Information storage and processing

• US 5,471,606 A
• Filed: 03/14/1994
• Issued: 11/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.), Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Huang, Han, Sonobe, Takeo, Ratib, Osman, Ho, Bruce K. T., Morioka, Craig A., Cho, Paul N. S., Shinagawa, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US08/212,066
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 395/425, 395/600, 395/500, 382/64, 382/65, 369/44.26, 369/275.1, 369/273
• US Class Current: 703/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2537 Optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

Data and directories are separated and stored on separate parts of an optical disk. Directories are on the inner tracks and data are on the outer tracks, in a first format. Data and directories are written from magnetic disk storage in a different second specific format that is determined by a particular operating system used by an information processor. A medical information processing system is provided with an external magnetic disk storage and the optical disk.

Claims

1. A portable optical disk usable among different information processing systems operable on respective specific operating systems respectively different from each other, for transporting information among the different information processing systems,

(1) wherein each of said different information processing systems comprise:

(i) an information processor operable on a specific different operating system for processing data and directories;

(ii) an external storage reactive with the information processor for storing and retrieving therein and therefrom the data and directories in a specific format based on its specific operating system;

(iii) a format converter reactive with the information processor for converting the data and directories in the specific format to data and directories in said independent format, and vice versa; and

(iv) an optical disk drive reactive with the information processor and the format converter for storing and retrieving data and directories in the independent format in and from the optical disk, and

(2) wherein said portable optical disk is formatted in an independent format for storing and reading data and directories therein and therefrom in said independent format which is independent of the formats based on the respective operating systems of the different information processing systems,

whereby said portable optical disk is compatibly operable with the different information processing systems to transport the data and directories from one to another information processing system through their optical disk drives and format converters irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

2. The disk according to claim 1 wherein the directories are stored sequentially on the optical disk starting from an inner track outwardly and the data are stored sequentially on the optical disk starting from an outer track inwardly.

3. The disk according to claim 2 wherein the data to be stored in the optical disk are divided in accordance with an optical disk sector program.

4. The disk according to claim 1 wherein the data and the directories are each stored, respectively, in a continuous form in one area.

5. The disk according to claim 1 wherein the information data are radiologic medical image data.

6. The optical disk according to claim 3 wherein the information processors are selected from the group of the PC/AT (Trademark), Macintosh (Trademark) and Sun (Trademark) systems.

7. A method of transferring data from a first information processing system to a second information processing system each operable on a specific operating system different from each other,

(1) wherein each of said first and second information processing systems is provided with

(i) an information processor operable on its specific operating system for processing data,

(ii) a magnetic storage disk reactive with the information processor for operatively storing and retrieving data and directories therein and therefrom in a specific format based on the specific operating system of the respective information processing systems, and

(iii) a format converter reactive with the information processor and magnetic storage disk for converting data and directories in the specific format based on the operating system of the respective information processing systems into data and directories in an independent format which is independent of the formats of the respective specific operating systems, and vice versa,

(2) wherein there is provided an optical disk in common to the information processors and the format converters of the respective information processing systems for operatively storing and retrieving data and directories therein and therefrom,

said method comprising:

(a) combining data usable in the first information processing system with directories in a first specific format based on the first specific operating system of the first information processing system;

(b) storing the combined data and directories in the first format in areas of the magnetic storage disk in accordance with designation of the first format designated by the format converter of the first information processing system;

(c) converting the data and directories in the first format into data and directories in the independent format by the format converter of the first information processing system;

(d) storing the data and directories in the independent format in areas of the optical disk in accordance with designation of the independent format designated by the format converter of the first information processing system;

(e) reading out from the optical disk the data and directories in the independent format by the format converter of the second information processing system; and

(f) converting the thus read out data and directories into data and directories in a second specific format based on a second specific operating system of the second information processing system by the format converter of the second information processing system,

whereby the data used in the first information processing system become usable in the second information processing system irrespective of the difference in operating systems.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the data are stored sequentially in the optical disk in sector length units starting from an outer track inwardly;

and the directories are stored sequentially in the optical disk starting from an inner track outwardly.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein in the first format the data and directories are stored in the magnetic storage disk non-consecutively.

