Chip Card Memory Defragmentation and Compression

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Solution Overview

Problem

Chip cards used as identification documents face memory limitations, leading to insufficient storage capacity over time due to fixed memory size and inability to expand or delete data, resulting in reduced functionality.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves compressing user data and defragmenting the non-volatile memory to create contiguous free space, allowing for the storage of more data by rearranging occupied memory areas or manipulating the allocation table, thereby extending the usable memory life of the chip card.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If user data is continuously stored in the non-volatile memory of a chip card, then the document accumulates more user data over time, but the memory eventually becomes fragmented and insufficient for storing new contiguous data blocks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestorage capacityVSAvoidmemory fragmentation
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies data compression to change the size parameter of stored data. By compressing user data before storage, the effective storage capacity is increased without physically expanding the memory. The compression ratio dynamically changes the required storage space, allowing more data to be stored in the same physical memory area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic memory management through defragmentation processes. The system continuously monitors memory usage and periodically reorganizes stored data to eliminate fragmentation. This dynamic approach allows the memory to adapt to changing storage requirements and maintain contiguous free space for new data blocks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If the chip card memory is filled with user data over its service life, then more information is stored, but the ability to store new data is lost due to insufficient contiguous memory space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata retentionVSAvoidstorage flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary compression of data before storage. By compressing data in advance, the system creates more available space in the memory, ensuring that future storage operations can succeed even when the memory appears full. This preliminary action prevents storage failures before they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses volatile memory as a temporary working area to hold compressed data before transferring it to non-volatile memory. This copying mechanism allows the system to manipulate and compress data in a flexible environment before final storage, enabling sophisticated memory management without permanently altering the non-volatile memory structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Quantity of substance

If data compression is applied to user data, then the storage capacity is effectively increased, but additional processing time and computational resources are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveeffective storage capacityVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies compression selectively rather than universally. The system determines when compression is beneficial and applies it only to suitable data types or when storage space is critically needed. This partial application of compression reduces the overall processing overhead while still achieving the goal of increasing effective storage capacity when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3271825B1Method for storing user data in a document
Publication Date: 2020.02.19 BUNDESDRUCKEREI GMBH
  • EP3271825B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3271825B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2d
  • EP3271825B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for storing user data (128) in a non-volatile memory (112) of a document (110), wherein the non-volatile memory (112) comprises unoccupied memory areas (212, 214,.... ) and memory areas (204, 206...) occupied with user data (140). The user data (128, 140) are contiguous data blocks, wherein the document (102) further comprises a volatile memory (142) and a communication interface (106). The storing of the user data (128) comprises: receiving the user data (128) via the communication interface (106), compressing the user data (128), storing the compressed user data (128) in the volatile memory (142), determining the necessary length (220) of an unoccupied contiguous memory area in order to store the compressed user data (128) in the non-volatile memory (112), determining whether or not the non-volatile memory (112) has a contiguous unoccupied memory area, the length of which corresponds at least to the previously determined length (220), in the event that the non-volatile memory (112) does not have a contiguous unoccupied memory area of the length (220) as previously determined, defragmenting the non-volatile memory (112), wherein the defragmenting comprises a re-arranging of the user data (140) stored in the occupied memory areas such that a plurality of the unoccupied memory areas form a contiguous unoccupied memory area that is at least of the previously determined length (220), and moving the compressed user data (128) from the volatile memory (142) to the unoccupied memory area of the non-volatile memory (112).