JP2008181234A - Information processor and method for retrieving comprehensive file in same device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quicken the retrieval processing of an internal file included in a comprehensive file, and to reduce any load for this by constructing a mechanism for dealing with the internal file as a file. <P>SOLUTION: When one of internal files included in a comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are summarized as one is required, a program performance control part 122 generates a virtual path for instructing the retrieval of the required internal file from a virtual directory having the file name of the comprehensive file as designation, and issues an open request to a file system management part 121, and the file system management part 121 which has received this retrieves the comprehensive file by specifying the file name of the comprehensive file from the designation of a virtual directory, and retrieves the required internal file based on the header information of the retrieved comprehensive file, and transfers address information in the storage part 13 of the retrieved internal file as the reply of the virtual path to the program performance control part 122 which has made a request. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus suitable for use in, for example, a search process for content (a comprehensive file) acquired by downloading a file from a server via a communication network, and a comprehensive file search method in the apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art An image reproducing apparatus that can quickly find a desired image from header information indicating an image address in a file in which a plurality of images are stored collectively is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, in the field of portable terminals, music files can be obtained from a server via a communication network. In this case, a video or still image of a musician who is playing, despite a single music file, can be obtained. Many media files such as pictures and lyrics are provided as related files. Therefore, when playing back this music file, it is desired to process these related files together.

  However, it is assumed that such music files are provided from the communication network in the mobile terminal, and therefore, the user side is charged, so that all the files including the related files are surely included. There is a request to obtain. In addition, there is a demand from the provider side that a group of related files that are transmitted to a mobile terminal does not want to create an incomplete file due to missing part of the file.

In order to satisfy such a demand, there is a TAR (Tape Archival and Retrieval format) file that is an archive format that is combined into a single file as a comprehensive file so that a plurality of files can be easily transmitted using a communication network (for example, patents). Reference 2).
JP-A-8-289290 JP 2006-148844 A

  Since the portable information terminal device acquires the TAR file from the communication network, there are many opportunities to refer to the stored data, for example, in order to display a list of data stored inside the portable information terminal device. Therefore, a method for speeding up the search process is required, but this method is not disclosed in any of Patent Documents 1 and 2.

  The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not based on the analysis of the TAR file, but a search method based on the header analysis of MPEG4 (Moving Picture Experts Group level 4.) in the video data is disclosed and compressed. Since it is necessary to search for a necessary MPEG file from several types of data, it is expected that a very large load is required to search for a target file. In particular, when multiple files are grouped into a single file format (inclusive file) like a TAR file, it is possible to obtain only a small portion of the data in the grouped files. Since the collected data could not be handled as a file, the necessary data had to be searched from the top of the comprehensive file. In this case, the portable information terminal device requires a vast RAM area, requires a lot of labor and time for deployment, and is unusable.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. By constructing a mechanism for handling internal files included in a comprehensive file as a file, the internal file search process can be accelerated and the load can be reduced. It is another object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus and a comprehensive file search method in the apparatus.

  An information processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention, when a storage unit that stores a plurality of files and a file stored in the storage unit are specified, searches for the specified file from the storage unit, and A file system management unit that identifies address information of the file in the storage unit, and when a predetermined event occurs, issues a search instruction to the file system management unit for a file corresponding to the event, and the file system management unit A program execution control unit that reads out the address information of the corresponding file from the file, and the program execution control unit is an internal file included in the comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are combined into one. The required internal file has the file name of the comprehensive file as a name. When a virtual path for instructing a search from the virtual directory is generated and the address information of the required internal file is specified in response to the virtual path from the file system management unit, it is specified by the specified address information. The internal file is read from the storage unit, the file system management unit receives the virtual path, specifies the file name of the comprehensive file from the name of the virtual directory, searches the comprehensive file, and searches the included file The required internal file is searched based on the header information, and address information in the storage unit of the searched internal file is delivered to the program execution control unit as a response to the virtual path.

  In the information processing apparatus according to the present invention, the virtual path includes an identifier after the virtual directory name and a character string having a file name of the necessary file following the identifier, and the file system management unit When the virtual path is received, a directory name before the identifier in the virtual path may be extracted, and an extension indicating a comprehensive file may be attached to the directory name to search for the corresponding file.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the comprehensive file further includes an index file in which a file name and address information of an internal file included in the comprehensive file is described, and the file system management unit includes the necessary file When searching for an internal file, the file name of the required file may be searched from the index file included in the specified comprehensive file, and the address information of the file may be extracted.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the comprehensive file includes header information in which at least a file name of an internal file included in the comprehensive file and address information in the storage unit are described, and the file system management unit includes: When searching for the required internal file, header information in which the file name of the required internal file is described is searched from the specified comprehensive file, and the address information described in the searched header information is searched. Based on the above, the address information of the required internal file may be extracted.

  In the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the file system management unit may be configured to close the comprehensive file after closing all internal files included in the comprehensive file when the comprehensive file is closed.

  A comprehensive file search method in an information processing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a storage unit that stores a plurality of files; and a file that is stored in the storage unit is specified. A file system management unit that searches for the address information in the storage unit of the file, and issues a search instruction to the file system management unit for a file corresponding to the event when a predetermined event occurs A program execution control unit that reads out the file when address information of the corresponding file is extracted from the file system management unit, and a search method for a comprehensive file in an information processing apparatus, wherein the program execution control unit If you need one of the internal files included in a comprehensive file that combines multiple files A virtual path generating step for generating a virtual path for instructing search of the required internal file from a virtual directory having the file name of the comprehensive file as a name, and the file system management unit receives the virtual path, The file name of the comprehensive file is identified from the name of the virtual directory and the comprehensive file is searched, the required internal file is searched based on the header information of the searched comprehensive file, and the searched internal file An address information return step of passing address information in the storage unit to the program execution control unit as a response to the virtual path, and the program execution control unit responding to the virtual path from the file system management unit When the address information of the internal file is specified, It includes an internal file acquisition step of reading the internal file identified at a constant address information from the storage unit.

  According to the present invention, by constructing a mechanism for handling an internal file included in a comprehensive file as a file, the search processing of the internal file is speeded up, and the load for the information processing apparatus and the comprehensive file in the same device are reduced. A search method can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, a portable information terminal device such as a mobile phone is exemplified as the information processing device.
As shown in FIG. 1, the portable information terminal device includes a communication unit 11, a control unit 12, a storage unit 13, a voice processing unit 14, a display unit 15, and an operation unit 16.

  The communication unit 11 transmits and receives radio signals to and from the base station via a channel assigned by any one of base stations (not shown). Here, it is acquired by downloading music or image files having a comprehensive file (TAR file) structure by communication from a server (not shown), and is stored in an encrypted form in the storage unit 13 via the control unit 12 described later. And

  The control unit 12 switches and executes a plurality of application programs stored in the storage unit 13, and controls the communication unit 11, the voice processing unit 14, the display unit 15, and the operation unit 16, and is a portable information terminal device As the control center. The control unit 12 includes at least a file system management unit 121 and a program execution control unit 122, as shown in FIG.

  The file system management unit 121 is a functional block that manages data stored in the storage unit 13 depending on an OS (Operating System) used. Here, a file stored in the storage unit 13 is designated. And a function for retrieving the designated file from the storage unit 13 and specifying address information in the storage unit 13 of the file. For example, NTFS (NTFS (NT), which is standardly used in Windows 2000 / XP (registered trademark), etc. (File System) and EFS (Encrypting File System) which is a file encryption function of NTFS.