10. The method according to claim 7 wherein the information data are medical data.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the first and second information processing systems are selected from the group of the PC/AT (Trademark), Macintosh (Trademark) or Sun (Trademark) systems.

12. A method of processing and transferring data in a first information processing system into a second information processing system, the systems having different operating systems,

wherein each of said first and second information processing systems is provided with, respectively,

(i) a first or a second information processor for processing data,

(ii) a first or a second storage reactive with its associated information processor for storing and retrieving data and directories therein and therefrom, and

(iii) a first or a second format converter,

wherein there is provided a common storage disk reactive with the respective information processing systems for storing and retrieving data therein and therefrom,

said method comprising:

(a) converting data to be transferred to the second information processing system into a first format based on the first specific operating system by the first format converter of the first information processing system so that directories in the first format are generated;

(b) storing and reading the data and directories in the first format in and from the first storage of the first information processing system;

(c) converting the data to be transferred in the first format into an independent format which is independent of the formats of the operating systems of the information processors by the first format converter;

(d) storing the data and directories containing file names in the independent format in the common storage disk through the first format converter;

(e) reading out the data and directories in the independent format from said common storage disk through the second format converter of the second information processing system; and

(f) separating the data to be transferred from the directories in the independent format through the second format converter thereby to make the data of the first information processing system utilizable in the second information processing system.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the data are stored sequentially in the common storage disk starting from a first location toward a second location and the directories are stored sequentially in the common storage means starting from the second location toward the first location in the independent format.

14. A method of transporting information from a first computer system to a second computer system having respectively different operating systems, wherein the respective computer systems include, respectively, an information processor and a format converter, said method comprising:

(a) causing the first computer system to firstly access a portable optical disk, such that information data and directories therefor which are utilized in the first computer system in a specific format which is based on its operating system are converted into data and directories in an independent format which is specifically designed for the optical disk independently of a format based on the operating systems of the different computer systems and are written in the optical disk through the format converter of the first computer system; and

(b) causing the second computer system to secondly access to the optical disk such that the data and directories in the independent format are read out from the optical disk and are converted into data and directories in a specific format which is based on operating system of the second computer system through the format converter of the second computer system, whereby the information data of the first computer system can be read by the second computer system irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the data and the directories are each stored, respectively, in a continuous form in one area of the optical disk.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein the information data are radiologic medical image data.

17. An information processing system including a plurality of host computers each having its own operating system different from each other for operatingly processing information data and directories in its own specific format based respectively on its own specific operating system,

wherein said information processing system includes:

(a) common storage means for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means, such format being independent of the formats of the respective host computers, whereby the host computers may be accessed to said common storage means;

(b) a format converter for the host computers for operatingly converting data and directories in a specific format based on its specific operating system into data and directories in the independent format and vice versa;

(c) means for firstly accessing the said common storage means by one of the host computers, whereby data and directories in a specific format based on the operating system of the thus accessed host computer are converted into data and directories in the independent format by the format converter of the accessed host computer, and means for storing the thus converted data and directories in the common storage means; and

(d) means for subsequently accessing the common storage means by one of the host computers, whereby data and directories stored in the independent format in said common storage means are read out therefrom and the thus read out data and directories are converted into data and directories in a specific format based on its own specific operating system by the format converter of the thus subsequently accessed host computer,

whereby the data an directories of the firstly accessed host computer are utilized in a subsequently accessed host computer irrespective of difference in their operating systems.

19. The system according to either claim 17 or 18, wherein said common storage means includes a portable information storage medium to which the different host computers are accessible.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein said portable information storage medium comprises an optical disk.

