Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics display memory system – Memory allocation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2003-01-21
Tung, Kee M. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics display memory system
Memory allocation
C345S557000, C711S171000, C711S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06509900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image management apparatus and method, image management system, and storage medium for accumulating image data having a hierarchical structure.
2. Related Background Art
Most of conventional image services of this type provide search images (index images) as service images.
Recent photo-CDs use an image format having a multi-level hierarchical structure in which the image length and width are set to ½, ¼, ⅛, . . . and the area is set to ¼, {fraction (1/16)}, {fraction (1/64)}, . . . .
An example of image database design devices having this hierarchy image format is one having a low-speed large-capacity external storage device (CD-ROM changer or the like) and a high-speed small-capacity external storage means (cache hard disk and the like).
Algorithms for the cache of the high-speed small-capacity external storage means are
(1) a method of storing only reduced images in the high-speed small-capacity external storage device,
(2) a method of storing all images requested once for retrieval in the high-speed small-capacity external storage device, and
(3) a method of erasing and replacing images in the order from older access dates.
As for the server configuration method, a “forgetful image database” is proposed.
For example, “Image Database System With Graceful Oblivision Mechanism and Three-Dimensional Browser”, Journal of the Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 339-350, 1996 reports that the coefficient of popularity is defined, and hierarchy images are erased and replaced in the order from smaller coefficients, thereby increasing the cache hit ratio.
In such systems, if requested images are not stored in the high-speed small-capacity external storage means (cache hard disk or the like), the user's waiting time becomes long, and no good services can be provided.
For this reason, images left in the high-speed small-capacity memory means determine the effectiveness of the system.
That is, the cache hit ratio on a hierarchy corresponding to an image requested by the user must be increased to shorten the user's average waiting time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image management apparatus which retrieves image data having a hierarchical structure from low-speed large-capacity storage means to high-speed small-capacity storage means to provide desired image data, comprising first judgment means for judging a free volume of the small-capacity storage means, and control means for, when the first judgment means judges that the small-capacity storage means does not have a free volume, erasing image data of a hierarchy having a large volume from the image data stored in the small-capacity storage means.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5392396 (1995-02-01), MacInnis
patent: 5559952 (1996-09-01), Fujimoto
patent: 5822759 (1998-10-01), Treynor
patent: 5905853 (1999-05-01), Murakami
patent: 5929869 (1999-07-01), Wilde
patent: 5956744 (1999-09-01), Robertson et al.
Ohsawa Hidefumi
Yasuda Yasuhiko
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Tung Kee M.
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