System for transparently storing inputs to non-volatile storage and automatically re-entering them to reconstruct work if volatile memory is lost
First Claim
1. A system for preventing permanent loss of work product in process in an information processing system when said work product in process is temporarily lost owing to its unintended erasure or corruption, comprising:
- a processing device, a manual input device, a non-volatile storage device, a volatile memory device, and a power source, said processing device being capable of receiving inputs from said manual input device and from said non-volatile storage device, of executing said inputs, of supplying said inputs and the results of their execution to work product in process in said volatile memory device, and of storing said inputs and said work product in process in said non-volatile storage device,said volatile memory device being capable of temporarily storing said inputs and the results of their execution as said work product in process, the contents of said volatile memory device being susceptible to accidental erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted and also in the event of equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure,said non-volatile storage device being capable of permanently storing and retaining information so that said information is insusceptible to erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted or in the event said volatile memory device is accidentally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure,said manual input device being capable of entering substantive and non-substantive inputs into said volatile memory device through said processing device, said substantive inputs comprising application invocations, cursor locations, unformatted data, and data formatting and manipulating instructions affecting said work product in process, and said non-substantive inputs comprising instructions not affecting said work product in process, and therefore not essential to its reconstruction,said power source being capable of supplying power to said processing device, said volatile memory device, said non-volatile storage device, and said manual input device, anda storing means which automatically, immediately, and transparently, without any intrusion or delay discernible to an operator, sequentially stores all of said substantive inputs, but not any of said non-substantive inputs, in said non-volatile storage device, at the time said substantive inputs are entered into said processing device, but before they are executed or supplied to said volatile memory device, such that said non-volatile storage device will contain a sequential record of all of said substantive inputs destined to affect said work product in process substantially immediately after each said substantive input is entered into said processing device and before each is executed or supplied to said volatile memory device,whereby, in the event said work product in process in said volatile memory device is unintentionally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said work product in process, comprising fully manipulated and formatted data, can be reconstructed in its original form by re-entering said sequentially stored substantive inputs automatically and sequentially from said non-volatile storage device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for preventing permanent loss of work product from a volatile memory (30) of an information processing device (12) when such work is temporarily lost, erased, or corrupted owing to power failure, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure. When the information processing device (12) is turned on, the system is automatically loaded from a non-volatile memory (44) into a volatile memory (14) where it then resides (block 32). The system thereafter causes every substantive input (including data, positional information, and data formatting and manipulating instructions, but not ancillary inputs such as a view directory or print command) to the information processing device (12) to be stored immediately, and essentially quantum by quantum, in the non-volatile memory (44) concurrently with its initial processing in the volatile memory (14). When work is lost from the volatile memory (14), the system reconstructs it either automatically or semi-automatically, as selected by the operator. In the reconstruction process, the system retrieves inputs previously stored in the non-volatile memory (44) and re-enters them, with appropriate timing, into the information processing device (12) for re-processing as if they were being entered all over again manually. By this method, the system reconstructs temporarily lost work substantially as it existed at the instant it was lost, and the system thereby prevents permanent loss of such work automatically, easily, completely, and reliably.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for preventing permanent loss of work product in process in an information processing system when said work product in process is temporarily lost owing to its unintended erasure or corruption, comprising:
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a processing device, a manual input device, a non-volatile storage device, a volatile memory device, and a power source, said processing device being capable of receiving inputs from said manual input device and from said non-volatile storage device, of executing said inputs, of supplying said inputs and the results of their execution to work product in process in said volatile memory device, and of storing said inputs and said work product in process in said non-volatile storage device, said volatile memory device being capable of temporarily storing said inputs and the results of their execution as said work product in process, the contents of said volatile memory device being susceptible to accidental erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted and also in the event of equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said non-volatile storage device being capable of permanently storing and retaining information so that said information is insusceptible to erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted or in the event said volatile memory device is accidentally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said manual input device being capable of entering substantive and non-substantive inputs into said volatile memory device through said processing device, said substantive inputs comprising application invocations, cursor locations, unformatted data, and data formatting and manipulating instructions affecting said work product in process, and said non-substantive inputs comprising instructions not affecting said work product in process, and therefore not essential to its reconstruction, said power source being capable of supplying power to said processing device, said volatile memory device, said non-volatile storage device, and said manual input device, and a storing means which automatically, immediately, and transparently, without any intrusion or delay discernible to an operator, sequentially stores all of said substantive inputs, but not any of said non-substantive inputs, in said non-volatile storage device, at the time said substantive inputs are entered into said processing device, but before they are executed or supplied to said volatile memory device, such that said non-volatile storage device will contain a sequential record of all of said substantive inputs destined to affect said work product in process substantially immediately after each said substantive input is entered into said processing device and before each is executed or supplied to said volatile memory device, whereby, in the event said work product in process in said volatile memory device is unintentionally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said work product in process, comprising fully manipulated and formatted data, can be reconstructed in its original form by re-entering said sequentially stored substantive inputs automatically and sequentially from said non-volatile storage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18)
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12. A method for preventing permanent loss of work product in process in an information processing system when said work product in process is temporarily lost owing to its unintended erasure or corruption, comprising:
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providing a processing device, a manual input device, a non-volatile storage device, a volatile memory device, and a power source, said processing device being capable of receiving inputs from said manual input device and from said non-volatile storage device, of executing said inputs, of supplying said inputs and the results of their execution to work product in process in said volatile memory device, and of storing said inputs and said work product in process in said non-volatile storage device, said volatile memory device being capable of temporarily storing entered inputs and their products while they in process, the contents of said volatile memory device being susceptible to accidental erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted and also in the event of equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said non-volatile storage device being capable of permanently storing and retaining information so that said information is insusceptible to erasure or corruption in the event power thereto is interrupted or in the event said volatile memory device is accidentally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error or other misadventure, said manual input device being capable of entering substantive and non-substantive inputs into said volatile memory device through said processing device, said substantive inputs comprising application invocations, cursor locations, unformatted data, and data formatting and manipulating instructions affecting said work product in process, and said non-substantive inputs comprising instructions not affecting said work product in process, and therefore not essential to its reconstruction, said power source being capable of supplying power to said processing device, said volatile memory device, said non-volatile storage device, and said manual input device, and automatically, immediately, and transparently, without any intrusion or delay discernible to an operator, sequentially storing all of said substantive inputs, but not any of said non-substantive inputs, in said non-volatile storage device, at the time said substantive inputs are entered into said processing device but before they are executed or supplied to said volatile memory device, such that said non-volatile storage device will contain a sequential record of all said substantive inputs destined to affect said work product in process substantially immediately after each said substantive input is entered into said processing device and before each is executed or supplied to said volatile memory device, whereby, in the event said work product in process in said volatile memory device is unintentionally erased or corrupted owing to any power interruption, equipment malfunction, operator error, or other misadventure, said work product in process, comprising fully manipulated and formatted data, can be reconstructed in its original form by re-entering said sequentially stored substantive inputs automatically and sequentially from said non-volatile storage device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification