Dual-Controller File Management for Block and Cluster Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing file management systems, such as FAT file systems, face inefficiencies in managing large files and performing writing, reading, and erasing operations due to their reliance on cluster units, which can lead to unnecessary data loss and inefficient data handling, especially when dealing with multimedia data in devices like DMB machines and MP3 players.
Innovation Solution
The proposed information processing device employs a dual-controller system that manages file data in both block and cluster units, allowing for efficient writing, reading, and erasing operations by dividing file data into portions stored in block units and cluster units, optimizing data storage and retrieval processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If file data is managed using cluster units in a FAT file system, then data can be stored and retrieved, but writing, reading, and erasing operations become inefficient and may cause unnecessary data loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data field into two distinct regions: a first data region managed in block units and a second data region managed in cluster units. This segmentation allows different operational modes to coexist, enabling efficient block-unit operations for large files while maintaining compatibility with traditional cluster-unit systems for smaller files, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational efficiency and data loss prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects the operational mode (block-unit or cluster-unit) based on the file size and type. Large files are automatically routed to the block-unit management system for efficient erasure operations, while smaller files continue to use traditional cluster-unit management. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize performance for each specific case without causing data loss
2Ease of operation
If erasing operations are performed in cluster units, then data can be erased, but non-target data in the same block must be copied elsewhere causing inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the data field into block-managed and cluster-managed regions, the patent enables erasing operations to be performed at the block level for large files. This eliminates the need to copy non-target data within the same block, as block-unit erasure operates on larger, more granular units that can be independently managed, thus improving erasing operation efficiency without sacrificing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent eliminates the unnecessary copying step by implementing block-unit erasure. Instead of copying non-target data to other locations before erasing (as required in cluster-unit systems), the block-unit system directly erases the target blocks when they are properly isolated, significantly improving operational efficiency
3Adaptability or versatility
If the data field is divided into cluster blocks and clusters, then large files can be efficiently managed, but the system complexity increases with dual-controller requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data field into two regions with distinct management approaches, enabling the system to handle both large and small files efficiently. The first data region uses block-unit management optimized for large files, while the second data region uses traditional cluster-unit management for smaller files, providing adaptability across different file sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-controller system implements multi-functionality by enabling both block-unit and cluster-unit operational modes within a single file system. This universal approach allows the system to adapt to different file sizes and types, maintaining compatibility with existing FAT file system protocols while adding enhanced capabilities for large file management
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing device includes a memory array and a controller. The memory array includes a data field that stores file data and a management information field that stores information regarding the data field. The controller controls a writing operation to the memory array. The controller stores a portion of the file data, corresponding to a product of a positive-integer and a predetermined unit block size, in the data field by block units, with reference to the data field information of the management information field.