  In addition, when a predetermined event for file acquisition occurs, the program execution control unit 122 issues a search instruction to the file system management unit 121 for a file corresponding to the event, and the file system management unit 121 applies it. When the file address information is extracted, it has a function of reading the file.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the data structure of the TAR file as the comprehensive file. A TAR file is one of archive formats in which a plurality of files are combined into a single file as described above, and is composed of a plurality of file configurations including indexes of music files, image files, etc., for example, downloading of music information It is used for software distribution.
As shown in FIG. 5, in addition to the above-mentioned media file, the TAR file includes, as a header, “index.txt” in which the index of the media file is described, and “index.txt” in which the method of reproducing the media file is described. including "smi" files. A TAR file can contain a maximum of 255 files. For example, GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), PNG (Potable Network Graphics), C-MIDI (Compact Mudical Instrument Digital Interface), SMAF (Synthetic music Mobile Application Format). MIDI and SMAF are registered trademarks. Also, config.txt includes application setting information and the like.

  When the program execution control unit 122 needs one of the internal files included in the TAR file, the program execution control unit 122 searches the virtual directory having the name of the TAR file as the name of the required internal file. When a path is generated and the address information of the required internal file is specified in response to the virtual path from the file system management unit 121, the internal file specified by the specified address information is read from the storage unit 13. Perform the function.

  On the other hand, the file system management unit 121 receives the virtual path from the program execution control unit 122, specifies the file name of the TAR file from the name of the virtual directory, searches for the TAR file, and header information of the searched TAR file A necessary internal file is retrieved on the basis of the above, and a function of delivering the address information in the storage unit 13 of the retrieved internal file to the program execution control unit 122 as a virtual path response is executed. Details of both will be described later.

The storage unit 13 stores various data used for processing in the control unit 12. For example, a comprehensive file (content such as a music file) acquired from a server (not shown) via the communication unit 11 is held.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, in the storage unit 13, in addition to the file area 132 in which the comprehensive file (TAR file) is stored, the directory area 131 in which a directory corresponding to the Explorer holder is stored. Are allocated and held respectively.
The storage unit 13 includes a computer program executed by the control unit 12 (file system management unit 121, program execution control unit 132), and a telephone number or electronic mail of a communication partner in order to function as a portable information terminal device. Address book for managing personal information such as addresses, audio files for playing ringtones and alarm sounds, image files for standby screen, various setting data, temporary data used in the process of the program, etc. Shall be retained.
The storage unit 13 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage device (non-volatile semiconductor memory, hard disk device, optical disk device, etc.), a randomly accessible storage device (eg, SRAM, DRAM), or the like.

The audio processing unit 14 performs playback control by decoding a music file downloaded and acquired by the communication unit 11 and stored in the storage unit 13.
The audio processing unit 14 also performs processing of an audio signal output from a speaker and an audio signal input from a microphone (hereinafter referred to as a microphone).
That is, the sound processing unit amplifies the sound input from the microphone, performs analog / digital conversion, performs signal processing such as encoding, converts the sound into digital sound data, and outputs the digital sound data to the control unit 12. In addition, the audio data supplied from the control unit 12 is subjected to signal processing such as decoding, digital / analog conversion, amplification, and the like, converted into an analog audio signal, and output to a speaker.

  The display unit 15 is configured using a display device such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panel, for example, and displays an image corresponding to the video signal generated by the control unit 12. For example, in the case of a portable information terminal device, the phone number of the callee at the time of outgoing call, the phone number of the callee at the time of incoming call, the contents of received mail and outgoing mail, date, time, remaining battery level, success / failure of outgoing call, standby screen Various information and images are displayed.

  The operation unit 16 includes keys to which various functions are assigned, such as a power key, a call key, a numeric key, a character key, a direction key, a determination key, and a call key, for example. Is operated, the signal corresponding to the operation content is generated and input to the control unit 12 as a user instruction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, the exchange between the file system management unit 121 and the program execution control unit 122 shown in FIG. 2 is shown. Yes.
Hereinafter, an outline process of the portable information terminal device (control unit 12) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to an operation sequence diagram shown in FIG.

First, the program execution control unit 122 sets the comprehensive file xxx. tar's internal file, aaa. txt information is acquired as a necessary internal file. For this reason, the program execution control unit 122 executes xxx / aaa. A virtual path name of txt is generated (S301), and a file open process is requested to the file system management unit 121 (S302).
The file system management unit 121 that has received the request for the file open process uses the xxx. tar file name is specified and the xxx. tar is searched (S303), and the searched xxx. required aaa. based on the header information of tar. txt is retrieved from the storage unit 13 (S304), and the address information of the retrieved aaa and txt in the storage unit 13 is delivered to the program execution control unit 122 as a response to the virtual path described above (S305).
The searched xxx. If the tar has an index file, the aaa. The file name of txt can be searched, the address information of the file can be extracted and delivered to the program execution control unit 122.

Specifically, in step S303, the file system management unit 121 determines that the comprehensive file xxx. tar is confirmed, and if it exists, only the header information of the TAR file is acquired, the storage unit 13 is referred to in S304, and aaa. The presence / absence of txt entry information is determined. This process is repeated for the number of internal files.
When there is entry information, the position, file name, attribute, and information of the entry are copied to a buffer (not shown) built in the file system management unit 121, and the index is stored as a file operation handle. In step S 305, the file handle information is delivered to the program execution control unit 122.

Since the program execution control unit 122 has acquired the file handle information as described above, the program execution control unit 122 designates the file handle information, and the required aaa. In order to acquire (read) the data of txt, the file system management unit 121 is requested to perform processing (S306). Here, file handle information, a storage buffer for a file to be read, and a read size are designated as attached parameters.
The file system management unit 121 determines whether the xxx. Since the offset (address) from the beginning of the tar file is known, the file pointer (not shown) is moved by the offset from the beginning, the data for the size is acquired, and the data is transferred to the program execution control unit 122 (S307). ). Thereafter, the program execution control unit 122 that has acquired the necessary internal file executes a process of decrypting the acquired data and outputs it to a reproduction system (not shown) (S308).

  Note that the program execution control unit 122 is aaa. Waiting for completion of txt acquisition, the aaa. txt is closed (S309), and the file system management unit 121 receives xxx. tar is closed (S310, S311). That is, the file system management unit 121 sets the xxx. When closing and releasing tar, xxx. After closing all the internal files included in tar (S309), xxx. tar is released (S311).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the processing flow by the file system management unit 121 is shown.
Hereinafter, the operation of the file system management unit 121 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

Upon receiving the virtual path from the program execution control unit 122, the file system management unit 121 searches for a directory delimiter (identifier /) from the end of the virtual path, deletes the identifier / following path, and adds the extension tar. The description is changed (S401). Subsequently, the file system management unit 121 refers to the xxx. Check existence of tar file (S402)
Here, xxx. tar is present (S402 “YES”), xxx. The header of tar is opened (S403), and the file name is acquired from the header of the tar file (S404). Here, xxx. The first 512 bytes of the tar file is header information, in which an offset to the header information of the next file is set. In steps S404 and S405, the required internal file aaa. The header information is repeatedly read and compared for the number of files until txt matches the acquired file name (the xxx.tar file has the number of internal files).

When a hit is made as described above (S406 “YES”), the position of the header information of the corresponding file is stored in the file handle information storage area of the EFS as offset information from the head position. At that time, since the file size is stored in the header information, the file size, the attribute information, and the operation pointer in the corresponding file (movable by 0 from the size) are stored in the buffer of the file handle storage area (S407). ). If the necessary file does not exist even if the above process is repeated for the number of internal files, the process ends.
Subsequently, the file system management unit 121 delivers an identifier that can access the EFS file handle information storage area to the program execution control unit 122 as file handle information (S408).

  Xxx. When tar has an index file in which the file name and address information of the internal file included in the comprehensive file are described, when searching for the required internal file, the file system management unit 121 identifies the specified xxx . The file name of the required file is searched from the index file included in tar, and the address information of the file is extracted and delivered to the program execution control unit 122 as described above (S408).

On the other hand, when the address is specified as described above and there is a read request based on the file handle identifier from the notified program execution control unit 122 (S409 “YES”), the file system management unit 121 sets the offset from the file handle identifier. The corresponding data is acquired from the storage unit 13 based on the information and the operation pointer, and transferred to the requested program execution control unit 122 (S410).
After the above series of operations is completed, the file system management unit 121 closes the file handle identifier (S411). Xxx. The closing of the file handle of tar is xxx. After all the internal files of tar have been manipulated, the handle is closed and xxx. It is assumed that the tar resource is released (S412).

  As described above, according to the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the program execution control unit 122 configuring the control unit 12 is configured to store internal files included in a comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are combined into one. If one is required, a virtual path for instructing search of the required internal file from the virtual directory having the file name of the comprehensive file as a name is generated, and an open request is issued to the file system management unit 121. In response, the file system management unit 121 identifies the file name of the comprehensive file from the name of the virtual directory, searches the comprehensive file, and searches for the required internal file based on the header information of the searched comprehensive file. The program execution system that requested the address information in the storage unit 13 of the retrieved internal file By handing over to the unit 122 as a response to the virtual path, it is possible to construct a mechanism for handling the internal file included in the comprehensive file as a file, thereby speeding up the internal file search process and reducing the load for that. Peeled off. In particular, even in an archive format file such as a TAR file in which a plurality of files are handled as a single file, a desired file can be found and processed at high speed.

  The comprehensive file search method in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored in the storage unit 13 and a storage unit 13 for storing a plurality of files, for example, as shown in FIG. When a file is specified, the specified file is searched from the storage unit 13 and the address information of the file in the storage unit 13 is specified. When a predetermined event occurs, A program execution control unit 122 that issues a search instruction for the corresponding file to the file system management unit 121 and reads the file information when the address information of the corresponding file is extracted from the file system management unit 121; A comprehensive file search method in an information processing apparatus, for example, an operation sequence shown in FIG. In the figure, when the program execution control unit 122 needs one of the internal files included in the comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are combined into one, the required internal file is set as the file of the comprehensive file. A virtual path generation step (S301, S302) for generating a virtual path for searching from a virtual directory having a name as a name, and the file system management unit 121 receives the virtual path, and from the name of the virtual directory, The file name is specified to search the comprehensive file, the required internal file is searched based on the header information of the searched comprehensive file, and the address information in the storage unit of the searched internal file is stored in the program Address information handed over to the execution controller as a response to the virtual path When the return information (S303 to S305) and the program execution control unit 122 specify the address information of the required internal file in response to the virtual path from the file system management unit 121, the specified And an internal file acquisition step (S306 to S308) for reading the internal file specified by the address information from the storage unit 13.

According to the comprehensive file search method in the information processing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, by constructing a mechanism for handling the internal file included in the comprehensive file as a file, the internal file search process can be accelerated. In addition, the load for that purpose can be reduced. In particular, even in an archive format file such as a TAR file in which a plurality of files are handled as a single file, a desired file can be found and processed at high speed.
In the present invention, for example, a RAM area (storage capacity) for developing music files and image files having a TAR file structure obtained by downloading via a network is limited, and only a CPU having a relatively low processing capability is used. A particularly remarkable effect can be obtained when used for a portable information terminal device such as a mobile phone that cannot be mounted.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the portable information terminal device is exemplified as the information processing device. However, the information processing device is not limited to the portable information terminal device such as a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a game machine, The present invention can be similarly applied to an information processing apparatus such as a PC. Further, only the TAR file is illustrated as the comprehensive file, but even if it is a file in another archive format, it can be similarly applied as long as a plurality of files are collected into one file.
It should be noted that the functions of the constituent blocks of the information processing apparatus of the present invention may be realized entirely by software, or at least a part thereof may be realized by hardware. For example, the data processing in the file system management unit 121 and the program execution control unit 122 may be realized on a computer by one or a plurality of programs, or at least a part thereof may be realized by hardware.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the internal structure of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the block diagram which expanded and showed the function of the internal structure of the control part shown in FIG. It is an operation | movement sequence diagram which shows an example of operation | movement of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of operation | movement of the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the data structure of a TAR file.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Communication part, 12 ... Control part, 13 ... Memory | storage part, 14 ... Audio | voice processing part, 15 ... Display part, 16 ... Operation part, 121 ... File system management part, 122 ... Program execution control part.

