Abstract: In an embodiment, a data storage apparatus having a plurality of spare area arrays may be provided additional to remote spare areas or alone and each of the spare area arrays respectively may be assigned to essentially each of a plurality of format features of the data storage medium and thereby serve as a contiguous free region in the user area. As a format feature on a data storage disc comprised by a disc drive may be understood in particular a zone, a track or a cylinder in case of multitude discs, a block on a track or as well a sector.

Abstract: A portable communications device (2) and method is disclosed wherein data can be transferred between the portable communications device (2) and another portable communications device (4) through a first network (12) using a first network address. It is determined whether a condition related to the operation of the portable communications device (2) is above a minimum requirement, e.g. battery charge. Information is collected that is required for resuming the data transfer through an second network (14) using a second network address different from the first network address. The data transfer is allowed through the first network (12) if the condition is satisfied and delayed if the condition is not satisfied. If it is delayed the data transfer may be resumed later through the second network (14), e.g. via a synchronization interface and a host computer.

Abstract: A total amount, M, of memory is allocated over streaming data buffers (86). The memory is partitioned over a set of streams (88), each stream being given a partitioned amount of buffer memory. Scheduling is repeatedly performed during each filling/emptying cycle. The scheduling includes: spinning up a storage disk (80), filling/emptying each stream buffer by reading/writing from/to the storage disk until the respective stream buffer is full/empty, determining an earliest next spinning up time, putting the storage disk in standby mode, spinning down the storage disk, re-determining, at or just prior to the earliest next spinning up time, a new earliest spinning up time based on current buffer fullness, iteratively re-determining the new earliest spinning up time until the time is within a predetermined closeness to the previous time, or within a predetermined closeness to the current time, and waiting until the next earliest spinning up time, or just prior to that time.

Abstract: A personal recorder/playback system (10) includes a recording agent (32) configured to transparently receive multiple audio/visual streams from analog and/or digital sources. The streams are temporarily stored in queues (52,54) for subsequent analysis. The streams, after analysis, are either discarded, stored permanently in an audio/visual collection (48,50), or used to improve the quality of previously stored streams in the collection. The recording agent (32) provides features such as virtual channels (42) and a “top-ten” list (38) of most popular stored audio/visual streams.

Abstract: A method (2) of controlling memory usage in a portable streaming device (100), a portable streaming device (100) and a computer readable medium (110). The portable streaming device (100) comprises at least one memory (102), at least one processing unit (101), and at least one storage device (103) being operatively connected with said memory (102) under control of said processing unit (101). The size of a disk scheduler buffer memory within said memory in said portable streaming device is adaptively maximised by said method (2) at all times. Free memory available within the portable streaming device is continuously allocated (50) and at least a portion of said allocated free memory is designated as disk scheduler buffer memory (60). Thus results improved solid state memory utilisation of the portable streaming device, and due to larger available disk buffer memory size, less start-stop-cycles of the storage device are initiated, which leads to a longer life-cycle of said portable streaming device.

Abstract: The apparatus is suitable for managing a data carrier (1) obtaining a fast data transfer from it to the apparatus when the carrier is driven with a constant angular velocity (CAV). It comprises a motor (3) for driving the carrier, an optical head having light source (16) for reading and/or writing data stored form and in it. Furthermore, it comprises means, involving a processor set (50) for determining the frequency of the use of files contained in the data carrier, such that the more frequently used ones are put in a location for a faster transfer. While the transfer is being performed, the motor and the light source arc stopped so that supply energy is economized, which is interesting for a battery-operated apparatus. Application: The invention is well suited for small size R/W optical discs (SFFO).

Abstract: A device for scanning a record carrier has a head for scanning a track for reading and/or writing information. A disc scheduler controls receiving requests for accessing the record carrier, the requests including streaming requests regarding real time information and auxiliary requests (44) regarding auxiliary information. The disc scheduler reduces power consumption of the device by switching the scanning means to a stand-by mode when no requests are pending and switching the scanning means to an operational mode when a request has to be executed. The auxiliary requests are executed in a processing interval (45) in combination with a selected one of the streaming requests. Hence the number of spin-ups of the record carrier is reduced.

Abstract: Real-time audio video applications require guaranteed request service times from a hard disc drive. This requirement is not always fulfilled due to some unexpected delays in service times. One of the causes of such delay is the replacement of defective or bad sectors. By putting spare sectors on each track and extending the track skew in combination with read-and-write-on-arrival strategies it is possible to prevent extra delays in service times due to replacement of sectors.

Abstract: In a file system and in particular in a real-time file system it might not be possible to write a data to disc completely. Nevertheless the data that has been written to disc is often still useful, for example in case of an MPEG-stream. Marking parts of the file defective in the file system providing meta-data enables an application to perform application specific error correction or error concealment By using a filter driver, the file system can be extended with this error handling, thus making this functionality available to every application.

Abstract: Real-time audio video applications require guaranteed request service times from a hard disc drive. This requirement is not always fulfilled due to some unexpected delays in service times. Re-allocated sectors are one of the causes of such delays. A scheme for conversion of re-maps into slips in a hard disc drive is suggested. Converting re-allocated sectors into slipped or skipped sectors can prevent such a delay, since slipped sectors cause much less or even negligible performance loss than re-allocated sectors.