Data storage apparatus and data storage method
View Patent ↗In response to a write command with regard to an FAT 1 area received from a host device, the data storage apparatus collectively records management information with regard to the FAT 1 area simultaneously with duplicate management information of identical content as management information with regard to an FAT 2 area at consecutive addresses. In response to a write command with regard to the FAT 2 area received from the host device subsequent to the write command with regard to the FAT 1 area, the data storage apparatus notifies the host device of completion of data writing without recording the management information with regard to the FAT 2 area. This arrangement effectively enhances the data writing efficiency in the data storage apparatus having multiple records of identical management information.
1. A data storage apparatus that stores data transferred from a host device, the data storage apparatus comprising:
a storage device that has a data area where the data is recorded and a management area where first management information used for management of the data and second management information of identical content with the first management information are recorded;
a receiving unit that individually receives the data, the first management information, and the second management information transferred from the host device in a predetermined order;
a data recording unit that records the received data into the data area; and
a management information recording unit that, in response to reception of one management information out of the first management information and the second management information from the host device, records the received management information into the management area as the first management information and as the second management information without waiting for reception of the other management information;
wherein in response to reception of the other management information, the management information recording unit sends back a response representing completion of recording to the host device without recording the other management information into the management area;
wherein the first management information comprises a first file allocation table; and
wherein the second management information comprises a second file allocation table.
2. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the management information recording unit records the first management information and the second management information at consecutive locations in the management area.
3. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , the data storage apparatus having multiple storage devices,
wherein the management information recording unit records the first management information into one of the multiple storage devices, while recording the second management information into another of the multiple storage devices.
4. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the data recording unit records the data into the multiple storage devices in a distributive manner.
5. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the data recording unit records the data into one of the multiple storage devices, while recording correction data used for correction of the data into another of the multiple storage devices.
6. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the data recording unit records ECC data obtained by hamming coding the data as the correction data.
7. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the data recording unit records duplicate data of identical content with the data as the correction data.
8. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the management information represents data to be recorded in a file allocation table in an FAT file system.
9. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the storage device is a non-volatile semiconductor memory.
10. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 9 , wherein the non-volatile semiconductor memory is a flash memory.
11. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 10 , the data storage apparatus being connected with the host device via a USB interface.
12. The data storage apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein in said response to reception of the other management information, the management information recording unit sends back the response representing completion of recording to the host device without recording the other management information into the management area, irrespective of whether or not said received of the other management information is empty information.
13. A data storage method of storing data transferred from a host device into a data storage apparatus,
the data storage apparatus having a storage device that a data area where the data is recorded and a management area where first management information used for management of the data and second management information of identical content with the first management information are recorded wherein the first management information comprises a first file allocation table and the second management information comprises a second file allocation table,
the data storage method comprising:
individually receiving the data, the first management information, and the second management information transferred from the host device in a specific order;
in response to reception of one management information out of the first management information and the second management information from the host device, recording the received management information into the management area as the first management information and as the second management information without waiting for reception of the other management information;
recording the received data into the data area; and
sending a response back to the host device representing completion of the recording of the received data without recording the other management information.
14. The data storage method recited in claim 13 wherein in said response to said reception of said one management information out of the first management information and the second management information from the host device, said recording of the received management information into the management area as the first management information and as the second management information without waiting for reception of the other management information and wherein the management information recording unit sends back a response representing completion of recording to the host device without recording the other management information into the management area, irrespective of whether or not the received other management information is empty information.