Storage device presenting to hosts only files compatible with a defined host capability

• US 8,972,426 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Fruchter, Ari Daniel, Hahn, Judah Gamliel, Bryant-Rich, Donald Ray, Goodman, Daniel Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US13/541,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271859A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• US Class Current: 707/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0622 in relation to access
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

A method includes defining a host capability; creating for a storage device a second directory tree from a first directory tree of the storage device that is included in a file system within the storage device; and, for a data file that is stored in the storage device and is selectable for consumption by a host through the first directory tree that is included in the storage device'"'"'s file system, determining whether the data file requires for consumption a host having the defined host capability. If the data file requires a host having the defined host capability, an entry is created in the second directory tree in which the data file is not selectable for consumption by the host. Otherwise, an entry is created in the second directory tree in which the data file is selectable for consumption by the host.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to files, the method comprising:

at a data storage device that includes a memory, performing;

reading a file system that includes a first directory tree, wherein the first directory tree identifies data files that are stored in the memory and wherein the data files are selectable for consumption via the first directory tree;

reading an administrative file from the memory;

determining, for a first particular data file identified via the first directory tree, if the first particular data file is compatible with a defined host capability or if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability based on an entry of the administrative file;

if the first particular data file is compatible with the defined host capability, creating an entry in a second directory tree corresponding to the first particular data file such that the first particular data file is selectable for consumption via the second directory tree in addition to being selectable for consumption via the first directory tree;

if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability, making the first particular data file non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree;

storing, in the data storage device, the second directory tree;

receiving a request from a host to access a data file stored on the data storage device;

determining if the host has the defined host capability; and

using the second directory tree to process the request if the host has the defined host capability.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the first directory tree to process the request if the host does not have the defined host capability.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

creating an entry in the first directory tree for the administrative file.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising allocating storage for the administrative file in the file system of the data storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by hiding the first particular data file in the second directory tree.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein hiding the first particular data file in the second directory tree is performed by altering a file attribute of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding file attribute of the first directory tree.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by altering an address of a first memory sector or an address of a first memory cluster of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding address of the first directory tree.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption-via the second directory tree by altering a filename of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding filename in the first directory tree.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by altering a file type of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding file type in the first directory tree.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first particular data file is compatible with the defined host capability includes reading the first particular data file by another host.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the defined host capability is one of a communication bandwidth, a file format, a specified bit rate for playing back of data files, and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection speed.

12. A storage device comprising:

a memory;

a first directory tree, wherein the first directory tree is included in a file system within the memory;

an administrative file within the memory;

a second directory tree within the memory, wherein the second directory tree is created from the first directory tree; and

a controller configured to;

determine, for a first particular data file identified via the first directory tree, if the first particular data file is compatible with a defined host capability or if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability based on an entry of the administrative file;

if the first particular data file is compatible with the defined host capability, creating an entry in the second directory tree corresponding to the first particular data file such that the first particular data file is selectable for consumption via the second directory tree in addition to being selectable via the first directory tree;

if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability, making the first particular data file non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree; and

in response to a request from a host to access a data file and in response to determining that the host has the defined host capability, using the second directory tree to process the request.

13. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by hiding the data file in the second directory tree.

14. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by altering an address of a first memory sector or an address of a first memory cluster of the data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding address of the first directory tree.

15. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by altering a filename of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding filename in the first directory tree.

16. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the first particular data file is made non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree by altering a file type of the first particular data file in the second directory tree relative to a corresponding file type in the first directory tree.

17. The storage device of claim 12, wherein the storage device is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) storage drive.

18. A method of performing an operation on a storage device comprising:

determining, for a first particular data file in a file system on the storage device where the first particular data file is identified via a first directory tree, if the first particular data file is compatible with a defined host capability or if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability based on an entry of an administrative file;

if the first particular data file is compatible with the defined host capability, creating an entry in a second directory tree corresponding to the first particular data file such that the first particular data file is selectable for consumption via the second directory tree in addition to being selectable for consumption via the first directory tree;

if the first particular data file is incompatible with the defined host capability, making the first particular data file non-selectable for consumption via the second directory tree;

receiving information from a host;

determining, based on the information received from the host, if the host has the defined host capability; and

if the host is determined to have the defined host capability, enabling access by the host to the file system on the storage device via the second directory tree and otherwise enabling access by the host to the file system on the storage device via the first directory tree.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the entry in the second directory is rendered non-selectable via the second directory tree by including an altered address field, the altered address field including an address of a first memory cluster set to all zeros.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the defined host capability is one of a communication bandwidth, a file format, a specified bit rate for playing back of data files, and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection speed.