Disk driver cluster management of time shift buffer with file allocation table structure
First Claim
1. A file allocation method for a hard disk drive comprising the steps of:
- receiving a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file;
allocating clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances;
designating a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the non-buffer file is permitted to simultaneously share the portion of the clusters with the buffer file; and
limiting the buffer file to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A file allocation system for a hard disk drive includes a memory with driver logic and a processor configured with the driver logic to receive a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file. In some embodiments, the processor is configured with the driver logic to allocate clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances. In some embodiments, the processor is configured with the driver logic to designate a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the non-buffer file is permitted to share the portion of the clusters of the buffer file with the buffer file.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A file allocation method for a hard disk drive comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file; allocating clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances; designating a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the non-buffer file is permitted to simultaneously share the portion of the clusters with the buffer file; and limiting the buffer file to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A file allocation method for a hard disk drive comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file; allocating clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances; designating a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the buffer file is permitted to simultaneously share the portion of the clusters with the non-buffer file; using the non-buffer file clusters for permanent recordings; maintaining a file sharing count for the clusters of the buffer file, such that the clusters with the file sharing count greater than one are removed from the buffer file; removing from the buffer file the portion of the clusters that are shared by the buffer file and the non-buffer file and designating said previously shared portion as a portion of non-buffer file clusters; replacing the portion of the clusters that were removed from the buffer file with replacement clusters in order to maintain the defined size of the disk space for the buffer file as substantially constant; and limiting the buffer file to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file.
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24. A file allocation system for a hard disk drive comprising:
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a memory with driver logic; and a processor configured with the driver logic to receive a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to allocate clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to designate a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the buffer file is permitted to simultaneously share the portion of the clusters with the non-buffer file, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to use the non-buffer file clusters for permanent recordings, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to maintain a file sharing count for the clusters of the buffer file, such that the clusters with the file sharing count greater than one are removed from the buffer file, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to remove from the buffer file the portion of the clusters that are shared by the buffer file and the non-buffer file and designating-said previously shared portion-as a portion of non-buffer file clusters, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to replace the portion of the clusters that were removed from the buffer file with replacement clusters in order to maintain the defined size of the disk space for the buffer file as substantially constant; wherein the processor is further configured to limit the buffer file to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file.
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25. A file allocation system for a hard disk drive comprising:
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a memory with driver logic; and a processor configured with the driver logic to receive a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to allocate clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances, wherein the processor is further configured with the driver logic to designate a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the non-buffer file is permitted to simultaneously share the portion of the clusters of the buffer file with the buffer file; wherein the processor is further configured to limit the buffer file to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification