Hashing Schemes for Managing Digital Print Media

A method for managing digital files in a storage, comprising the steps of:

• generating a component hashes for each component part of a new digital file;
• generating a composite hash for the new digital file containing all of its component hashes;
• searching for a matching composite hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• whereas if a matching composite hash is found, then stop from further processing the new digital file;
• if no match of the composite hash is found, then for each component hash of the new digital file, searching for a matching component hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• if no match is found for a searched component hash of the new digital file, then processing the component part of the new digital file that corresponds to the searched non-matching component hash;
• whereas if a matching component hash for a component part of an existing digital file is found, then retrieving the component part of the existing digital file;
• and
• saving all processed component parts of the new digital file and all retrieved component parts of existing digital files in the storage as a combined digital file.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied therein for controlling a data processing apparatus, the computer readable program code configured to cause the data processing apparatus to execute a process for managing digital files in a storage, the process comprising the steps of:

• generating a main hash for a new digital file;
• searching for a matching main hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• whereas if a matching main hash is found, then stop from further processing the new digital file;
• if no match of the main hash is found, then generating a sub-hash for a sub-part of the new digital file and searching for a matching sub-hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• if no match of the sub-hash is found, then processing the entire new digital file and saving the processed new digital file in the storage;
• whereas if a matching sub-hash for a sub-part of an existing digital file is found, then processing only the remaining part of the new digital file that is not the sub-part for which the sub-hash is generated, and retrieving the sub-part of the existing digital file for which the matching sub-hash is found;
• and
• saving the processed remaining part of the new digital file and the retrieved sub-part of the existing digital file in the storage as a combined digital file.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable code embodied therein for controlling a data processing apparatus, the computer readable program code configured to cause the data processing apparatus to execute a process for managing digital files in a storage, the process comprising the steps of:

• generating a component hashes for each component part of a new digital file;
• generating a composite hash for the new digital file containing all of its component hashes;
• searching for a matching composite hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• whereas if a matching composite hash is found, then stop from further processing the new digital file;
• if no match of the composite hash is found, then for each component hash of the new digital file, searching for a matching component hash of any existing digital file stored in the storage;
• if no match is found for a searched component hash of the new digital file, then processing the component part of the new digital file that corresponds to the searched non-matching component hash;
• whereas if a matching component hash for a component part of an existing digital file is found, then retrieving the component part of the existing digital file;
• and
• saving all processed component parts of the new digital file and all retrieved component parts of existing digital files in the storage as a combined digital file.