Method for storing and retreiving files by generating an array having plurality of sub-arrays each of which include a digit of file identification numbers
First Claim
1. In a computer storing a plurality of files in a memory device, each said file being assigned a unique identification number, a method of storing and quickly retrieving a selected file via said identification number assigned to said selected file, comprising the steps of:
- generating a host array and storing the address of each said file in said memory device in said host array, wherein the addresses of said files are sequentially stored in said host array in the order in which the files are created;
generating a second array contemporaneously with the generation of said host array, wherein said identification numbers for said files are sequentially stored in said second array in the order in which the files are created, and wherein said second array is sub-divided into a plurality of sub-arrays, each said sub-array including a digit from each said identification number;
finding each said digit of said identification number assigned to said selected file in said second array; and
calculating a pointer to the location in said host array to the address of said selected file in said memory device based upon the position of said digits of said identification number assigned to said selected file in said second array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A modular digital dictation system that can be easily modified to service a variable number of dictation stations and transcription stations. The modular digital dictation station comprises a central station for receiving digitized dictation signals from a network of dictation stations, storing the voice portion of the digitized dictation signals as digitized dictation segments, and routing the digitized dictation segments to a network of transcription stations. The central station includes a plurality of line interface and signal processing cards. The number of line interface and signal processing cards connected to the central station determines how many dictation stations and transcription stations the modular digital dictation station can service. The line interface cards may be removed from or connected to the central station during operations. A fast search program is provided to quickly find files containing desired digitized dictation segments stored in the central station. The fast search program uses arrays of identification numbers to quickly retrieve the files. The first array stores the address of the files in memory in the order in which the files are created. The second array stores identification numbers corresponding to each file in the order in which the files are created. The structure of the second array facilitates quickly finding an identification number. The position of the identification in the second array corresponds to a location in the first array containing the address in the file in memory. The position of the identification number in the second array is therefore used to calculate the location of the file in memory.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. In a computer storing a plurality of files in a memory device, each said file being assigned a unique identification number, a method of storing and quickly retrieving a selected file via said identification number assigned to said selected file, comprising the steps of:
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generating a host array and storing the address of each said file in said memory device in said host array, wherein the addresses of said files are sequentially stored in said host array in the order in which the files are created; generating a second array contemporaneously with the generation of said host array, wherein said identification numbers for said files are sequentially stored in said second array in the order in which the files are created, and wherein said second array is sub-divided into a plurality of sub-arrays, each said sub-array including a digit from each said identification number; finding each said digit of said identification number assigned to said selected file in said second array; and calculating a pointer to the location in said host array to the address of said selected file in said memory device based upon the position of said digits of said identification number assigned to said selected file in said second array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In a computer storing a plurality of files in a memory device, each said file being assigned a unique identification number, a fast search computer program product for retrieving said files, said fast search computer program product stored in computer-readable memory and executed by said computer comprising:
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an array, said array being divided into a number of sub-arrays, with the number of sub-arrays equaling the number of digits in said identification numbers; a host array; a controller operating said fast search computer program product to control; loading the address in said memory device of each file into said host array as each file is created; loading each digit of each identification number for each file into a sub-array as each file is created, whereby one sub-array contains all the digits in a given position for each said identification number, and wherein each sub-array has a first dimension equal to the possible values of the digit stored in said sub-array and a second dimension equal to a predetermined maximum number of jobs stored in said sub-array; selecting an identification number for a selected file to be retrieved; generating a mask of width equal to said predetermined maximum number of jobs stored in said sub-array; finding said selected file in said sub-arrays by ANDing said mask with a portion of each said sub-array, said portion of said sub-arrays identified by the value in said first dimension of said sub-arrays that corresponds to the value of said digits in said identifier number for said selected file; calculating the location in said host array of the address corresponding to said selected file using the position in said sub-arrays of said digits in said identifier number for said selected file; and retrieving said selected file from said memory device using said address from said host array. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. In a computer storing a plurality of files in a memory device, each file having a file identification number comprising a plurality of digits, a method for storing a file in said memory device, using a host array and a pointer array, said pointer array comprising a plurality of pointer sub-arrays, comprising the steps of:
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assigning a file identification number to said file; selecting an address for storing said file; creating an entry for said host array for said file, said host array entry comprising a pointer pointing to said address; storing said file identification number in said pointer array so that each said digit of said file identification number is stored in a different pointer sub-array; and storing said file at said address. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for storing and retrieving a file in a memory device using a host array and a pointer array, said pointer array comprising a plurality of pointer sub-arrays, comprising the steps of:
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A. receiving a file identification number for said file, said file identification number comprising a plurality of digits; B. selecting an address for storing said file; C. creating an entry for said host array for said file, said host array entry comprising a pointer pointing to said address; D. storing said file identification number in said pointer array so that each digit of said file identification number is stored in a different pointer sub-array; E. storing said file at said address; F. receiving a request to retrieve said file;
said request including said file identification number;G. using said file identification number to identify said host array entry; H. using said host array entry to identify said address; and I. retrieving said file from said address. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification