System and methods for logical memory devices in a digital media player

• US 7,209,633 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2003
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integic Technologies LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Melodeo Inc (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Sears, Michael E., Novak, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Nigar
• Application Number:
  US10/349,203
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/125
• US Class Current: 386/296
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

This disclosure deals with the management of data in the memory of a digital media playback device. Specifically this dislcosure deals with the mechanisms to allow memory to be treated as a partitioned resource, regardless of the physical implementation of the data storage in the playback device. Manage the memory on a digital media player as logical partitions, not just physical partitions between different types of memory. This will treat the entire memory space as a uniform piece of memory, regardless of whether the memory is internal memory with battery backup, Flash memory that behaves like a logical disk, rotating media that is read/write (typically magnetic disk or CD-RW or DVD-RW) or rotating media that is read only. Overlaid on this uniform memory model is a partitioned memory model that divides the memory into logical devices that are used to constrain the size of the memory used for various (logical) types of digital media.

Claims

1. A method of managing separate storage regions in a digital media playback device, the method comprising:

providing a prioritization of media selections based on user criteria;

providing an organization of media selections based on user criteria for maximum amounts of memory devoted to different types or categories of digital media;

providing an organization of media selections to optimize memory usage in separate storage regions;

providing a mechanism to automatically index portable rotating media selected from one of music CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW; and

providing a mechanism to automatically create portable rotating media selected from one of CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW.

2. An apparatus of managing separate storage regions in a digital media playback device, the apparatus comprising:

a mechanism for prioritizing media selections based on user criteria;

a mechanism for organizing media selections based on user criteria for maximum amounts of memory devoted to different types or categories of digital media;

a mechanism for organizing media selections to optimize memory usage in separate storage regions;

a mechanism to automatically index portable rotating media selected from one of music CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW; and

a mechanism to automatically create portable rotating media selected from one of CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW.

3. A system of managing separate storage regions in a digital media playback device, the system comprising:

means for prioritizing media selections based on user criteria;

means for organizing media selections based on user criteria for maximum amounts of memory devoted to different types or categories of digital media;

means for organizing media selections to optimize memory usage in separate storage regions;

means to automatically index portable rotating media selected from one of music CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW; and

means to automatically create portable rotating media selected from one of CD-R, CD-RW, VCD, DVD-R and DVD-RW.