KR20010057705A - Method for the real-time database management in a mobile telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for operating a real-time database in a non-volatile memory of a mobile communication terminal is provided to improve operation speed of the database, and prevent durability of the memory from being shortened. CONSTITUTION: Data are stored and searched in a fixed allocation area(12) and a dynamic allocation area(13). An NVIT(Non-Volatile Information Table)(16) menages essential information, and includes an IPT(Item Pointer Table)(17) and a CTS(Cell Status Table)(18). The CTS(18) is accessed directly when the non-volatile memory is managed. The CTS(18) for managing the memory of an EEPROM includes a status table that manages a memory status of the EEPROM. A stack dial item(15) which varies frequently is stored in the dynamic allocation table. A security area(14) in the EEPROM can be accessed only by a special operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a method for operating a real-time database in a non-volatile memory of a mobile communication terminal,

The present invention relates to a method for operating a real-time database for improving speed and memory life by improving the structure and operation method of a real-time database using a nonvolatile memory in a mobile communication terminal.

In general, a real-time database using non-volatile memory such as electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) or flash memory stores and manages system and subscriber information in the terminal's nonvolatile memory, Manage the critical data you need. This should provide real-time and high reliability in service delivery. Also, due to the hardware characteristics of the EEPROM or the flash memory, the life of the memory is shortened according to the number of times of writing, so a method of extending the life time should be provided.

1, a non-volatile DB information table (NVIT) data structure (2) for managing core information of a real-time database is stored in the nonvolatile memory 1 ), The non-volatile memory area is divided into the fixed allocation area 3 and the dynamic allocation area. In the dynamic allocation space, a border line of NVDIV (6) is placed, and the data is divided into a short pool (4) and a long pool (5) according to the size of a memory allocated when data items are stored . This method has a complex structure in which data called NVDIV (6) needs to be maintained separately, and NVDIV must be validated and changed every time.

In the prior art, a data structure called a cell status table (CST) and an item pointer table (IPT) is used to manage a nonvolatile database. Here, the item pointer table (IPT) 8 is necessary for maintaining each item offset of the database data. The cell state table (CST) 9 is accessed through the item pointer table (IPT) data structure, and the EEPROM And maintains a list of the memory status of the memory. In this structure, when accessing the cell state table (CST), it has a complicated connection structure in which the nonvolatile information table (NVIT) 7 and the item pointer table (IPT) must be accessed in multiple stages.

Further, there is a problem that the life of the EEPROM is shortened by repeating the operation of writing to the same address because the stack-dial item, which is frequently changed data, is stored in the fixed area and memory management is not performed. Further, when accessing a relatively slow EEPROM as compared with other operations of the terminal, there is a problem that the whole performance is deteriorated by using a single process. That is, since the real-time database task can not process other tasks until all data is written to the EEPROM, the performance of the entire system is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to improve the management structure and operation method of a real time database using a nonvolatile memory of a mobile communication terminal, And a method of operating a real-time database using a nonvolatile memory in a mobile communication terminal that can prevent a shortening of the service life of the memory.

1 is a schematic diagram of a general real-time database;

2 is a schematic diagram of a real-time database according to the present invention;

3 is a diagram for explaining a cache processing operation according to the present invention;

4 is a diagram for explaining access to a secure area according to the present invention;

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a real-time database in a non-volatile memory in a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising: providing a database information table, a fixed allocation area, and a dynamic allocation area in the non- And a state table indicating the state of the nonvolatile memory cell and an item pointer table in the database information table at the same time so that the state table stores at least two blocks of memory state Is displayed.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention simplifies an access structure for a memory, sets a state table for nonvolatile memory management to shorten a search time, manages a dynamic allocation area in a single structure, and stores frequently changed data in a dynamic allocation area, By simplifying and extending the lifetime of nonvolatile memory, by providing cache processing to improve performance when performing slower EEPROM write operations, and by installing a security zone at the device controller stage of the EEPROM, This allows for security.

As shown in FIG. 2, the nonvolatile memory to which the present invention is applied is an EEPROM or a flash memory capable of reading and writing while the terminal is in operation, and is installed in the mobile communication terminal.

As shown in FIG. 2, the database operation method of the present invention uses a dynamic allocation area of a single structure. Therefore, the storage and retrieval of data is divided into a fixed allocation area 12 and a dynamic allocation area 13, and no additional operation is required for dynamic allocation area management. The management of the nonvolatile memory includes placing an item pointer table (IPT) 17 and a cell state table (CST) 18 in a nonvolatile information table (NVIT) 16 data structure for managing core information, Direct access to the table. Therefore, the data information of the EEPROM can be quickly retrieved. In addition, a state table for managing the memory state of the EEPROM is provided in the cell state table (CST) data structure for directly managing the memory of the EEPROM. In this case, one bit represents one block and one bit represents two or more blocks . This shortens the memory search time by performing a state search of the memory in units of two or more blocks at a time.

In the present invention, a stack dial item 15 frequently changed during system operation is stored in a dynamic allocation area. Storing data items in the dynamic allocation area prevents relocation of the data, thereby avoiding repeated writing to the same EEPROM address, thereby preventing the EEPROM from shortening its life span.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a cache process that operates when a write operation is performed in the EEPROM.

The task 21 of reading data from the nonvolatile memory 19 by the task 20 is performed by a method of directly reading the contents of the RAM cache 23 and the nonvolatile memory 19. [

Write to non-volatile memory 22 is performed by placing a cache process 25 for direct processing thereof. That is, the task 20 stores data in the RAM cache 23, displays it on the queue 24, and then terminates. The operation of writing to the EEPROM is performed by the cache process. Here, the cache process operates as a background process, and the task can process other tasks separately from the cache process. However, the data used by the current cache process is made inaccessible to the task in order to maintain consistency.

FIG. 4 shows the access structure of the security area in the device controller step. The security area has a special purpose data area managed by a control part directly controlling the EEPROM, and is configured to set an area which can be accessed only by a special operation in the EEPROM like the security area 14 of FIG.

In order to access the security area, the NV_SEC_F command for accessing the security area should be used as shown in ③ of FIG. 4. In the task, the controller performs an operation check and a physical address check, An error occurs when accessing the secure area.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to simplify the access structure to the memory, to make the state table for nonvolatile memory management efficient, to shorten the search time of the real-time database, to manage the dynamic allocation area in a single structure, By storing the data in the dynamic allocation area, it is possible to simplify the storage operation, extend the life of the nonvolatile memory, and utilize the idle time due to the write operation of the cache process when performing a slow EEPROM write operation, It is possible not only to improve the performance but also to secure the security of important data through the setting of the security area in the database and the management of the security area in the device control part.

Claims (2)

A method of operating a real-time database in a nonvolatile memory in a mobile communication terminal, Wherein the non-volatile memory has a database information table, a fixed allocation area and a dynamic allocation area, stores data items frequently changed in the dynamic allocation area, And a state table and an item pointer table indicating the state of the nonvolatile memory cell are simultaneously provided in the database information table so that the state table displays a memory state of at least two blocks or more. How to operate a real-time database. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the nonvolatile memory further includes a security area in a part of the nonvolatile memory, and the access of the security area is selected through physical inspection.