Caching apparatus and method for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device
First Claim
1. A caching apparatus for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device, the caching apparatus comprising:
- a user interface;
processing means responsive to said user interface for processing data;
a random access memory responsive to said processing means for storing data;
a hard disk drive positioned in communication with said random access memory for storing data from said optical storage device, said hard disk drive having a predetermined amount of data storage space, the predetermined amount of data storage space including cache data storage means defined by only a portion of the predetermined amount of data storage space of said hard disk drive for temporarily storing data responsive to said random access memory and for quickly transferring data to said random access memory;
a caching engine responsive to said processing means for determining when data requested from said optical storage device is stored in said caching data storage means and transferring the requested data from said caching data storage means of said hard disk drive rather than from said optical storage device thereby increasing the speed in which the requested data is delivered to said random access memory;
optical storage access monitoring means responsive to said processing means for monitoring data representative of access to said optical storage device for a predetermined application; and
script generating means responsive to said optical storage access monitoring means and positioned in communication with said caching engine for analyzing the monitored access data and generating an event script from the monitored access data that directs said caching engine to transfer sectors of data from said optical data storage device to said cache data storage means of said hard disk drive in advance of being actually needed for the predetermined application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A caching apparatus and method for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device are provided. The apparatus preferably includes a first memory device for storing data therein. The first memory device preferably includes a predetermined application. An optical storage device is positioned in communication with the first memory device for optically storing data therein. The optical storage device includes a plurality of data storage sectors. A second memory device is positioned in communication with the first memory device for storing data. The second memory device preferably has a predetermined amount of data storage space. The predetermined amount of data storage space includes a caching space defined by only a portion of the predetermined amount of data storage space of the second memory device. A caching engine is positioned in communication with the first memory device, the second memory device, and the optical storage device for temporarily storing data from the data storage sectors in the caching space and thereby providing a quick transfer of the data to the first memory device for use by the predetermined application. An event script is provided positioned in communication with the caching engine to direct the caching engine to transfer data sectors from the optical data storage device to the caching space in advance of being actually needed for the predetermined application of the first memory device.
136 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A caching apparatus for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device, the caching apparatus comprising:
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a user interface; processing means responsive to said user interface for processing data; a random access memory responsive to said processing means for storing data; a hard disk drive positioned in communication with said random access memory for storing data from said optical storage device, said hard disk drive having a predetermined amount of data storage space, the predetermined amount of data storage space including cache data storage means defined by only a portion of the predetermined amount of data storage space of said hard disk drive for temporarily storing data responsive to said random access memory and for quickly transferring data to said random access memory; a caching engine responsive to said processing means for determining when data requested from said optical storage device is stored in said caching data storage means and transferring the requested data from said caching data storage means of said hard disk drive rather than from said optical storage device thereby increasing the speed in which the requested data is delivered to said random access memory; optical storage access monitoring means responsive to said processing means for monitoring data representative of access to said optical storage device for a predetermined application; and script generating means responsive to said optical storage access monitoring means and positioned in communication with said caching engine for analyzing the monitored access data and generating an event script from the monitored access data that directs said caching engine to transfer sectors of data from said optical data storage device to said cache data storage means of said hard disk drive in advance of being actually needed for the predetermined application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A caching apparatus for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device, the caching apparatus comprising:
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a user interface; a first processor responsive to said user interface for processing data; a first memory device responsive to said first processor for storing data; a caching engine responsive to said first processor for transferring sectors of data; a second processor for processing data; a second memory device responsive to said second processor and positioned in communication with said first memory device for storing data; a third memory device positioned in communication with said first memory device for storing data transferred from said second memory device and said optical storage device and from said first memory device positioned in communication with said second memory device, said third memory device having a predetermined amount of data storage space, the predetermined amount of data storage space including a caching space defined by only a portion of the predetermined amount of data storage space of said third memory device for temporarily storing data from said optical storage device and for quickly transferring data to said first memory device; an optical storage access monitor responsive to said caching engine for monitoring data representative of data transfers from said optical storage device to said second memory device and from said second memory device to said first memory device for a predetermined application; and a script generator responsive to said optical storage access monitor and positioned in communication with said caching engine for analyzing the monitored access data and generating an event script from the analyzed access data that directs the caching engine to transfer data sectors from said optical data storage device to said caching space of said third memory device in advance of being actually needed for the predetermined application. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A caching apparatus for enhancing retrieval of data from an optical storage device, the caching apparatus comprising:
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a first memory device for storing data therein, said first memory device further having a predetermined application stored therein; a second memory device positioned in communication with said first memory device for storing data, said second memory device having a predetermined amount of data storage space, the predetermined amount of data storage space including a caching space defined by only a portion of the predetermined amount of data storage space of said second memory device; a caching engine positioned in communication with said first memory device and said second memory device for temporarily storing data from said data storage sectors in said caching space and thereby providing a quick transfer of the data to said first memory device for use by the predetermined application; and event script providing means positioned in communication with said caching engine for providing an event script that directs the caching engine to transfer data sectors from said optical data storage device to said caching space in advance of being actually needed for said predetermined application of said first memory device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of enhancing the retrieval speed of data from an optical storage device, the method comprising:
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monitoring data representative of access to an optical storage device for a predetermined application; analyzing the monitored access data; generating an event script for a caching engine responsive to the analyzed access data; and instructing the caching engine which sectors to transfer from an optical storage device in advance of being actually needed responsive to the generated event script. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of enhancing the retrieval speed of data from a storage device, the method comprising:
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analyzing a predetermined application program; generating an event script responsive to the analyzed predetermined application program; providing a computer system having at least a first data storage device to store data and a second data storage device in communication with the first data storage device to store data; and transferring data from the second data storage device to the first data storage device in advance of actually being needed by the second data storage device responsive to the generated event script. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of enhancing the retrieval speed of data from an optical storage device, the method comprising:
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characterizing file data accessed from an optical storage device; identifying the characterized file data; signaling an event representative of an event associated with an application program; queuing a request for a collection of characterized file data from the optical storage device responsive to the signaled event; and asynchronously collecting the characterized file data from data sectors of the optical storage device in advance of actually being needed. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification