Portable Terminal Metadata Management via Identifier Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable terminals face inefficiencies in managing metadata from external memories due to slower access speeds and the overhead of repetitive metadata extraction and removal, especially when external memory is inserted or removed.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that acquire a unique identifier for the external memory upon insertion, determine if a record with matching information exists, and reuse metadata if found, minimizing redundant metadata processing and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If metadata is extracted from external memory upon insertion, then the portable terminal can access file information, but the access time increases due to slower external memory speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by extracting and storing metadata in advance when the external memory is first inserted or when files are added to the external memory. The metadata is pre-processed and stored in the portable terminal's internal memory before it is actually needed, so that subsequent access operations can retrieve metadata quickly without waiting for slow external memory access.
2Adaptability or versatility
If external memory is repeatedly inserted and removed, then the portable terminal can be used with different storage devices, but overhead increases due to repetitive metadata extraction and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating and storing a copy of the metadata from the external memory in the portable terminal's internal memory. This copy allows the terminal to access file information quickly without repeatedly reading from the external memory. When the external memory is removed, the copied metadata remains available for a period, reducing the overhead of repeated insertion and removal operations.
3Speed
If metadata is stored in internal memory during external memory usage, then access speed improves, but memory space is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by selectively extracting only the necessary metadata information from the external memory and storing it in the portable terminal's internal memory. Instead of copying entire files or excessive data, the system extracts only essential file information such as names, types, and basic attributes, thereby reducing internal memory consumption while still achieving faster access speeds.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for managing metadata in a portable terminal are provided. The method includes, upon insertion of an external memory, acquiring a unique identifier of an external memory, determining whether a record having information identical to information of a file included in the external memory exists if the unique identifier is identical to a previously stored unique identifier, and reusing metadata included in the record if the record exists.