WO2007011167A1

WO2007011167A1 - Virtual storage system and method for searching file based on ad-hoc network

Info

Publication number: WO2007011167A1
Application number: PCT/KR2006/002842
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bo-Young Kang; Young-Jin Nam; Dae-Wha Seo
Original assignee: Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
Priority date: 2005-07-21
Filing date: 2006-07-19
Publication date: 2007-01-25

Abstract

Disclosed is a virtual storage system and a method of retrieving files based on a mobile ad-hoc network. The virtual storage system includes: a virtual storage management server which manages a plurality of storage units of portable multimedia players (PMPs) connected to a mobile ad-hoc network as a single virtual storage; a database server including a file address information table for storing and managing addresses of the files stored in the internal storage units of the PMPs included in the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server and a file content information table for storing and managing meta tag information to allow the stored files to be retrieved; and a PMP having an internal storage. According to the present invention, the storage units of the devices connected to a network can be managed as a single virtual storage, and the files stored in the virtual storage can be retrieved by defining a desired search word.

Description

[DESCRIPTION]

[invention Title]

VIRTUAL STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEARCHING FILE BASED ON AD-HOC NETWORK

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a virtual storage system using a portable multimedia player (PMP) having a universal plug and play (UPnP) function based on a mobile ad- hoc network and a method of retrieving files using the same.

[Background Art]

A portable multimedia player (PMP) is called a next generation portable convergence device because it has a basic structure similar to a conventional MP3 player but additionally has a function of reproducing video as well as a digital camera function unlike the conventional MP3 player. Furthermore, the PMP can store and reproduce MP3 files and images so that it can be used as an electronic photo album containing digital photographs taken by digital cameras. Moreover, the PMP has various additional functions such as a video recording, a schedule management, an Internet connection, etc. The PMP having such various functions should have an internal memory unit (i.e., storage) having a predetermined capacity. On the other hand, it has been known in the art that a universal plug and play (UPnP) technology developed by the Intel® Corporate is a technology for accommodating a home networking. Products having the UPnP function can be automatically connected to other UPnP devices on a network and allowed to use multimedia contents stored in them.

[Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

The present invention provides a virtual storage system in which storage units installed in portable multimedia players (PMPs) having a universal plug and play (UPnP) function can be shared.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of retrieving files satisfying a predetermined condition from a virtual storage system and selecting one of the retrieved files to read it.

[Technical Solution]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a virtual storage system comprising: a plurality of PMPs connected to a network; a virtual storage management server which manages storage units of the PMPs as a single virtual storage; and a database server including a file address information table for storing and managing information on addresses of files stored in the storage units of the PMPs included in the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server and a file content information table for storing and managing meta tag information to allow contents of the stored files to be retrieved, wherein each of the PMPs includes a storage node program for storing and managing data transmitted from the virtual storage management server in its internal storage unit and a user program for allowing the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server to be used by a user, so that the storage units of the PMPs connected to the network can be used as a single virtual storage, and the files stored in the virtual storage can be retrieved by defining a desired search word.

Preferably, the virtual storage management server may retrieve files satisfying a predetermined condition using the file content information table in response to a request of a user and output a list of the retrieved files.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of retrieving files satisfying a predetermined condition from a virtual storage constructed of a virtual storage management server, an external database server, and PMPs connected to a network, the method comprising steps of: (a) registering meta tag information that can be retrieved for a specific file on a file content information table of the database server by using the virtual storage management server; (b) receiving a retrieving condition from a user; (c) retrieving files satisfying the received retrieving condition using the file content information table of the database server; and (d) transmitting a list of the retrieved files to a mobile device of a user.

Preferably, the specific file may be retrieved and read from the virtual storage by further performing steps of: (e) receiving a file reading request message and a file identification (ID) for the specific file from the PMP; (f) reading the corresponding file using the file address information table of the database server and receiving an object ID list of the file ID; (g) extracting storage node IDs of each strip unit from the object ID list; (h) transmitting an object reading request message to storage nodes of the extracted storage node IDs; (i) extracting strip units from messages received by the storage nodes and collecting the extracted strip units to complete a single file by rearranging the strip units; and (j) transmitting the completed file to the PMP.

