Disk driver cluster management of time shift bufer with file allocation table structure

Abstract

A file allocation system for a hard disk drive includes a memory with driver logic and a processor configured with the driver logic to receive a request to allocate hard disk space of a defined size for a buffer file. In some embodiments, the processor is configured with the driver logic to allocate clusters for the buffer file from a plurality of clusters on the hard disk, wherein the clusters for the buffer file store media content instances. In some embodiments, the processor is configured with the driver logic to designate a portion of the clusters of the buffer file for at least one non-buffer file such that the non-buffer file is permitted to share the portion of the clusters of the buffer file with the buffer file.

1 - 45 . (canceled)  
     
     
         46 . A file allocation table on a recordable media, said table comprising: 
 a first data structure comprising file list entries for files, wherein the file list entries include the clusters allocated for each of the files; and    a second data structure comprising cluster list entries for the clusters, wherein the cluster list entries identify the clusters and the quantity of the files that simultaneously share each one of the clusters.    
     
     
         47 . The file allocation table of  claim 46 , wherein the file list entries further include the filename for each of the files and the starting and ending sector of each of the files.  
     
     
         48 . The file allocation table of  claim 46 , wherein the quantity of the files that share each one of the clusters is tracked in a file sharing counter.  
     
     
         49 . The file allocation table of  claim 48 , wherein the file sharing counter can have values of zero to signify that the corresponding cluster is available to be written to, values of one to signify that the corresponding cluster is used for a buffer file, and values greater than one to signify that the corresponding clusters are to be used for permanent recordings.  
     
     
         50 - 56 . (canceled)  
     
     
         57 . The file allocation table of  claim 46 , wherein the cluster list is updated such that a buffer file of clusters is limited to a substantially constant buffer file size, such that when the buffer file approaches a full status, the cluster storing the oldest media content is first deallocated from the buffer file and a new cluster is correspondingly allocated to the buffer file.