Methods and systems for optimal access of data are disclosed. A system for optimally updating data is described wherein a central database transmits a location table to a remote terminal having an access time variant (ATV) storage medium wherein a first set of data items is stored. The data on the ATV medium can be displayed visually upon a user's accessing a particular piece of data from the ATV medium. The user's data access habits are indexed on a location table by the central database where the location table is optimized and updated according to the number of accesses the user makes to particular data items. A second set of data is then transmitted to the remote terminal along with the updated location table and stored on the ATV database in optimized form, thereby reducing the access time to the second set of data on all the remote terminals since each particular user's individual habits govern the optimization process.
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1. A system for optimally storing and updating data on an access time-variant storage medium, comprising:
a central data transmitting station including central data storage means for storing a database comprising original data representing a plurality of items; at least one remote terminal comprising remote data storage means for storing data, said data storage means containing at least one access time-variant storage medium on which original data transmitted from said central station may be stored; means for interfacing said central transmitting station with said remote terminal to transmit said original data from said central transmitting station to said remote terminal for storage means; accessing means at said remote terminal for storing the original data received by said remote terminal at controllable different positions on said access time-variant storage medium; means for monitoring the frequency at which said data on said access time-variant storage medium are accessed by said accessing means and for producing access-frequency representing signals; algorithm generating means for generating signals and for controlling the positions at which said data are to be stored on said access time-variant storage medium; and data-location control means responsive to said algorithm-generated signals and to said access-frequency representing signals for controlling the storage of said data on said accessing time-variant storage medium at positions on said storage medium such as to minimize the access time for accessing data representing said items, the access time-variant storage medium being adapted to store all of the data thereon after the positions are controlled.
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This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 08/751,307 filed Nov. 18, 1996, now abandoned
Methods and apparatus provided in accordance with this invention fulfill a long-felt need in the computer art for optimal updating of data from a central database to a multiplicity of remote databases servicing a variety of users. As used herein, the term "remote" means that the access time variant storage medium or the entire remote terminal is electrically discrete from the central database. It is envisioned that the ATV medium or the terminal might, however, be placed in close physical proximity to the central database.
In a preferred embodiment, a system for near optimal updating of data on a database is provided. The system is preferably comprised of a central transmitting station wherein data is stored. The central transmitting station is generally at a remote location from a plurality of distributed remote terminals. The central transmitting station contains, in preferred embodiments, vast amounts of data stored on a variety of storage media. The remote terminals are preferably interfaced through means for transmitting data with computers in the central transmitting station that control data access and transmission.
In still other preferred embodiments of systems described in accordance with this invention, the remote terminals are further comprised of means for ATV storage of data. Preferably, the means for ATV storage of data, for example, optical disks, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, hard disks, or magnetic spools, etc., is interfaced with the data transmission means. In still further preferred embodiments, the remote terminals are provided with a means for storing a location table coupled to the ATV medium. The location table orders the data according to a user's particular data access habits.
Preferably, means for visually displaying the data is provided. However, the accessed data might also be bussed to other devices for a variety of uses other than visual display. The data stored on the ATV storage medium is preferably comprised of both color video, audio and other information which can be accessed by the remote terminal for display. In still further preferred embodiments, the means for visually displaying the data is interfaced with the means for ATV storage of the data.
Preferably, arbitrarily ordered data is transmitted from the central database to the remote terminals over the data transmission line along with a location table. The data is stored on an ATV medium and the location table is stored in a location table memory. In preferred embodiments, statistics about a user's data access habits are collected and stored. The location table memory is interfaced with means for accessing the data by the user and is also interfaced with means for storing statistics about the user's data access habits.
In general, an index corresponding to the user's data access habits or access history and which determines how data will be stored on the ATV medium is generated by a set of particular rules or algorithm and the statistics. Preferably, the location table is then updated with the generated index thereby creating an updated location table. Then the ATV medium on the terminal can be optimally updated according to the user's particular access history. Any algorithm may be used which specifies a desired updating and storage technique. The location table may be updated periodically or aperiodically as is particularly desired. When periodic updating is desired, the access history is combined in the algorithm at set time intervals. Otherwise, aperiodic updating may be performed at times when it is convenient to combine the access history and the algorithm.
The systems and methods provided in accordance with this invention can be adapted for use in a variety of situations. An example of where these systems and methods are useful is in a computerized catalog or shopping network wherein data exemplifying a large variety of goods, products and services are stored on a vast database in the central transmitting station. The product information and data stored in the central transmitting station would be broadcast to each of the remote terminals via a data transmission line where it would be stored on the ATV medium in each of the remote terminals.
When a user desires to shop on the shopping network, he or she would access the ATV data storage medium with his own remote terminal by formulating a request directed to a particular type of product or category. The remote data terminal would preferably display the data stored on the ATV data storage medium on a video terminal or television set. Additionally, the user's data access habits would be tabulated in a buffer according to the various requests of the different products on the ATV storage medium. The individual user's data access habits would thereby form a set of statistics which could then be used with the algorithm for optimal data updating.