[Advantageous Effects]

According to the present invention, the internal storage units of the PMPs distributed on a network can be shared as a single virtual storage. Therefore, a user can freely use a large capacity of virtual storage like its own memory unit. In addition, the PMP user can retrieve multimedia contents stored in other user' s PMPs and use the retrieved contents.

Particularly, since a virtual storage can be formed among individuals as well as participants of a particular group such as a corporate or a laboratory, it is possible to readily and rapidly share information among them, and thus, it is possible to save a storage space.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtual storage system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a process of retrieving files satisfying a predetermined condition and reading one of them in a virtual storage management server of a virtual storage system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Best Mode]

Hereinafter, a construction of a virtual storage system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and operations thereof will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtual storage system 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the virtual storage 2006/002842

system 10 includes a virtual storage management server 100, a database server 110 including a file information management table 112, and at least one portable multimedia player (PMP) including a storage node program 122 and a user program 124. Now, operations of the above components will be described in detail. Although the PMP will be described as an example in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the present invention may be embodied in various devices having a storage unit, such as a personal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDAs) , a mobile communication terminal, and a digital television set.

The virtual storage management server 100 manages a plurality of storage units of the PMPs connected to a mobile ad-hoc network as a single virtual storage and creates a storage node table 102 containing information on the PMPs included in the virtual storage. The storage node table 102 may include information on addresses of the PMPs used as the storage nodes and availability of each storage unit of the storage node. In the virtual storage management server 100, a specific file is distributedly stored in a plurality of storage units of the PMPs included in a single virtual storage, and the specific file that has bee distributedly stored can be updated, deleted, read, and retrieved. When the virtual storage management server 100 stores the specific file in the virtual storage, the file is divided into strip units, and the strip units are distributedly stored in a plurality of the storage units of the PMPs. Each PMP storing the strip unit creates an object identification (ID) and transmits it to the virtual storage management server 100. The virtual storage management server 100 collects the object IDs transmitted from the PMPs for a single file and creates an object ID list. The database server 110 stores the object ID list and manages it. In this case, the object ID includes a strip unit ID and a storage node ID allocated to the PMP which stores the corresponding strip unit.

The database server 110 manages a file address information table 112 which stores information on addresses of the files stored in the virtual storage and a file content information table 114. The file address information table 112 includes file IDs for identifying files and object ID lists, each of which includes strip unit IDs of each file and the storage node IDs for storing the strip units. On the other hand, the file content information table 114 includes meta tag information for allowing the contents of the files to be retrieved, such as a file name, a title of a song, a singer's name, an album title, words of a song, and a genre. Accordingly, in the virtual storage system according to the present invention, the files satisfying a predetermined condition desired by a user can be retrieved using the file content information table 114 to allow the retrieved files to be read. The PMP 120 includes a storage node program 122 for storing and managing the data transmitted from the virtual storage management server 100 in its internal storage unit and a user program 124 for allowing the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server 100 to be used by a user.

The storage node program 122 of the PMP extracts data of the strip unit from the message transmitted from the virtual storage management server 100, allocates a strip ID to the extracted strip unit, and stores the data of the strip unit in the internal storage unit of the PMP. Subsequently, the storage node program 122 creates an object ID including the strip ID and the information on availability of the storage unit of the PMP and transmits it to the virtual storage management server 100.

The user program 124 of the PMP may be used to establish a connection to the virtual storage management server 100 and store a specific file in the virtual storage, or search for a specific file from the virtual storage to read or delete it.

Hereinafter, a process of retrieving files satisfying a predetermined condition from a virtual storage system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention and reading one of the retrieved files will be sequentially described with reference to FIG. 2. Firstly, the PMP executes the user program and transmits a retrieving condition to the virtual storage management server 100 (step 200) . The virtual storage management server 100 receives the retrieving condition and requests the retrieving operation to the database server 110

(step 210) . The database server 110 that has received the retrieving request extracts files satisfying the retrieving condition using the file content information table, and transmits a list of the files satisfying the retrieving condition to the virtual storage management server 100 (step 220) .

