United States Patent [19J
`Kimura et al.
`
`[54] PORTABLE FILE SYSTEM OPERABLE
`UNDER VARIOUS COMPUTER
`ENVIRONMENTS
`
`[75]
`
`Inventors: Tetsuro Kimura, Kanagawa-ken;
`Toshio Okamoto, Tokyo, both of Japan
`
`[73] Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki,
`Japan
`
`[ *] Notice:
`
`This patent issued on a continued pros(cid:173)
`ecution application filed under 37 CFR
`1.53( d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C.
`154(a)(2).
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 528,056
`
`[22] Filed:
`
`Sep. 14, 1995
`
`[30]
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Sep. 14, 1994
`
`[JP]
`
`Japan .................................... 6-219656
`
`Int. Cl.6
`...................................................... G06F 17/30
`[51]
`[52] U.S. Cl. ............................................... 707/10; 707/104
`[58] Field of Search ....................... 345/173; 364/705.06,
`364/900, 401, 200; 379/58; 395/601, 610,
`616, 613; 707/10, 102, 104
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,247,908
`4,277,837
`5,058,000
`5,339,239
`5,379,057
`5,410,690
`5,452,240
`5,469,496
`
`.. .... ... ... ... .. 364/900
`1!1981 Lockhart, Jr. et a!.
`7/1981 Stuckert ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... .... .. 364/900
`10/1991 Cox et a!.
`............................... 364/200
`8/1994 Manabe et a!. ......................... 364/401
`1!1995 Clough et a!. .......................... 345/173
`4/1995 Kawata ................................... 395/600
`9/1995 Roca et a!. ......................... 364/705.06
`11/1995 Emery et a!. .. ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... .. 379 !58
`
`01HER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Verjinski, Phase "A Portable Host Access System Environ(cid:173)
`ment", IEEE, pp. 806-809, Oct. 1989.
`Orchard, Predective Motion-Field Segmentation for Image
`Sequence Coding, IEEE, pp. 54--79, Jan. 1993.
`
`111111
`
`1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111
`US005864853A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,864,853
`*Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Peters et al, On Generalization in Networking Software to
`Encourage Code Portability, IEEE, pp. 261-266, Apr. 1989.
`Bernett et al, Uniform Communication Software Using
`TCP/IP, IEEE, pp. 1715-1718, May 1989.
`Deadhar, Distributed Analyzer Architecture Permits
`Real-Time Monitoring of Heterogeneous Local Area Net(cid:173)
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`Kuroyanagi, Adaptive and Portable TDMA Lan with a Bus
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`Vuong, A Low Cost and Portable Local Area Network for
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`192-201, Feb. 1989.
`Cole et al, An Architecture for a Mobile OSI Mail Access
`System, IEEE, pp. 249-256, Feb. 1989.
`Satyanarayanan, A Highly Available File System for a
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`Sep. 1989.
`Pasierb, MSE Network Control in a Mobile Environment,
`IEEE, pp. 869-873, Oct. 1993.
`
`Primary Examiner-Thomas G. Black
`Assistant Examiner--Frantz Coby
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Foley & Lardner
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A portable file system capable of sharing data among various
`computer environments, such that a user can freely utilize
`his own data under various computer environments. The
`system includes at least one portable data processing device
`having a memory unit for storing file data and file manage(cid:173)
`ment data of portable side files; at least one stationary data
`processing device having a processing unit for executing
`desired processing by making accesses to the portable side
`files; and a conversion unit for converting at least one of the
`file data and the file management data of each requested file
`among the portable side files for which a file access request
`is issued by the processing unit into a form suitable for the
`stationary data processing device, such that the processing
`unit makes an access to each requested file among the
`portable side files according to converted file data/file man(cid:173)
`agement data obtained by the conversion unit. The conver(cid:173)
`sion unit may be provided in the portable data processing
`device side, or in the stationary data processing device side.