Claims (6)

A storage unit for storing a plurality of files;
When a file stored in the storage unit is specified, a file system management unit that searches the storage unit for the specified file and identifies address information in the storage unit of the file;
A program that issues a search instruction to the file system management unit for a file corresponding to the event when a predetermined event occurs, and reads the file when the address information of the corresponding file is extracted from the file system management unit An execution control unit,
The program execution control unit
When one of the internal files included in a comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are combined into one is required, search for the required internal file from a virtual directory having the file name of the comprehensive file as a name. When a virtual path is generated and address information of the required internal file is specified in response to the virtual path from the file system management unit, the internal file specified by the specified address information is stored in the memory Read from the
The file system management unit
The virtual path is received, the file name of the comprehensive file is identified from the name of the virtual directory, the comprehensive file is searched, the required internal file is searched based on the header information of the searched comprehensive file, An information processing apparatus that delivers address information of the searched internal file in the storage unit to the program execution control unit as a response to the virtual path. The virtual path has an identifier after the virtual directory name, and includes a character string having a file name of the necessary file following the identifier,
The file system management unit
When the virtual path is received, a directory name before the identifier in the virtual path is extracted, and an extension indicating a comprehensive file is added to the directory name to search for the corresponding file. Information processing device. The comprehensive file further includes an index file in which the file name and address information of the internal file included in the comprehensive file are described.
The file system management unit
When searching for the required internal file, a file name of the required file is searched from the index file included in the specified comprehensive file, and address information of the file is extracted. Item 3. The information processing device according to item 1 or 2. The comprehensive file includes header information in which at least a file name of an internal file included in the comprehensive file and address information in the storage unit are described,
The file system management unit
When searching for the required internal file, header information in which the file name of the required internal file is described is searched from the specified comprehensive file, and based on the address information described in the searched header information The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein address information of the required internal file is extracted. The file system management unit
5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when closing the comprehensive file, the comprehensive file is closed after all of the internal files included in the comprehensive file are closed. 6. When a storage unit for storing a plurality of files and a file stored in the storage unit are specified, a file system that searches the storage unit for the specified file and identifies address information of the file in the storage unit When a predetermined event occurs with the management unit, a search instruction is issued to the file system management unit for a file corresponding to the event, and the address information of the corresponding file is extracted from the file system management unit A method for searching for a comprehensive file in an information processing apparatus comprising a program execution control unit for reading a file,
When the program execution control unit needs one of the internal files included in the comprehensive file in which a plurality of files are combined into one, the required internal file is named with the file name of the comprehensive file. A virtual path generation step of generating a virtual path for instructing search from a virtual directory having
The file system management unit receives the virtual path, specifies the file name of the comprehensive file from the name of the virtual directory, searches the comprehensive file, and makes the necessity based on the header information of the searched comprehensive file An address information return step of searching for an internal file and handing over address information in the storage unit of the searched internal file to the program execution control unit as a response to the virtual path;
When the address information of the required internal file is designated in response to the virtual path from the file system management unit, the program execution control unit designates the internal file specified by the designated address information. An internal file acquisition step to read from the storage unit;
A method for searching for a comprehensive file in an information processing apparatus comprising:

Images