Dynamic data storage system allowing variable size records and fields by using linked record segments
US5548751A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 14, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 20, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 14, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F12/023
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The system provides a data storage system program 18 between a user and a physical memory device 14 which stores file records 20. The data storage system 18 stores records as linked record segments 40/51 that can be randomly located within the memory storage device 14. The segments 40/51 are linked by a next segment address found in a next segment address field 50/56 of a record segment 40/51. When a record needs to be expanded and the current record segment 1000 is not large enough to accommodate the expansion, another record segment 1082 is allocated and used. If variable length record segments 40 are used, only a single record extension is required. However, if fixed length record segments 50 are used, the system allocates sufficient fixed length record segments to store the additional data. When records shrink in size or are deleted, the vacant space becomes available for reuse and the system attempts to remove the vacant space by combining record segments and storing a single segment in available vacant space.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.