`
`58 Claims, 25 Drawing Sheets
`
`Samsung Exhibit 1035 Page 00001
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 1 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 1
`PRIOR ART
`
`1010
`
`I
`
`I
`
`I
`
`I
`
`I
`
`I
`
`~
`
`I
`
`I
`
`1 ~20
`COMPUTER-2
`COMPUTER-I
`'
`'
`r--- -------------------------~---~ r-----------------------------~---1
`i
`1021
`FILE ACCESS REQUEST
`\ \
`NFS
`t
`I
`::
`SERVER ~
`VIRTUAL FILE 1011 i i
`\
`t
`SYSTEM ~ i i
`VIRTUAL FILE 1022 i
`I
`I
`I
`INTERFACE
`: :
`SYSTEM
`f----1
`:
`1~12 I
`1014::
`INTERFACE
`:
`i
`)
`t
`t
`i
`1023 UNIX FILE
`UNIX FILE
`'---------
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`:
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`
`I
`
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`
`Network
`
`)
`1000
`
`Page 00002
`
`

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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`PORTABLE PERSONAL
`
`I COMMUNICATION
`
`UNIT
`
`SYSTEM
`
`FILE
`
`5
`
`COMPUTER __ /-
`
`OR PERSONAL
`WORK STATION
`
`FIG. 2
`
`Page 00003
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 3 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`STATIONARY
`COMPUTER
`
`15
`.r- ~
`"-
`
`_/
`
`FILE
`MEMORY
`'-- UNIT./
`
`10
`,-J
`
`FIG. 3
`rl ACCESS REQUEST
`IL APPLICATION EXECUTION UNIT
`121
`FILE ACCESS UNIT J!
`__,-133
`/132
`/131
`FILE
`MOUNT
`FILE INPUT I
`r-- RETRIEVAL f.--
`POINT
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`UNIT
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`
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`
`'I'
`
`'!'
`~4
`COMMUNICATION UNIT
`/141
`.rl42
`.rl43
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`FILE
`OWN
`TRANSMISSION COMPUTER ID
`REQUEST
`& RECEPTION
`TRANSMISSION TRANSMISSION
`UNIT
`UNIT
`UNIT
`
`COMMUNICATION UNIT
`t /162
`/161
`FILE
`TARGET
`TRANSMISSION COMPUTER 1D
`& RECEPTION
`RECEPTION
`UNIT
`UNIT
`
`II
`,-'
`16
`r-'
`.rl63
`FILE ACCESS
`REQUEST
`RECEPTION
`UNIT
`
`I
`FILE ACCESS PROCESSING UNIT
`.r172
`~
`_,cl71
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`FILE
`TARGET USER ID
`~ CORRESPONDENCE RETRIEVAL
`UNIT
`TABLE MEMORY
`UNIT
`J
`I
`
`17
`,-J
`_.~173
`
`FILE MEMORY UNIT
`Jl81
`...-
`-......,
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`
`__.-"
`
`J182
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`__...
`
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`DATA
`CONVERSION UNIT
`
`J8
`
`,.--
`...__
`
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`PERSONAL
`DATA DEVICE
`
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`MEMORY
`UNIT
`
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`MANAGEMENT
`DATA
`MEMORY
`UNIT
`
`.....__
`
`T
`
`T
`
`Page 00004
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 4 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 4
`
`Sl
`
`RECEIVE ACCESS
`REQLEST
`
`S2
`
`READ
`
`S3 DIRECTORY SEARCH
`ACCORDING TO
`ss
`FILE NAME
`FAILURE NO
`NOTICE
`
`S6
`
`S7
`
`OBTAIN FILE
`MANAGEMENT
`DATA
`
`S8 CHECK PROPERNESS
`OF OPEN REQUEST
`S9
`
`SIO
`
`NO
`IMPROPER
`ACCESS NOTICE
`
`OBTAIN FILE
`READING POSITION
`DATA FROM
`FILE DESCRIPTOR
`
`Sl3
`
`EXECUTE READING Sl4 Sl6
`SIS
`
`UPDATE FILE
`READING POSITION
`DATA
`
`RETURN READ
`OUT DATA
`
`Sl7
`
`Sl8
`
`ACCESS
`PREPARATION
`
`RETURN FILE
`DESCRIPTOR
`
`S I I
`
`Sl2
`
`HOST NAME
`
`WORK STATION A
`
`WORK STATION B
`
`FIG. 5
`II
`OS
`
`Unix
`
`Unix
`
`USER ID I GROUP ID I
`105
`300
`300
`1000
`
`PERSONAL COMPUTER D MS-DOS
`
`-
`
`-
`
`Page 00005
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 5 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 6
`
`[
`
`J
`
`S21
`
`S22
`
`...--- S23
`
`START
`t
`SEND OWN COMPUTER ID
`t
`OBTAIN USER ID
`t
`OBTAIN MOUNT POINT
`CORRESPONDING TO
`USER JD ACCORDING
`TO MOUNT POINT
`MEMORY UNIT
`t
`MOUNT FILE SYSTEM BY r S24
`NOTIFYING MOUNT POINT
`TO FILE RETRIEVAL UNIT
`1
`END
`
`(
`
`FIG. 7
`
`USER NAME USER ID MOUNT POINT MOUNTING TARGET
`POINT
`I PFS
`I PFS
`I PFS
`I PFS
`
`103
`102
`104
`200
`
`I home I kimura
`I home I oka
`I home I tanaka
`I home I guest
`
`kimura
`
`oka
`
`tanaka
`
`guest
`
`Page 00006
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 6 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 8A
`
`FIG. 8B
`
`FIG. 8C
`
`Page 00007
`
`

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`
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`
`BY PARTIAL FILE NAME
`
`VIA FILE INPUT I
`
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`
`OF FILE NAME
`
`OF UNANALYZED PART
`NAME FROM LEFT END
