File format conversion method, and file system, information processing system, electronic commerce system using the method

• US 6,385,606 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Masuoka, Yoshimasa, Noda, Fumio, Inohara, Shigekazu, Kagimasa, Toyohiko, Min, Jinghua
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US09/756,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20010002470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 707/101, 707/200, 707/4, 707/2, 707/10
• US Class Current: 707/702
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

In order to perform format conversion between the formats of a plurality of files without any work by a user, a file system stores a relation between a conversion originating file and a conversion destination file, and synchronously with an issue of a file operation API, the format conversion processes are executed. A user performs only the tasks essential for an application, without taking into consideration various necessary format conversions (either one-step or multi-step). During the user task, it is not necessary to designate a conversion originating file and a timing of format conversion. A user can use always a latest conversion destination file.

Claims

1. A file format conversion method of converting a first file having a first format into second files F₁, F₂, . . . F_m (m:

an integer of 1 or larger) having second formats different from the first format by using conversion programs P₁, P₂, . . . P_m, the method comprising the steps of;

(1) determining a correspondence between the first file, the conversion program, and the second file to be converted by the conversion program;

(2) designating the first or second file by an application of a user; and

(3) converting the first format of the first file into the second format of the second file by using the corresponded conversion program, by using as a trigger at least one timing among a timing of a file operation of the first or second file issued by the application of the user, a predetermined timing, and a timing when predetermined conditions are satisfied.

2. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein said correspondence determining step (1) includes a method of obtaining two of the first file, a first conversion program, and the second file obtained from the first file by the first conversion program, in accordance with either the first or second file.

3. A file format conversion method according to claim 2, wherein said correspondence determining step uses a table storing a correspondence among the first file, the first conversion program, and the second file.

4. A file format conversion method according to claim 2, wherein said correspondence determining step uses a program having a correspondence among the first file, the first conversion program, and the second file.

5. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein the file operation includes a close operation after a write operation of the first file, and a read/write operation or an open operation for read/write for the second file.

6. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein a third file is provided which is different from the first and second files, a format of the third file is converted into the format of the first file when the format of the first file is converted into the format of the second file.

7. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second files is an e-mail or a file attached to the e-mail.

8. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein contents is a part or the whole of the second files obtained by format conversion are deleted without deleting file names.

9. A recording medium storing as a program the file format conversion method according to claim 1.

10. A server computer having a secondary storage unit for storing a plurality of files, the server computer comprising an application having a file editing function, a display program for displaying a document of a format among one or more formats, and a file system with the file format conversion method for converting the format of the conversion originating file into the format of the conversion destination file as recited in claim 1,

wherein the application forms the conversion originating file in accordance with an operation by a user and stores the conversion originating file in the secondary storage unit;

a WWW server is interconnected via a network to a function-limited personal computer (PC) receives a file read request from the program ported to the function-limited PC and issues an open application program interface (API), and synchronously with the issue, the file system reads contents of the conversion destination file converted from the conversion originating file and returns the contents to the program; and

a distributed file server is coupled via the network to a program for displaying or editing a document of one format among conversion file destination formats, receives a read request for the conversion destination file from the program, and issues an open API, and synchronously with the issue, the file system reads contents of a conversion destination file converted from the conversion origination file and returns the contents to the program.

11. A retrieval server computer having a secondary storage unit for storing a plurality of files, the retrieval server computer comprising a WWW client, at least one retrieval server, and a file system with the file format conversion method for converting the format of the conversion originating file into the format of the conversion destination file as recited in claim 1,

wherein the WWW client is interconnected via a network to a plurality of WWW server computers each storing files of different formats, collects contents of each file, and stores the contents in the file system as the conversion originating file;

and

the retrieval server is provided in correspondence with a type of information to be retrieved, and a retrieval server corresponding to the type of information retrieves information from conversion destination files of a same format converted from conversion originating files of different formats by the file system.

12. A retrieval server computer according to claim 11, wherein the retrieval server is provided with a first retrieval program receiving a first format and a second retrieval program receiving a second format, and the file system converts a format of the information into the first and second formats and supplied the first and second formats to the first and second retrieval programs.

13. A file format conversion method according to claim 1, wherein contents is a part or the whole of the second files obtained by format conversion are deleted without deleting file names.

14. A recording medium storing as a program the file format conversion method according to claim 1.

22. A personal computer having a secondary storage unit for storing a plurality of files, the personal computer comprising an application having a file editing function, a display program for displaying a document of a format among one or more formats, and a file system with the file format conversion method for converting the format of the conversion originating file into the format of the conversion destination file as recited in claim 1,

wherein the application forms the conversion originating file in accordance with an operation by a user and stores the conversion originating file in the secondary storage unit;

and

the display program issues an open API, and synchronously with the issue, reads and displays contents of another conversion destination file converted from the conversion originating file by the file system.

15. A file format conversion method for providing a user with a first file and one or more second files obtained through format conversion of the first file, wherein the number of operations to be executed at the same time is only one of a first file operation for the first file and a second file operation for a third file which is one of the second file.

16. A file format conversion method according to claim 15, wherein one of the first and second file operations is either a write operation or an open operation in a write mode.

17. A file system for a computer system provided with a secondary storage unit for storing a plurality of files, the file system comprising:

a conversion originating file;

a conversion destination file after format conversion;

a correspondence designating unit for determining a correspondence between the conversion originating file, a conversion program, and the conversion destination file;

an application program interface (API) for defining a file operation executable by an application program; and

a format conversion control unit for executing a desired format conversion in response to an activation of API.

18. A file system according to claim 17 wherein said correspondence designating unit includes an interface for registering or deleting a corresponded item.

19. A file system according to claim 17, wherein said correspondence designating unit includes an interface for registering or deleting a corresponded item.

20. A file system for each of a plurality of computer systems of a distributed system interconnected via a network, each computer system being provided with a secondary storage unit for storing a plurality of files, the file system comprising:

a file including at least one of a conversion originating file and a conversion destination file after format conversion;

a correspondence designating unit for determining a correspondence between the conversion originating file, a conversion program, and the conversion destination file;

an application program interface (API) for defining a file operation executable by an application program; and

a format conversion control unit for executing a desired format conversion in response to an activation of API during communications with another file system over the network.

21. An information processing system including a first personal computer (PC) having a file editing function and being capable of turning a power on/off, a world wide web (WWW) server computer with a power maintained on, and a second personal computer (PC) without a file conversion function, wherein:

PC includes a conversion originating file of a predetermined format and a control unit having an internal conversion program for controlling format conversion by the internal conversion program in accordance with an instruction form a user issued via an application program interface (API) for defining a file operation executable by an application program;

the WWW server computer includes an intermediate file obtained through the format conversion by PC, at least one conversion destination file obtained through the format conversion of the intermediate file by using at least one conversion program, and a format conversion control unit for controlling the format conversion in accordance with the instruction of the user issued via API; and

PC has a function of designating via a WWW browser at last one conversion destination file in the WWW server computer and instructing the WWW server computer to read contends of the conversion destination file.