Download management of discardable files

• US 9,015,209 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Hahn, Judah Gamliel, Koren, David
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, KHANH B
• Application Number:
  US12/720,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 707/821, 707/827
• US Class Current: 707/821
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1737 for reducing power consumption or coping with limited storage space, e.g. in mobile devices saving storage space on storage devices G06F3/0608; power saving in storage systems G06F3/0625

Abstract

A request is received to store a file in a storage area of a storage device, the file being discardable and having associated therewith data in a data structure associated with the storage device. The file is marked as a discardable file. In some implementations a file system structure of the data structure is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file, where in other implementations, the file itself is marked to indicate that the file is a discardable file. A download manager determines a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage area of the storage device and determines whether to delay a download to the storage device of the discardable file based on the determined download condition. The download manager manages the download of the discardable file to the storage device based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device.

Claims

1. A method for managing a storage device, the method comprising:

in a host to which a storage device is operatively coupled;

receiving a request originating from a content publisher to store a file in the storage device, wherein the storage device deems the file discardable;

marking the file as a discardable file in a file system of the storage device, the file system comprising a primary file system architecture and a discardable file system architecture, wherein marking the file as a discardable file comprises;

causing the storage device to update the primary file system architecture in the storage device to associate with the file a cluster chain that is allocated with the file, the cluster chain masking at least a physical location in the storage device associated with the file; and

causing the storage device to update the discardable file system architecture to associate the physical location in the storage device with the file, wherein marking the file as discardable hides the file in the file system of the storage device such that the file is masked from a user and wherein the discardable file comprises unsolicited content that has not been requested by the user;

determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device;

determining whether to delay a download to the storage device of the discardable file based on the determined download condition and the marking of the file as a discardable file; and

managing the download of the discardable file to the storage device based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein managing the download of the discardable file comprises:

delaying the download of the discardable file to the storage device until a parameter associated with the download condition is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device comprises:

determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining whether a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein determining a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining whether a cellular network is available to download the discardable file to the storage device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device comprises:

determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining the storage device is coupled with a power supply.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining that a battery associated with the storage device is charging.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining a power condition available to the storage device when downloading the discardable file to the storage device comprises:

determining a power level of a battery associated with the storage device is above a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device comprises:

determining a time of day associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage device comprises:

determining an amount of available storage in the storage device prior to storing the discardable file in the storage device is above a predetermined level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the file as a discardable file comprises marking the file itself to indicate that the file is a discardable file.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein marking the file as a discardable file comprises assigning a discarding priority level to the file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary file system architecture comprises

a primary file allocation table (“

FAT”

) and the discardable file system architecture comprises a discardable FAT.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing the storing of the downloaded discardable file in the storage device based on the marking of the file as a discardable file.

16. A storage system comprising:

a host in communication with a non-volatile memory, the nonvolatile memory containing a file system having a primary file system architecture and a discardable file system architecture; and

a processor on the host for managing storage of one or more files in the non-volatile memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive a request originating from a content publisher to store a file in the storage system, wherein the storage system deems the file discardable;

mark the file as a discardable file, wherein to mark the file as a discardable file the processor is configured to;

mark the file as discardable, the marking of the file being done in the file system associated with the storage system;

cause the storage system to update the primary file system architecture to associate with the file a cluster chain that is allocated with the file, the cluster chain masking at least a physical location in the storage system associated with the file; and

cause the storage system to update the discardable file system architecture to associate the physical location in the storage system with the file, wherein marking the file as a discardable file hides the file in the file system of the storage system such that the file is masked from a user and wherein a discardable file comprises unsolicited content that has not been requested by the user;

determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage system;

determine whether to delay a download to the storage system of the discardable file based on the determined download condition and the marking of the file as a discardable file; and

manage the download of the discardable file to the storage system based on the determination of whether to delay the download of the discardable file to the storage system.

17. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to manage the download of the discardable file, the processor is further configured to:

delay the download of the discardable file to the storage system until a parameter associated with the download condition is satisfied.

18. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage system.

19. The storage system of claim 18, wherein to determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a wireless fidelity (WiFi) network is available to download the discardable file to the storage system.

20. The storage system of claim 18, wherein to determine a type of network available to download the discardable file to the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a cellular network is available to download the discardable file to the storage system.

21. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to determine a download condition associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine a power condition available to the storage system when downloading the discardable file to the storage system.

22. The storage system of claim 21, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage system when downloading the discardable file to the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine the storage device is coupled with a power supply.

23. The storage system of claim 21, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage system when downloading the discardable file to the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine that a battery associated with the storage system is charging.

24. The storage system of claim 21, wherein to determine a power condition available to the storage system when downloading the discardable file to the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine a power level of a battery associated with the storage system is above a predetermined level.

25. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to determine a download condition associated the request to store the discardable file in the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine a time of day associated with the request to store the discardable file in the storage system.

26. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to determine a download condition associated the request to store the discardable file in the storage system, the processor is further configured to:

determine an amount of available storage in the storage system prior to storing the discardable file in the storage system is above a predetermined level.

27. The storage system of claim 16, wherein to mark the file as a discardable file, the processor is configured to mark the file itself to indicate that the file is a discardable file.

28. The storage system of claim 16, wherein marking the file as a discardable file comprises assigning a discarding priority level to the file.

29. The storage system of claim 16, wherein the primary file system architecture comprises a primary file allocation table (“

FAT”

) and the discardable file system architecture comprises a discardable FAT.

30. The storage system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to manage the storage of the downloaded discardable file in the non-volatile memory based on the marking of the file as a discardable file.