System and method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera device

Abstract

A system and method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera comprise a power manager for detecting power failures, an interrupt handler for responsively incrementing a counter device and a removable memory driver for performing memory access operations, evaluating the counter device to determine whether a power failure has occurred during the memory access operation and for repeating the memory access operation whenever a power failure has occurred during the memory access operation.

1. A system for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising:
 a power manager for detecting a power failure in said digital camera;  
 an interrupt handler for responsively incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power failure following said power failure; and  
 a memory driver for performing a memory access operation and subsequently evaluating said powerfail counter to determine whether said power failure occurred during said memory access operation;  
 said memory driver repeating said memory access operation whenever said memory driver determines that said power failure occurred during said memory access operation.  
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1  wherein said memory driver:
 evaluates said powerfail counter prior to performing said memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;  
 evaluates said powerfail counter subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;  
 compares said pre-operation value and said post-operation value; and  
 repeats said memory access operation if said memory driver determines that said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.  
 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1  wherein said interrupt handler registers selected service routines and transmits a notification of said power failure to said registered service routines. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1  wherein a processor performs a powerdown sequence to preserve said media files within said digital camera when a power failure is detected. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1  further comprising a voltage sensor for monitoring a power supply to provide said power manager with the power supply voltage value. 
     
     
       6. A method for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising the steps of:
 detecting a power failure within said digital camera;  
 incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power failure in response to said power failure;  
 evaluating said powerfail counter before and after performing a memory access operation to determine whether said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and  
 repeating said memory access operation whenever said evaluating step determines that said power failure occurred during said memory access operation.  
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein the steps of evaluating and repeating further include the steps of:
 evaluating said powerfail counter prior to performing said memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;  
 evaluating said powerfail counter subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;  
 comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value; and  
 repeating said memory access operation if said memory driver determines that said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.  
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of registering service routines and transmitting a notification of said power failure to said registered service routines using an interrupt handler. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of performing a powerdown sequence to preserve said media files within said digital camera when a power failure is detected, whereby data within said digital camera is protected. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of monitoring a power supply and responsively providing the power supply voltage value using a voltage sensor. 
     
     
       11. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera by performing the steps of:
 detecting a power failure within said digital camera;  
 incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power failure in response to said power failure;  
 evaluating said powerfail counter before and after performing a memory access operation to determine whether said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and  
 repeating said memory access operation whenever said evaluating step determines that said power failure occurred during said memory access operation.  
 
     
     
       12. The computer-readable medium of  claim 11  wherein the steps of evaluating and repeating further include the steps of:
 evaluating said powerfail counter prior to performing said memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;  
 evaluating said powerfail counter subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value;  
 comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value; and  
 repeating said memory access operation if said memory driver determines that said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.  
 
     
     
       13. The computer-readable medium of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of registering service routines and transmitting a notification of said power failure to said registered service routines using a interrupt handler. 
     
     
       14. The computer-readable medium of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of performing a powerdown sequence and a subsequent restart sequence after detecting said power failure, whereby said media files within said digital camera are protected. 
     
     
       15. The computer-readable medium of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of monitoring a power supply and responsively providing the power supply voltage value using a voltage sensor. 
     
     
       16. A system for preventing damage to media files within a digital camera, comprising:
 means for detecting a power failure within said digital camera;  
 means for incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording instances of power failure in response to said power failure;  
 means for evaluating said powerfail counter before and after performing a memory access operation to determine whether said power failure occurred during said memory access operation; and  
 means for repeating said memory access operation whenever said means for evaluating determines that said power failure occurred during said memory access operation.  
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16  wherein said means for evaluating and repeating further include means for:
 evaluating said powerfail counter prior to performing said memory access operation to obtain a pre-operation value;  
 evaluating said powerfail counter subsequent to performing said memory access operation to obtain a post-operation value; comparing said pre-operation value and said post-operation value; and  
 repeating said memory access operation if said memory driver determines that said pre-operation value and said post-operation value are different.  
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 16  further comprising means for registering service routines and transmitting a notification of said power failure to said means for registering service routines. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16  further comprising the means for performing a powerdown sequence and a subsequent restart sequence after detecting said power failure, whereby said media files within said digital camera are protected. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 16  further comprising means for monitoring a power supply and responsively providing the power supply voltage value using a voltage sensor. 
     
     
       21. A computer system for preventing damage to media files within a digital image capture device, comprising:
   a power supply connected to a main battery and a backup battery in the digital image capture device;        a sensor for detecting a power loss in the main battery;        an interrupt handler for responsively incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power loss following the detected power loss; and        a processor coupled to the sensor for performing memory access operations, responsive to determining that the sensor detected a power loss during a memory access operation, the processor configured to repeat the memory access operation using power from the backup battery.     
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processor determines that the sensor detected a power loss by evaluating the counter. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 21 , wherein the processor performs a powerdown sequence in response to determining that the sensor detected a power loss to preserve the media files within the digital image capture device. 
     
     
       24. The computer system of  claim 21 , wherein the power supply further comprises a flywheel capacitor connected to the main battery, wherein the flywheel capacitor temporarily maintains the voltage from the main battery in response to undetected power failure in the main battery. 
     
     
       25. A computer method of preventing damage to media files within a digital image capture device, the method comprising:
   detecting a power loss in a main battery of a power supply during a memory access operation to a media file, wherein the power supply is connected to the main battery and a backup battery in the digital image capture device;        responsively incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power loss following the detected power loss; and        responsive to the detected power loss during the memory access operation, repeating the memory access operation to the media file using power from the backup battery by the computer processor.     
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising determining by the computer processor if the power loss occurred during a memory access operation by evaluating a counter. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising performing a powerdown sequence by the computer processor to preserve the media files within the digital image capture device. 
     
     
       28. The computer method of  claim 25 , wherein the power supply further comprises a flywheel capacitor connected to the main battery, wherein the flywheel capacitor temporarily maintains the voltage from the main battery in response to undetected power failure in the main battery. 
     
     
       29. A computer- readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor in a system for preventing damage to media files within a digital image capture device, cause the processor to perform the operations of:      detecting a power loss in a main battery of a power supply during a memory access operation to a media file, wherein the power supply is connected to the main battery and a backup battery in the digital image capture device;        responsively incrementing a powerfail counter for incrementally recording the number of instances of power loss following the detected power loss; and        responsive to the detected power loss during the memory access operation, repeating the memory access operation to the media file using power from the backup battery.     
     
     
       30. The computer- readable medium of    claim 29   , further comprising determining if the power loss occurred during a memory access operation by evaluating a counter.   
     
     
       31. The computer- readable medium of    claim 29   , further comprising performing a powerdown sequence to preserve the media files within the digital image capture device.   
     
     
       32. The computer- readable medium of    claim 29   , wherein the power supply further comprises a flywheel capacitor connected to the main battery, wherein the flywheel capacitor temporarily maintains the voltage from the main battery in response to undetected power failure in the main battery.