DATA INDEXING BY LOCAL STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20090171891A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Rave, Micha, Nochimowski, Alain
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures

Abstract

A computing device including a host device (HD) is in communication with a local storage device (LSD), wherein the LSD includes a memory array. A search index is generated with respect to data stored in the memory array of the LSD. By the LSD without involvement of the HD, the index data is generated with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD. By the LSD, the generated index data is stored on the LSD as at least a part of the search index. The index may include data that can be used to respond to search queries with respect to data of the LSD. The queries may be originated from a HD or from within the LSD. The use of the index is not limited to responding to search queries. For example, the index may be used for content screening.

Claims

1. In a computing device having a host device (HD) in communication with a local storage device (LSD), wherein the LSD includes a memory array managed as a plurality of data blocks via which the memory array is accessible to the HD, a method of generating a search index with respect to data stored in the memory array of the LSD, the method comprising:

by the LSD without involvement of the HD, generating index data with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD; and

by the LSD, storing the generated index data on the LSD as at least a part of the search index.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the index data with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD includes

by the LSD, observing access to the LSD as a result of data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD wherein such data access operations result in data blocks being provided to or from the memory array;

by the LSD, determining data characterizing the observed data access operations; and

generating the index data based at least in part on the determined characterizing data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

determining data characterizing the observed data access operations includes determining data that at least includes data other than content of the data being accessed in the observed data access operations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the data access operations include operations to access data of media content; and

determining data characterizing the observed data access operations includes determining data characterizing behavior represented by observed data access operations, relative to the media content, and at least including data other than the data of the accessed media content itself.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the HD includes a host device file system (HDFS) and the data access operations by the HD relative to the memory array of the LSD include HDFS operations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the index data with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD includes generating the index data to at least include the data stored in the memory array.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

generating the index data to at least include the data stored in the memory array includes extracting content that is comprised of data stored in the memory array, wherein the content is the data stored in the memory array.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the index data with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD includes performing a recognition algorithm on data stored in the memory array, wherein the generated index data is indicative of a result of the recognition algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

generating the index data with respect to the data stored in the memory array of the LSD includes, by the LSD, accessing the data from the memory array of the LSD and generating the index data with respect thereto, without involvement of the HD.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the LSD, receiving a search query; and

by the LSD, processing the search query with respect to the search index and providing a search result in response thereto.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving a search query includes receiving a search query from the HD.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

receiving a search query includes receiving a search query from a device other than the HD.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the search index from the LSD to the host device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the search index from the LSD to a device other than the host device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the LSD, receiving a data access request from the HD for particular content in the memory array of the LSD; and

by the LSD, based on the data access request, processing the generated index data in view of the particular content of the data access request to determine whether to block the access request.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the HD, based on a data access request for particular content in the memory array of the LSD, processing the generated index data stored in the LSD, in view of the particular content of the data access request, to determine whether to block the access request.