System for storing streaming information in a circular buffer by using padding block containing non-streaming information to fill a partition of the buffer

• US 7,146,458 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Issued: 12/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lorton, Christopher W., Smirnov, Serge, Raja, Jayachandran, Lee, Mingtzong
• Primary Examiner(s): BATAILLE, PIERRE MICHE
• Application Number:
  US11/096,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20050235113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 711/110, 711/153, 711/111, 711/151, 711/100, 710/52, 710/53, 710/6, 710/57, 709/251, 370/351, 370/401
• US Class Current: 711/110
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10666 Ring buffers, e.g. buffers wherein an iteratively progressing read or write pointer moves back to the beginning of the buffer when reaching the last storage cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention relates to an information appliance for handling streaming information for storage in a circular buffer having a plurality of partitions defined by boundaries. The information appliance includes receiving streaming information from a source of streaming information and forming data blocks wherein each data block includes a payload field capable of holding a portion of the streaming information and an identification field indicative of the source of the streaming information. At least one data block is written to the circular buffer to partially fill a partition and at least one padding block is generated having a field indicative of non-streaming information and having a size being a function of remaining space in the partition. The padding block is written to the circular buffer adjacent a boundary of the partition.

Claims

1. An information appliance for handling streaming information for storage in a circular buffer comprising a plurality of partitions defined by boundaries, the information appliance adapted to perform steps, comprising:

receiving streaming information from a source of streaming information;

forming data blocks wherein each data block includes a payload field capable of holding a portion of the streaming information and an identification field indicative of the source of the streaming information;

writing at least one data block to the circular buffer to partially fill a partition;

generating at least one padding block having a field indicative of non-streaming information and having a size being a function of remaining space in the partition; and

writing the padding block to the circular buffer adjacent a boundary of the partition.

2. The information appliance of claim 1 wherein the step of writing the at least one data block comprises writing the at least one data block adjacent one of the boundaries.

3. The information appliance of claim 1 wherein the data blocks are of variable size.

4. The information appliance of claim 1 wherein each of the data blocks includes a first pointer field indicating a location of a succeeding data block and a second pointer field indicating a location of a preceding data block, and wherein the step of forming includes ascertaining pointer data for each of the pointer fields.

5. An information appliance for handling streaming information for storage in a circular buffer comprising a plurality of partitions defined by boundaries, the information appliance adapted to perform steps, comprising:

receiving streaming information from a source of streaming information;

forming similarly structured data blocks wherein each data block includes a payload field capable of holding a portion of the streaming information and an identification field indicative of the source of the streaming information;

writing at least two data blocks to the circular buffer to partially fill a partition;

generating at least one padding block having a field indicative of non-streaming information and having a size being a function of remaining space in the partition; and

writing said at least one padding block to the circular buffer to fill the remaining space in the partition.

6. The information appliance of claim 5 wherein the step of writing the padding block comprises writing the padding block in the circular buffer adjacent a boundary.

7. The information appliance of claim 5 wherein the data blocks are of variable size.

8. The information appliance of claim 5 wherein each of the data blocks includes a first pointer field indicating a location of a succeeding data block and a second pointer field indicating a location of a preceding data block, and wherein the step of forming includes ascertaining pointer data for each of the pointer fields.