Reducing connection time for mass storage class devices

• US 20070180153A1
• Filed: 01/27/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cornwell, Michael, Dudte, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]

Abstract

Techniques for reducing mount time for a peripheral device connected to an external host device are presented. In some implementations, when a connection is detected, file system data is pre-fetched before a request for such data is sent by the external host device. This allows faster access to the file system data used for initiating read/write communications. In other implementations, in response to a data access command from the external host device, a reply message is delayed from the peripheral device to prevent data access command failures. This delayed response prevents the external host device from pausing before attempting subsequent communication requests.

Claims

1. A method for establishing communications involving a peripheral device, the method comprising:

detecting a connection between the peripheral device and a host device; and

retrieving file system data from a storage media accessible by the peripheral device into a memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection, the file system data retrieved prior to receiving a request for the file system data from the host device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein retrieving the file system data comprises loading the file system data into a local cache.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching the peripheral device from a first mode into a second mode in response to the detected connection, wherein the first mode is associated with playback of multimedia files selected from a group consisting of a music file, a video file, a picture file, and a document file on the peripheral device, and the second mode is associated with file transfer access between the peripheral device and the host device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the file system data comprises data for enabling access to files stored on the storage media.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein retrieving the file system data from the storage media is performed concurrently with switching the peripheral device from the first mode into the second mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the peripheral device is selected from a group consisting of a peripheral disk drive device, a logical disk drive, a removable storage device, a portable device that includes a storage media, and a mass storage device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the file system data comprises information for enabling access to data on the storage media.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the file system data comprises directory data.

9. A method for establishing communications involving a peripheral device, the method comprising:

detecting a connection between a peripheral device and a host device;

receiving a data access message from the host device in response to establishing the connection between the peripheral device and the host device;

switching the peripheral device from a first mode into a second mode in response to the detected connection; and

delaying sending a response to the data access message during a period in which the peripheral device switches from a first mode into a second mode.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein delaying sending the response to the data access message further comprises delaying sending the response until buffers are cleared in the peripheral device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first mode is associated with playback of a media file selected from a group consisting of a music file, a video file, a picture file, a document file, and a multimedia file on the peripheral device, and the second mode is associated with file transfer access between the peripheral device and the host device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the peripheral device is selected from a group consisting of a peripheral disk drive device, a logical disk drive, a removable storage device, a portable device that includes a storage media, and a mass storage device.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

retrieving file system data from a storage device accessible by the peripheral device into a memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection, the file system data retrieved prior to receiving a request for the file system data from the host device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein retrieving the file system data from the storage device accessible by the peripheral device into the memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection is performed in parallel with switching the peripheral device from the first mode into the second mode.

15. A machine readable medium storing instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

detect a connection between a peripheral device and a host device; and

retrieve file system data from a storage media accessible by the peripheral device into a memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection, the file system data retrieved prior to receiving a request for the file system data from the host device.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein retrieving the file system data further comprises loading the file data into a local cache.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the instructions are further operable to switch the peripheral device from a first mode into a second mode in response to the detected connection, wherein the first mode is associated with playback of multimedia files selected from a group consisting of a music file, a video file, a picture file, and a document file on the peripheral device, and the second mode is associated with file transfer access between the peripheral device and the host device.

18. The machine readable medium of claim 17 wherein the file system data comprises data for enabling access to files stored on the storage media.

19. The machine readable medium of claim 17 wherein the instructions are further operable to concurrently retrieve the file system data from the storage media and switch the peripheral device from the first mode into the second mode.

20. The machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein the peripheral device is selected from a group consisting of a peripheral disk drive device, a logical disk drive, a removable storage device, a portable device that includes a storage media, and a mass storage device.

21. A machine readable medium storing instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

detecting a connection between a peripheral device and a host device;

receive a data access message from a host device in response to establishing a connection between a peripheral device and a host device;

switching the peripheral device from a first mode into a second mode in response to the detected connection; and

delay sending a response to the data access message during a period in which the peripheral device switches from a first mode into a second mode.

22. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the instructions are further operable to cause data processing apparatus to delay sending the response to the data access command until buffers are cleared in the peripheral device.

23. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the first mode enables playback of media files comprising at least one of a music file, a video file, a picture file, or a document file on the peripheral device, and the second mode comprises file transfer access between the peripheral device and the host device.

24. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the peripheral device is selected from a group consisting of a peripheral disk drive device, a logical disk drive, a mass storage device, a removable storage device, and a portable device that includes a storage media.

25. The machine readable medium of claim 21 wherein the instructions are further operable to cause data processing apparatus to retrieve file system data from a storage media accessible by the peripheral device into a memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection, the file system data retrieved prior to receiving a request for the file system data from the host device, and switch the peripheral device from the first mode into the second mode in parallel.

26. A system for establishing communications involving a peripheral device, the system comprising:

a detection means operable to detect a connection between a peripheral device and a host device;

a retrieval means operable to retrieve file system data from a storage media accessible by the peripheral device into a memory of the peripheral device in response to the detected connection, the file system data retrieved prior to receiving a request for the file system data from the host device;

a receiving means operable to receive a data access command from a host device in response to establishing a connection between a peripheral device and a host device;

a switching means operable to switch the peripheral device from a first mode into a second mode in response to the detected connection; and

a delay means operable to delay sending a response to the data access command during a period in which the peripheral device switches from a first mode into a second mode.