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`
`S34
`
`DIRECTORY
`
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`
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`
`t----S33
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`
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`
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`
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`
`}
`
`START
`
`(
`
`t
`
`FIG. 9A
`
`Page 00008
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 8 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 9B
`
`A
`
`S43
`'
`OBTAIN FILE l'viANAGEMENT
`OAT A FOR FILE
`SPECIFIED BY PARTIAL
`FILE NAME VIA FILE
`INPUT I OUTPUT UNIT
`
`SEND ACCESS REQUEST
`FOR MANAGEMENT
`DJ\ TA OF FILE
`SPECIFIED BY PARTIAL
`FILE NAME
`
`PROCESSING AT
`PORTABLE PERSONAL
`DATA DEVICE SIDE
`
`ORTAIN FILE MANAGEMENT
`DATA VIA FILE
`TRANSMISSION &
`RECEPTION UNIT AND FILE
`INPUT I OUTPUT UNIT
`
`PROCESSING AT
`PORTABLE PERSONAL
`DATA DEVICE SIDE
`
`S51
`
`SEND ACCESS REQUEST
`FOR DIRECTORY SPECIFIED
`BY PARTIAL FILE NAME TO
`FILE ACCESS REQUEST
`TRANSMISSION UNIT
`OBTAIN CONTENT OF
`S45 DIRECTORY VIA FILE
`TRANSMISSION &
`RECEPTION UNIT AND
`FILE INPUT I OUTPUT
`UNIT
`
`S54
`
`-sss
`
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`FILE NAME FROM
`LEFT END OF
`UNANALYZED PART
`OF FILE NAME
`
`S47
`
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`PARTIAL FILE NAME
`IN OBTAINED
`DIRECTORY
`
`FAILURE NOTICE
`
`S49
`
`YES .---------------~ S58
`ACCESS PREPARATION
`
`IMPROPER ACCESS
`
`RETURN FILE
`DESCRIPTOR
`
`S59
`
`Page 00009
`
`

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`
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`
`c-START J
`
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`
`FIG. 10
`
`Page 00010
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 10 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`STATIONARY
`COMPUTER
`
`15
`
`('"
`
`/
`
`"--.._
`
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`MEMORY
`UNIT
`
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`
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`
`FIG. 11
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`'--
`
`121
`
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`
`101
`-'
`
`FILE ACCESS UNIT ~3
`_.r133
`.r 132
`£131
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`MOUNT
`FILE INPUT I
`~ RETRIEVAL f--
`POINT
`OUTPUT UNIT
`UNIT
`MEMORY UNIT
`
`'I' T
`
`~4
`COMMUNICATION UNIT
`_.rl43
`..r 141
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`OWN
`TRANSMISSION COMPUTER ID
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`UNIT
`UNIT
`UNIT
`
`COMMUNICATION UNIT
`t .r 162
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`UNIT
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`UNIT
`I
`I
`
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`
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`~
`
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`
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`DATA DEVICE
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`/182
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`
`----
`
`FILE
`MANAGEMENT
`DATA
`MEMORY
`
`FILE DATA
`MEMORY
`UNIT
`
`UNIT -
`
`T
`
`Page 00011
`
`

`
`~
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`
`PERSONAL COMPUTER D
`
`---·----
`
`tar+ compress FORMAT
`
`No R/W
`
`I backup I kimura
`
`WORK STATION B
`
`tar FORMAT
`
`RIO
`
`DATA
`
`I home I kimura.backup I
`
`WORK STATION A
`
`STORING FORMAT
`
`PROTECTION
`
`STORING LOCATION
`
`HOST NAME
`
`FIG. 12
`
`Page 00012
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 12 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 13
`
`BYE STORING
`
`METHOD
`
`S82
`
`S81
`
`YES
`~STORAGE S83
`FILE
`
`S84
`
`YES
`
`NO
`
`END
`
`END
`
`RECEIVE
`DATA
`
`S85
`
`S86
`
`CONVERT DATA
`INTO SPECIFIED
`STORING FORMAT
`S87
`
`WRITE CONVERTED
`DATA INTO
`STORAGE FILE
`
`Page 00013
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 13 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 14
`rl ACCESS REQUEST
`12 APPLICATION EXECUTION UNIT
`
`PROCESSING UNIT
`
`121
`
`STATIONARY
`COMPUTER
`
`'--
`
`201
`
`J
`
`FILE ACCESS UNIT ~3
`/132
`/133
`/131
`MOUNT
`FILE
`FILE INPUT I
`~ RETRIEVAL r-
`POINT
`OUTPUT UNIT
`MEMORY UNIT
`UNIT
`
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`
`15
`
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`
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`I ENVIRONMENT I ~
`SPECIFYING FILE
`----
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`
