JP2006139676A - Information management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of saving a file by automatically generating a file name, with no involvement of a user in a file name when an electronic information is saved in a file, by surely acquiring a file number with no duplicate number given to a different process or thread, under such environment in which electronic information is saved as a file in a file system, a part of the file name is managed by a file number, and the file is saved by multi-process and multi-thread. <P>SOLUTION: The information management system compares the largest file number acquired by searching across the file system with the number acquired from a file number management file in which the number of a file generated last (ING.0003.JPG) is recorded, and a number acquired by adding one to the larger number is used in a part of file name as a new file number, to save the file. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information management apparatus that manages electronic information in a directory and file configuration.

  Today, various types of information such as text, still images, moving images, and sounds are digitized and stored as electronic information in various storage devices such as computer hard disks, memories, floppy disks, memory cards, and magneto-optical disks. It has come to be.

  In general computer basic software (OS) that is widely spread, these electronic information are stored in a directory and file configuration called a file system. In the file system, one piece of electronic information is stored in one file. A directory can include multiple files and multiple directories therein.

  Files and directories must be named file names and directory names consisting of arbitrary alphanumeric characters. Also, names such as file names and directory names are required to be unique and not duplicated in the same directory in order to distinguish files and directories.

  When a user stores new electronic information in the computer's file system, the user examines the names of existing files and directories, and the user devises names that do not overlap with the names of existing files and directories. File name must be assigned to the file that stores the electronic information. Devising a new name every time new information is registered is a laborious process. When photographs are taken one after another like a digital camera and electronic information such as digital image data is generated, it is inappropriate to give a unique file name to the user each time it is recorded.

  Conventionally, a method has been used in which a serial number is assigned to a part of a file name to save this trouble. In a digital camera, a camera file system standard DCF (Design rule for Camera File System) is defined as a method for storing digital data such as still images, moving images, and sounds in a file system. Having a common standard has the advantage of facilitating data exchange with other digital cameras.

  In the camera file system standard DCF Version 1.0, a directory having the name DCIM is created directly under the root directory, and a directory having a unique three-digit directory number and a name of an arbitrary five-character string is created under the directory. In addition, a file having a name of an arbitrary character string of 4 characters and a file number of 4 characters is to be stored therein.

  Many digital cameras today conform to the camera file system standard DCF Version 1.0. When saving digital still images, moving images, and sound data to a file system such as a memory card, the file name is saved with a serial number. Yes.

  In digital cameras, as a way to achieve this, each time a new file is created in the file system of the memory card after shooting, the number used for the file name is described in a specific file number management file. When creating a new file, use a number obtained by adding 1 to the number described in the file number management file as the file name of the new file, and describe the number used in the file number management file. There are many.

For example, see Patent Document 1.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-177646

  However, since the method using the file number management file is not a method stipulated in the DCF standard, the file number management file is different or there is no file number management file in the case of a memory card taken with another company's product. For this reason, the maximum file number cannot be obtained. When electronic information is stored in a memory card and is frequently exchanged with another model, this method has a drawback that it cannot be dealt with.

  On the other hand, as a method for obtaining a file number even in such an environment, there is a method of searching for a file name in the file system and extracting the number, and adding 1 to the maximum number to obtain a new file number. According to this method, a memory card or the like on which electronic information is recorded may be transferred between different models.

  However, the method of obtaining the number by searching for the file name is fatal in that the program runs in multiple processes and multiple threads, and if the file number is acquired almost simultaneously, multiple processes will acquire the same number. With its shortcomings.

  For example, when a file having a file name with a maximum number of 100 exists and two threads of A thread and B thread are operating at the same time, first, the A thread requests to obtain a file number. When the file is searched, 100 is obtained as the maximum file number. In the A thread, 1 is added to this to make the number 101 the file number in the A thread. It is sufficient that the A thread creates a file with the number 101 immediately, but in the case of multi-threading, the B thread generates a file number acquisition request before the A thread creates a file with the 101 number. Can be considered. At this time, since the B thread is before the A thread creates a file with the file number 101, the B thread searches for the file, the B thread also obtains the maximum file number 100, and the B thread also obtains the file number 101. Then, an attempt is made to create a file having a file number of 101 overlapping with the A thread. As described above, in a device in a multi-process and multi-thread environment, a method of performing file search and acquiring a file number is not suitable.

  There was no problem with a single-function, single-application device like a digital camera up to now, but in the case of PDAs that are becoming popular today and digital cameras and mobile phones that are becoming more complex, multiple applications are installed. A situation where a plurality of processes and a plurality of threads operate simultaneously has to be adopted. There has been a demand for a method capable of automatically and reliably acquiring a file number used when storing electronic information in a file system by a multi-process and multi-thread.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a method for reliably acquiring a file number in an environment in which a program is executed in a multi-process by the following method.

  In order to obtain a file number necessary for storing electronic information as a file in the file system, the file system is searched and the maximum file number plus one is added to the file number as the file number.

  When saving a file to the file system, the used file number is saved in a file number management file.

  In the present invention, when electronic information is stored as a file in the file system, the file number management file is opened, and the file number obtained from the file number management file is added to 1 and obtained by searching the file system. The number obtained by adding 1 to the maximum file number is compared, and a value having a large numerical value is adopted as the file number, and the electronic information is stored in the file as a file having the obtained file number. After saving, open the file management number file and save the used file number.

  If the file management number file does not exist when saving the electronic information as a file in the file system, the file number is obtained by adding 1 to the maximum file number obtained by searching the file system. The electronic information is stored in a file as a file having the obtained file number. After saving, create a file management number file and save the used file number.

  By using the number obtained by searching the file system, the file number can be surely acquired even when a storage device such as a memory card is exchanged between different models. In addition, by using the file number management file, even in a multi-process and multi-thread environment, it is possible to prevent the same number from being obtained for different processes and different threads, and to obtain the file number without fail to obtain electronic information. It can be saved to a file.

  As described above, in the inventions of claims 1, 2, 3, and 4, electronic information is stored in the file system as a file, and the file name is managed by a serial file number. In an environment where files are stored in multiple threads, the file number can be obtained reliably without assigning the same number to different processes and threads, and the user can save the file name when saving electronic information to a file. We were able to provide a way to automatically create a file name and save the file without getting involved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The first embodiment takes the configuration of a digital camera. It is multi-process compatible and can execute applications such as digital camera photography, digital image display, photo retouching, and a schedule book. It is possible to start camera shooting while the photo retouching application is running, and there is a possibility of saving an image with the photo retouching application and saving an image file with the camera shooting application at the same time.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  There is a CPU 100 for processing a program according to an embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal display 102 for performing input and operation and displaying results, and a touch panel 101 attached on the liquid crystal display. The CPU is connected to a RAM / ROM 103 for storing programs, data, and operation records for realizing the present embodiment. Furthermore, a camera module 106 that can be photographed by this program, a memory card 105 that stores data, and a memory card adapter 104 for connecting the memory card to the CPU are connected. The captured digital image is stored in the memory card 105.

  In the present embodiment, the present invention is realized by the hardware configuration in FIG. 1 and the program stored in the ROM. However, the program stored in the memory card or the FD or all may be realized by hardware. Absent.

  The user operates applications such as camera shooting, digital image display, photo retouch, and schedule book using a liquid crystal display and a touch panel. In this embodiment, a touch panel and a liquid crystal display are used. However, a cathode ray tube, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like may be used as long as the program can be operated and input / output can be performed.

  The file system in the memory card adopts the FAT format of MS-DOS. The saving of the image file conforms to the camera file system standard DCF Version 1.0 and is as shown in FIG. The 204 DCF file consists of a total of 8 characters, 4 free character strings and 4 file numbers, and it is necessary to assign a unique number in the same directory. Reference numeral 205 denotes a file number management file which describes the file number as a decimal ASCII character.

