Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-31
2004-06-29
Rones, Charles (Department: 2609)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C705S002000, C705S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06757687
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital device configured to store, and provide access to, data entries based on considering data entry chronology (age) and usage. It also relates more generally, to a method of storing, and providing access to, digital data entries based on considering data entry chronology and usage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Information is becoming increasingly available and being provided for use with digital devices. For example, computers connected to the internet have access to a large volume of information, much of which can be stored on the computer. In the case of the emerging mobile society, increasing travel has resulted in an increased number of information sources available to individuals, for example, information derived from day to day business and/or social activities. Each of these sources generate information which can conveniently be stored on portable digital devices such as laptop/palmtop computers and mobile phones.
It is increasingly possible to have affordable large capacity digital storage devices. In addition, it is also possible to have relatively small sized digital devices which have comparatively large memory capacities compared to equivalent sized devices of a few years ago. Nevertheless, the storage medium used by digital devices have a finite storage capacity, which can be increasingly filled with the wealth of information which is becoming available. Solutions are required to allow more information to be stored on smaller devices and thus address the issue of the finite capacity of storage media.
Solutions exist which effectively provide more available space for a given finite capacity storage device by compressing the data on the storage device. Thus, the data occupies comparatively less space on the storage media, leaving more available space for further data. However, compressed data needs to be de-compressed before it can be accessed, thus resulting in relatively slow data access.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a digital device comprising data storage means to store digital data entries, chronometer means arranged to provide chronological information to the device, and data entry arrangement means to manipulate data entries, wherein the data entry arrangement means is configured to utilize the chronometer means to provide a chronological data entry coding to data entries based on the chronological sequence in which the data entry is stored on and accessed from the data storage means, and wherein the data entry arrangement means is further configured to analyze the data entry chronological data coding and based on the coding, compress the data entry during a data entry compression cycle.
In the case where the data entry is written to the storage means for the first time, the chronological code corresponds to the date and time on which the entry was made. In the case of subsequent access of the data entry, the chronological code is changed to refer to the subsequent access. During a data entry compression cycle, the data entry arrangement means analyzes one or more data entry chronological codes and determines whether or not (or to what extent) the or each associated data entries should be compressed. So, for example, a data entry which was stored some time ago, and not accessed at all, would have an old chronological data coding and, as such, would be compressed. However, a data entry which has been accessed recently would remain un-compressed and be ready for relatively speedy retrieval.
One way of allowing user access to the data entries is, of course, to arrange the data entry arrangement means to provide the data entries stored on the memory means, based on chronology and usage to a user of the digital device. Accordingly, access of data entries is also be based on data entry chronology and/or usage.
The present invention therefore minimizes the effect of relatively slow data access of compressed data and, at the same time, makes efficient use of the capacity of the data storage means. This is done by configuring the digital device to compress data entries based on data entry chronology and usage that is the invention compresses data based on when the data was accessed and also when it was stored on the storage means.
The data entry compression cycle may occur after a set interval of time, for example, after one day. Of course, the set interval of time may be held fixed or varied over a period of time. An example of the latter case is an initial data entry compression cycle occurring after one day, and the following data entry compression cycle occurring after a further two days. Accordingly, the data arrangement means would be arranged to run a data entry compression cycle after a set interval of time.
However, an effective way of managing the memory capacity of the data storage would be to base the data compression cycle on when the total data, or recent data entries, on the storage means occupy a certain proportion of the capacity of the data storage means, for example 5% of the total capacity of the storage means. Accordingly, the data entry arrangement means is arranged to run the data entry compression cycle when data entries occupy a certain proportion of the capacity of the data storage means.
A single data entry or, alternatively, a number of data entries may be compressed by the data entry arrangement means during a data entry compression cycle. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to compression of data entries occurring in batches.
It is important to note that the invention does not exclude compression of all data entries by default, for example, by the data entry arrangement means being configured to compress all data entries by default. However, upon subsequent use of a data entry, the coding provided to the data entry is changed by the data entry arrangement means and thus, during the next data compression cycle, the data may be compressed to the same, or preferably a differing degree.
In one embodiment, the size of a data entry may be considered in determining whether to compress the data entry. In such a case, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to consider the size of the data entry. So, for example, a large data entry may always be compressed by default whereas a relatively small data entry may be left un-compressed.
The same compression rate may be used for all data entry compressions. However, in an alternative embodiment, the device may be configured to vary the data entry compression rate based on the degree of data entry usage. So, for example, a data entry which has not been used for a while, but when used, was used quite frequently, is not compressed as much as compared with a data entry which wasn't used that frequently when in usage. If the size of the data entry is also to be taken into consideration, a data entry which occupies a large memory space but which is often used may be compressed to a limited degree, or not at all, whereas a data entry which is hardly used at all, regardless of the size of the data, may be compressed to a relatively high degree. In all such cases, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to utilize a data entry chronological coding designed so as to represent a particular compression rate for a particular chronology/usage. In this way, the invention considers how often data entries have been used and does not just consider when the data entry was last accessed.
It may be that a data entry remains un-used, or is moderately used, between compression cycles. In such cases, the data entry arrangement means may be configured to compress such a data entry to a greater degree during a subsequent data entry compression cycle, which may or may not be the next data entry compression cycle. This process may occur during a number of subsequent data entry compression cycles such that the data entry is progressively compressed to a greater degree.
To further release memory capacity, the digital device may be configured such that a d
Davidson Brian
Fisher David
Lander, Jr. Ronald J
Mote Steven
Newstead Robert
Nokia Corporation
Rones Charles
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