System and method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera device

• US 5,935,259 A
• Filed: 09/24/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/716,773
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.22, 395/182.03, 395/182.06, 395/182.08, 395/182.12, 395/750.01, 395/750.08, 348/187, 348/175
• US Class Current: 714/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply

Abstract

A system and method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera comprises a power manager for detecting power failures, an interrupt handler for responsively incrementing a counter device and a removable memory driver for performing memory access operations, evaluating the counter device to determine whether a power failure has occurred during the memory access operation and for repeating the memory access operation whenever a power failure has occurred during the memory access operation.

Claims

1. A system for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising:

a power manager for detecting a power failure in said digital camera;

an interrupt handler for responsively incrementing a counter device following said power failure; and

a memory driver for performing a memory access operation said memory driver evaluating said counter device prior to performing said memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value, evaluating said counter device subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value, comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value to determine whether a difference between said pre-operation value and said post-operation value exists to indicate that said power failure occurred during said memory access operation, and repeating said memory access operation if said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.

2. A method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising the steps of:

detecting a power failure within said digital camera;

incrementing a counter device in response to said power failure;

evaluating said counter device prior to performing a memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;

evaluating said counter device subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;

comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value, with a difference between said pre-operation value and said post-operation value to indicating said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and

repeating said memory access operation if said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.

3. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera by performing the steps of:

detecting a power failure within said digital camera;

incrementing a counter device in response to said power failure;

evaluating said counter device prior to performing a memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;

evaluating said counter device subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;

comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value, with a difference between said pre-operation value and said post-operation value to indicating said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and

repeating said memory access operation if said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.

4. A system for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising:

means for detecting a power failure within said digital camera;

means for incrementing a counter device in response to said power failure;

means for evaluating said counter device prior to performing a memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;

means for evaluating said counter device subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;

means for comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value, with a difference between said pre-operation value and said post-operation value to indicating said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and

means for repeating said memory access operation if said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.