  The flow of acquiring the file number of the present invention will be described using the flowchart of FIG. When the image file is stored in the DCF format file system in the memory card, the file number acquisition routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is called to determine the number and use the file number as the file name to image the file. To the memory card.

  In step 301, a directory is opened. In step 302, a list of files in the opened directory is acquired. In step 303, the value of variable N is initialized to zero.

  In step 304, one file is extracted in order from the acquired file list, and in step 305, the file number is extracted from the file name of the extracted file and set in the variable M. In step 306, the value of variable N is compared with the value of variable M. If M is large, the value of M is set to N in step 307. When the variable N value is larger than the value of the variable M, the value of the variable N is not changed. In step 308, it is confirmed whether or not it is the last file. If there are remaining files, the process returns to step 304. If the file is the last, exit from the loop. By repeating this loop, the largest file number can be set as the variable N in the opened directory.

  In step 309, the file number management file (FILENO.CNT) is opened. If there is no file number management file, opening fails, and if the failure is confirmed in step 310, the variable L is set to 0 in step 312. If the opening is successful, the number is read from the file number management file (FILENO.CNT) in step 311 and set to the variable L. In the file number management file (FILENO.CNT), the number used last time is described as a decimal ASCII character string.

  In step 313, the value of the variable L is compared with the value of the variable N. If the value of the variable N is large, a value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the variable N is adopted as the new file number. When the value of the variable L is large, a value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the variable L is adopted as the new file number. This compares the maximum file number obtained by searching for files in the directory with the previous file number stored in the file number management file, and adds a new value by adding 1 to the larger value. Can be adopted as the file number.

  In step 316, the obtained new file number is written to the file number management file (FILENO.CNT), and the file is closed.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the PDA is not equipped with a camera module. In addition, the file format in which electronic information is stored does not conform to the DCF standard. The present invention can be utilized even in such a case.

  In the first embodiment, a drawing tool is provided, and electronic information is stored in the memory card in the format shown in FIG. It is saved as a file with a file name such as BMP. The file name of the file has the structure of the file name in FIG. 5, and the file number is used. The routine for obtaining the file number is the same as that in FIG. Since the file is automatically determined by the application name and file number, the user does not have to worry about naming the file name.

Block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment Configuration of the file system according to the first embodiment Flowchart for obtaining the file number of the first embodiment Block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment File system configuration

Explanation of symbols

100 CPU
101 Touch Panel 102 Liquid Crystal Display 103 RAM / ROM Memory 104 Memory Card Adapter 105 Memory Card 106 Camera Module 201 Root Directory in Memory Card 202 DCF Image Root Directory 203 DCF Directory 204 DCF File 205 File Number Management File 400 CPU
401 Touch Panel 402 Liquid Crystal Display 403 RAM / ROM Memory 404 Memory Card Adapter 405 Memory Card 501 Root Directory in Memory Card 502 Data File 503 File Number Management File

Claims (4)

An information management device that manages electronic information in a configuration of directories and files,
In an information management device that manages electronic information as an electronic file with a number appended to a part of the file name,
When storing new electronic information, the file name number of the newly created file is automatically assigned a number that is different from the file name number of the existing file, and the electronic information is stored as part of the file name. Information management device characterized in that it is stored as   When creating a new file, search for an existing file, extract the number from the file name, compare and extract the largest number, then add the largest number to 1 as the new file name The information management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information management apparatus is employed.   Each time a new file is created, the number used for the file name is described in a specific file number management file, and when creating a new file, 1 is added to the number described in the file number management file. 3. The information management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the added number is adopted as a file name of the new file. When creating a new file,
Search for an existing file, extract the number from the file name, compare and extract the highest number, then the highest number,
Each time a new file is created, the number used for the file name is described in a specific file number management file. When a new file is created, the two numbers in the file number management file 4. The information management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the numbers are compared and a number obtained by adding 1 to a larger number is adopted as a file name number of a new file.

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