18. An information processing system including a plurality of host computers each having its own operating system different from each other for operatingly processing information data and directories in its own specific format based respectively on its own specific operating system,

wherein said information processing system includes:

(a) common storage means for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means independently of the formats based on operating systems of the respective host computers, whereby any of the host computers may be accessed to said common storage means;

(b) the host computers each including

(1) a format converter for operatingly converting data and directories in a specific format based on its specific operating system into data and directories in the independent format and vice versa, and

(2) a first storage means for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in its specific format based on the operating system of its host computer;

(c) means for firstly accessing the common storage means by any one of the host computers, whereby data and directories in a specific format based on the operating system of the thus accessed host computer are converted into data and directories in the independent format by the format converter of the thus accessed host computer, and means for storing the thus converted data and directories in the common storage means; and

(d) means for subsequently accessing the common storage means by one of the host computers, whereby data and directories stored in the independent format in said common storage means are read out therefrom and the thus read out data and directories are converted into data and directories in a specific format for its first storage means of the thus later accessed host computer based on its own specific operating system by the format converter of the thus subsequently host computer,

whereby the data and directories of the firstly accessed host computer are utilized in a subsequently accessed host computer irrespective of difference in their operating systems.

21. A multi system comprising:

(i) different information processing systems each operable respectively on its own operating system, such systems being different from each other; and

(ii) common storage means usable in common to said different information processing systems;

wherein each of said different information processing systems includes

(1) an information processor for utilizing data on its own operating system, and

(2) a first storage means operative with said information processor for storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in a specific format based on its own operation system,

said multi system including;

(a) common storage means operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means independent of any specific formats of the different information processing systems based on the respective operating systems of the different information processing systems;

(b) the different information processing systems each further including a format converter

which operatingly converts data utilized in its own information processing system into data and directories in its specific format based on its own operating system for storing the same in its first storage means and also into data and directories in the independent format for storing the same in said common storage means and

which also operatingly converts data and directories in its specific format readout from said first storage means and data and directories in the independent format readout from said common storage means into data capable to be utilized by its information processor of its own information processing system;

(c) means for causing any one of the different information processing systems to be accessible to said common storage means,

so that data utilized in the thus accessed information processing system are converted into data and directories in the independent format and supplied to said common storage means by the format converter of the thus accessed information processing system, and

so that the thus converted data and directories are operatively stored in said common storage means; and

(d) means for causing any one of the other different information processing systems to be later accessible to said common storage means,

so that the data and directories stored in the independent format in the common storage means are read out, and converted by the format converter of the thus later accessed information processing system into data utilizable in the later accessed information processing system;

whereby different information processing system are enabled to utilize the data utilized in the first accessed information processing system irrespective of a difference in the operating systems.

23. The system according to either claim 21 or 22, wherein said common storage means includes a portable information storage medium to which the different information processing systems are accessible.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein said portable information storage medium comprises an optical disk.

22. An information processing system comprising:

(i) different computer systems each having their own operating system different from those of the others for operatively processing data and directories on its own specific operating system; and

(ii) common storage means provided to said different computer systems for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories;

wherein said information processing system includes;

(a) the common storage means for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means independent of the formats based on the operating systems of the different computer systems;

(b) each of said computer systems having

(1) a host computer for processing information data on its own specific operating system of the computer system,

(2) a first storage means operable with said host computer on the same operating system as that of the host computer for operatingly storing therein and reading out therefrom data and directories in a specific format based on its own specific operating system, and

(3) a format converter for converting data and directories in its own specific format based on its own specific operating system into data and directories in the independent format and vice versa;

(c) the common storage means being accessible by the different computer systems so that

data and directories in a specific format based on its operating system of the thus accessed one of the computer systems are converted into data and directories in the independent format by its format converter of the thus accessed computer system, and

the thus converted data and directories are stored in the common storage means; and

(d) said common storage means being accessible by the computer systems other than the first accessed computer systems,

so that the data and directories stored in the independent format in said common storage means are read out and converted into data and directories in a specific format based on an operating system of the later accessed computer system by its format converter;

whereby the data of the first accessed computer system are utilized in accessed different computer system irrespective of difference in operating systems.

25. A method of transferring information in a multi information processing system which comprises at least first and second information processing systems

(1) wherein said first and second information processing systems are operable respectively on a first or a second operating system each different from each other,

(2) wherein each of said first and second information processing systems includes respectively,

(i) a first or a second information processor respectively for processing data on its first or second operating system,

(ii) a first or a second storage respectively reactive with its associated first or second information processor for operatively storing data and directories therein and retrieving data and directories therefrom in a first or a second format based respectively on the first or second operating system of the associated information processor, and

(iii) a first or a second format converter respectively, and

(3) wherein there is provided with common storage means to said first and second information processing systems for operatingly storing data and directories therein and retrieving data and directories therefrom,

said method comprising the steps of:

(a) forming said first format converter to operatively convert data and directories in the first format based on the first operating system into data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means independently of the first and second formats, and vice versa,

(b) forming said second format converter to operatively convert data and directories in the second format based on the second operating system into data and directories in said independent format, and vice versa,

(c) causing said first information processing system to access firstly to said common storage means so that data and directories utilized in the first storage of the first information processing system are converted into data and directories in said independent format and the thus converted data and directories are stored in the common storage means through the first format converter of the firstly accessed first information processing system,

(d) causing said second information processing system to access secondly to said common storage means so that the data and directories stored in said common storage means in the independent format are read out and converted into data and directories in the second format through the second format converter of the secondly accessed second information processing system,

whereby the data utilized in the first information processing system are transferred into the second information processing system irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

28. The method according to any one of claims 25, 26, or 27 wherein said common storage means is an optical disk in which data are stored sequentially starting from an outer track towards inward direction and the directories are stored sequentially starting from an inner track towards outward direction.

26. A method of using common storage means among a multi computer systems comprising respectively at least a first and a second different computer system operable on their respectively own first and second specific operating system, each respectively different from each other, for transferring information from the first to the second computer system, or vice versa,

(1) wherein each of said first and second computer systems includes a format converter,

(2) wherein the format converter of the first computer system operatively converts data and directories in a first format based on the first operating system into data and directories in an independent format for common storage means independently of the formats based on any specific operating systems of the respective computer systems, and vice versa, and

(3) wherein the format converter of the second computer system operatively converts data and directories in a second format based on the second operating system into data and directories in the independent format, and vice versa,

said method comprising:

(a) causing said common storage means to be firstly accessed by said first computer system such that data and directories utilized in the first computer system are converted into data and directories in the independent format and the thus converted data and directories are stored in the common storage means through the format converter of the firstly accessed first computer system; and

(b) causing said common storage means to be secondly accessed by the second computer system such that the data and directories stored in said common storage means in the independent format are read out and converted into data and directories in the second format through the format converter of the secondly accessed second computer system,

whereby the common storage means is commonly used among the multi computer system to thereby transferring data and directories from the first computer system to the second computer system irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

27. A method of using common storage means among multi computer system comprising at least a first and a second different computer system operable respectively on its own first or second specific operating system, each respectively different from each other, for transferring information from the first to the second computer system, or vice versa,

(1) wherein each of said first and second computer systems includes a format converter,

(2) wherein the format converter of the first computer system operatively converts data and directories in a first format based on the first operating system into data and directories in an independent format for the common storage means independently of any formats based on the specific operating systems of the respective computer systems, and vice versa, and

(3) wherein the format converter of the second computer system operatively converts data and directories in a second format based on the second operating system into data and directories in the independent format, and vice versa,

said method comprising:

(a) causing said common storage means to be firstly accessed by said first computer system such that data and directories utilized in the first computer system are converted into data and directories in the independent format and the thus converted data and directories are stored in the common storage means through the format converter of the firstly accessed first computer system;

(b) causing said common storage means to be thereafter accessed by said second computer system such that the data and directories stored in said common storage means in the independent format are read out and converted into data and directories in the second format through the format converter of the later accessed second computer system;

(c) causing said common storage means to be secondly accessed by the second computer system such that data and directories utilized in the second computer system are converted into data and directories in the independent format and the thus converted data and directories are stored in the common storage means through the format converter of the secondly accessed second computer system; and

(d) causing said common storage means to be thereafter accessed by the first computer system such that the data and directories stored in said common storage means in the independent format are read out and converted into data and directories in the first format through the format converter of the later accessed first computer system;

whereby the common storage means is commonly and interchangeably used among the multi computer system to thereby transfer data and directories from the first computer system to the second computer system, and vice versa, irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

29. A portable optical disk usable in common to first and second information processing systems

(1) wherein said first and second information processing systems are operable on a first or a second operating system, each respectively different from each other, and

(2) wherein each of said first and second information processing systems includes, respectively,

(i) a first or a second information processor respectively operable on its first or second operating system for operatingly processing data,

(ii) a first or a second storage respectively reactive with its associated first or second information processor for operatively storing data and directories therein and retrieving data and directories therefrom in a first or a second format based on the first or the second operating system of the associated information processor, and

(iii) a first or a second format converter respectively reactive with the first or the second storage and the first or the second information processor for converting data and directories in the first or the second format into data and directories in an independent format for the portable optical disk independently of said first and second formats, and vice versa,

said portable optical disk including:

(a) means for causing a first access by said first information processing system so that data and directories utilized in the first storage of the first information processing system are converted into data and directories in said independent format and the thus converted data and directories are stored in the portable optical disk through the first format converter of the firstly accessed first information processing system, and

(b) means for causing a second access by said second information processing system so that the data and directories stored in said portable optical disk in the independent format are read out and converted into data and directories in the second format through the second format converter of the secondly accessed second information processing system,

whereby the data utilized in the first information processing system are transferred into the second information processing system irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

30. The optical disk according to claim 29, wherein the directories are stored sequentially in the optical disk starting from an inner track outwardly and the data are stored sequentially in the optical disk starting from an outer track inwardly.

31. The optical disk according to claim 29, wherein the data are stored sequentially in the optical disk starting from a first track and the directories are stored sequentially in the optical disk starting form a second track in opposite directions toward each other.

32. A common storage means usable among different information processing systems which are operable on their own specific operating system different from each other, respectively, for transporting information among the different information processing systems, characterized by being formatted in an independent format for storing data and directories therein and retrieving data and directories therefrom.

(1) wherein said independent format is independent of formats based on the respective operating systems of the different information processing systems, and

(2) wherein each of said different information processing systems comprise:

(i) an information processor operable on its specific operating system for processing data and directories;

(ii) a specific storage provided to react with the information processor for storing and retrieving therein and therefrom the data and directories for its information processor in a specific format based on its specific operating system; and

(iii) a format converter reactive with the information processor for converting the data and directories in the specific format to data and directories in said independent format and vice versa, and for storing and retrieving data and directories in the independent format in and from the common storage means,

whereby said common storage means is compatibly operable with any of the different information processing systems to transport the data and directories from one to another information processing system through their format converters irrespective of difference in the operating systems.

33. The common storage means according to claim 32 which comprises a disk storage medium, wherein the data to be stored in the disk storage medium are divided in accordance with a disk sector program.

34. The common storage means according to claim 32 or 33 which comprises a disk storage medium in which the directories are stored sequentially starting from an inner track outwardly and the data are stored sequentially starting from an outer track inwardly.

35. The common storage means according to claim 33 or 34 wherein the data and the directories are each stored in a continuous form in one area, respectively, of the disk storage medium.