Storage optimization in computing devices

• US 9,836,287 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Razer (Asia-Pacific) Pte. Ltd. (Razer Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chan, Michael A., Quan, Justin, Bornstein, Daniel R., Moss, Tom, Tong, Linda
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiu, Ho
• Application Number:
  US14/222,337
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1451 by selection of backup contents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/44 Encoding
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 : Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 : Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and machine-readable storage mediums for selectively performing storage optimization processes in a computing device. In at least some embodiments, a method includes monitoring access patterns in association with data of one or more files accessed by a user of the computing device, determining a classification of the computing device, and utilizing the user access patterns and the device classification in determining execution of a storage optimization process based on a storage optimization policy. The storage optimization policy can specify downsampling, lossy compression, lossless compression, or a combination thereof to be applied to the files based on thresholds associated with the user access patterns and/or the device classification. Utilization of the storage optimization policy can enable the computing device to have an infinite local storage capacity.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for optimizing storage capacity of a computing device of a user, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server coupled to the computing device, a request to download multiple data files of the user to the computing device;

determining, by the server, a device classification associated with the computing device and a user access pattern associated with the multiple data files, wherein the user access pattern includes data associated with a frequency of access of a particular data file associated with the multiple data files using the computing device;

determining a storage optimization policy to be performed in association with the request for downloading based on the user access pattern and the device classification;

performing, by the server, a downsampling of a subset of the multiple data files based on the storage optimization policy in response to the request; and

transmitting, by the server, the downsampled subset of the multiple data files to the computing device and the remaining set of the multiple data files in original format.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing the downsampled subset of the multiple data files before transmitting the downsampled subset of the multiple data files to the computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the device classification comprises any of a smartphone, a computing tablet, a laptop, or a desktop.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user access pattern further comprises a usage of a set of data files associated with the multiple data files by a user of the computing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the device classification is a smartphone type, and wherein performing, by the server, the downsampling comprises converting a data file to a file format that corresponds to the device classification.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a downsampled data file is at least one of a reduced file size, a reduced image size, a thumbnail, or a lower resolution version of a copy of a corresponding original data file.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a user action comprising at least one of:

accessing a website via a web browser application running on the user device, accessing a multimedia game via a mobile application running on the user device, or accessing a photo album.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the multiple data files are stored at a content provider server.

9. A server system comprising:

a processor;

a network component that works in cooperation with the processor to receive a request for downloading multiple data files of a user to a computing device of the user;

an access pattern determination module that works in cooperation with the processor to identify an access pattern, of the user, in association with the multiple data files, wherein the access pattern includes data associated with a frequency of access of a particular data file associated with the multiple data files using the computing device;

a device classification module that works in cooperation with the processor to identify a device type of the computing device;

a storage optimization policy management module that works in cooperation with the processor to determine a storage optimization policy to be performed in association with the request for downloading based on the access pattern and the device type; and

a downsampling module that works in cooperation with the processor to downsample a subset of the multiple data files based on the storage optimization policy in response to the request,

wherein the network component further works in cooperation with the processor to transmit the downsampled subset of the multiple data files to the computing device and the remaining set of the multiple data files in original format.

10. The server system of claim 9, wherein a downsampled data file is at least one of a reduced file size, a reduced image size, a thumbnail, or a lower resolution version of a copy of a corresponding original data file.

11. The server system of claim 9, wherein the access pattern further includes data associated with (a) a time period for which the particular data file is accessed using the computing device, or (b) a most recently accessed set of the multiple data files.

12. The server system of claim 9, wherein the device type comprises any of a smartphone, a computing tablet, a laptop, or a desktop.

13. A method comprising:

determining an access pattern associated with multiple data files accessed on a computing device by a user of the computing device, wherein the access pattern includes data associated with a frequency of access of a particular data file associated with the multiple data files using the computing device;

receiving a request for downloading the multiple data files associated with the user to the computing device;

identifying a device type of the computing device;

determining a storage optimization policy to be applied to the multiple data files in association with the request for downloading based on the access pattern and the device type;

performing downsampling on a subset of the multiple data files based on the storage optimization policy in response to the request; and

transmitting the downsampled subset of the multiple data files to the computing device and the remaining set of the multiple data files in original format.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the access pattern includes data associated with (a) a time period for which the particular data file is accessed using the computing device, or (b) a most recently accessed set of the multiple data files.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing a data compression on the subset of the multiple data files based on the storage optimization policy, wherein performing the data compression comprises at least one of:

performing a lossy compression or performing a lossless compression.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the multiple data files are stored on a local storage device of the computing device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the access pattern associated with the subset of the multiple data files indicates a likelihood of usage of the subset of the multiple data files.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the storage optimization policy comprises multiple thresholds associated with the access pattern, wherein the data compression is recommended if the access pattern exceeds a particular threshold.