`T
`
`~4
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`_..,--143
`_..,--142
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`UNIT
`UNIT
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`
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`
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`DATA
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`t
`I ENVIRONMENT
`
`202
`
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`
`COMMUNICATION UNIT
`/161
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 14 of 25
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`5,864,853
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 15 of 25
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`5,864,853
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`STATIONARY
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`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 16 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 17
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`Page 00017
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 17 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 18
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`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 18 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 19
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`Page 00019
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 19 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 20
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`Page 00020
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 20 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 21A
`
`WORK STATION-A
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`Page 00021
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`STATIONARY
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`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 21 of 25
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`Page 00022
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 22 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 23A
`
`DIRECTORY POSITION =Ox 104C
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`Page 00023
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 23 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 24A
`
`DIRECTORY POSITION= Ox1050
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`Page 00024
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 24 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 25
`
`801
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`Page 00025
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Jan. 26, 1999
`
`Sheet 25 of 25
`
`5,864,853
`
`FIG. 26
`
`~ 911
`
`DHCP
`SERVER
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`
`Page 00026
`
`

`
`5,864,853
`
`1
`PORTABLE FILE SYSTEM OPERABLE
`UNDER VARIOUS COMPUTER
`ENVIRONMENTS
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention relates to a portable file system in
`which files stored in a portable personal data device are
`accessible from a data processing device for executing a
`desired processing on data of the files.
`2. Description of the Background Art
`In a currently popular distributed computing environment,
`a plurality of work stations or personal computers are
`connected by the LAN (Local Area Network), and a file
`sharing technique such as the NFS (Network File System)
`developed by SUN Microsystems, Inc. is utilized to offer a
`network transparent distributed file system environment
`(i.e., an environment in which a file can be utilized without
`being conscious of a computer in which this file is actually
`stored) to the user.
`The NFS also conceals a difference between different
`types of file systems coexisting in the distributed computing
`environment by a mechanism called Virtual File System
`Interface, so as to support a device type transparency. In this 25
`Virtual File System Interface, requests and data are
`exchanged between a file server side which discloses a
`content of its file system to another host and a client side
`which makes an access to a content of a file system pos(cid:173)
`sessed by another host, by defining a common file system 30
`interface. Each file server or client has an interface in
`correspondence to a file system possessed by its own host,
`so that in order to make a file access through a network, there
`is a need for a conversion with respect to a common
`interface at the server side as well as at the client side.
