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AssigneesSony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
InventorsThomas Ulrich Swidler, Bruce Alan Fairman, Glen David Stone, Scott David Smyers
Estimating the term…
An automatically configuring storage array includes a plurality of media storage devices coupled together within a network of devices. Preferably, the network of devices is an IEEE 1394-2000 serial bus network of devices. The media storage devices are utilized to record and retrieve streams of data transmitted within the network of devices. The media storage devices communicate with each other in order to store and retrieve streams of data over multiple media storage devices, if necessary. When a record or playback command is received by any one of the media storage devices, the media storage devices send control communications between themselves to ensure that the stream of data is recorded or transmitted, as appropriate. Control of the record or transmit operation is also transferred between the media storage devices in order to utilize the full capacity of the available media storage devices. Preferably, streams of data are recorded utilizing redundancy techniques. An internal file system is included within each media storage device. A file table associated with each recorded stream of data is stored within the internal file system of each media storage device to facilitate search and retrieval of the recorded streams of data throughout the media storage devices. Preferably, the media storage devices accept control instructions directly from devices within the network. Alternatively, a control device is utilized to provide a control interface between the media storage devices and the other devices within the network.
A method of recording data within an automatically configuring storage array including a plurality of media storage devices comprising:
A method of recording data within an automatically configuring storage array including a plurality of media storage devices comprising:
A storage array within a network of devices including data source devices and data reception devices, the automatically configuring storage array including a plurality of media storage devices having ability to record a received stream of data, thereby forming a recorded stream of data, wherein each media storage device that stores a portion of the recorded stream of data includes a file table associated with the portion of the recorded stream of data for identifying and pointing to portions of the recorded stream of data stored on different media storage devices.
A network of devices comprising:
A distributed file table representing storage locations corresponding to a recorded stream of data, the distributed file table including one or more file tables, wherein each file table is associated with a portion of the recorded stream of data stored on one of a plurality of media storage devices within a network of devices and includes identifying information about the portion of the recorded stream of data on the media storage device and pointing information about other portions of the recorded stream of data on different media storage devices, further wherein each file table is maintained by and recorded onto the media storage device on which the associated portion of the recorded stream of data is recorded.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.