Systems and methods for power management in relation to a wireless storage device

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for reducing power consumption in a device including a memory system. As one example, a system may include a memory system with a hard disk drive and a flash memory. The flash memory maintains a menu file that includes a list of content objects available on the hard disk drive. In addition, the system includes a processor that executes software maintained on the memory system to update the menu file when a previously unavailable content object becomes available on the hard disk drive. Further, in some cases, the processor executes software that is operable to update the menu file when a previously available content object becomes unavailable on the hard disk drive. Additionally, the systems may include instructions executable by the processor to receive a play list, and to copy a first content object identified on the play list from the hard disk drive to the flash memory, and to copy a second content object identified on the play list from the hard disk drive to the flash memory. With the content objects thus moved to the flash memory, they can be uploaded to either the application device that supplied the play list, or to another application device designated as the recipient of the content objects.

1 . A system for reducing power consumption in a mobile data storage device, the system comprising:
 a memory system including:
 a hard disk drive; 
 a flash memory, wherein the flash memory includes a menu file, and 
   wherein the menu file includes a list of content objects available on the hard disk drive; and
 a processor, wherein the memory system includes instructions executable by the processor to update the menu file when a previously unavailable content object becomes available on the hard disk drive. 
   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory system further includes instructions executable by the processor to update the menu file when a previously available content object becomes unavailable on the hard disk drive. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the memory system further includes instructions executable by the processor to:
 receive a play list; and   copy a first content object identified on the play list from the hard disk drive to the flash memory, and copy a second content object identified on the play list from the hard disk drive to the flash memory.   
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the memory system further includes instructions executable by the processor to provide the first content object identified on the play list to a receiving application device. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the play list is provided from an application device communicably coupled to the memory system via a wireless network. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the wireless network is a Bluetooth network. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the menu file is in a format usable to drive a user interface of a controlling application device. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the controlling application device is a cellular telephone, and wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the menu file is an XML format file. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first content object and the second content object are maintained in the flash memory upon power down of the memory system. 
   
   
       11 . A method for power reduction, the method comprising:
 providing a memory system, wherein the memory system includes a hard disk drive and a flash memory;   storing a content object to the hard disk drive; and   maintaining a menu file in the flash memory, wherein the menu file identifies the content object, and wherein the menu file is in a format usable to drive a user interface of an application device communicably coupled to the memory system via a wireless network.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the content object is a first content object, wherein the method further comprises:
 storing a second content object to the hard disk drive; and   updating the menu file to reflect the availability of the second content object on the hard disk drive.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the application device is a cellular telephone, and wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the menu file is an XML format file. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving a play list, wherein the play list includes the first content object and the second content object, and wherein the play list is received from an application device communicably coupled to the memory system via a wireless network; and   based at least in part on the play list, copying the first content object from the hard disk drive to the flash memory; and   based at least in part on the play list, copying the second content object from the hard disk drive to the flash memory.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the method further includes:
 executing the play list, wherein the first content object and the second content object are provided to a receiving application device.   
   
   
       17 . A method for reducing power consumption in relation to memory access operations, the method comprising:
 providing a memory system, wherein the memory system includes a hard disk drive and a flash memory, and wherein a first content object and a second content object are stored on the hard disk drive;   receiving a play list, wherein the play list includes the first content object and the second content object;   based at least in part on the play list, copying the first content object from the hard disk drive to the flash memory; and   based at least in part on the play list, copying the second content object from the hard disk drive to the flash memory.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method further includes:
 executing the play list, wherein the first content object and the second content object are provided to a receiving application device.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the flash memory maintains a menu file, wherein the menu file indicates the first content object and the second content object, and wherein the menu file is in a format usable to drive a user interface of an application device communicably coupled to the memory system via a wireless network. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 storing a third content object to the hard disk drive; and   updating the menu file to reflect the availability of the third content object on the hard disk drive.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 deleting the second content object from the hard disk drive; and   updating the menu file to reflect the unavailability of the first content object on the hard disk drive.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the application device is a cellular telephone, and wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface integrated with the cellular telephone. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the menu file is an XML format file. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the play list is received from an application device, and wherein the application device is communicably coupled to the memory system via a wireless network. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the application device is a cellular telephone. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the menu file is an XML format file.