Method for writing a file by different writing schemes according to file characteristics and electronic device using the method

• US 7,984,249 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Kyung-sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Bragdon; Reginald G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Talukdar; Arvind
• Application Number:
  US11/751,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 711/101
• US Class Current: 711/154
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/349 Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles

Abstract

A method for writing a file by different writing schemes according to file characteristic and electronic device using the method are provided. A method for writing a file is provided, including writing a first file to a memory according to a first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is the first file, and writing a second file to the memory according to a second writing scheme which is different from the first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is the second file different from the first file.

Claims

1. A method for writing a file, the method comprising:

writing a first file that has been determined by a controller to be a non-volatile file, to a memory according to a first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is the first file; and

writing a second file that has been determined by a controller to be a volatile file, to the memory according to a second writing scheme which is different from the first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is different from the first file,

wherein the first writing scheme intermittently updates already-written file information regarding the first file, and

the second writing scheme does not update already-written file information regarding the second file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first file is not deleted from the memory if power to the memory is transited to an off position, and

the second file is deleted from the memory if power to the memory is transited to the off position.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first file comprises an image requested to be recorded, and

the second file comprises an image to provide a time shift function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the file information comprises metadata.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first writing scheme writes the file information regarding the first file if the first file has been written, and

the second writing scheme does not write the file information regarding the second file, if the second file has been written.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises one of a flash memory and a NAND flash memory.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a memory to which a file is written; and

a controller which writes a first file, which has been determined by the controller to be a non-volatile file, to the memory according to a first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is the first file, and writes a second file, which has been determined by the controller to be a volatile file, to the memory according to a second writing scheme which is different from the first writing scheme if the file to be written to the memory is different from the first file,

wherein the first writing scheme periodically updates file information, which has been already written, regarding the first file, and

the second writing scheme does not update file information, which has been already written, regarding the second file.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first file is not deleted from the memory if power to the memory is transited to an off position, and

the second file is deleted from the memory if power to the memory is transited to the off position.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the first file comprises an image requested to be recorded, and

the second file comprises an image to provide a time shift function.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the file information comprises metadata.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first writing scheme writes file information regarding the first file, if the first file has been written, and

the second writing scheme does not write file information regarding the second file, if the second file has been written.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the memory comprises one of a flash memory and a NAND flash memory.

13. A method for writing a file, the method comprising:

determining, using a controller, whether a file to be written to a memory is a volatile or non-volatile file;

writing file information regarding the file to be written to the memory;

writing the entire file to the memory without updating the file information, if the file is determined to be a volatile file; and

writing the file to the memory while periodically updating the file information if the file is determined to be a non-volatile file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a volatile file is deleted from the memory if the power to the memory is transited to an off position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the file information comprises metadata.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the file is a non-volatile file, if the first file comprises an image requested to be recorded; and

determining that the file is a volatile file, if the file comprises an image that may provide a time shift function.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein only file data is written to memory file after file information is written, if the file is determined to be a volatile file.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a memory; and

a controller which determines whether a file to be written to the memory is a volatile or non-volatile file, writes file information regarding the file to be written to the memory, and then writes the entire file to the memory without updating the file information if the file is determined to be a volatile file, and writes the entire file to the memory while periodically updating the file information if the file is determined to be a non-volatile file.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the file is deleted from the memory if the power to the memory is transited to an off position.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the file information comprises metadata.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the controller determines a file to be a non-volatile file if the first file comprises an image requested to be recorded;

and

wherein the controller determines the file to be a volatile file, if the file comprises an image that can provide a time shift function.

22. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein only file data is written to memory after file information is written, if the file is determined to be a volatile file.