System for writing data on an optical storage medium without interruption using a local write buffer

• US 6,651,113 B1
• Filed: 12/22/1999
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Grimsrud, Knut
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Application Number:
  US09/470,287
• Time in Patent Office: 1,427 Days
• Field of Search: 710/22, 710/33, 710/52, 711/100, 711/101
• US Class Current: 710/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0656 Data buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0677 Optical disk device, e.g. CD-ROM, DVD

Abstract

A method for writing data on an optical storage medium in an optical storage device includes transferring data by a direct memory access process from a host buffer allocated in a memory of a host device to a local write buffer associated with the optical storage device. The data is then written from the write buffer to the optical storage medium.

Claims

1. A method for writing data on an optical storage medium in an optical storage device, comprising:

designating an address in the a main memory of a host device as a host buffer for the optical storage device;

continuously pulling data by a circular direct memory access process from the host buffer;

delivering the data in an uninterrupted stream from the host buffer to a local write buffer associated with the optical storage device such that the write buffer is not underrun while the optical storage medium is completely written without interruption.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transferred to the host buffer from a data source.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data source is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, an internet connection, a satellite receiver or an optical storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a host direct memory access controller interfaced with the optical storage device conducts the direct memory access process.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein data is transferred to the host buffer at a first rate, data is transferred to the write buffer at a second rate, and the first rate exceeds the second rate until the optical storage medium is completely written.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of less than about 256 kB.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of about 32 kB.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a memory in a host device,

a direct memory access controller,

a data storage medium in an optical storage device, and

a driver for the optical storage device, wherein the driver is programmed to execute the following instructions to write the medium;

transfer data to a host buffer allocated in the memory of the host device; and

activate the direct memory access controller to continuously pull data by a circular direct memory access process from the host buffer to a local write buffer associated with the optical storage device such that the local write buffer is adequately filled with data to prevent underrun in the write buffer while the data storage medium is completely written without interruption.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the data is transferred to the host buffer from a data source selected from the group consisting of a hard disk drive, an internet connection, a satellite receiver or an optical storage device.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of less than about 256 kB.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of about 32 kB.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a recordable optical storage device with a data storage medium; and

a host device comprising a main memory, a device driver interfaced with the optical storage device, and a direct memory access controller interfaced with the optical storage device, wherein the device driver is programmed to execute the following steps to write the medium;

(a) allocate a region in the main memory as a host buffer;

(b) provide a scatter/gather list for the direct memory access controller, wherein the scatter/gather list includes entries that point to the host buffer;

(c) execute the scatter/gather list to transfer data with the direct memory access controller between the host buffer and a write buffer on the optical device;

(d) write the medium in the optical device with the data in the write buffer; and

(e) repeating the scatter/gather list until a sufficient amount of data is transferred from the host buffer to the optical device to write the device,

wherein data in the host buffer is available to the write buffer such that the write buffer is not underrun while the optical medium is completely written without interruption.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of less than about 256 kB.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the write buffer has a data storage capacity of about 32 kB.

13. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for writing an optical medium in an optical device, the instructions causing a computer to:

(a) transfer data to a host buffer allocated in the memory of a host device; and

(b) activate the direct memory access controller to continuously transfer data by a circular direct memory access process from the host buffer to a local write buffer associated with the optical storage device,

wherein data in the host buffer is available to the write buffer such that the write buffer is not underrun while the data storage medium is completely written without interruption.

14. An article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for writing an optical medium in an optical device, the instructions causing a computer to:

(a) allocate a memory region in a host device as a host buffer for the optical storage device;

(b) establish a link for direct memory access transfer of data using a direct memory access controller from the host buffer to a write buffer on the optical storage device, wherein the controller includes a scatter/gather list with entries that point to the host buffer, and wherein the scatter/gather list includes a flag that points the controller to the beginning of another list; and

(c) repeating the scatter/gather list until a sufficient amount of data is transferred from the host buffer to the optical device to write the device,

wherein data in the host buffer is available to the write buffer such that the write buffer is not underrun while the optical medium is completely written without interruption.

17. An optical data storage system comprising:

an optical device having a data storage medium, and

an article comprising a computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions for writing the optical medium, the instructions causing a computer to;

(a) allocate an array of memory regions in the main memory of a host device as a host buffer for the optical storage device;

(b) transfer data to the host buffer from a mass storage device;

(c) address the host buffer to transfer data, using a circular direct memory access process, to continuously transfer data between the host buffer and a write buffer on the optical storage device; and

(d) repeat step (c) such that the write buffer is not underrun until the optical device is completely written without interruption.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the repeating step (d) comprises:

querying the progress of a write process in the optical recorder; and

, if the write process is not complete, querying a level of data remaining in the host buffer, and

(i) if sufficient data remains in the host buffer to provide a continuous write, returning to step (c); and

(ii) if insufficient data remains in the host buffer to provide a continuous write, returning to step (b).

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a recordable optical storage device; and

a host device comprising a main memory, a device driver interfaced with the optical storage device, and a direct memory access controller interfaced with the optical storage device, wherein the device driver is programmed to execute the following steps to write the optical storage device;

(a) allocate a portion of the main memory as a host buffer;

(b) transfer data FIFO, using the direct memory access controller, between the host buffer and a write buffer in the optical device;

wherein data in the host buffer is available to the write buffer such that the write buffer is not underrun while the data storage medium is completely written without interruption.