`For this reason, the file system realizing the NFS has a
`configuration as shown in FIG. 1. In this configuration of
`FIG. 1, a file access request from a computer-11010 is given
`to a Virtual File System Interface 1011 on the computer-1
`side first, and then, for a file in its own database 1013, the
`access is made through a Unix File System 1012 on the
`computer-1 side. On the other hand, for a file in a database
`1024 of a computer-2 1020, the request is transmitted from
`a NFS Client 1014 on the computer-1 side through a network
`1000 to a NFS Server 1021 on the computer-2 side. Then,
`the NFS Server 1021 issues the request to a Virtual File
`System Interface 1022 on the computer-2 side, from which
`the access is made through a Unix File System 1023 on the
`computer-2 side.
`Now, a scale in which the above described network
`transparent distributed file system environment can be pro(cid:173)
`vided is limited by a total number of computers involved as
`well as by geographic or organizational constraints. For
`instance, the network transparent distributed file system
`environment is usually provided in units of a section or a
`research center in the case of a company, or in units of a
`research group or a department in the case of a university.
`On the other hand, in conjunction with the wide spread
`use of computers, use of a computer is becoming an integral
`part of our work or daily life, and a situation calling for a use
`of a computer is more and more increasing both time-wise
`and location-wise. For instance, apart from daily work using
`a computer at a regular working spot in a company, there
`may be occasions to utilize computers at visiting spots for
`the purpose of cooperative works with other sections or
`other organizations, and there may be occasions to utilize a
`personal computer for work or amusement at home.
`
`2
`Despite such an expansion of situations to utilize a
`computer, the distributed file system can provide a network
`transparent file sharing only within a limited environment as
`described above. For instance, in the NFS including the
`5 Virtual File System Interface, it is impossible to share a file
`among different environments in which the user manage(cid:173)
`ment data are different (e.g., environments in which different
`users are assigned to the same user ID).
`For this reason, conventionally, a separate file manage-
`10 ment has been required at each computer environment, e.g.,
`at a working spot, at a visiting spot, and at home. As a
`consequence, when a certain file is to be shared among these
`environments, a user can realize such a sharing only by
`copying this file by utilizing a floppy disk or a communi-
`15 cation line. However, in this mode of realizing the file
`sharing, the user is required to endure the tediousness of
`carrying out cumbersome copying operations to make copies
`as well as a careful file management in order to maintain the
`consistency among the copies, and in addition, the user is
`20 held responsible for a considerable risk of data loss resulting
`from a file management error.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide
`a portable file system capable of sharing data among various
`computer environments, without requiring a user to be
`conscious of differences in computer device type or envi(cid:173)
`ronment and without demanding a user to spend consider(cid:173)
`able efforts in copying data and maintaining a consistency
`among the copied data, such that a user can freely utilize his
`own data under various computer environments.
`According to one aspect of the present invention there is
`provided a portable file system, comprising: at least one
`portable data processing device having memory means for
`35 storing file data and file management data of portable side
`files (i.e., portable device files belonging to the portable data
`processing device); at least one stationary data processing
`device having processing means for executing desired pro(cid:173)
`cessing by making accesses to the portable side files; and
`40 conversion means for converting at least one of the file data
`and the file management data of each requested file among
`the portable side files for which a file access request is issued
`by the processing means into a form suitable for the sta(cid:173)
`tionary data processing device, such that the processing
`45 means makes an access to each requested file among the
`portable side files according to converted file data/file man(cid:173)
`agement data obtained by the conversion means.
`According to another aspect of the present invention there
`is provided a portable file system, comprising: a portable
`50 data processing device having memory means for storing
`files; and a stationary data processing device having pro(cid:173)
`cessing means for executing desired processing by making
`accesses to the files stored in the memory means and control
`means for controlling an execution of the processing by the
`55 processing means depending on who is operating the pro(cid:173)
`cessing means; wherein the portable data processing device
`includes means for returning a user ID valid on the station(cid:173)
`ary data processing device of an owner of each requested file
`for which a file access request is issued by the processing
`60 means, to the stationary data processing device, in response
`to the file access request received from the stationary data
`processing device; and the control means controls the execu(cid:173)
`tion of the processing by the processing means according to
`the user ID returned from the portable data processing
`65 device.
`According to another aspect of the present invention there
`is provided a portable file system, comprising: a portable
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`data processing dev