With these statistics, the catalog on the ATV data storage medium could then be updated such that the information concerning particular products which are accessed most often by the user would be placed around the "center" of the ATV storage medium. The term "center" as used herein means that the data accessed most often is located on the database such that the access time to it is minimized. Similarly, less often accessed data is located on the database such that its access time is greater. Thus, the access time to the ATV storage database would be effectively "optimized" with respect to each user depending upon which types of products embodied in data on the ATV database are accessed most often by the user.
The application of a computer shopping network is efficiently accomplished with methods and systems provided in accordance with this invention. However, the invention herein described is not limited to home shopping networks, but rather, is adaptable to any system which requires near optimal updating of data stored on ATV medium in remote terminals and broadcast from a central transmitting station. The methods and systems herein described are believed generally useful for these purposes.
Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like elements,
Block 8 is interfaced with location table generator 4 and combines all of the location tables with data 46 for transmission to the users at the various remote terminals. Items 46 contained in the database of the central transmitting station 2 are combined in block 8 with the location tables generated for each user by the location table generator means 4.
The combine block 8 broadcasts the location tables and the data 46 from the central transmitting station 2 over a wide bandwidth path 10 to the remote terminals 42. In preferred embodiments, the location table for each remote terminal 42 is uniquely identified for each remote terminal. Thus, each remote terminal 42 is adapted to receive only its unique location table broadcast from the central transmitting station. The location table for each terminal is stored on location table memory 12 which is interfaced with an ATV database 14. Each location table carries an index which is based on the statistics gathered from the particular user's data access habits with his or her own remote terminal. In further preferred embodiments the data are then stored on the ATV database 14 at locations specified by the unique location table for that particular remote terminal 42.
A user can make a selection of particular information from his ATV database 14 with means for selecting 16. The information selected by the user with means for selecting 16 is retrieved from the ATV database 14 and the particular item selected is output on a display 18. A buffer storage of the particular selection history from means for selecting 16 is shown at 20. Buffer 20 stores the latest history about the user's data access habits over time. A narrow bandwidth data return 22 from buffer storage 20 transmits the statistics of the selection history back to data analysis and location table generator 4 at central transmitting station 2. This selection history, along with the selection histories from other terminals 24, is transmitted back to the central transmitting station to location table generator 4 so that the location tables for all remote terminals can be optimally updated.
The data transmitted over the wideband path 10 are stored on ATV database 14. Algorithm 44 is input to data analysis and location table generator 4. Data analysis and location table generator 4 is interfaced with a historical data storage block 6 which is now contained within remote terminal 42. The user makes selections with means for selecting 16 which preferably is interfaced with location table memory 12. Location table memory 12 is also preferably interfaced with ATV database 14. Particular data selections may be displayed at display 18. Furthermore, buffer 20 is interfaced with means for selecting 16. Buffer 20 is adapted to receive and store the total history of the particular user's data selection habits over a discrete period of time. Buffer storage block 20 is also interfaced with data analysis and location table generator block 4. After an interval of time, buffer 20 transmits the selection history to data analysis and location table generator 4. Data analysis and location table generator 4 generates an optimally updated location table for the remote terminal utilizing the selection history stored in buffer 20, the data stored in historical data storage block 6 and the previously transmitted algorithm 44. In this fashion, the location table for the remote terminal is updated and contains the locations of data to be optimally placed on the ATV medium 14. Thus, data 46 will be optimally stored on ATV medium 14 according to each remote terminals particular updated location table.
The self-adjusting terminal of
After ordering is accomplished at 28, the near optimal database is constructed 30. The number of particular items accessed by the user has now been stored in buffer 20. A location table for each remote terminal is then created by data analysis block 4. The location table then directs the data to their optimal locations on the ATV database 30 so that when a user wishes to access a particular item or group of items again, the data access time is minimized. Since each user's optimally ordered location table is stored on location table memory 12 in the remote terminal, the data access time for each user is thereby optimized.
The optimized ATV database is shown at 36. Here, the data analysis block 4 will have created a location table which will position the high access items shown at 38 around the center of the ATV storage medium, while the lower access items shown at 40 will be positioned at either end of the ATV storage medium. If an accessing means were positioned at data item 12, which is located on the optimized ATV database at location 21, and the user wished to select data item 4, which is located on the optimized database at location 19, the accessing means would traverse only a short distance before reaching location 19 to access data item 4. The ATV database is said to be "optimized" since the access time to any particular piece of data is minimized. Thus, the systems and methods according to this invention fulfill a long-felt need in the art for methods and systems which optimize data storage on an ATV database according to a particular user's access habits. Optimization would occur within a short period after the random, un-ordered data 32 were broadcast and would result in the ordered data 36.
Referring now to
There have thus been described certain preferred embodiments of methods and systems provided in accordance with this invention. These methods and systems satisfy a long-felt need in the art for methods and systems which provide near optimal access time to ATV databases having large amounts of information stored thereon. While preferred embodiments have been described and disclosed, it will be recognized by those with skill in the art that modifications are within the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosed embodiments and appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications.
Weinger, Ralph, Weinger, Bruce
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