The virtual storage management server 100 receives the list of the files and retransmits it to the PMP (step 230) .

Subsequently, the PMP that has received the list of the files selects one of the files from the list and sends a reading request message for the selected file to the virtual storage management server 100 (step 240) . The virtual storage management server 100 receives the reading request message for the file, and requests an object ID list for the corresponding file ID to the database server 110 (step 250) , so as to receive the object ID list (step 255) .

Then, the virtual storage management server 100 extracts a storage node ID from the object ID, and searches for an address corresponding to the storage node ID using the storage node table (step 260) , so as to transmit an object reading request message to the corresponding storage node (step 265) .

The storage node that has received the object reading request message from the virtual storage management server 100 extracts a strip unit ID from the object ID, and reads the strip unit from a storage space allocated to the extracted strip unit ID (step 270) . An object reading response message including the object ID and the strip unit that has been read is transmitted to the virtual storage management server 100 (step 275) .

Then, the virtual storage management server 100 extracts the strip unit from the object reading response message transmitted from the storage node (step 280) .

The virtual storage management server 100 collects the strip units and arranges the collected strip units in a predetermined order by repeating the aforementioned processes in order to complete a file (step 285) . Then, the content of the file and the file reading response message are transmitted to the corresponding PMP (step 290) . While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The exemplary embodiments should be considered in descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined not by the detailed description of the invention but by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.

[industrial Applicability]

A virtual storage system and a file retrieving method according to the present invention can be widely adopted in the field of a home network based on an UPnP technology.

Claims

[CLAIMS]

[Claim l]

A virtual storage system comprising: a plurality of devices connected to a network; a virtual storage management server which manages storage units of the devices as a single virtual storage; and a database server including a file address information table for storing and managing information on addresses of files stored in the storage units of the devices included in the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server and a file content information table for storing and managing meta tag information to allow contents of the stored files to be retrieved, wherein each of the devices includes a storage node program for storing and managing data transmitted from the virtual storage management server in its internal storage unit and a user program for allowing the virtual storage constructed by the virtual storage management server to be used by a user, so that the storage units of the devices connected to the network can be used as a single virtual storage, and the files stored in the virtual storage can be retrieved by defining a desired search word.

[Claim 2]

The virtual storage system according to claim 1, wherein the virtual storage management server retrieves files satisfying a predetermined condition using the file content information table in response to a request of a user and outputs a list of the retrieved files.

[Claim 3] The virtual storage system according to claim 1, wherein the device has a universal plug and play (PUnP) function based on a mobile ad-hoc network.

[Claim 4]

The virtual storage system according to claim 1, wherein the device is a portable multimedia player (PMP) .

[Claim 5]

A method of retrieving files satisfying a predetermined condition from a virtual storage constructed of a virtual storage management server, an external database server, and devices connected to a network, the method comprising steps of:

(a) registering meta tag information that can be retrieved for a specific file on a file content information table of the database server by using the virtual storage management server;

(b) receiving a retrieving condition from a user; (c) retrieving files satisfying the received retrieving condition using the file content information table of the database server; and

(d) transmitting a list of the retrieved files to a mobile device of a user.

[Claim 6]

The method according to claim 5, wherein a specific file is retrieved and read from the virtual storage by further performing steps of: (e) receiving a file reading request message and a file identification (ID) for the specific file from the device;

(f) reading the corresponding file using the file address information table of the database server and receiving an object ID list of the file ID;

(g) extracting storage node IDs of each strip unit from the object ID list;

(h) transmitting an object reading request message to storage nodes of the extracted storage node IDs; (i) extracting strip units from messages received by the storage nodes and collecting the extracted strip units to complete a single file by rearranging the strip units; and

(j) transmitting the completed file to the device.

[Claim 7] The method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the devices have a universal plug and play (UPnP) function based on a mobile ad-hoc network.