Dynamic information storage or retrieval – Condition indicating – monitoring – or testing – Including radiation storage or retrieval
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-24
2004-01-13
Edun, Muhammad (Department: 2655)
Dynamic information storage or retrieval
Condition indicating, monitoring, or testing
Including radiation storage or retrieval
C369S047280, C369S047360
Reexamination Certificate
active
06678229
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the recording of data onto optical media, and more particularly to a method for optimizing the order in which files are recorded to optical media to minimize cache utilization and maximize recording efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
When recording data to optical media, a user typically selects a plurality of files from a source or plurality of sources, identifies a target destination, and executes a recording function. The selected files can be of any type including audio files, video files, photographic files, data files, and the like. The recording function is typically executed by use of an optical media recording program which accomplishes such tasks as mapping out precise locations of source files, determining size of source files, mapping out a precise target destination for the selected files, calculating a theoretical transfer rate for reading the file from a source and recording the file to a destination, identifying those files that will be cached and those files that will be recorded directly from source to destination, performing necessary formatting as required, and burning the selected files to a destination optical media.
A typical prior art process flow diagram
10
is illustrated in FIG.
1
. The illustrated process flow is for the recording of data files to a destination optical media. The process begins after the files have been selected for burning to optical media. The method operations represent the general, and not the specific, tasks that are accomplished in the preparation and burning of data files to optical media.
In operation
12
, an enumeration of the selected files is provided. The enumeration is typically a list of the selected files to be burned to optical media, their source locations, and file sizes.
After an enumeration of the selected files has been provided (signifying that files have been selected for burning to optical media), the method advances to operation
14
in which a system test is performed. The system test is performed to calculate an average file transfer rate. The system test includes evaluating files within a range. The evaluated range is subdivided into small files that are, for example, 0 and 300 KB in size, and large files that may be 1-10 Mbytes in size. The source drive is searched for a volume of files of both small and large size and then the system test calculates an average file transfer rate based on the files evaluated. The files evaluated are not necessarily those that have been selected for burning to an optical disc. The system test is performed one time, whether or not files are deleted from those selected for transfer, or additional files selected for transfer.
Following the system test, the method advances to operation
16
in which a caching algorithm is performed. In prior art optical media recording operations, a caching algorithm is usually a single-pass evaluation of each file in the enumeration of files to be burned to optical media obtained in operation
12
. A simulated burn is performed in which no hardware is engaged, but each file is evaluated for a recording process. The caching algorithm performs a sequential evaluation of the selected files in the order of the enumeration of files. A theoretical transfer rate is calculated for each file based on the source location of the file, and the size of the file. The theoretical transfer rate of each file is used with the system transfer capability calculated in operation
14
to identify those files that will be cached during the actual recording operation.
FIG. 2A
is a theoretical transfer rate table
100
listing the theoretical transfer rates of exemplary files selected to be recorded to optical media. File column
102
lists each of the files in the enumeration of files, and in the order in which the files are listed in the enumeration of files. Each file has a corresponding theoretical transfer rate noted in the transfer rate column
104
. The theoretical transfer rate table
100
lists each file that has been selected for recording to optical media, and the theoretical transfer rate of each file based on the source location and file size, and using the system transfer capability as calculated in the system test of operation
14
of the flow chart
10
illustrated in FIG.
1
.
As is known, when files are recorded to optical media, the files are read from a source location or a system cache into a buffer of a recording device. The files are then written to the destination or target optical media from the optical media recording device buffer, along with required file system and other data structures in order to comply with accepted data formats and specifications. The operation of burning files to optical media includes the simultaneous operations of reading data into the optical media device buffer and writing data to a destination optical media. In order to maintain a constant and error-free recording operation, the supply of data to the buffer and the depletion of data from the buffer must remain fairly constant with little tolerance for fluctuation between the filling and the depletion of the buffer. If the data files from the buffer are written to the target optical media faster than the reading of data into the buffer, then the buffer will empty resulting in buffer underrun and recording errors or the halting of the recording operation. As stated above, the enumeration of files is read and evaluated sequentially. The status of the capacity of the buffer, and the size and transfer rate of the data is evaluated for each of the data files in the sequential listing of the enumeration of files.
FIG. 2B
is a block diagram of a buffer
110
. Data is read into the buffer
110
, and then written to the target media. The amount of data in the buffer fluctuates as data is read into the buffer at a system transfer rate (actual), and data is simultaneously written to the target optical media at a write speed, thereby depleting data from the buffer. Typically, the prior art caching algorithm sequentially reads and evaluates the files in the enumeration of files and selects files to be recorded from the source location and files to be sent to system cache based on maintaining a predetermined percentage of capacity in the buffer. By way of example, if the predetermined percentage of capacity is 20%
112
, then files are sent to cache or read directly from a source location based on maintaining at least 20%
112
of maximum buffer capacity
114
in the buffer. Therefore, if an exemplary file is next in sequence in the enumeration, the exemplary file has a transfer rate that is slower than the burn rate, or write speed, and the percentage of capacity of the buffer would fall below 20%
112
during the transfer of the file, the file would most probably be cached.
Returning to the flow chart diagram
10
, the method advances to operation
18
in which the identified files are cached. In the prior art algorithm, files are generally identified to be cached if the calculated transfer rate of the file is less than the burn rate and the buffer will empty below a predetermined percentage of capacity. By way of example, if a file is evaluated to have a transfer rate that is slower than the burn rate, and the buffer is projected to be at a low percentage of capacity when the file is to be transferred, then the file would probably be identified to be cached. If, however, the file has a transfer rate that is slower than the burn rate, but the buffer is projected to be at a high percentage of capacity such that it does not empty below a predetermined percentage of capacity during the transfer of the file, then the file would probably not be identified to be cached. As is known, the caching of files ensures a generally constant flow of data at a high speed to the buffer. Caching, however, adds additional time to the recording process by first reading the identified files at about the theoretical transfer rate into system cache, and then reading the files from the
Edun Muhammad
Martine & Penilla LLP
Roxio, Inc.
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