory records when in said second format include file name errors and system area errors resulting from incompatibilities between said first operating system environment and said second operating system environment, said system comprising:

a) means for reading said first files, converting said read records to said second format and writing said converted first files onto a storage medium in said second format, wherein said writing creates directory records which are in said second format needed for accessing said first files, which directory records have said file name and system area errors caused by said incompatibilities between said first operating system environment and said second operating system environment;

b) means for reading said second files and writing said read second files onto said storage medium in said second format, wherein said writing creates directory records needed for accessing said second files;

c) means for reading said directory and said first and second files on said storage medium and creating said image for placement on a CD-ROM disc;

d) means for creating a third file containing data necessary to correct said file name and system area errors within said directory records portion of said image introduced by said first file reading, converting and writing means;

e) image correction means for reading said third file and said image and correcting said file name and system area errors in said directory records portion of said image, such that said first operating system is able to correctly access said directory and said first files on said CD-ROM disc.

2. The system defined by claim 1 wherein said file name errors are introduced because said first operating system accepts file names which can have more characters than those accepted by said second operating system.

3. The system defined by claim 2 wherein said system area errors are introduced because said first operating system includes as part of said first file format file fork information and directory information used by said first operating system, said directory information including file creator and file type information for each file in said first file format, said file information being unavailable as part of said second file format used by said second operating system.

4. The system defined by claim 3 wherein said third file includes a table identifying all files from said first operating system with their corresponding complete file names, file creator, file type and file fork information.

5. The system defined by claim 4 wherein said image correction means comprises:

a) means for reading said image as a source file and storing for each said directory record, a directory record length, a file record length, a plurality of file flags, a file name length, said file name and said system area in a first working memory;

b) means for reading said third file and storing its contents in a second working memory;

c) means for matching file names in said first working memory and said second working memory and upon determining that a match exists;

i) changing the matched file name in said first working memory to the corresponding name in said second working memory;

ii) changing the system area in said first working memory to include said file creator, said file type and said file fork information in said second working memory;

d) means for writing said corrected image to a target file.

6. The system defined by claim 5 wherein said file fork information identifies whether the corresponding file includes one of a data fork, a resource fork, and a data fork and a resource fork.

7. A method for creating an image for placement onto a CD-ROM disc, said image being in a predetermined format capable of storing first files in a first format for use in a first operating system environment and second files in a second format for use in a second operating system environment, said predetermined format being different than said first format and said second format, said image including directory records, said first files in said first format for use in said first operating system environment and second files in said second format for use in said second operating system environment, said directory records containing predetermined information needed for accessing said first files and said second files, wherein said first files in said first format are incompatible with said second operating system environment and said second files in said second format are incompatible with said first operating system environment and said directory records include file name errors and system area errors resulting from incompatibilities between said first operating system environment and said second operating system environment, said method comprising the steps of:

a) reading said first files, converting said read records to said second format and writing said converted first files onto a storage medium in said second format, wherein said writing creates directory records needed for accessing said first files, which directory records have said file name and system area errors caused by said incompatibilities between said first operating system environment and said second operating system environment;

b) reading said second files and writing said read second files onto said storage medium in said second format, wherein said writing creates directory records needed for accessing said second files;

c) reading said directory and said first and second files on said storage medium and creating said image for placement on a CD-ROM disc;

d) creating a third file containing data necessary to correct said file name and system area errors within said directory records portion of said image introduced by said first file reading, converting and writing step;

e) reading said third file and said image and correcting said file name and system area errors in said directory records portion of said image, such that said first operating system is able to correctly access said directory and said first files on said CD-ROM disc.

8. The method defined by claim 7 wherein said file name errors are introduced because said first operating system accepts file names which can have more characters than those accepted by said second operating system.

9. The method defined by claim 8 wherein said system area errors are introduced because said first operating system includes as part of said first file format file fork information and directory information used by said first operating system, said directory information including file creator and file type information for each file in said first file format, said file information being unavailable as part of said second file format used by said second operating system.

10. The method by claim 9 wherein said third file includes a table identifying all files from said first operating system with their corresponding complete file names, file creator, file type and file fork information.

11. The method defined by claim 10 wherein said reading and correcting steps comprise the steps of:

a) reading said image as a source file and storing for each said directory record, a directory record length, a file record length, a plurality of file flags, a file name length, said file name and said system area in a first working memory;

b) reading said third file and storing its contents in a second working memory;

c) matching file names in said first working memory and said second working memory and upon determining that a match exists;

i) changing the matched file name in said first working memory to the corresponding name in said second working memory;

ii) changing the system area in said first working memory to include said file creator, said file type and said file fork information in said second working memory;

d) writing said corrected image to a target file.

12. The method defined by claim 11 wherein said file fork information identifies whether the corresponding file includes one of a data fork, a resource fork, and a data fork and a resource fork.