Searching system for searching files stored in a hard disk of a personal computer

• US 6,330,567 B1
• Filed: 08/13/1998
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tornado Technologies Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tornado Technologies Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Chao, Kuo-Jen
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US09/133,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/4, 707/7, 707/10, 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/205, 707/206, 710/58, 710/242, 711/100, 711/113, 711/118, 711/170, 711/202, 711/203, 709/213, 709/214, 709/219, 713/200, 714/4
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A searching system which can quickly search the filenames and file paths of certain desired files stored in a hard disk of a personal computer. The personal computer comprises a memory for storing programs and data and a processor for executing the programs stored in the memory. The searching system comprises a filename file stored in the memory for recording filenames of all the files and directories stored in the hard disk, an index file stored in the memory for recording file paths of the files and directories stored in the filename file, and a search program stored in the memory for searching the filenames stored in the filename file according to certain user specified search parameters to generate an output and then generating the file paths of the files contained in the output by using the index file. The filename and index files are maintained in the memory of the personal computer so that searching speeds for searching files stored in the hard disk can be substantially reduced.

Claims

1. A searching system for searching filenames and file paths of files stored in a personal computer'"'"'s hard disk, the hard disk comprising a directory system having a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree structure, the filenames of all the files stored in the hard disk stored in the directories of the directory system, the personal computer comprising a dynamic random access memory for storing programs and data and a processor for executing the programs stored in the memory, the searching system comprising:

a filename file stored in the memory for recording filenames of all the files and directories in the hard disk, the filenames sequentially arranged in a specific order within the filename file;

an index file stored in the memory for recording file paths within the directory system of the all the files and directories recorded in the filename file, corresponding file paths of the filenames in the filename file being arranged in the same sequence within the index file, the file path of each file stored in the index file comprising a pointer for indicating the position of the file path of a local directory in the index file over which the filename of the file is stored in the local directory, the file path of each directory stored in the index file comprising a pointer for indicating the position of the file path of a parent directory in the index file over which the filename of the directory is stored in the parent directory; and

a search program for searching the filenames recorded in the filename file according to at least one search parameter provided by a user to generate a filename output, and searching the file paths for the filenames contained in the output by using the index file to generate an index output.

2. The searching system of claim 1 wherein the directory system contains a root directory located at the top of its hierarchical tree structure and the file path of the root directory contains a specific pointer for indicating that it is a root directory.

3. The searching system of claim 2 wherein when searching the file path of a specific file, the search program will use the pointer contained in the correspondent file path of the file in the index file to obtain the file paths of all the parent directories of the file in the index file and organize a complete file path of the file within the directory system.

4. The searching system of claim 1 wherein the index file further records file type, last modified date and size along with the file path of each file recorded in the filename file.

5. The searching system of claim 1 further comprising a setup program for creating and updating the filename file and the index file.